The most important lessons on how to live better, understand better, and be better mentally, physically and emotionally; on understanding how our minds, our emotions and our bodies work and how we can use them to their full capabilities, are somehow not taught in school. Not at all.
What we are taught is to memorise, to take what we are taught as immutable, to follow instructions without question, to put aside our individual potential, proclivities and differences, and to fit into a predetermined structure of how we should all think, believe and act. To cast aside individual identity and replace it with group identity. We are not supposed to be unique individuals, we are encouraged to not stand out, and we are subtly and sometimes overtly punished when we do.
So the question is why? Why are we required to believe, act, see ourselves and others, love and behave a certain way, even when not doing so does not cause harm to others? Why is group identity - grouped by religion, race, colour, ethnicity, culture etc - sacrosanct, and individual identity deemed undesirable? Why can’t both be allowed to co-exist peacefully, by individual choice? Why the need to remove the right to personally choose, in order to be accepted and not ostracised?
Is it because group identity allows easier control? That it makes it easier to tap into collective fears and pit one side against the other to score points? That people who want power cannot be champions for their race, their religion, their ethnicity, their beliefs or their gender if everyone actually got along and embraced each other, instead of tolerating and fearing each other?
In a nutshell, that acceptance and celebration of group identity rather than individual identity is required so that we will do what we are told more willingly because the entire group would collectively do and act the same, and by nature self-regulate through mutual judgement, group expectations, threats of banishment and subtle psychological intimidation?
Perhaps that could be one of the reasons why cases of depression are increasing and we seem to be in constant conflict somewhere in some way or another.
Maybe identity politics cannot be avoided or prevented, simply because it works in mass manipulation and control. It’s a tool that is just too effective and useful to ignore. The only way to push back against the total domination of identity politics could be just expressing our individuality personally. We can’t change the bleeding world, but we can stand for who we are as individuals, and not just be another assimilated piece of consciousness in the hive mind.
Maybe. Man, this Thai rum is really working.
@ My Bar
Chiang Mai, Thailand.