The well-loved author of the endearing Winnie-the-Pooh stories, A. A. Milne, also offered insightful observations on the nature of conflict. He thought that human beings themselves created and maintained war, rather than it being a natural occurrence.

Milne maintained that there would be no more wars if everyone chose to forgo using force as a means of resolving their issues. According to this viewpoint, humanity can improve the world by merely altering our collective consciousness.

Think of war as a huge, sprawling tree in a forest of human societies to help visualize this concept. War needs people who build it, tend to it, and fight inside of it, just as a tree needs soil and sunlight to grow. The tree will eventually wither away if everyone chooses not to give it any more nutrients.

Essentially, Milne's perspective calls on people to be accountable for their deeds in order to promote a peaceful rather than hostile atmosphere. We can progressively destroy the systems that allow war to flourish by resolving conflicts peacefully and encouraging others to follow suit.