“Us” versus “Them” Is A Lie

The impact of “us” versus “them” harms our life paths.

Photo by Merch HÜSEY on Unsplash

All of us live inside this society to one degree or another.

Thus, all of us are equally subjected to a particularly damaging lie. The artifice of “us” versus “them.”

All too often, this is used by those in “power” for control. They create “laws” supposedly intent on protecting “us” from “them.”

All you have to do is look at the United States right now. Voter laws, anti-transgender measures, the trial of a white cop who murdered a black man with inappropriate force, and the resurgence of white supremacy thanks to the GOP’s bid for power at any cost are almost impossible to ignore.

All of them are the product of false “us” versus “them” notions. The further we emphasize and spread these divides the more we disempower everyone — ourselves included.

In the words of Ram Dass,

“Why does the distance increase? Because nobody wants to be ‘them.’ Everyone wants to be ‘us.’”

This is how politicians — who have not been part of any “us” save their tiny, massively out-of-touch circles — have an influence on people. They play the role of “us” and assert how the “them” are wrong/destructive/harmful/the worst.

In truth, we’re not so different. The majority of the “us” versus “them” we see is a complete and utter lie.

For example — in what way does a transgender person harm anyone else? They aren’t harming anyone — they are simply being true to themselves and their self-identity. There is ZERO harm or intent of harm in them being transgendered. So why have they been turned into a “them” to be feared and legislated?

The only reason I can conceive of is that making transgendered people “them” creates exploitable fear.

Real fear versus exploitable fear

Before humankind started recording history as we do — we were hunter-gatherers. Then, we roamed and foraged — and were prey to predators.

Fear told us to avoid some of their known habits. It was fear that kept us safe, taught us how to care for…