Why is the world run by the violent?

Answer 1

To parpahrase a concept from Douglas Adams' book series "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy":
"I care about ____ "
"Enough to die for it?"
"Well, no."
"There you go. These guys are just more motivated."
Essentially, the violent ones are usually that way because they care that much about whatever it is they're getting violent over. And if you don't care about something enough to die for it, you certainly aren't going to care enough to kill for it. But if you're faced by someone on the opposite side of the issue who is willing to die for his/her belief, or more precisely, who is willing for you to die, you'll most likely concede the point, or at least be overwhelmed in the conflict by the sheer rabidity of their enthusiasm.
It also dovetails with the concept of the corrupting influence of power. Military/arms power does a heck of a job corrupting, and it leads directly down that violent path.
Also, you can't leave out the basic idea that we tend toward our most primal and base emotions/urges, unless we consciously, purposefully choose to overcome them.

Answer 2

Great question but not easy to answer. It seems that it's always been this way. Ever since marauding tribes, who were the precursors to Monarchs and the Aristocracies, we have always been ruled by those addicted to violence. If there was a will we could put an end to it. The peaceful could stop the violent from intimidating and terrorizing them but we would have to act together. And the Myths which sustain the violent - that things can never change, that violence is necessary, that the 'other' are evil and desire to be killed - would have to be overcome as well. Because in com batting violence we would have to ensure that we used non-violent means. It has been done. Gandhi showed how when he faced down the might of the British Empire - and won.

Answer 3

Unfortunately violence is part of our nature. The competition for resources has always been a large part of humanity, animals and even plant life. The sad thing is that now we do have the ability to produce enough for everyone so our natural proclivity for violence has become antiquated.

The violent have always been in power, and the only way to truly rid the world of them would almost certainly lead to violence.

Answer 4

Because people who are looking for power and recognitions from society are sometimes willing to do anything to become powerful. People that live in peace are not looking for power, and they are much happier than politicians and economists. If a person needs power... that means that he wants to become superior because he feels bad inside. And when you have that power, you want to keep it in any way possible. Those violent people that rule the world are wrong, they can control this imperfect society because they have so much power over it. We shouldn't listen to them.

Answer 5

Two people are screaming at you. You have to obey one of them. Both have narrow and simplistic opinions. Neither one is very funny or very wise or very charismatic. One of them is waving a book at you. The other one is waving a gun.

Which one would you obey? I mean, really?

Answer 6

Because the peaceful ones just wont run

Answer 7

because we intimidate, and get the job done, all the pussyfooters like bush, hang around, wondering how to convince people... violent people aren't ruling, but they can, and they might

Answer 8

Because people don't take a good look at who they vote into office !

Answer 9

Because the peaceful don't want to get involved.

Answer 10

greed