"How is it they live in such harmony the billions of stars - when most men can barely go a minute without declaring war in their minds about someone they know"

Thomas Aquinas’s meditation on the contrast between the harmony of the cosmos and the turbulence of the human mind invites deep reflection on human nature, conflict, and the search for peace. When observing the night sky, one sees billions of stars existing together, appearing to cooperate in a vast, ordered expanse, each following its path without apparent discord. This spectacle of celestial harmony stands in stark opposition to the inner world of most people, where mental and emotional conflicts are frequent and intense.

The stars become a metaphor for a greater cosmic order, an ideal where innumerable entities coexist without strife. Their seeming tranquility evokes a sense of peace and cooperation that many strive for, yet find elusive. Meanwhile, on the individual and collective level, humans struggle to maintain even fleeting moments of psychological or interpersonal harmony. Aquinas notes the tendency to experience conflict, not just externally, but internally, wars waged in the mind, silently judging or resenting others, crafting narratives of opposition, suspicion, or competition, sometimes against those closest or most familiar.

This contrast raises questions about the roots of human discord. The cosmos follows universal laws, each star or planet moving in its orbit, governed by forces beyond personal will. Humans, however, possess consciousness, desires, insecurities, and egos that often breed comparison, misunderstanding, or aggression. Aquinas points out how swiftly people can move toward conflict, sometimes over matters trivial or imagined, reflecting deeper issues of the heart or soul.

His reflection is both a lament and a call to aspire to the harmony embodied by the stars. It suggests the possibility and necessity of inner peace, self-mastery, and the cultivation of goodwill toward others. To find in oneself even a fraction of the harmony observed in the heavens could fundamentally transform relationships, communities, and ultimately, the broader human experience.