Why Not Try Love?

https://youtu.be/n0XkGsdxDAg?si=D8kzG96MnwElKo3T

Please sign War Crimes petition below. Restack, like, share this.]

Why Not Try Love?
by Alvin Boyd Kuhn, Ph. D.

* Electronically typed and edited from New Outlook (circa 1952) by Juan Schoch for education research purposes. This notice is not to be removed.

Prof. Ashley Montagu, of Rutgers University, has put out a small volume entitled On Being Human. In it he adduces data from recent clinical investigations which reveal the fairly astonishing fact that children who are brought up in institutions and deprived of the direct personal interest and love of their parents manifest most distinct marks of deficiency in growth and organic and functional development, contrasted with those who are reared in the homes of their own families. This is challenging enough in all conscience, but he accentuates the impressive significance of it all by adding the further scientific datum that the life thus stunted and warped in childhood will have little or no chance of recovering the lost balance or repairing initial damage. It is marked with shortcomings and defects in vital factors of character for life. Krishnamurti says we are not yet human, not having begun to love.

Prof. Montagu builds the thesis of his book upon the inescapable implications of this scientific finding: what is wrong with the world is simply that we have not given love its chance to heal and beautify our lives. And he draws from this his over-all conclusion that the remedy for world ills is that we inaugurate the reign of universal love, beginning with bestowing it upon children.

The venerated Scriptures of the world teach the principle of love as the perfect formula for the solution of all problems, proclaiming love to be the fulfillment of all law. Now, says Prof. Montagu, social clinical investigation in the nursery empirically proves that the Scriptural ideal is true as scientific fact. Let us, he urges, have the good common sense to introduce love into the heart of all human relations, individual and international, and we will take at least the first step on the one right path to the goal of human security and peace. The Library Journal says this little book well could, and certainly should, become the most influential book of this century.

Without the constant play of the force of love in all human relations, the human psyche finds itself threatened by the play of love’s opposites—greed, selfishness, hatred, competition, neglect, blindness and stupidity. In short, it finds its security menaced by these forces. Nothing but love will diminish or remove this peril to fundamental security, without which there can be no peace. Love would supply the deficiencies, fill up the vacuum of good, provide stability and the physical foundations without which neither peace nor happiness can be possible. In short, love would allay the feverish anxiety, fear, turmoil and strife which so disorder and vitiate human relations all over the world.

We strongly prefer peace to war and we generally would like to put loving, or at least fraternal relations into effect. Why then, do we not have the resolution to bring the operation of the love principle into play and make it the solvent of all our difficulties? We worship science in this age; why do we not then follow the prescription that science has now verified and put love to work universally?

Not only would love operate to provide and stabilize the essential bases of security, but, even farther than Prof. Montagu goes, it is the only, or at any rate the final efficient agency that will complete the human individual psychically. And in the end this is more important, once security is reasonably assured, than the function of love in strengthening and guaranteeing our existential position. For man does not live by bread alone. Economic security is basically indispensable; but its assured provision does not automatically guarantee happiness. It gives the psyche the proper condition in which it can then work to achieve its happiness. This great boon is achieved only through what modern psychology calls integration.

Integration is the harmonious interrelation of all the psychic forces of the individual consciousness, the sweet accord of all sensation, emotion, thought and will—the four constituent elements through which the psyche expresses itself. These are exactly comparable to the four voices, bass, tenor, alto and soprano. When these four tones of the psychic expression are in accord they render sweet music from the psychic organ. But we know only too well what a jangling and frightful cacophony they can produce when one or all are out of tune. All too largely human existence is lived within the incessant din of these four vibrations all off-key. Sense and desire blare out their raucous notes, silencing thought and will, and there is discord. Mind decides a certain thing is good and will decrees its accomplishment; but a sensuous craving will not yield, and the will is not strong enough to command the resolute action. The mind generally knows what would be a better way, indeed the best way; but lower inclinations fixed by the iron bands of habit defeat the will to execute it. And since the world is an organism, the same principles of psychic balance or discord govern its life.

