[German guh-mahyn-shahf-tuh n]
Sociology. a society or group characterized chiefly by a strong sense of common identity, close personal relationships, and an attachment to traditional and sentimental concerns.
We know the dangers of groupthink, the atrocities that occur, the prejudices it produces, the wars it wages and the inclusion it inhibits.
Groupthink can be comfortable, it's familiar and builds a sense of community at the expense of the exclusion of diversity.
"Diversity, the act of thinking independently together."
Malcolm X
Diversity enables societal progression, through accepting various realms of thoughts that contribute to a common goal. It is the nucleus of technological advancements, innovation, empowerment and word change.
Diversity makes greatness possible. Every new ideas inspires the improvement of past ideas, each suggestion adds allows us to become better individually and as a nation.
Nonetheless, we frequently accept and expect conformity. Citizens have grown so accustomed to remaining among like-minded individuals that conflicting views brings contempt, ridicule and even dehumanization of those who appear or think differently.
The term gemeinschaft appeared in last Friday's issue of the New York Times, in the article The Internal Invasion by David Brooks.
Brooks describes President Donald Trump as, "the ultimate gemeinschaft man. He is all gut instinct, all blood and soil, all about loyalty over detached reason."
As President Trump assembles a cabinet composed of similarly interested and invested individuals, and advocates for a United States citizenship that agrees with him, dismissing and limiting the availability of opposing views
he prevents America from becoming great.
A conformist mentality, especially by those in power, inhibits progression.
I would love to the American people become great, empowered to become the best version of themselves, each person acting, thinking and working independently towards a common goal.
The greatness I long for will never come from a place of silence and adherence to discrimination. Greatness cannot coexist with gemeinschaft, conformity, fear.
Our differences can propel our nation into greatness or drag it into a homogeneous pit of fear.
How our differences will affect us depends on how we will choose to view them, as something to be celebrated or something to be condemned.
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