The world is a complex place marked by complex people, animals, and natural phenomenons. The world, even beyond Earth, bears complexities that many or most people may never understand. What we can be certain of is that we are united in our complex nature, so we ought to begin acting like it.
During a compelling class discussion regarding the pros and cons of globalization in business, a young man asserted that globalization is harmful because “they’re taking our jobs.” And while I understand that mindset— the instinct to preserve jobs created by companies in the United States for citizens of United States— I do not agree with it.
I have been blessed and privileged to live in the United States and have received an incredible public high school education that allowed me to further my education at an outstanding university. I have been given opportunities that many of my fellow Americans have not been afforded and that citizens of less developed countries can only imagine. The reason so many people bring and have brought their families to the United States has been to pursue these opportunities. That is a beautiful concept.
So when these people pick up their families, leave their friends, and head to another country to pursue a better life, they ought to be embraced. Because we are all humans, united in complexities. United in a common goal— to be happy. In truth, what makes “us” different from “them” is the flag that hangs outside our homes. We are alike in far more ways than we are different.
The “us” and “them” characterization is hardly limited to the idea that “they’re” taking “our” jobs. We all do it all the time and it is always harmful. When we see a homeless person, we think, “They need to get a job.” When our grocery checker is working less efficiently than would be ideal for our own busy schedules, “They need to pull it together.” But what if it wasn’t always about them? What if “we need to be more patient with one another”?
People that seem substantially different from you do not belong to some sub-human species, completely unrelated to you. The homeless man on your street corner, the grocery checker that is still learning their job, the woman living in a rural village in Honduras, the trees growing outside your home, the rivers and oceans flowing tirelessly all belong to the world, the greater picture. We must recognize our commonalities, appreciate the differences, and respect one another because we are alike and we are interdependent.
The next time you begin to categorize someone or something as an “other,” remember how badly you and “them” are both needed, remember kindness, and, above all, remember that love always wins.
