Opinion | Neither black nor white: Hong Kong people must rise above the polarising politics of the protests
- Even if it is a natural human instinct to categorise people into binary types, society must resist this ‘with us or against us’ mentality if it is not to lose the richness of the complex real world
Hong Kong is so polarised these days. You may feel you are neutral, but someone will always try to fit you into a side. I am certain that, right now, you’ll be wondering which camp I belong to – pro-government or pro-protesters. Once you decide I am one or the other, your preconceived opinions of my “camp” will be activated. If I am not on your side, you may decide to stop reading.
We cannot help but put people into categories. It is basic human nature to slot people into binary types. Anthropologists think that it is part of our survival instinct. The need to quickly distinguish between friend or foe was crucial when we were hunter-gatherers or engaged in warfare.
But to be civilised is also to be able to resist primaeval urges. It is necessary to be aware of our natural human instincts and sometimes purposely go against them to save ourselves. This is what separates humans from animals.
Humans have made many kinds of “unnatural” behaviour possible. Is it natural to eat cooked food? Is it natural to shave? Is it natural to wear clothes? Is it natural to fly in an aircraft?
We already identify one another by gender, race, age group, sexual orientation and so on; there are infinite permutations. We are all unique with our own set of preferences. We should celebrate our diversity and resist being homogenised.