In recent years, a concerning shift has been unfolding—not on distant battlefields, but right in our everyday lives, our conversations, and our media consumption. It’s not that war itself is changing into some hybrid, elusive form; rather, peace is being reframed and reinterpreted through the lens of war. I like to call this phenomenon the war-ization of peace.
Look around on social media: it feels like people engage less in dialogue and more in skirmishes. Discussions that could naturally lead to collaboration often degrade into arguments, with elbows out rather than hands extended. The tone is harsher, more confrontational, as if every disagreement is a front line in a larger conflict.
This war-like outlook isn’t limited to social media interactions. It permeates the language we hear in everyday life and through the mainstream media. Consider the phrases we use and repeat almost daily: “the war on Corona,” “the war on terror,” even “the war on drugs.” Cyberwar … another example. These phrases frame public health challenges, security threats, and social issues as violent battles requiring aggressive defense and offense. The metaphors of war have seeped into the fabric of peace-time society.
But what is a war? While there is no real definition in international diplomacy, we can ask children. They usually define war as something “where people kill each other”. I think, that hits the point. A war is a status where killing is obligatory and allowed. But do we really want to kill people when tackling diseases like Corona, destroying criminal organizations that trade drugs or when raising a firewall that detects and avoids the next Phishing-attack? No – but we speak about it like that.
Peace is not only a limited ceasefire between violent times
What does this do to our collective mindset? It conditions us to live in a state of heightened alertness, suspicion, and anxiety always ready for the next aggression —as if peace were just a fragile ceasefire between inevitable eruptions of violence. We start to expect conflict everywhere, hunting for enemies and framing opponents as adversaries to overcome, rather than fellow humans to understand.
Meanwhile, the news media doubles down on this framing by overwhelmingly prioritizing war coverage, crime, disasters, and political fights. Good news—stories of recovery, innovation, community, and everyday kindness—often gets sidelined or ignored. The result is a constant drumbeat of negativity that reinforces this mentality of perpetual conflict.
But pause for a moment and reflect on what Western societies have truly achieved: relative peace, health, and prosperity for millions. These are not trivial accomplishments. Many parts of the world still know very little of such conditions. Yet, our language and behaviors distort this reality. By thinking in terms of wars everywhere, we lose sight of the actual peaceful circumstances we live in—and with that, the ability to nurture, protect, and enhance them.
It is on us to recognize peace around us – and focus then on real wars
The challenge—and opportunity—is to shift the narrative from war-ization back toward genuine peace. To recognize that not every disagreement is a battle, not every problem a war. To reclaim language that builds bridges rather than battlements. To celebrate and seek out good news, not just the dramatic and alarming.
Peace is not merely an absence of war, but a quality of life flourishing under conditions of understanding, cooperation, and trust. If we let the war mindset dominate, we risk sabotaging the very peace we so often take for granted.
It is not the hybridization of war that we face—no, it is the deep, unsettling war-ization of peace itself. The sooner we recognize this, the sooner we can choose a different path: one of genuine connection, calm, and hope amidst our complex modern world.
But I wouldn’t be that security type of man, if I would not have at least a single recommendation to win a real war. Or better, two. Firstly, we have to win the wars in ourselves. A steady alertness and anxiety reduces our strength and damages our souls and health. Keep calm – otherwise the heart attack will beat you even when there is no enemy on your front door. And secondly, it helps us to concentrate on real wars. Stopping arguments and avoiding fighting the wrong battles will help to concentrate on real challenges, like the very real war in Ukraine. A deeper understanding who is the real enemy and how to kill him most efficiently.
