"Love". "Happiness". "Peace."

Oh, what lovely concepts in theory. Let's love each other in perfect
harmony!

It is the mark of the blathering idiot who purveys such ideas as
anything but utter gibberish.

Love is a concept invented by fools who did not know themselves enough
to assign any other word to their souls's reponse. Love is the thing in
the name of which the greatest horrors are committed - the horror of
undeserved love. I will not exist alongside everyone, because some of
you do not deserve this existence. When the world is populated with
ideal people, when your imperfections and idiocies have finally been
wiped away, then speak of love. Love is truly for the weak, for it is
the claim they impose upon the strong so as to gain a foothold in the
world which would otherwise, quite rightly, swallow them. Cities are not
built on 'love'. Progress is not made on 'love'. The only thing made
from 'love' is squeaky, bratty infants and mistakes.

Peace. You say you want peace. Do you know what peace is? It is the
utter obliteration of all conflict. Good, you say. But consider this.
Conflict is caused by opposition. There is only one way that perfect
peace could exist - if all beings became identical, if all beings
narrowed parts of themselves to a single aspect as to avoid inner
conflict. If we became, as one, a society of drones. For as long as dark
and light, good and evil, wrong and right exist, there shall be
conflict. Conflict is a measure of diversity, of change. There can be no
progress, there can be no creation, without a driving force. This
driving force does not come from snuggly fuzzy bunnies. It comes from
the clashing of titanic metaphysical forces. Obliterating good
obliterates evil. Obliterating light obliterates darkness. But while a
pair of opposites exists, there shall be conflict.

It is in pain and stife that a soul is forged. It through conflict that
we learn who we are. It is change and growth that makes us think. There
is no such thing as peace in a realm as this. There must never be, for
in peace it would collapse upon itself. Peace is only beautiful while it
is not there - like a great many things.

Do not speak of love, or peace. This is the land of neither. Speak of
honour, responsibility. Speak of mind and knowledge, speak of growth and
destruction. If you require something to love, then start with yourself
and the life that you lead - for it is ephemeral. Value your losses, for
they show you the beauty and fragile, overwhelming joy of existence,
made joyful *only* by the presence of strife.

Before you would change this world, know thyself. The answers might
surprise you. And perhaps then you will not hiss and spit at the words I
have written, but open the ears which have been clogged by inventions
and fancies, and listen - not to the heart - but to the guide and
strength of the mortal races. Our minds.

Grand Duchess Silmarillion Bahir'an

Penned by my hand on the 21st of Slyphian, in the year 84 MA.