Page 58 - THE PATH

MAN’S SERENITY

Serenity has never been long-lasting. Through

history, it has changed for many reasons.

Small serene social groups were defeated and thus
lost their serenity. Serenity has always been defended by

force. The failure to defend it had disastrous

consequences. When great empires were in their zenith
they were serene. Their collapse was marked by losing

serenity and giving rise to anxiety. Wars between states

were most often waged in order for one of them to

become more peaceful again and by the same token
enable individual serenity.

Individuals consciously entered the risk. If they

won, they gained serenity, but if they lost, they had to

pay a high price, even with their own life. It follows that
serenity is in a constant struggle with the fear of losing it.

Nowadays, since reason is on a higher level, the

wish for serenity is the same but it gets more difficult to
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