on terrorism" continues, my thoughts have turned to some psychological factors involved in peace.

Throughout history, many thinkers and philosophers have invested a great amount of effort studying the psychology of peace. One psychologist that stands out for his strategic skill in creating peace is Charles Osgood, a psychologist born in 1916 and the creator of GRIT. GRIT stands for Osgood's strategy of "graduated and reciprocated initiatives in tension-reduction." GRIT calls for one side of a given crisis to make small, unilateral steps away from confrontation, with the expectation that the other side will do the same.

There are many other people who have come up with some principles involved in the creation, promotion and maintenance of peace. I share some of these principles in hopes that in the days ahead, we might all embrace them as "our contribution" to a peaceful world.

l. The most immediate principle of peace applicable to the current Middle East situation is the "non-vengeful treatment of defeated nations." Surely, if we become vengeful against the nation we have recently defeated, we sow the seeds of hatred and rage which grow into another future conflict. If we continue to kill and defeat so-called terrorists around the world, we are once again breeding what Shakespeare called "the dogs of war."

2. A second peaceful principle is that peace depends on respecting human rights and on social and economic justice. Very few wars have been fought between two nations who both respected the rights of others and whose government was based upon social and economic justice.

The realization that prejudice (pre-judgment) of others and hostility toward those defined as "not one of us" (the out group), are in practicality, mistakes. Everyone needs to be known and judged by the quality of his character. Everyone needs to feel he or she belongs. And if we feel people know us and include us, we don't usually fight. If we take the time to understand and respect the causes of hatred and terrorism, we might just attenuate our killing of one another.

3. Another idea that promotes peace is the commitment to peaceful action on the part of the individual as a necessary component to peace. Peace begins with you and me being peaceful within ourselves and acting in ways which increase the probability that interpersonal peace is created.

4. Some principles of peace involve our attitudes toward war. In order to promote peace, we may need to reconsider the "virtues of war." We may need to rethink the belief that war solves problems and does not corrupt the integrity of both individuals and society. We may want to embrace the belief that war is economically and technologically obsolete and too costly. The nations most prepared for war are today, the nations whose economies are in the worst shape, including our own. While those nations like Japan who do not spend a great amount on armaments have the financial capacity to support a thriving economy.

5. Finally, there are those who believe that war is caused by fearful, reactive preparation for war. Certainly if all nations in the world did not prepare to defend" themselves, war would not occur as readily. This does not mean the human's innate aggression and pugnacity would be terminated. It does mean that we need to learn to divert the aggressive need to protect ourselves into more constructive behavior.

If we are going to experience a genuine peace during our lifetime, like Charles Osgood, we are going to have to spend much more of our time and energy learning about the psychology of peace. Peace does not seem to be a condition which comes about naturally and with no effort on our part. It may turn out that we need to work as hard and spend as much at creating peace as we do in creating conflict. If we Americans were to do that, peace would become a certainty.

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Lloyd J. Thomas, Ph.D. has 30plus years experience as a Life Coach and Licensed Psychologist

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