DAY 21 – BASIC REQUIREMENT: HARMONY BETWEEN GROUPS

I am taking a history course in high school. This week’s assignment is to prepare a paper about human diversity around the planet and its significance to major historical conflicts. The first thing I could think of is that people live in different nations, believe in different religions, are of different races, have different ethnic backgrounds and have different sexual orientations. In every case, human beings either live in peace or are at odds with those who are members of a different group.

When people belong to a group they have a sense that they are part of the bigger whole of that group. There is an identification that takes place where members feel more comfortable and at ease with people who are like themselves. This comfortability then works its way into uniting people and helping fellow group members. Such a mindset becomes the difference between more or fewer problems.

On the other end of the spectrum, many problems occur because of such identification. People often show preferential treatment and allegiance to members of one’s own group at the expense of members of the “other” group. Labeling people as the “other” makes it easier to disregard their humanity and quickly find fault with them even though similar discretions are minimized or ignored for those who are part of one’s own group. When self-interest based upon group identification takes center stage to the detriment of the interests of those who are different it separates human beings and does little to unite humanity.

An “us” versus “them” mentality based upon group identification occurs in so many different ways. Economic policies are enacted centered around what is best for one’s “own” group no matter what the ramifications may be for the “other” group. Mistreatment of your fellow human beings would be frowned upon for those who belong to “our” group but accepted towards those who are different. Conflicts and military action may be rationalized from the perspective of how it will benefit “our” group irrespective of what harm it may do to the “others”.

While many people think in terms of “us” and “them” there is also a large number of human beings who fully understand that everyone is part of the largest group possible, humanity. With over seven billion people on planet earth they think of this world as one collective body. They go out of their way to right any wrongs and come to the aid of those in need not because of the group someone belongs to but because they are people who just need some help. We call this humanitarian.

When I finished this report I now realize that treating people labeled as the “other” group as well as you treat members of your “own” group brings about peaceful relations and cooperative behaviors that have a holistic benefit for all of mankind. After all, aren’t we just part of one all encompassing “own” group called the human race.