Identity Search: Belonging Versus Otherness
Precious ties of inclusivity and belonging' emerge from a deep and almost instinctive human d. Yet, it is this very need to belong to etching we consider our own that aste the category of non-belonging he other. The idea of 'otherness' is central ow identities everywhere are strutted. In general, our social amities reflect the way we internalise already-established and sanctioned al categories within our societies, as cultural, ethnic, national, class, e, gender and other categories. These social categories shape our s about who we think we are, how vent to be seen by others, and the comic or 'rightness' of groups to chew belong. They also shape we see, judge, treat and respond to se who do not. Sociologist Sigmund Bauman gusted that all identities are set up by us as dichotomies: woman being the other of man, animal the other of human, foreigner the other of national, illness the other of health, insanity the other of reason, layperson the other of the expert, stranger the other of friend. The otherness of the other becomes most rigid or dramatic when we have deep ties-to family, religion, nation, caste or ethnic group. Thus, any clear understanding of the other has built-in obstructions. When we hear statements like "If you're not with us you're against us", or when we come across those who narrowly define for others just who a patriot or a nationalist is and if we do not agree, we might cringe or get angry or get vocal, even violent about our objections. Yet we need to own up to the fact that we all stand somewhere on that spectrum of belonging versus otherness. We need to acknowledge that acceptance of otherness first requires honestly acknowledging one's consciousness or submerged biases about those who do not belong to our self-owned categories. It is too easy to see prejudice in others, but not in ourselves! It then requires ongoing awareness, insight, analysis, compassion and work. It requires avoiding assuming what any rabid smaller group believes and does is the norm for the entire population of the other. It requires, most importantly, being bigger than reacting to the goading of divisive voices from among our own Religious traditions, while having created and supported the notion of our own and the other, also have many wonderful teachers who taught us to overcome the unhelpful side of this tendency. So how is it that we, as followers, end up doing absolutely the opposite? If such approaches and attitudes pain us or make us unhappy, how very important it is to re-commit learning their lessons and doing our best to live out of them! Here is a traditional teaching story An old Rabbi once asked his pupils how they could tell when the night had ended the day had begun. "Could it be”, asked one of the students, "when you can see an animal in the distance and tell whether it's a sheep or a dog? “no answered the Rabbi.” Is it when you callbook at a tree in the distance and tell whether it's a fig tree or a peach tree? “Wondered another. Again, the Rabbi answered "No". The impatient pupils demanded: "Then what is it?" "It is when you can look on the face of any man or woman and see that it is your sister or brother. Because if you cannot see this, it is still night."
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in the Article above are Marguerite Theophil and kashmiribhatta.in is not in any way responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article. The article belongs to its respective owner or owners and this site does not claim any right over it.
Courtesy: Marguerite Theophil and Speaking Tree,Times of India
Identity Search: Belonging Versus Otherness
Precious ties of inclusivity and belonging' emerge from a deep and almost instinctive human d. Yet, it is this very need to belong to etching we consider our own that aste the category of non-belonging he other. The idea of 'otherness' is central ow identities everywhere are strutted. In general, our social amities reflect the way we internalise already-established and sanctioned al categories within our societies, as cultural, ethnic, national, class, e, gender and other categories. These social categories shape our s about who we think we are, how vent to be seen by others, and the comic or 'rightness' of groups to chew belong. They also shape we see, judge, treat and respond to se who do not. Sociologist Sigmund Bauman gusted that all identities are set up by us as dichotomies: woman being the other of man, animal the other of human, foreigner the other of national, illness the other of health, insanity the other of reason, layperson the other of the expert, stranger the other of friend. The otherness of the other becomes most rigid or dramatic when we have deep ties-to family, religion, nation, caste or ethnic group. Thus, any clear understanding of the other has built-in obstructions. When we hear statements like "If you're not with us you're against us", or when we come across those who narrowly define for others just who a patriot or a nationalist is and if we do not agree, we might cringe or get angry or get vocal, even violent about our objections. Yet we need to own up to the fact that we all stand somewhere on that spectrum of belonging versus otherness. We need to acknowledge that acceptance of otherness first requires honestly acknowledging one's consciousness or submerged biases about those who do not belong to our self-owned categories. It is too easy to see prejudice in others, but not in ourselves! It then requires ongoing awareness, insight, analysis, compassion and work. It requires avoiding assuming what any rabid smaller group believes and does is the norm for the entire population of the other. It requires, most importantly, being bigger than reacting to the goading of divisive voices from among our own Religious traditions, while having created and supported the notion of our own and the other, also have many wonderful teachers who taught us to overcome the unhelpful side of this tendency. So how is it that we, as followers, end up doing absolutely the opposite? If such approaches and attitudes pain us or make us unhappy, how very important it is to re-commit learning their lessons and doing our best to live out of them! Here is a traditional teaching story An old Rabbi once asked his pupils how they could tell when the night had ended the day had begun. "Could it be”, asked one of the students, "when you can see an animal in the distance and tell whether it's a sheep or a dog? “no answered the Rabbi.” Is it when you callbook at a tree in the distance and tell whether it's a fig tree or a peach tree? “Wondered another. Again, the Rabbi answered "No". The impatient pupils demanded: "Then what is it?" "It is when you can look on the face of any man or woman and see that it is your sister or brother. Because if you cannot see this, it is still night."
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in the Article above are Marguerite Theophil and kashmiribhatta.in is not in any way responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article. The article belongs to its respective owner or owners and this site does not claim any right over it.
Courtesy: Marguerite Theophil and Speaking Tree,Times of India