The problem of the world, the gigantic task that love faces in transfiguring human society, is the problem of the psychic integration of the world. It has proved complex in the individual; it may be a thousand times more complex in the world.

In this analysis, we must seek the answer to Prof. Montagu’s question and to the challenge which the scientific data he presents throws at our intelligence. Possibly all mortals not feeble-minded clearly realize that love would solve the world’s major problems, as it constantly solves infinite minor ones. Obviously there is something that inhibits the human power to put this knowledge into effective action. The prime and crucial question then is: what is that something?

Everybody with a keen brain and a serious pen in hand is trying to spell out that answer. The NEW OUTLOOK is conscientiously committed to a crusade to find and record that answer. For doubtless the fate of our civilization depends upon finding it and acting upon what it dictates. One writer after another comes forward with a formula that seems to put the problem in a perfectly logical frame based on impregnable solid principles; every solution proposed aims to formulate a program that will be at last the wholly practical one. It claims to be the one that will meet the challenge that invariably confronts all ideal proposals: it is fine in theory, but will it work in practice?

And how our modern Western attitude of mind scorns “beautiful theory” and cries for the “practical”! We demand what will work, not ivory-tower utopianism. One does not doubt that Prof. Montagu felt that in his little book he had at last hit upon the formula, the prescription, that could not miss in practical operation. And he by no means left it vague and merely idealistic. He suggested quite practical modes of its application.

Nevertheless his formula leaves the whole situation resting on the word “love,” as in general most religion leaves its entire problem resting on the word “God.” The first and great commandment is the love of God, and the second is the love of thy neighbor as oneself. We have the golden rule, the beatitudes, Paul’s thirteenth chapter of Corinthians, the twenty-third Psalm and the Sermon on the Mount. Broadly speaking, a great majority of people everywhere have the sincere desire, hope and personal intent to carry out the injunctions of these great moral and spiritual manuals. Still the world is racked with strife and glowering hatreds and the tail-lashing snarl of the tiger ready to spring.

This article is not an unfavorable critique of Prof. Montagu’s book nor of other equally pointed and sincere attempts to solve the dire predicament humanity faces. But if there is inadequacy in the panaceas presented, it lies in the very singular fact that they leave the problem—and consequently its solution—in too simple a form. To serve God, to love the human brother, seems reasonably simple. It is logically unassailable; its practical working would not seem to be too hopelessly impossible. All that seems to be needed is simply the determination to go ahead and work it. “Let us try it, let us put love to work,” is the sincere urging of millions. And no one can doubt that if the noble impulse was acted on by enough people in direct forthright manner, starting today, the move would go far and achieve substantial results. It is this volume of right disposition that doubtless has prevented things from being worse than they are. The move could not be a total failure. Awakened realization of terrible catastrophe threatening us has created the demand for forthright action to settle differences by the counsels of mutual accord instead of by the frightful arms of coercion.

We must ask and ask again what blocks this really vast body of human goodwill and sincere desire to live in peace amid the community of peoples. The first and most simple answer would appear to be that, great as is the volume of good intent, it must still not be enough to overcome opposing forces. It must still be short both in quantity and resolute character. Moreover, it is evident that it is not at all compact, but is diffuse, nebulous, ethereal. It is almost wholly unorganized; it is hardly ever in shape to be focused in strength upon its objectives. It is never consolidated to become an effective agent for its own purposes. It manifests spasmodically, capriciously, intermittently. It bloweth where it listeth. It is largely undependable, irresponsible. It does not lend itself readily to overall direction and has difficulty in both finding and following intelligent leadership.

The love that nourishes the healthy growth of infants is love in action, love in actual ministration of benefit, and it thus promotes life and well-being. The love that we think could bring world peace is something different. It is sincere and well-meaning, to be sure; but it is in the main rather a matter of purely intellectual sentiment, and often is sheer sentimentality. It is well and truly reasoned; but it may be just reason and little beyond. It is noble in conception, but is generally none too robust. It does not often reckon on the vast gulf that yawns between a pious sentiment, a righteous motivation, and the business of carrying it into execution in actual concrete situations, involving a clash with those who may not be of like motive.

