Nationalism

If people believe in something it is true. This is generally incorrect, but perhaps not in the case of national identity. The concept of national identity usually implies that people of that nation have something in common. Some Irish people believe their identity is defined by what they have in common with others born in Ireland, which creates a deep allegiance. I struggle with this, perhaps because one side of my family are immigrants from Italy. But I have always been conscious of what makes you fit in, why some people get on well with others and, in a similar but different vein, what makes people cooperate. Do you need to be similar to another person to be at ease with them, to cooperate or enjoy their company?

Another source of scepticism about national identity is logical and empirical: opposite sides in Northern Ireland have more in common with each other than they do with anyone else in the world. Most people do not even understand the language of their dispute: the symbolic and cultural significance of marches, types of music and songs, arcane interpretations of religious rites.