Tribalism prevents people unifying
Kian Hagerman
Mesa Legend
People all too often run to the relative safety of what they know when confronted. Instead of looking at a thought or idea contrary to our own, we would rather bury our heads in the sand, and do all that we can to avoid addressing issues directly. Coke or Pepsi, Mac or PC, we choose sides in arbitrary teams pitted against one another, often when the argument boils down to a matter of opinion.
It is commonly said that Apple computer products are better suited for those of artistic inclination, but that cannot possibly be the case for every individual. Sengcan wrote, “If you want the truth to stand clear before you, never be for or against. The struggle between ‘for’ and ‘against’ is the mind’s worst disease.”
Rather than evaluating the pros and cons of every choice though, people gravitate to the things that resonate with how they feel, instead of what they know. Events that pop up in the news, provoke guttural reactions typically, before thoughtful debate, and suddenly it is as if the “side” we are on has been chosen for us. One’s opposition may take a stance that is objectionable, morally reprehensible even; the moment their position is dismissed out of hand is an opportunity to learn that is missed. That person has their own perspective, which drove them to feel how they do, and objectively looking at their reasoning could be of benefit.
There is value in the thoughts and feelings of others, even those we don’t agree with, because we coexist in the same society. What they think informs their actions, how they treat others; bad ideas can negatively influence those that don’t necessarily share those ideas. Rather than constructing moats and gathering together with the like-minded to keep those we don’t agree with away, build bridges and work together with others to improve society. Everyone feels that they are doing the best they can, and gaining fresh perspectives can shock people out of their complacency.
These groups that we hold membership cards to, many that were formed long before we were born, are not what define us. John Donne said it well, that “no man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.” However, we are still individuals, though together we form society. By knowing each other, we can better know ourselves; learning from each other, we can better know how we truly feel.