And here, it seems clear, is the point of weakness in such a proposal as that of Prof. Montagu. It seems to rest upon the sheer presumption that the mere benignancy of brotherly disposition is all that is needed to mend bad human relations, that a friendly handclasp will magically dissolve obstacles and bring harmony. We are all for friendly sentiment. It is primarily essential and will go far. But the crucial point is and always will be: is the love sentiment deep, vital and strong enough to stand up under the strain to which it will be subjected when the exigencies of actual human situations begin to test it out? This is the “practical” aspect of the matter, and it at once gives rise to a thousand considerations which come in to influence action when one attempts to translate righteous motives into objective programs.

It is commonly, but fatuously believed that if only the love motive can be implemented in society it will be met with genial welcome and a bland response, a reaction in kind. Unfortunately, the history of mankind offers little to confirm this expectation. Humanity resists being pulled or pushed toward the goal.

More seriously still, the deep significance of our sacred Scriptures points to a quite different possibility, indeed a certainty of a reaction far less felicitous. History and Holy Writ alike point the staggering moral that when Love in person sets out to transfigure the world, the world will turn and crucify it. The pioneer for a noble cause has ever been crucified. Love is a sweet, gentle, gracious presence. It walks everywhere in the bland aura of innocence, trusting all to receive it in its own spirit. It goes unguarded, unsuspicious, offering itself without condition. It goes out into the world as a little Red Riding Hood in the forest, as a lamb among wolves (who are all too often dressed in sheep's clothing), as an innocent in the kingdom of the Herods. Love is tender, delicate, fragile; it is easily hurt, or shocked, and is soon broken.

In proposing that we recreate humanity through love are we prepared to count the cost of the enterprise? Is the love we propose to offer ready to brave the inevitable conflict, and is it sturdy, hardy, doughty enough to stand the gaff? Love is constantly trying itself out, trying its fledgling wings, and is constantly being rebuffed, flouted, defeated and broken. Every young couple with utter sincerity tries it before and after the altar ceremony. Hardly ever does it escape fatal wounding.

Parents try it on children, children on parents, brother on brother, friend on friend and neighbor on neighbor. Victories are mostly indecisive and partial. Love seldom reaps reward in kind or in measure. It is sacrificial. If the Scriptural story means anything it points the moral that love will be wounded and may be slain by the unregenerate elements of human nature. Is our love ready to meet the snarl and the claws of the beast lurking in the jungle of low animal rapacity? Is our love song sweet enough to woo and charm the savage beast in man?

Ancient spiritual allegory represented every Christ figure such as Horus and Hercules, as having to strangle a great serpent that attacked them in their cradle, or like Samson to rend the jaws of a lion. Obviously, it is intended that the Christ-love shall not go supinely and unresistingly to its death, but that it should conquer. The spirit of man was adjured to become wise as serpents. And wisdom is again confirmed by the Scriptural charge to get it as the first and greatest of all possessions.

To save itself from gratuitous victimization, love must be counseled and directed by wisdom. Failure must continue to dog the love effort until the wistful aspirations of the heart are safely and intelligently directed by the wisdom of the head.

Love has not yet come of age. Love is a tender young shoot on the tree of human evolution, timorous and shy. The book that Prof. Montagu should now write is one entitled The Education of Love.

~

The Education of Love

[Rev. 3, 8.3.2025] A single whisper is faint, but millions banding together can roar loudly enough to topple a kakistocracy and demand The Clean New Deal

War crimes. Expel Russian Federation from the United Nations (U​N) now! [v2]

The New Untouchables [TNU] Episode #36: Imagine a Manhattan Project for Trump Corruption

Added breaking bombshell video recording Trump DOJ Deputy Chief+more: Epstein name-dropped Putin as a client.. The Alpha and Omega of the Epstein Cover-up ~ Clean New Deal megapost