Patriotism
"Heroism on command, senseless violence, and all the loathsome nonsense that goes by the name of patriotism - how passionately I hate them!" - Albert Einstein
"Heroism on command, senseless violence, and all the loathsome nonsense that goes by the name of patriotism - how passionately I hate them!" - Albert Einstein
"A nation is a society united by a delusion about its ancestry and by common hatred of its neighbours." - William Ralph Inge
I have always wondered about what exactly patriotism means. To me, the country I was born in means nothing more or nothing less than the country I live in. Although, I have to admit that I do feel a strange connection and superfluous pride when I talk about my native country.
I am more aware of the way of life, the cultural heritage in my native country than anywhere else in the world. I understand that it is very common for a human being to be attached to something, or someone that they are used to, rather habituated to. I got to experience it first hand recently when I lost my coffee mug. I felt miserable for the next few days. I actually mourned its loss! I could not believe that I became so disgustingly materialistic. That realization got me to think more and I ended up comparing the feelings of patriotism to that of materialism. Both arise from a sense of attachment. Perhaps, it is this attachment that is the key to all sorrows in life. What about attachment to another human being? Is it glorified as love?
