The problem is that ignoring nationalism does not make it go away; it leaves it unguided and undeveloped, ready for exploitation by the worst voices in a society. In truth, for understandable reasons, we aren’t capable of doing without nationalism. So the challenge is to find our way to the better kinds. The desire to feel proud of one’s community is a natural and noble impulse. We just need sophisticated ways of directing our urge for pride. Collective pride is so important because there is never enough to be proud of in a single life. Nationalism takes the pressure off all of us. It lightens the oppressive responsibility we’d otherwise feel to ensure that our own lives could always be stellar and heroic; that’s why patriotism invariably proves especially appealing to those who have the narrowest opportunities in a society, a fact that elites have not treated with the requisite compassion.
candyboogie04
With well-focused nationalism, we don’t have to do it all ourselves. We can find happiness in something in which we have a small stake, but that goes far beyond us.
candyboogie04
If our longing for collective pride were taken more seriously, we’d learn to invest more money and energy in things that were owned by everyone, because we’d recognise that this would include us. It may be gratifying to own a luxurious car, but there is something properly stirring about being a part owner, along with 300 million others, of a collection of next-generation high speed trains that cross the land at close to the speed of sound.
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Answer:
The problem is that ignoring nationalism does not make it go away; it leaves it unguided and undeveloped, ready for exploitation by the worst voices in a society. In truth, for understandable reasons, we aren’t capable of doing without nationalism. So the challenge is to find our way to the better kinds. The desire to feel proud of one’s community is a natural and noble impulse. We just need sophisticated ways of directing our urge for pride. Collective pride is so important because there is never enough to be proud of in a single life. Nationalism takes the pressure off all of us. It lightens the oppressive responsibility we’d otherwise feel to ensure that our own lives could always be stellar and heroic; that’s why patriotism invariably proves especially appealing to those who have the narrowest opportunities in a society, a fact that elites have not treated with the requisite compassion.