Group identity in modern times has generated much conversation.
It does make sense to focus on group dynamics due to human beings evolving from families to tribes to citizens in a particular country. Whatever group we claim allegiance to directly impacts our ability to survive. Especially when we are young, if no one cares about our existence, life becomes challenging.
Unfortunately, while the group does provide safety from external threats, it can sometimes enable internal predators to act destructively.
For instance, we have all heard about individuals in families or institutions who acted horribly toward their peers. Destructive abuses of power are allowed to happen in secrecy and get covered up to protect the “group.”
This protection of the group can sometimes lead to individuals abandoning the truth.
To have unity within certain factions and protect our identity, we will choose to lie about what we believe. These lies lead to a fake reality that can cause more pain. Eventually, your world will crash, or you will accept living in a prison of deception.
Fear of exclusion from the group leads to us compromising our very being.
Loyalty to our classification resides in our DNA. Tribalism in some form will always exist. In modern times, the issue stands with which identity now determines our mindset. An even better question is, does the identity of the group I belong to require me to lie sometimes?
If one fibs regularly, it stunts all growth.
Living in the fake world of fabrications equates to building a home on quicksand. Whatever improvements one has made quickly disappear once reality strikes. Consistent failure demonstrates that our views and the real world are not aligned.
The only way out of this malaise is to practice honesty and find environments that are obedient to the truth.
Freedom and the ability to prosper require a culture with virtue as a crucial priority. Perfection on earth does not happen, but the idea of integrity becomes a path to a more just society.
Tyranny reigns when lies are the status quo—cruelty, individually or collectively, need deceitfulness to flourish.
Whatever safety one feels in a dishonest group will evaporate in time. What happens to one will eventually visit all of us. Perpetrators may start with outsiders first, but they work their way inward sooner or later.
Developing honor in our life leads to peace of mind.
Wealth and power may elude us, but the ability to sleep at night should comfort those on that path. Establishing the discipline of righteousness in our life gives us the capacity to define success for ourselves—the courage to leave so-called group-based thinking to respect our humanity.
In life, no one is coming to save you.
The decisions we make regarding our lifestyle significantly impact what happens. There are no guarantees, but there are certainties regarding outcomes based on behavior. Lying usually does not play out well in the end.
Therefore, why sabotage your happiness for short-term gain?
Whatever group we decide to make a home, an essential factor regarding whether we stay there or not should revolve around morality, and only the truth will set you free.
Vertis Williams is a Positive Habits Life Coach and a Mindfulness Trainer. He is a regular presenter at employee and team-development events. Contact him to request more info on his Workshops or on his Coaching Services! Click HERE to Request a Complimentary Habit Coaching Session!