Mirror Images

It is not a new realization: we become what we hate. And those we fear and hate are similar to ourselves.

US vs. the World

The US religious (fundamentalist) conservatives perceive Islamic fundamentalists as their main threat/enemy.

The (expected) irony is that US religious conservatives displays many of the same characteristics as their perceived enemy, the Islamic fundamentalists. They see the world in black and white, in absolutes, they have an absolute faith in being "right" and having God on their side. And both see moderates/liberals as weak and even dangerous to their way of life.

And the US moderates/liberals perceive Europeans moderates/liberals as their allies. Both in turn see the fundamentalists, whether Christian or Islamic, as blinded and a threat to their way of life.

Comfort with Ourselves

We are all multitudes. Any and every human characteristic is in ourselves, unfolded or as a potential. When we acknowledge this, we allow ourselves to let more aspects of ourselves into the light - into our awareness. We become more fluid in self-image and actions. There is a deeper sense of comfort with ourselves and the world. We can melt into and incorporate new aspects of ourselves, even those parts that at first don't fit into our current self image.

Discomfort with Ourselves

When we perceive the world in fragments, we split it up in good vs. bad/evil, right vs. wrong, etc. We have strong ideas of how we should be, and cut ourselves off from those aspects that don't fit into this self-image. We then relate to those same qualities in other with aversion, and the strength of the aversion corresponds to the strength of our attachment to the ideal self. We hate what we are, and become what we hate.

Most often, we learn these ideas of ideals through our culture and family. We learn what is good and right, and the ideal image of ourselves. It happens through a myriad of ways, and we deeply internalize it. Of course, nothing is changed in what is really there in us, only that we don't acknowledge it and only see it in others. We split ourselves off from ourselves, others and life.

Fundamentalists of all stripes express this pattern more clearly than most of us.

They perceive themselves as only half human. Only some human qualities are acceptable. Others are denied and seen only in others. And not only seen, but perceived with strong aversion/hatred in others as they are a reminder of what is there in themselves. And the ideologies, further refined, allow them to justify this pattern.

Mirror

Of course, we all do this. It is an integral part of the human experience, terrible and wonderful as it is.

Terrible, in that it leads to dehumanization of the opponent and everything that brings with it. Oppression, violence, deep suffering on both sides.

Wonderful in that the world is a mirror for ourselves. When we see a characteristic in another person, we can take it as an opportunity to explore and become familiar with the characteristic in ourselves. The world becomes a mirror, aiding us to live our lives a more full, rich and fluid human being. And instead of blind aversion, we open up for genuine empathy through recognition.

Inoculation

When we learn the mirror process, we also engage in a process of inoculation. We inoculate ourselves against the blind actions that comes from blind aversions and attractions. It is of course a process, and we will always go deeper.

As we bring more and more qualities into our awareness and self-image, we learn how to relate to these qualities. We familiarize ourselves with them, and learn how to handle them and express them in ways that do not harm ourselves and others. As long as they are in the darkness, not acknowledged, they can come out in violent and dangerous ways. When the trolls are brought into the light, they burst.

As we bring the same qualities into our awareness, we turn blind aversions and attractions into empathy. From experiencing threat when we see them in others, we experience recognition and empathy. We are all in the same boat. We are all human.