Us vs. Them

The egoic sense of self needs conflict because its sense of a separate identity gets strengthened in fighting against this or that and in demonstrating that this is “me” and that is not “me.”

 

Not infrequently, tribes, nations, and religions derive a strengthened sense of collective identity from having enemies. Who would the “believer” be without the “unbeliever”?

 

Eckhart Tolle

from Stillness Speaks

Chapter: The Egoic Self