Polarization: A mirage in the quest for unity

Maria Teresa Gonzalez Esquivel

“In time and space we are concerned with units of different polarity which – during the evolutionary process – seek union, balance, equilibrium or synthesis, and eventually find it.” ¹ – Alice A. Bailey

Polarization has become a popular topic of debate around the globe. The word is often used when discussing societal division into two significantly distinct opposites. It can also be evidenced in the predominant ‘us vs. them’ attitude among individuals and larger groups in society. However, if we use a broader perspective to understand what drives societal polarization, we find that rather than an impetus for separation, polarization is underlaid by an intrinsic human need for belonging. When this sense of belonging is fulfilled and the individual becomes properly socialized into its communal groups, this polarization then must shift higher if ever the individual is to attain to a truly inclusive group identity, based on the intrinsic value of all groups as integral parts of the One Humanity.

The Quest for Unity
There are some key psychological concepts and processes related to the stages of human development that can help to better understand the sharp divisions that exist within and across societies. These concepts illustrate how, behind the tension in the world, we find a structural division between two different worldviews of unity and separateness. The former is fundamentally a change of attitude that expands into a universal approach to life.² Inherent in this worldview we find a conviction about the equality of all people and the value of goodwill and cooperation to affirm the fact of the One Humanity.

Understanding the connections between our need for belonging and the psychological conception of the self can guide us to transform the ways in which we nurture and construct our individual and social identities in a manner that enables the development of right human relations.

As stated by Aristotle and the Dalai Lama, humans are social creatures whose happiness is contingent upon right human relations. ³ A sense of belonging is a critical element in human development as it contributes to the formation of a person’s identity, which significantly influences societal dynamics and determines the different ways in which individuals interact.⁴ Belonging can be defined as “the feeling of security and support when there is a sense of acceptance, inclusion, and identity for a member of a certain group”.⁵ Due to its relevance in children’s development, several educational organizations around the world offer programming to foster and enhance a sense of belonging. For instance, New Zealand included ‘sense of belonging’ as one of the indicators in their strategy for child and youth wellbeing. Likewise, schools and daycare centers in Australia and the United Kingdom also cultivate a sense of belonging in their programs.⁶

A person’s sense of belonging is a key factor in socialization. In early childhood, humans become self-aware and develop a ‘self-concept’. This means that children learn that they are separate and distinct entities in relation to others (existential component) and start identifying themselves by traits such as age, sex, size, and skills: ‘I am 2 years old’, ‘I am a boy/girl’, ‘I am small’, ‘I am strong’ (categorical component). As children develop, this self-concept translates into their self-image (‘how I see myself’), self-esteem (‘how I feel about myself’) and ideal self (‘the person I want to be’). Altogether, these components are at the center of our personal and social identities. The former is comprised of aspects that are unique to each individual (such as personality traits), and the latter includes the groups we belong to in our communities.⁷

Polarization: Personal and Group Identities
Establishing a personal identity which recognizes the inherent value of the individual self as an essential part of a unified humanity is crucial for the establishment of right human relations. Underlying achievement of this union are several mental processes that determine how we evaluate ourselves and others, such as categorization, identification, and comparison. Having awareness of these mental steps enables an intuitive discernment of those attitudes that bring us farther apart and allows for conscious action to strengthen our bonds with others.

Categorization helps to understand and identify objects, and to determine how we evaluate ourselves and others. The process of categorization starts with putting people into groups, those to which we belong and those that are different from us along categories of race, nationality, religion, or occupation. It’s important to note that when we assign people to a category, we are characterizing them along a limited set of characteristics of the outer form only. Following categorization, we move towards identification, where we find ourselves inclined to be around those individuals in selected categories. As we engage with the group, we adopt their identity and start behaving as the group does. Because there is an emotional significance to identification, our self-esteem becomes attached to the group, as it provides us with a sense of belonging. Lastly, we move towards comparison, which is also part of human nature and happens both consciously and unconsciously. We compare ourselves to the group and against other groups in order to maintain our self-esteem. ⁸ This three-step process is twofold: when the recognition of unity and the One Humanity is present, the individual can spread the love within and outside its groups; conversely, when the awakening of the soul and the realization of the unity as a greater whole is yet to happen, individuals may fall into a spiral of separateness.

