When we hear somebody express a negative view about „the foreigners“ in our country, there is reason to assume that quite often it can be traced back to one single incident or experience with one particular person of foreign origins. Unfortunately little evidence exists to verify this genesis. Much more is written and published about xenophobia as a general attitude of alarming proportion, while it would be worthwhile to know in greater detail how it has developed in individuals. If we want to understand better what motivates young people to join e.g. neo-Nazi groups, we need to explore in greater detail the psychological factors at work. It is not enough to denounce extremists and their activities with a four-letter prefix or call them ‘fascist’ as used by their opponents on the left (apart from the need to examine the misuse of this term for more than sixty years).
What gives the saying “Nobody belongs here who doesn’t belong here” such a convincing taste? Why everything non-native is met with suspicion? And why are events that strengthen the feeling of demos (in German short for demonstrations), skittles clubs and all sorts of suchlike associations? What makes them so attractive?
We need not quote Konrad Lorenz as a competent witness to assume that the aversion against everything that represents a possible threat to the collective Ego is deeply rooted in the human psyche. In the Old Testament the people of Israel are admonished time and again to treat foreigners as equals – obviously for a reason. And it is the Samaritan, a foreigner, who is portrayed as “the one who showed him kindness” (Luke 10:37) in the famous parable of Jesus.
What can we do to overcome this fear of foreign elements in our midst, of foreign people, foreign customs. Foreign language, that very often hides behind rational arguments (while we appreciate foreign food, even the most exotic, from all four directions)? Certainly not by denouncing all of a sudden everything domestic as inferior in a sort of negative arrogance. It is high time to think of better ways to overcome irrationalism than use arguments that will only make things worse.
