Us vs. Them

Too often people use an argument that could basically be boiled down to Us vs. Them. It basically comes down to something like the following.

• We don't like that X is happening.
• Group A seems to be affected most by X
• Group B is less affected by X because of circumstance Y
• Group B must be responsible for X because of circumstance Y
• Group B Causes X
• A is in direct opposition to B
• B wants to keep X happening to A
• Us vs. Them

The problem with this is that correlation does not necessarily mean causation. Just because situations are related, does not automatically mean that one causes the other. There are also a number of effects of this Us Vs. Them mentality.

Lack of personal Responsibility: (If I can blame somebody else, it's not my fault)

• It's so much easier to find somebody else to blame for my problems than to look to myself for a solution. If somebody else is responsible for my problems then should should I expect that somebody else will be responsible for my solutions? The problem with this is that the only person who we can truly control is ourselves. We cannot control our circumstances, but we can control our response to them. We have complete control over every word and action that comes from us. We choose, how we react to circumstances. If we try to expect, coerce, or force the solutions to our problems from others, we our setting ourselves up for disappointment. Over time, this disappointment grows and begins to gain a life of it's own. It so consumes us, that we are no longer to look honestly at ourselves for a possible solution. We become blinded to the possibility that we might be able to change our own circumstances. We become reliant upon circumstances, which soon leads to a slavery to circumstances.
  

The Assumption that "they" will always be there.

• This is a hard one. If we have staked our lives on what "they" do, then what happens if "they" go away?
  

Perpetuation of the differences.

• Sometimes the emphasis on the differences will actually serve to make the differences greater.
  

Now let's look at what can happen if we remove the "us vs. them" paradigm.

• Hope