From the beginnings of history until now, there have been many more days spent in war than in peace. The life of societies is a perpetual guerrilla, and where hostility dies down, indifference supervenes. All the efforts of comradeship, of friendship and love seem futile against the vast obstacles to human brotherhood. Heidegger and Sartre make much of this in their philosophy. For them, the need to possess and to overcome everlastingly obstructs communication.
Associated man is necessarily either tyrant or slave.
The very look of another steals somewhat of my universe, his presence restricts my liberty, his promotion is my demotion. As for love, it is a mutual disease, an inferno. It is vain to protest against this view. It is also hard to deny the importance of the aspect of human relations that it presents. It continually re-imposes risk and suffering just as we seem to be achieving peace.