Why do we have ideals? First, we hope that by having an ideal, we shall be able to get rid of, alter, modify or change the fact. I am violent, and I use the ideal of non-violence to help me get rid of my violence. Now look at what has happened! The fact is I am violent, and the ideal is not a fact at all, it is verbal, an idea; and with that idea I hope I can get rid of my violence. The ideal is created because I want to escape from the fact, and so I have created a contradiction. Whereas, if I look at the fact, the fact that I am violent, I can deal with that fact. Either I like violence, or I don’t like it. And as most people love violence, they keep it. And if it is a fact and you like it, it is all right; you keep it, be violent and talk about peace and all the rest of it, but know that, by doing this, you are deceiving others and yourself. But if you don’t like it, why have the ideal? If you don't like it, you can deal with it now.

From Collected Works Vol. 15

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