A good example of embattled group identities, which lack the influence of the soul and therefore vision of the whole, is found in team sports.⁹ A person that plays for a team (or identifies as a team fan) is highly likely to act in a similar manner to their teammates (or fans of the same team). The player/fan ‘feels’ good when their team wins a game, as it means that both individual team members and the team are ‘better’ compared to other teams. If the team loses a game, team players and fans are often sad, disappointed, and possibly angry or frustrated. We’ve probably heard about cases where a friendly sports match gets violent, and what starts as a fight between a small group of individuals escalates into a riot. These situations can be in part explained by conflicting social identities which emerge when two groups identify themselves as separate (and rivals) and start to compete to maintain self-esteem. Besides sports, these situations also happen between families, communities, governments, and nations.

Understanding the above concepts and mental processes gives a different perspective on polarization and societal division. Rather than being a new phenomenon, polarization is the interplay between the instinctive human need for belonging and one’s personal and social identity, which are constantly in the search of a unifying sense. Transcending polarization happens once a vision of the whole is awakened, and the separative mindset inherent in the lower, discriminating mind is transmuted and one comes to identify themselves and their group as an integral part of the One Humanity and the planetary life itself. In this regard, it is important to underscore that a sense of belonging is more than being part of a group and it is central for individuals’ physical and mental health.¹⁰ The strong link between belonging and social identity brings reassurance that we are not alone, that we are part of a social network that can provide support and help us to better cope with hardships and strengthen our resilience.¹¹ This is why fostering the notion of the one humanity in early childhood, and cultivating positive shared beliefs and ideals throughout children’s development is crucial. Overall, we should always keep in mind that “we have much more in common than there is dividing us”.¹²

Towards a Unified Humanity
There are many practical actions that can be taken to affirm both the fact of One Humanity and the value of the individual. We should start with our children, by fostering healthy attachment to caregivers to strengthen their self-esteem and increase their social capital; and at the same time, cultivating a unifying worldview that acknowledges the ways in which diversity enriches our communities, lives, cultures, and nations, but emphasizing the oneness of the planetary whole. These actions can result in increased trust at the personal and community levels and strengthened social bonds, hence reducing the perception of rejection, which can be a driver of separation.¹³ On the other hand, every day we should foster a sense of unity of aim and oneness of vibration to spark the ability to work in harmonious relation. These actions at the individual level along with creating an atmosphere of goodwill can have spillover effects. For instance, the 2023 World Happiness Report shows how benevolence and social support are strongly linked to global ratings of people’s satisfaction with their relationships with other people, and how positive social relations strengthen resilience during times of crisis. In addition, evidence in the report suggests that “helping behavior increases the well-being of the individual helper… [and] … the causal arrow also runs in the opposite direction… In particular, when people’s well-being rises through experiencing altruistic help, they become more likely to help others, creating a virtuous spiral.¹⁴

At the collective level, there are many goodwill initiatives to strengthen unity, bring people together and counter polarization. The United Nations is proactively taking action to reduce hate speech and polarization, and foster unity.¹⁵ Similarly, the Social Capital Project, led by the Joint Economic Committee of the US Congress has identified avenues to strengthen the US’ social fabric. The project involves three phases and provides a robust scientific, evidence-based, and apolitical approach to improving peoples’ wellbeing and reconnecting and rebuilding societies.¹⁶ At the core, these examples of initiatives are driven by the awakening of many souls moved by a sense of unity and synthesis and surrounded by warmth and compassion to human need. We can all contribute to moving away from polarization by embracing the oneness of humanity and the planetary whole and living every day under a shared cooperative vision where love, compassion, understanding, and goodwill are the drivers of all our actions. The future of our world depends on the choices that each one of us makes today. We are all responsible for coming closer together into the vision of the One World, One Family, and the One Humanity.

Values to live by

• A Love of Truth – essential for a just, inclusive, and progressive society.
• A Sense of Justice – recognition of the rights and needs of all.
• A Spirit of Cooperation – based on active goodwill and the principles of right human relationship.
• A sense of personal responsibility – for group, community, and national affairs.
• Serving the common good – through the sacrifice of selfishness. Only what is good for all is good for each one.

