Belonging

The migration taking place in the world activates the issue of belonging. Sometimes migration creates conflicts, suspicion and hostility rather than belonging. This is often seen as an economical or material problem, but it is only a mind problem. Our will to belong to some group, family, workplace, nation or whatever is not always satisfied. The reason is that true belonging does not exist. The quasi-belonging we might experience is very fragile. It must be carefully cultivated in order to survive for some time. Belonging is no self-existing phenomenon. A happy family, for example, does not consist of man, wife, children and belonging. Man, wife and children are self-existing, but not belonging. Belonging is an experience which exists up to the divorce. For practical reasons we have to work together. The experience of belonging might help us work together. But it is not necessary. Many groups are held together by legal bonds rather than by an experience of belonging. The awareness that belonging is impossible might create a feeling of existential loneliness. This should be no problem as long as we know it to be true. It should be the starting point for our understanding of reality. Belonging is closely related to hostility. Someone who leaves one group of belonging – family, workplace or native village for example - is seen as a legitimate goal for hostility. This is irrational. To leave a workplace in order to become leader is good, in the same way as it is good to leave the village to go to the university. In the village, the social roles were probably given once and for all. There was no cause to analyze them. But with migration we should be aware of the belonging – hostility issue. If we know that belonging is an illusion we can develop honest working relations and avoid hostility wherever we go.