The politics of difference: the power of heuristics, schemas and stereotypes

Heuristics. Schemas. Stereotypes. Prejudices. Beliefs.

Decades ago, Ernest Crawley, a British anthropologist, stated that language that differs only slightly from current terminology allows us to separate ourselves from others by a "taboo of personal isolation." Crawley was attempting to define what he observed as the dangers of difference. He purported that each individual believes themselves to be surrounded by invisible dangers. In modern days this often translates into loss of job, home, relationship, lifestyle. Crawley states that from this perspective we, then, attach danger to the strange and unknown -- an attachment that extends into human relations. His assertion is that any differences between individuals become consistent reminders of fear and suspicion (that arise from the unknown).

This theory of differences is not simply espoused by a turn of the century British anthropologist. The father of psychology, Sigmund Freud, also wrote in depth on what he described as the narcissism of minor differences. His definition was an attempt to explain how groups of people, similar in all observable ways, find differences in order to distinguish themselves and their group (psychologically this affords them a sense of protection).

While both men spoke of the power and importance of differientation at the turn of the 20th century, their observations are poignant today. In a world marked by violent conflict and with intra and inter-state wars on the rise, more and more theorists are attempting to understand the motivation (or at least the justification) for human rights violations and increased bloody actions.

The sad fact is narcissism of difference explains an awful lot. For example, in Group Psychology, Freud wrote that "closely related races keep one another at arm’s length; the South German can not endure the North German, the Englishman casts every kind of aspersion on the Scot, the Spaniard despises the Portugese. We are no longer astonished that greater differences should lead to almost insuperable repugnance, such as the Gallic people feel for the German, the Aryan for the Semite, and the white races for the colored."

In otherwords when obvious differences (race, colour, sex, religion, language) are not present, other differences (religion, beliefs, history, culture) are used to denote differences among groups of people.

This matched with the ever-present belief that we are in danger (particularly of the unknown and the unknowable) and we begin to subscribe and follow the trajectory of the narcissism of difference.

The rhetoric of Prime Minister Harper, the emotionally trite appeals of President Bush, even the ardent pleas of Osama bin Laden all support the notion of an us vs. them mentality -- the differences we construct.

The us: Western, liberal-market, democratically nullified people that live in a Judeo-Christian society (even if our personal religious choices are different).
Them: Typically darker in complexion, Muslims, violent-worshipping Jihadists that are fighting for warlord territory and personal economic ownership.

The reality: the vast majority of people within both cultures share the belief in a monotheistic God (though how that belief is practiced does differ); willing to die, or at least, support their leaders to choose the martyrs that will give their lives for "the cause" (In Canada, alone, a soldier is six times more likely to be maimed or killed in Afghanistan than an American soldier in Iraq); all these cultures perceive a lack -- lack of resources, lack of power, lack of the other's ability to judicially and fairly govern; all of these cultures live in fear of the unknown.

While I am not a religious person, I do appreciate the strength people derive from their beliefs. What astounds me, however, is that this strength is not been drawn from the faith that each and every religion demands from their followers, but, rather, from the justification that "our way" is the "right way".

We are living in a world riddled with narcissistic deference.
We are living in a world with over-simplified differences and disproportionately emphasized unknowable fears.

If we are to find any peace, it will not be through the demand for submission, but rather, through the acknowledgement of faith.

Like living in a row house, we must have faith that are neighbour will not do anything to jeopardize their own home -- thereby jeopardizing all homes.