A common definition of a New Year resolution is “a decision to do something better or to stop doing something bad in the new year.” This is a valuable prescription for personal moral agency—both proactive (behaving more humanely) and inhibitive (refraining from harming others).
New year resolutions go back to at least 153 B.C., when the Romans honored Janus, the god of gates and doors, who had two faces (one looking ahead and the other looking back). Janus became a symbol for seeking forgiveness for past wrongs and making resolutions for better behavior.
The most common new year resolutions in the U.S. today, according to USA.gov, include drinking less alcohol, quitting smoking, getting better education or a better job, and volunteering to help others. There is no better way to help others than to contribute to peace on earth.
Psychologists have learned a lot about how to achieve resolutions, including: 1) set specific goals and focus on the rewards to be gained by achieving your goals; and 2) seek support from friends and family.
If, like us, your resolution is to promote peace, decide on and engage in some specific, achievable goals:
- Refrain from supporting newspapers, politicians, TV stations etc., that glorify war.
- Take positive action– for example, by signing pro-peace petitions, writing your Congress people and local media about pursuing peace, and contributing to groups working for peace.
Remember that none of us has forever to achieve peace for good. For inspiration, listen to Phil Ochs’ song, “When I’m Gone.”
In 2011, as part of our resolution to share inspiration for engaging peace, we will add a new feature to this blog. Specifically, watch for occasional links to the kinds of anti-war songs that can propel people into anti-war activism. We invite you to join us by sending the names and/or links to your favorites.
Kathie Malley-Morrison, Professor of Psychology