Tuesday, November 26, 1996
LOYALTY:
Using labels to describe a person misses the underlying
individual
"I’ve got a good mind to join a club and beat you over the head
with it."
 Groucho Marx
Well kiddos, today’s subject is about group membership and
labels.
Personally, I think we should attempt to rise above such
crutches to protect those who are hurt by the side effects, but
groups are so comforting and helpful that I doubt that will ever
happen.
Human society was based on social interaction; without it, this
species would not be ruling the planet as we do, with our Iron
Opposable Thumb. Social interaction is so necessary that
individuals can go insane if left in isolation.
If you ask someone about themselves, they will usually give you
names of groups or categories into which they fall: occupations,
ages, genders, political parties, etc. Some social groups people
choose to join; others are forced upon them.
Since most people prefer to feel good about themselves, and have
positive self-conceptions (with some exceptions, of course), they
will usually choose to have positive feelings about their group;
since the group becomes so intertwined with one’s self, to belong
to a bad group is almost equivalent to being a bad person. So you
will generally believe that your group is good. But this belief has
consequences. "Good," like any adjective, lacks meaning unless
related to something else. Your group cannot be good unless they
are "better" than other groups. Therefore if you believe that your
group is good, you implicitly believe that you and your group are
better than others and their groups; perhaps you even think that
other groups are bad.
Group affiliation also leads to nationalism, pride in country
and war. People believe themselves to be part of a country-group,
an association dear to many people’s hearts (not mine  I
simply feel I was born between a few arbitrarily-drawn lines on a
map). They feel pride in their country-group, its heritage, their
own connection to it, and the whole "love it or leave it"
mentality. In an area the size of the United States, calling the
citizens a "group" is almost laughable. The populace is so varied
that there is almost nothing that we all have in common.
And I think it is easy to see that this pride in country and
disdain, or even hatred, for other countries can easily turn to
violence.
Interestingly, groups are both real and imaginary at the same
time. Groups and labels would not exist without a human brain to
make the distinctions.
But once enough people accept the same imaginary construct, and
act as though it were true, it becomes a social reality. For
example, let’s say that you don’t believe in race; all people are
just people, and you are truly colorblind. But in your life, you
will have to interact with people who do believe in this concept
and will take "your race" into consideration when they have
dealings with you. Illusion becomes reality.
Let me put it in terms more familiar to you now. As a student
here at UCLA, most of you consider yourselves "Bruins." You all
eagerly make your affiliation with this university important to
your life and your identity.
To prove your loyalty to yourself and others, you daily wear a
different article of clothing with some UCLA slogan smeared across
it. You cheer at the football games and hate USC. What school
spirit.
I’m not sure why you all do this. I am a guy who goes to UCLA.
That is as far as my affiliation goes. I don’t prefer UCLA students
to other people; I don’t feel a warm rush at the sight of Royce
Hall, I don’t get excited by combinations of blue and gold. I don’t
know how to do the "eight clap." These trappings do not interest
me.
I was utterly amazed at the outpouring of letters from the
students protesting the ill-named "Bearwear" store. There wasn’t
this much debate over the CIA crack scandal. This is what’s
important to you? It’s a clothing store for Christ’s sake! I am
glad know where your values stand: cute little store names are more
important than death, suffering and governmental corruption.
Obviously, you have all fallen prey to the Cult of School
Spirit. You are the school; the school is you. Certainly UCLA
encourages the students to have this pride in their school so that
they will spend money on T-shirts and bumper stickers. New students
fall for it, fearful and desperate to fit in; they generally keep
up their habits for their entire stay.
You all seem to believe that the official sports teams of UCLA
represent the student body, that somehow we’re interlinked, one and
the same. I’ll focus on football, since that seems to be the most
popular sport. Everyone is very happy when "our" team wins and sad
when "our" team loses. "We lost the big game" everyone whines. We?
Unless you are on the team, you shouldn’t really be using that
pronoun.
"They" won the game; "you" sat on your ass eating nachos. The
football team consists of something like 40 guys. I don’t know any
of them; to me, they are simply guys who play football who happen
to go to the same school as I do. Likewise, I don’t know anybody on
any of the other football teams that the UCLA team might play
against. And, in a football game, someone wins and someone loses.
Since I don’t know any of the participants, I don’t much care who
is the victor.
You are all being duped: your emotions manipulated, your
passions enflamed, your money gobbled.
Ever since realizing the nature of groups and group affiliation,
I have attempted to remove myself from all groups. I’m not a Bruin.
I’m not an American. I’m not male. I’m not white. I’m not a part of
any group. It doesn’t always work; it’s hard to overcome these
powerful social forces. At times I do feel a part of something, or
feel that certain labels apply.
Of course, the flaw in this isolationist plan is that by denying
all groups, I have become a group of one, with the entire world
lying outside of my group. This suits me fine. I’ll confess
here:
I really don’t like people.
There is a difference between "don’t like" and "dislike": the
first is neutral, the second is negative ("dislike" means "aversion
to;" "don’t like" simply means "not having a positive feeling
for"). I "don’t like" most of the people I meet. But overhearing
other people’s conversations, seeing the things they do, wear, the
ways they act, I’m glad that I don’t know more of you.
Generally speaking, I think that people are a bunch of
narrow-minded, Alanis-worshipping, Hootie-purchasing,
"Friends"-watching, Macarena-dancing imbeciles, and I’d appreciate
y’all staying the hell away from me.
There. I feel cleansed.
I think that’s all I have to say for now.
This is my last article, by the way.
I have applied to be a columnist again next quarter. If you
would like me to continue writing columns, e-mail the Viewpoint
editors at:
If you would not like me to continue writing columns, e-mail the
Viewpoint editors at: [email protected]. Put
something like "Death to Jake!" as the subject.
Please send comments, questions or requests to buy
kerosene-soaked effigies of yours truly to: [email protected]
Discussion helps us both out. You can write to me even if my
column is not renewed.
I’m glad to have had this chance to try to spread a little
information and challenge some of your beliefs. Thank you to
everyone who wrote to me (well, everyone except that one guy). I’ve
learned a lot as well, even made a few friends. Thanks to Adam for
helping this particular article gain something resembling
coherence.
Today’s recommended reading: don’t read today. Think. What if
something that you were absolutely sure of turned out to be untrue?
What if everything you thought you knew was wrong? That’s all I
ask, people. Don’t just accept. Think.
Jake Sexton doesn’t know you, but if he met you, he probably
wouldn’t like you.