We are all here, born and raised by someone, somewhere in the world, in some country. That usually makes us citizens of that country, even if we go abroad, still carrying our heritage with us, to an extent. It is possible to be a citizen of multiple countries and identify with a different culture, or cultures, for that matter, but there will still be borders and issues regarding people’s nationalities and origin. Can we reach our potential with so much nation-based segregation and xenophobia? Probably not, but here is a detailed breakdown.
National Borders Are not Inherently Bad
When people speak of nationalism, they often have in mind the people who take things too far and become fairly violent, whether on a verbal or even physical basis. Nationalism by definition is not bad or evil, or is supposed to promote violence in any shape or form. But, people often make excuses for themselves when in need of an argument to support their own way of thought, not to mention when emotions take over.
Having borders is not a bad thing in itself, as long as the people are willing to be accepting.
National Borders Shouldn’t Affect Our Respect
People who respect other people shouldn’t have an issue with them being from another country, religion or part of the world, gender or anything. Accepting that other people are different is the first lesson we should get in tune with as human beings. Learning something and putting it into practice, first in our heads and then when actually faced with other people who are of another nationality, should be a goal for everyone. Borders between countries aren’t the problem, the people who insist on borders between humans, are.
Borders Help National Organization
Borders are necessary because we need to organize our own country in a certain way. Within a country, you have various counties and areas which have their own local governments, and then, even more specific, cities who have their own government, not to mention city blocks and even more specific areas of organization, down to neighborhoods and homes. All of this is okay, but insisting on borders between people from different nations is not okay. One should not be afraid or hateful towards someone who is from another country.
Our Potential Depends on Our Diversity
We are unlikely to go further if we are all of one mind, especially with how science works. Having different theories, contrast and competition, different approaches to doing things, is all great. That is what makes sports interesting, and what drives us to succeed as humans. Respecting other people and their work is one way that we can reach our goals. If all people are of the same mindshare and have the same way of approaching a problem, that will definitely not be optimal to meeting future challenges.
Forcing Nationalism Is not the Way Forward
If one forces a mindset of nationalism, especially the kind which does not accept outsiders, people of a different nationality, things will get difficult for everyone. This matters immensely in the case of immigrants, but those immigrants should as well be respective of the other country’s laws and culture, as well. Teaching the people, showing them a way of accepting your neighbors, distant and close, is the way to move as a species.
The human race has always done great things when working together. Even the smartest of people sometimes have problems accepting something different. Teaching everyone to be more acceptant of diversity is going to help pave the way to a better future.