SoulPancake

the only way is if you can truely forgive & forget. if not, it'll never happen.

Understand where they're coming from. I know it helps me...

I dont think it is possible for enemies to all of a sudden "like" each other. But I do believe that time can change any feelings of rage, hate, etc., that a person has towards someone. I can remember, for example, how when I was nine yrs old my neighbor and I would deliberately do mean things to each other, never having met before or shared a conversation. We were enemies for months until the day me and her were coincidently at the same place at the same time, and her mother forced her to give me an icicle which she was opposed to doing. From then on we became best friends.

Therefore I don't think it is possible for enemies to become friends or take a liking of each other until both time passes and a third party's influence can help make ammends.

I think of the Palestine-Israel situation. Wrongs on both sides. Both sides desire the same real estate. Each side wants to return the borders to a different point in time. Each side has deeply felt justification. There could be (not likely, but possible) a compromise in which each side gets part of what it wants. This may be an improvement, but it will not resolve the matter. How can these hearts become enamored of each other so there could be true peace?

@cdd23 This sounds like transformational psychology.

@deadravens - but I say, the TRUEST form of love is to sacrifice yourself for the ones you DON'T 'love' - or those that don't love you. It's easy to 'love' those like you, but the truest display is really caring for those you would like to despise - or those that despise you. Walk a mile in their shoes, here their story and see how SIMILAR everyone really is. Loving your enemy is loving the world.

Is the person who can dispel strife with a smattering of words, the ultimate salesperson? ;-)

@NickLikesConversation You have a good point, Nick. If one can show the offering of dropping guard first, it is the reversal of retaliation. And by all means, one should do it while still being on guard in "stealth" mode, for if the enemy sees an opportunity to pounce in a moment of weakness in their prey, one needs to be prepared to react. But hopefully it will work to start the peace process. The biggest challenge is developing the trust. That takes time. It is one of the most fragile paths we can face in the human condition.

It will take seeing that our enemies are not people. It will take empathy.

Evil is so much bigger than a person, or even a group of people. So I may think my enemy is my father. My enemy is a coworker. Or my enemy is muslims. But what IS my enemy really?
Abandonment? Abuse? War?

If my enemy is 'war makers,' then I need to understand that I also consume conflict. Like on the playground, we run to a fight. It's the same spirit. So I need to have a more holistic enemy than just one person.

I guess rainn said not to make it 'hippie dippie.'

But yeah. It take me looking inward at what I really hate. Not excusing it's existence in another, but instead moving forward having that connection with them. And allowing a possibility that we can both heal.

love- agape- to love as in to die for , to sacrifice yourself for one who you love, the truest form of love