Missing the glaring similarities
It’s sometimes surprising just how narrow the focus of some people can be, when they compare themselves, or a group they identify with, to people who aren’t them.
People will tend to expect others to see them in a much better light than they would themselves see other people placed in the same situation. Or than how they would expect other people to see other people in the same situation.
An obvious, and loaded, source for examples around here (Israel) is how many Israeli citizens see the neighbouring Arabs and Muslims. All too many times people react quite severely to bad/improper/unacceptable behaviour from them, while fully admitting they’d behave very similarly in the same situation. And they don’t see a problem, because it’s different. Somehow. In a way they can rarely articulate.
I’ll probably, laziness permitting, write a lot more about quite a few conversations like this that I had in the past. But this particular post is about a single issue, though I did talk with several different people who feel the same as the single example I’ll present here.
This one is not about any issue specific to Israel, but rather about the rise in Islam, or in the amount of Muslims, in Europe.
I was talking with this person, an Israeli Jew, and he mentioned reading about the “problem” of Muslims in Europe. He kept on for a while about how the Europeans[1] are having a problem, how it’s becoming a large issue there, and how it’s going to end in riots and violence.
So far nothing you can’t find in the headlines of a lot of newspapers, though his opinion was certainly on the anti-Muslim side.
Then he went on to explain that he completely understands why the Europeans don’t like the Muslims . It’s because they live in their own segregations, keep their own different culture and their own different customs, dress differently, and generally try to keep themselves different and unique instead of trying to completely blend in and assimilate themselves in the local culture of the country.
Funny that. Seems to be nearly identical reasons for Anti-Semitism against Jews. Let’s say circa World War II ? Separate communities? Check. Keeping their own different culture? Different religion? Different rituals, special days, behaviour codes? Check. Different cloths? Check[2].
But according to him (another reminder, this “him” is actually several people), not liking Muslims because of these reasons is fine and understandable. Not liking Jews because of these reasons, though, was/is bad, racist, and completely unjustifiable.
I was already staring incredulously while listening to this, when I was exposed to another gem. It’s not just that these Muslims keep themselves different, you see. It’s that they plot to make everyone be like them, to take control of Europe by any means necessary, and then take over the rest of the world.
Seriously? All these people, many regular everyday people, all planning together to control the world?
No, I was told. Of course it’s not all of them. But they do what their elders and religious leaders tell them to. And those, who lead them, they have a plan, and are driving towards it.
Ahem. Right. I heard about that somewhere. A while ago. I think it was a little bit different when I heard about it, though. The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, anyone?
After being persecuted and attacked by people believing such nonsensical hoaxes, I’m talking to Jews (some religious, some old enough to have personal experience) who have no problem believing the same things, based on the same proof (none whatsoever), because it is about some other group that they don’t like.
And no, I was told, of course it’s not the same. How isn’t it the same? Because The Protocols of the Elders of Zion are vicious lies, but these Muslim leaders really are out to control the world.
I admit that as a Jew living in Israel I’m not feeling very happy about growing percentage of Europe’s population being Muslim. Especially since the lack of love really does go both ways, and most of them are maybe being taught to hate me a lot more than I personally don’t like them. But this sort of tortured logic (or lack thereof), wild accusations, and outright hypocritical nonsense… appals me.
You don’t like people because of who they are, or what they believe? Fine, that’s your right. But be frank about it. And stop it there. For someone who has been, or whose parents have been, in the exact same situation, and thought it horrible, to now be on the complete other side? And to feel fine and justified about it? Not to notice the similarities? Not even after they’re pointed out to you, though it’s obvious enough that it shouldn’t be required? Enough to get me depressed about humanity.
---- Ignoring the fact that these Muslims are Europeans, and citizens of their respective countries. None of the people I talked to seemed to pay attention to this apparently minor fact.[back]
- In many places, though not all. Which I suppose is the same for the Muslims.[back]
March 23rd, 2009 at 20:17 EET | Categories: Culture, Current Affairs, Politics, Religion |
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November 26th, 2009 at 15:48
Hello
Some people are narrow minded in some matters which I really do not like.According to me it is not good thing when people make issues regarding their communities or religions.I think we all are same and basically we are human that is most important thing.
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May 14th, 2010 at 7:45
I also see one other glaring similarity with may of the things and places.It is a glaring federal oversight if the Feds don’t have that in their a regulations anymore.i would you have out on many remarkable points that too those are practical even.
May 24th, 2010 at 14:39
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You don’t like people because of who they are, or what they believe.
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August 7th, 2010 at 6:35
I was exposed to another gem. It’s not just that these Muslims keep themselves different, you see. It’s that they plot to make everyone be like them, to take control of Europe by any means necessary, and then take over the rest of the world.
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August 10th, 2010 at 8:43
People will tend to expect others to see them in a much better light than they would themselves see other people placed in the same situation. Or than how they would expect other people to see other people in the same situation.
August 10th, 2010 at 9:22
All too many times people react quite severely to bad/improper/unacceptable behaviour from them, while fully admitting they’d behave very similarly in the same situation. Your post is very creative.Thank you for sharing.
August 10th, 2010 at 10:47
I also see one other glaring similarity with may of the things and places.It is a glaring federal oversight if the Feds don’t have that in their a regulations anymore.i would you have out on many remarkable points that too those are practical even.
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There has been a glaring gap in the observations. Mature stars harboring both planets and disks have remained elusive, perhaps simply because the disks have thinned out to almost imperceptible levels.
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Everyone has the glaring similarities compared to others.You should keep the glaring and learn from others.
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There has been a glaring gap in the observations.It is a glaring federal oversight if the Feds don’t have that in their a regulations anymore.
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It is a glaring federal oversight if the Feds don’t have that in their a regulations anymore.
August 27th, 2010 at 21:03
Its all depending upon the thinking so every person have the different similarities and their thinking.There has been a glaring gap in the observations. Mature stars harboring both planets and disks have remained elusive, perhaps simply because the disks have thinned out to almost imperceptible levels.so its all the glaring the things around.Different person with the different similarities also.
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It’s not just that these Muslims keep themselves different, you see. It’s that they plot to make everyone be like them, to take control of Europe by any means necessary
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