The world will never have lasting peace so long as men reserve

Opening Scene – Narrated by Host
The morning fog lingers, cloaking the landscape in a soft veil of grey. The world feels distant, as if wrapped in a quiet anticipation. Inside the small, dimly lit study, the light from the single desk lamp casts long shadows across the room, illuminating the rows of bookshelves lined with history, philosophy, and untouched wisdom. The room is thick with silence, save for the faint rustle of pages turning.

Jack sits by the window, gazing out at the fog, his hands wrapped around a cup of steaming tea. Jeeny is across from him, her posture elegant, though her eyes are far away, lost in thought. The air feels heavy, as if a conversation is about to be unearthed, something both necessary and uncomfortable.

Host: The quiet between them seems more than just a lull in conversation. There’s an unspoken weight in the air, a deep need for understanding that neither of them can yet put into words.

Character Descriptions

Jack: Tall, with sharp features and a gaze that cuts through the veil of everyday life. His grey eyes are always searching, skeptical but seeking a truth he can’t yet grasp. His voice is low, gravely at times, carrying the weight of unspoken doubts. Jack’s pragmatism often masks a quiet longing for something more, something meaningful.

Jeeny: Petite and graceful, with long black hair that falls in waves around her face. Her deep brown eyes are a reflection of her soul—intuitive, compassionate, and always seeking the deeper truths of the world. She speaks with conviction, her voice soft but always carrying a power of its own, rooted in faith and the belief in the goodness of people.

Host: The silent observer, lingering between the two. The room hums with the tension of an impending conversation, the atmosphere thick with the possibility of something significant being said.

Main Debate

Jeeny: (breaking the silence, her voice measured, thoughtful) “You know, Jack, I’ve been thinking about something I read recently. John Foster Dulles said, ‘The world will never have lasting peace so long as men reserve for war the finest human qualities. Peace, no less than war, requires idealism and self-sacrifice and a righteous and dynamic faith.’”

Jack: (glancing up, his eyebrows furrowing, his tone skeptical) “Idealism and self-sacrifice, huh? Sounds like something you’d hear in a history book. But peace is about more than just high ideals, Jeeny. The real world doesn’t work that way. You can’t build peace on ideals alone.”

Jeeny: (leans forward, her gaze steady but gentle) “But why not? Why can’t peace be built on the same things that drive us to sacrifice for each other in war? The very best of humanity emerges when we have a reason to fight for something greater than ourselves. Why not apply that same devotion to peace? Why must we reserve our highest qualities for conflict?”

Jack: (chuckles, though there’s no mirth in his voice, his tone sharp) “Because, Jeeny, war is an entirely different animal. It’s not about idealism; it’s about survival, dominance. You can’t fight wars based on wishes or ideals. It’s about strength, strategy, and a willingness to do whatever it takes. Peace, on the other hand, is a luxury. It’s hard to come by when everyone’s out there trying to prove they’re the strongest.”

Jeeny: (her eyes narrowing slightly, voice rising in intensity) “But isn’t that the problem? Why does strength have to mean destruction? We reserve our best traits for war, as if violence is the only way to achieve progress. But if we could redefine what true strength means, maybe we could use those same qualities to build something that doesn’t tear us apart. Peace isn’t a passive concept, Jack. It’s active. It requires effort, idealism, and belief in something greater than ourselves.”

Jack: (leaning back in his chair, his fingers tapping the table, voice growing more defensive) “Idealism can be dangerous, though. It’s blind. It’s easy to get swept up in the belief that peace can come from good intentions, but the reality of the world is different. People don’t just agree to peace; it’s negotiated, fought for, and enforced. Idealism doesn’t stop someone from taking what they want, from using force to get it. That’s the way things have always worked.”

Jeeny: (her voice softening but carrying a steady force) “I’m not saying we ignore reality, Jack. I’m saying we shift how we view it. What if we could apply the same sacrifices, the same righteousness that we reserve for war to our interactions with one another, to how we approach peace? It doesn’t mean ignoring the realities of the world, it means changing what we prioritize. Peace isn’t just the absence of conflict—it’s the presence of the qualities that build lasting unity: compassion, sacrifice, and faith in each other.”

Jack: (pauses, his gaze drifting toward the window, his tone becoming quieter, more reflective) “I don’t know, Jeeny. Maybe you’re right, but it’s hard to imagine people just changing. The world’s always been this way—people fight for what they want. And maybe that’s the only way.”

Jeeny: (gently, her voice full of quiet conviction) “Maybe the world has always been this way, but it doesn’t have to stay that way. History is full of people who fought for peace—not through destruction, but through sacrifice. Think about Gandhi, or Martin Luther King Jr. They didn’t use violence to bring about change, but they sacrificed their personal comfort, their own well-being, to achieve something greater. That’s what I mean by applying the finest human qualities to peace.”

Host: The air in the room feels different now, as if Jack’s thoughts are turning over in his mind, trying to understand her point. Jeeny’s voice, steady and full of purpose, fills the space between them, but Jack remains silent, his expression one of quiet contemplation. The fog outside has thickened, but inside, there’s a slight shift in the mood, a change in the air.

Jack: (softly, almost to himself) “I’ve always believed that to achieve anything worthwhile, you have to be willing to sacrifice. But I never thought about applying that to peace. I guess… I guess it’s not just about the end result, but the journey to get there.”

Jeeny: (smiling softly, her tone now gentle and understanding) “Exactly. Peace isn’t just something we stumble into—it’s something we build, one sacrifice at a time. It’s about choosing to see the best in each other, even when it’s hard. It’s about believing that the best of us can come together, even in a world that seems broken.”

Host: The room has quieted, and Jack, once so sure in his skepticism, now seems subdued, his mind turning over what Jeeny has said. Outside, the fog begins to thin, and a sliver of sunlight peeks through the clouds, casting a soft glow across the room. Jack turns back to Jeeny, his eyes meeting hers—there’s no immediate answer, but an understanding. Something has shifted.

Climax and Reconciliation

Jack: (with a small, almost unspoken acknowledgment, his voice calm but reflective) “Maybe I’ve been looking at it all wrong. Maybe peace doesn’t just come from silence or the absence of war. Maybe it’s in the effort, in the sacrifice we’re willing to make.”

Jeeny: (nodding, her voice warm but firm) “It’s a choice, Jack. It always has been. And we have to be willing to choose it every day, even when it feels impossible.”

Host: The light outside grows stronger, the fog lifting just enough to let the warmth seep into the room. Jack and Jeeny sit in quiet agreement, the words of John Foster Dulles lingering in the air—a reminder that peace, too, requires the highest of human qualities, those things we reserve for the moments when everything is on the line. The room is still, but for a brief moment, the world seems a little less divided.