Sprite_Geist
NULL
- May 27, 2020
- 1,591
I do not wish for this thread to be overly political, and the question is more about the social side of the topic. Anyway...
Does anyone else dislike the concept of nationality and "national pride" that comes with it?
Nationality is supposed to be an integral part of your identity according to some, but for me, personally, it never has been. People are just people; I try not to see it as a factor when being around other people. I also do not think that I should support everything that my country does, or have to support the culture that its society has either. It is a similar concept to blood-related family in that you have no choice to be born into it, but you are expected to show loyalty and love for them no matter what. Though saying all of this makes me feel weird which is why this question is being asked - to see if anyone else feels the same.
One argument in favour of national pride is that it brings people (of the same nation) together; however from personal experience this is not always true. For example: the majority of people that live in the same local area as me have the same nationality as me, but this does not mean that everybody automatically gets along, and it does not mean that they are kind toward everyone else in the world who shares the same nationality. In fact there are a few individuals who have been (and still are) pretty awful towards me and others - bullies basically. In reality it only brings you together with other people if you fit in. In general I have gotten along better with individuals from other parts of the world than with people at home. Sometimes I feel like an outsider when around my own countrymen; which is why I think basing your whole identity around a nationality is silly, because it does not take into account other factors such as personality which can be influenced by sources other than just where you were born.
If someone from your country does something brilliant others will then often say: "they make me so proud to be part of *insert nation/country here*" ...But why? Why do you take pride in the accomplishments of another individual just because they were born in the same geographical location as you by chance? Surely if somebody makes an invaluable contribution that will affect the whole world then it is a proud day for humanity as a whole? Plus what does that persons nationality have to do with their contributions anyway? To me it comes across as collective narcissism.
Does anyone else dislike the concept of nationality and "national pride" that comes with it?
Nationality is supposed to be an integral part of your identity according to some, but for me, personally, it never has been. People are just people; I try not to see it as a factor when being around other people. I also do not think that I should support everything that my country does, or have to support the culture that its society has either. It is a similar concept to blood-related family in that you have no choice to be born into it, but you are expected to show loyalty and love for them no matter what. Though saying all of this makes me feel weird which is why this question is being asked - to see if anyone else feels the same.
One argument in favour of national pride is that it brings people (of the same nation) together; however from personal experience this is not always true. For example: the majority of people that live in the same local area as me have the same nationality as me, but this does not mean that everybody automatically gets along, and it does not mean that they are kind toward everyone else in the world who shares the same nationality. In fact there are a few individuals who have been (and still are) pretty awful towards me and others - bullies basically. In reality it only brings you together with other people if you fit in. In general I have gotten along better with individuals from other parts of the world than with people at home. Sometimes I feel like an outsider when around my own countrymen; which is why I think basing your whole identity around a nationality is silly, because it does not take into account other factors such as personality which can be influenced by sources other than just where you were born.
If someone from your country does something brilliant others will then often say: "they make me so proud to be part of *insert nation/country here*" ...But why? Why do you take pride in the accomplishments of another individual just because they were born in the same geographical location as you by chance? Surely if somebody makes an invaluable contribution that will affect the whole world then it is a proud day for humanity as a whole? Plus what does that persons nationality have to do with their contributions anyway? To me it comes across as collective narcissism.