Our Identity

If a thought that is based on identity has a chance to present violence, then where can we find the cure? we can find the cure in repression. for one reason, identity can be the source of happiness and warm as it can be the source of violence and terror, therefore, it is not fair to say that identity is harmful. In contrary, we have to understand that an aggressive identity can be fought by a power of competitive identity. Certainly, our identity, that could against one another, can encompass our union of humanity in a large space. Such understanding will bring us to another way in classifying people, that can prevent the manipulation of a certain model of classifying for aggressive interest.

A Hutu labor, who is from Kigali, perhaps feel a burden to consider himself as a Hutu, solely, and encouraged to kill Hutu. In fact, he's not only a Hutu but also a Rwanda, an African, a Labor, and a human. As the acknowledgement of our diversity identity with its various implication, there's also an urgent need to understand the role of choosing of certain identities obvious and relevance which is also diverse.

This is perhaps clear enough to understand that illusion of identity, above, got a support--which actually good intended, but damaging, instead--from distinguished thinkers and intellects . including, in between, communitarian who believe that our community identity is not solely the most important thing, but also that determines everything, as if it were the most precious gift.

In our normal life, we consider ourselves as a part of various communities--we become a part of those communities. Nationality, neighborhood, hometown, gender, social class, profession, hobby, habit, and a sort of make us become the part of various communities. Each community give us an unique identity. None of them can be considered as the absolute identity or sole identity for someone.

Source: Identity and Violence: the illusion of destiny

Amartya Sen