It is in human nature to feel attracted to things that are like us. Hence, we feel more comfortable around those that speak our mother tongue and are of similar age. However, on the other side of the coin, this very nature leads us to unconsciously create the perception of “the other.” “The other” means several things at once - whatever looks different, acts differently, or simply exists differently. Today, I would like to discuss the boundaries which define “the other” and its implications in society.
What prompted my curiosity about “the other” was the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, in which the scientist Victor Frankenstein creates a monster but soon abandons it. The monster is avoided by every human being, because it is labeled as “the other.” He is massive in stature, strong enough to single handedly kill humans, and intelligent enough that he can absorb languages and elements of culture just through observation. Such traits incites fear in every being that he encounters, including his creator Frankenstein. He attempts several times to approach humans in hopes of coexisting with them, but is rejected every single time, which leads him to commit several murders for revenge against Frankenstein.
As the novel shows, the monster is intrinsically human - it feels the same emotions and speaks the same language. But upon seeing its appearance, all humans refuse to adopt him as one of his/her own, hence viewing him as “the other.” In the case of the monster, he owns the qualities that compliments our deficiencies - he is physically flawless and intellectually far ahead of human beings. Despite embodying the ideals of humans, he is still rejected. This made me wonder, what are the boundaries that we set to define what is us and what is not? Is it simply appearance, as humans are biologically programmed to be antagonistic towards what looks different? Or is it that when we are faced with something extremely powerful and idealistic, our fight-or-flight response naturally leads us to reject it?
Such questions are important and relevant, as the concept of “the other” extends itself to our reality. Racial discrimination, for example, is caused primarily because a certain race regards another as “the other,” thus something different and oftentimes inferior. Sexism, as well, is caused by this concept, as one sex regards the other as different and hence without the qualities that it possesses. It may not be an exaggeration to say that all forms of discrimination essentially originates from perceiving the other group as some entity across that boundary that we set.
Perhaps it is true that along our long history of survival, the need to differentiate what is us and what is not, or what is on our side and what is not, has embedded itself in us. Nonetheless, it is important to notice when we are setting these unconscious boundaries that intrigue hostility and conflict. What are your opinions about “the other?”