"Identifighting"

I’ve been reflecting lately on something I’ve been calling “identifighting,” which describes a social situation that involves a multitude of groups distancing and attacking each other based on an ever-evolving criteria. Identifighting keeps us from finding solutions that might benefit us all collectively and disconnects us from each other’s humanity.

Many social psychologists point to identity differences as the root cause of many conflicts. For an “identity” to take shape, one must assign a particular identity to one’s self, and, by default, to others whom they come to view as their adversaries – thereby taking sides. It becomes a “us” vs “them” proposition, which is inherently antagonistic.  Identities can be based on race, religion, political affiliation, class and social status, as well as gender/sexual preferences. The idea here often being that one identity is superior to another either because it’s more “noble” or more “powerful.” Or perhaps one group sees another as an oppresso…