"Violence among young people is an aspect of their desire to create. They don't know how to use their energy creatively so they do the opposite and destroy"

Anthony Burgess draws a connection between youthful violence and the inherent creative drive present in young people. He suggests that at the core of violent behavior isn’t simply an urge to harm or a basic malevolence but rather a misdirected form of creativity. Young people are filled with energy, restlessness, and an urge to make an impact on the world around them. This energy, when not given a productive or artistic outlet, may instead turn toward destruction. The tendency toward violence then becomes a surrogate for creation, an attempt to leave a mark, to transform the environment, or to rebel against the mundane.

Violence, in this framework, is not just senseless brutality but rather a dramatic if tragic, manifestation of a deeper human need to create, to alter, to shape. The act of destruction is, paradoxically, a form of creation; it breaks down old forms in the hope, perhaps unconscious, that something new might arise. Burgess places responsibility not solely on the individual but also on society’s failure to channel youthful energy into positive pursuits. Without access to constructive forms of self-expression such as art, music, or meaningful work, young people may seek out the excitement of destruction as a way to exercise autonomy and assert their presence.

This perspective also argues for the importance of providing creative opportunities and education for the youth, avenues through which their energy and imagination can be expressed constructively. By nurturing creativity and encouraging productive engagement, society can help transform potential violence into art, invention, and positive change. Burgess’s observation challenges us to look behind the surface of antisocial acts and recognize the underlying longing to contribute and to be noticed. The solution, then, is not to suppress the energy but to redirect it toward making rather than breaking.