Being Peace | Thich Nhat Hanh

Why it is included: Many change makers burn out because they try to create peace in the world while harboring a war inside themselves. Thich Nhat Hanh argues that this is impossible.

"Peace is not just an end; it is the path." You cannot use angry, fragmented means to achieve a peaceful, whole outcome.

It bridges the gap between the "Inner" and the "Outer."

It teaches that our state of being is our primary contribution to the world. If we are anxious and aggressive, we export anxiety and aggression, no matter how noble our cause.

Being Peace provides the "First Principle" of activism: to transcend the war, we first stop the war in our own hearts, creating a reservoir of calm that stabilizes everyone around us.