In one of our previous articles, the co-authors argued the need to call out ideologies that are essentially “othering.” This Paper encourages people to avoid harmful attitudes and behaviours and wishes to promote inclusivity and empathy.
The term ‘othering’ refers to the tendency to perceive and treat individuals from different groups or backgrounds as fundamentally different at the level of humanness, often leading to prejudice or discrimination. With in-group formation, there is a set of beliefs about “who we are and how we do things”. Implicitly within it avers, “Only people who are like this are human”. Therefore, the moment one accepts the “ism”, one loses touch with the humanness in oneself and others. It is replaced by the symbols of adherence to the ‘ism’. Unfortunately, all ‘isms’ are built upon a core idea of exclusivity and othering. The imperatives humans face are ordinary and universal, but how societies respond to them is cultural. So, for example, if one society views itself as “We are the chosen ones. Our God is the only true God. We are assured of heaven. Others will go to hell.” It furthers exclusivity. The ‘isms’ are not only religious; communism and capitalism have their own Gods and devils, and even scientism is not exempt from this.
In the current Israel-Palestine conflict, you will see flagrant ”othering” fuelling the flames of hatred. For every voice that calls out to the 75 years of oppression of the Palestinians, there is many a voice reminding us of 2000 years of anti-Semitism. Israel was bestowed to the Jews by Zionist leaders of the “free world”!! Both Hamas and Israel are pointing to the “other” as the oppressor, the danger to the world because of this “evil” and setting themselves up as “The Saviour”. How well this narrative has served violent ends for millennia!!
Throughout history, numerous instances illustrate the grave consequences and dangers of this practice:
Colonialism: European colonial powers often depicted indigenous populations in colonised regions as “uncivilised” or “inferior.” It has even portrayed the ‘other’ as non-human, having no soul. This portrayal justified exploitation forced assimilation, and the extraction of resources at the expense of native cultures and identities. The consequences of colonialism include the destruction of traditional societies, loss of language and cultural practices, and the perpetuation of inequalities that persist to this day.
Slavery and Segregation: The transatlantic slave trade and later racial segregation in countries like the United States institutionalised the “othering” of Black individuals. This dehumanisation justified their enslavement and later led to systemic racism, discrimination, and the denial of fundamental human rights, creating deep-seated social and economic disparities that persist.
Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing: The Holocaust during World War II epitomises the extreme consequences of “othering.” The Nazi regime inflamed a simmering anti-Semitic ideology, painting Jews as the “other”
and scapegoating them. This led to the systematic murder of six million Jews in an act of genocide. Similar tragedies have occurred in other parts of the world, such as the ones in Bengal and Rwanda and ethnic cleansing in Bosnia. The dehumanisation of specific groups drives this.
Xenophobia and Nationalism: Throughout history, fear and mistrust of immigrants or individuals from different cultural backgrounds have fuelled xenophobic attitudes and policies. This “thering” has led to discrimination, exclusionary laws, and, in extreme cases, violence against marginalised groups within societies. Immigrants and minorities who create their tightly knit “in-groups” create sub-nationalisms.
Cultural and Religious Prejudice: Discrimination against individuals based on their cultural practices or religious beliefs has resulted in marginalisation, persecution, and violence. Examples include the persecution of LGBTQ+ individuals, the targeting of religious minorities, and cultural intolerance leading to social ostracisation.
One of the co-authors in his book, The Indian Boss at Work, writes, “The perception of threat and invasion of one’s own boundaries is used to give oneself the sanction to invade other boundaries. This superiority is not just outside the culture but also within. There are stories of horrific ethnic cleansing within one’s culture itself. The mass exodus of Rohingya fleeing violence in Myanmar is a case in point. In India, there is a history of multiple invasions. To assuage one’s guilt of exploitation of another, the other person becomes a recipient of the projective identification of the invader. Many nations and cultures have used the ‘superiority’ of one’s race to justify savagery onto others. The notion, ‘they deserve what they get’. What is saddening is the ‘oppressed’ attribute the ‘inferiority’ feeling to their defects or shortcomings.
For instance, when a Black man encounters the White world, he experiences an ego collapse, loses motivation, and loses self-esteem. At an unconscious level, admitted or otherwise, is to emulate the white man, to become like him, and thus hope to be accepted. Blackness, then, is attributed to ugliness, sin, darkness, and immorality. White is then idealised as European civilisation and its representatives – a predestined master of the world. Being white is the exclusive privilege of Western white men, and the world peopled with brown, black, red or yellow are ‘not quite/not white’.
Closer home, Gouranga Chattopadhyay postulates four hypotheses that are operating in India: one, negative processes embedded in society projected to less privileged; second, ‘invader in the mind’; third, underprivileged as a term to avoid confronting denial of basic rights and lastly, an internalisation that causes splitting and projection to objects outside. This is also evident in the entrenched caste system, as Ambedkar explains.
There is a physical limitation for one’s imperium and dominium. Conveniently, everything outside this boundary is called into question and is seen as worthless. Consequently, these ‘external entities’ are disqualified as not worth reaching, as in the Romans constructing the Hayden Wall that separated Scotland’s ‘barbarians’ beyond the frontier or terrain open for annexation. The Europeans set themselves up as a superior race by contrasting and diminishing all others. This gave rise to the Holy Crusades. St. Augustine argues that a war is just if there exists a ‘just cause’, legitimate authority (by the Pope), and the right intention (motivated by Christian love). In this depiction, Muslims were seen as enemies of God. Bush famously shared a similar sentiment post 9/11, when he declared, ‘either you are with us or against us’. Imagine what comes up for the ‘other’ side, when words like ‘war against terror’ is used, a reminder of once again the unpleasant memories from the past.
A poem by Rudyard Kipling, ‘The White Man’s Burden’ written in 1899, is characteristic of the euphemism for imperialism. The White Man’s burden is an emblem of European racism and Colonialism. The White Man’s laws gave credence to the notion God had placed the duty of saving pagan souls and justified conquering and proselytising non-European natives, a sharp Eurocentric view. It was believed Western ideas could uplift the natives from poverty and ignorance. Segregation (apartheid) was blatantly practised in many European colonies. Guilt was assuaged by floating the belief of the inferior status of the conquered pagans. This belief floated to avoid experiencing the guilt that the well-being and affluence, and the so-called humanitarian values, of the British were built upon wealth ruthlessly extracted from the natives of the colonies, who died by the thousands from bullets, famine and disease. What is to be remembered is the hierarchy is not about skill, culture, or knowledge but is based on the notion of superiority, even impurity.
These historical wrongdoings showcase the dangers of “othering” by highlighting the profound consequences, including systemic discrimination, violence, and the perpetuation of social injustices. They underscore the importance of recognising our shared humanity and the need to foster inclusivity, empathy, and respect for diversity to avoid repeating these grave mistakes.
(Steve Correa is an Executive Coach and Author of The Indian Boss at Work, Thinking Global, Acting Indian.
Raghu Ananthanarayanan is a behavioural scientist, yoga teacher and an author of several books)