Ferguson’s travels highlighted his emerging sentiment of isolation. Will Ferguson lived in Japan for five years but yet no matter how integrated he was with the country, he could never belong. He would always be classified as a foreigner, an outsider. In Japan people are often referred to not by their name but by the role they play. Mr. Policeman. Mr. Post Office. Mr. Foreigner. Such broad classifications can border on racist but it is a tendency that is not unique to Japan. It transcends cultures.
How many people do we dehumanize by our broad classifications? How many conflicts do we perpetuate through the polarization that these broad classifications encourage? What do we do with the fringe elements that fall outside these broad classifications?
These broad classifications, and their associated issues, are more common today than any other time. It is impossible to be an environmentalist without immediately being classified as left wing. It is difficult to mention gun control without it being assumed that you are against all guns. If you find yourself from a fringe element such as someone suffering from a mental illness, be prepared to be ignored or pigeon holed into a mainstream group that will ensure you do not get the help you need or deserve.
Imagine if we all chose to stand down and pause to think about an issue with an open mind. Would our values really be as far out of skew as our labels suggest?
“Once you label me you negate me.” - Soren Kierkegaard (1813 - 1855)
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