The Impact of Dehumanization

I was listening to a radio show this morning and the topic of dehumanization came up.  Apparently, they've studied this concept within the context of sports teams.  Of interest, sports fans can be very "tribal," in ways that are separate from having political, religious or ethnic differences.  This tribalism, in the extreme can lead to violence.  The concept is that dehumanizing others makes it easier to harm them.  I looked up some of the literature on this, and a lot of the evidence has been developed in relationship to genocide.  It doesn't take any more than reading "Night," by Elie Wiesel, to gain a comprehension of the impact of dehumanization.  Any student of the Holocaust knows about the systematic dehumanization that took place.  I'd never thought about it in the context of sports fans, but it makes sense.  The most rabid sports fans will make statements about their opponents fans that can easily be construed as dehumanizing.  We are all aware of this level of fandom leading to violence.  It's not common, which we can be thankful for.

Politics has become a major place for dehumanizing behavior.  I think that we all must be aware of what we say about those who disagree with us.  Comments that make those who disagree with us less human do nothing to move effective discourse forward.  Obviously, we have a president who is famous for using dehumanizing statements, whether it's about political opponents, those who disagree with him, or groups he is spotlighting to engender fear in others.  How can we use this knowledge?

I often like to use Ghandi as an example of someone whose approach was successful. Obviously, Ghandi wouldn't have succeed in Nazi Germany, but that doesn't make his approach inherently wrong.  His claim to fame was non-violence, but I think you'd also find that he probably didn't speak in a dehumanizing manner.  Hillary Clinton's use of the term "deplorable's" didn't help her candidacy. Passing judgment on others generally doesn't lead to progress.  Pointing out what what is incorrect with what they espouse should be a more effective means of communication.  I will be more cognizant of how I disagree with those who espouse things that I dislike or disagree with.  I'll endeavor to stick to the facts, rather than try to disparage the individual.  We need to be aware of the impact of dehumanization, no matter how minor it may seem.