“But peace like happiness always eludes men when they make it a goal of human endeavor. Peace and happiness are by-products of other goals. We cannot make ourselves truly happy by deciding we need to be happy. Happiness is a product of work well done, of a life lived in successful community, of peace with God, and of much more. Men make happiness a goal when they have failed miserably in all other objectives, and what they then mean by happiness is really a narcotized state wherein they feel no griefs and can enjoy some very limited pleasures of play. Similarly, peace is a by-product of a general success in one's relationships to God and man, in one's calling, and in a confident prospect concerning the future. Peace implies a harmony of affairs and a general harmony of personal and social interests. What most people mean by peace is an attitude of, 'Leave me alone, and don't bother me with the problems of the world,' or, Do anything, but get rid of all these problems, and leave me to enjoy myself. Peace in this sense is a retreat. It is more than that: it is a form of suicide, a surrender of life for a retirement to the sidelines of life.“ ~ R.J. Rushdoony