REFERENCES

1. Alice A. Bailey. 1925. A Treatise on cosmic Fire. Lucis Trust, pages 314-315.
2. Alice A. Bailey. 1964. Problems of Humanity. Lucis Trust, pages 314-315.
3. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Aristotle’s Political Theory. First published Wed Jul 1, 1998, substantive revision Fri Jul 1, 2022. Available at Aristotle’s Political Theory (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy); The Nobel Prize 1989 - The 14th Dalai Lama: Biographical. Available at The 14th Dalai Lama - Biographical (nobelprize.org); Tenzin Gyatso – The Fourteenth Dalai Lama. Compassion and the Individual. Available at Compassion and the Individual | The 14th Dalai Lama
4. Angela Theisen. Is having a sense of belonging important? Mayo Clinic Health System. December 8, 2021. Available at https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/is-having-a-sense-of-belonging-important
5. Cornell University. Diversity and Inclusion: Sense of Belonging. Available at https://diversity.cornell.edu/belonging/sense-belonging#:~:text=Belonging%20is%20the%20feeling%20of,their%20authentic%20self%20to%20work.
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7. Rogers, Carl R. (1947). Some observations on the organization of personality. American Psychologist, 2(9), 358–368. Available at: https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1948-01250-001
8. Freddy A. Paniagua, Ann-Marie Yamada (eds). 2013. Handbook of Multicultural Mental Health, Second Edition. Elsevier Inc. ISBN: 978-0-12-394420-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/C2011-0-06838-2
9. Campo Mickael, Mackie Diane M., Sanchez Xavier. Emotions in Group Sports: A Narrative Review From a Social Identity Perspective. Frontiers in Psychology. Vol. 10(2019). Available at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00666
10. Tracy Brower. Missing Your People: Why Belonging Is So Important And How To Create It. Forbes. Jan 10, 2021. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/tracybrower/2021/01/10/missing-your-people-why-belonging-is-so-important-and-how-to-create-it/?sh=27a0f55d7c43
11. Angela Theisen. Is having a sense of belonging important? Mayo Clinic Health System. December 8, 2021. Available at https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/is-having-a-sense-of-belonging-important
12. Royal UK. Christmas Broadcast 1974. The Queen's Christmas Broadcast in 1974 alludes to problems such as continuing violence in Northern Ireland and the Middle East, famine in Bangladesh and floods in Brisbane, Australia. Available at https://www.royal.uk/christmas-broadcast-1974#:~:text=We%20may%20hold%20different%20points,than%20there%20is%20dividing%20us.
13. Benoit D. Infant-parent attachment: Definition, types, antecedents, measurement and outcome. Paediatr Child Health. 2004 Oct;9(8):541-545. doi: 10.1093/pch/9.8.541. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2724160/; Set Z. Potential Regulatory Elements Between Attachment Styles and Psychopathology: Rejection Sensitivity and Self-esteem. Noro Psikiyatr Ars. 2019 Jul 16;56(3):205-212. doi: 10.29399/npa.23451. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6732807/; Robert D. Putnam. Social Capital Primer. Available at: http://robertdputnam.com/bowling-alone/social-capital-primer/
14. World Happiness Report 2023. Available at: https://worldhappiness.report/; This is especially true when the helping behaviour is voluntary and mainly motivated by concern for the person being helped.
15. United Nations. Understanding Hate Speech. Available at: https://www.un.org/en/hate-speech/understanding-hate-speech/what-is-hate-speech#:~:text=To%20provide%20a%20unified%20framework,person%20or%20a%20group%20on; Political, Social Polarization Leading to Rise in Global Insecurity, Secretary-General’s Report Finds. 30 October 2018. Available at: https://press.un.org/en/2018/org1681.doc.htm#:~:text=Global%20insecurity%20will%20continue%20to,Protection%20of%20United%20Nations%20Personnel%E2%80%9D.
16. United States Joint Economic Committee. The Social Capital Project. Available at: https://www.jec.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/republicans/socialcapitalproject