The Perils of Identifying
Actor Sarah Jessica Parker prefers to be identified as a humanist rather than a feminist. She also classifies her desire for better-quality roles for women in the entertainment industry as a “humanist” goal.” Speaking to The Independent last month, she said the quality concern was not “solely a feminist issue.” “We have to do better by everybody,” she said.
he Independent‘s Sabrina Barr explains that
the difference between the definitions of feminism and humanism has long been a source of confusion for some, due to their belief that the former is less inclusive than the latter.
Humanists, she goes on,
make “ethical decisions based on reason, empathy, and a concern for human beings and other sentient animals.” A feminist, on the other hand, “believes in the social, economic and political equality of the sexes.”
Barr also points out that, for some, calling oneself a humanist rather than a feminist seems less combative and confrontational.
So, this debate all boils down to identity. Officially, the relevant definition of “identity” is “one’s perception of the sameness and persistence of one’s own individual personality, that is, one’s sense of self.” The relevant definition of the verb “identify” here is “to conceive as united in spirit, principle, outlook, or interest.” The phrase “I identify with…” is a fairly recent usage, at least to my knowledge. One source tells us that the phrase “Hello, I identify with…” originated as a parody of the name tags that read “Hello. My name is…” at Vancouver Pride in 2011. Other sources have it appearing earlier.
No matter. Humans have a wired-in proclivity to be part of a group that goes back to the days when self-preservation was a primary concern. But this proclivity continues today. As Richard Taflinger explains,
Humans have the most complex society of any creature on earth, which means we extend self-preservation beyond personal physical survival. We live in extremely complex and interdependent societies, where people band together in groups for mutual aid and protection. Such groups include families, friendships, associations, tribes, clans, states, nations. The members of these groups work together to help each other. Also, since the group enhances the members’ chances of survival, group survival means personal survival. The individual benefits by supporting the group, because the group reciprocates by supporting the individual.
That all makes perfect sense and the benefits described are clear. The bigger question, though, is does the formation and joining of such groups deprive others of said benefits? Unquestionably. Say, you saw someone wearing a nametag that reads “Hello. I identify as feminist.” You can read this in many different ways. If you are a feminist, you might think, “Hey, there is a kindred soul. I should go talk to her or him.” If you are not a feminist, the words might imply several things. For example, you might see those words as conveying an unspoken hostility toward or superiority over those who don’t so identify. You may take them to be issuing a challenge like “yeah, and what are you going to do about it?” Or you might take them as an attempt to shame you for not being a feminist.
No matter how you take “Hello. I identify as…,” the words are more divisive than unifying except for one instance: “Hello. I identify as human.” Being human is being part of the penultimate group and should multiple and reinforce the benefits described by Taflinger. Sadly, it does not. Being part of a smaller group, whatever it may be, cannot help but be exclusionary by fostering a sense of entitlement in the members, an attitude of tolerance at best and derision at worst toward nonmembers, and various levels of resentment, anger, frustration, and even hate in those excluded. Even saying “Hello. I identify as humanist” has this effect.
To borrow a movie line from Cher, we need to “snap out of it.” Think about using this phrase the next time you don a nametag or introduce yourself to someone: “Hello. I identify as human.” From there, you can talk about whatever causes you support or beliefs you espouse, keeping in the mind all the while the person you are speaking to is human, too, and deserves to be treated as such. It seems a simple practice, I know, but, in reality, one that is incredibly difficult to sustain. I could quote Yoda here about trying and doing but, hey, a Jedi knight hanging out mostly by himself on the planet Dagobah far far away a long time ago might not have the best perspective on this.
[Published originally on TNTBAD, March 7, 2019.]
