Us versus Them

The United States has a new president-elect. Regardless of your political views, the election of a biracial, African-American candidate to the highest political office in the land is a major milestone.

The culture of the United States has been fraught with divisiveness based on race, religion, age, and socio-economic status since its inception. The expectations and stereotypes of those divisions causes many to compare their position within our society, often causing overwhelming dissatisfaction. Is it any wonder that the rise of celebrities like Paris Hilton to 'role model' status has coincided with an exponential increase in incidences of neuroses and disorders such as obsessive compulsive tendencies and eating disorders?

Many who are born a part of a minority -- whether racial, gender, religious, or economic -- compare themselves to what they see around. Constantly comparing onesself causes a mental divide between Us and Them. I know that growing up in the South as a black woman in a deeply religious Christian protestant family, the divide between Us and Them came in from all sides. Black versus white. Christian versus every other religion. Protestant versus Catholic. South versus Yankee (seriously!) American versus foreigner.

In this election, the American people showed that they were able to look beyond the traditional divisions as white Republicans rallied together to support a black Democratic candidate and young people began interacting more with their elders to have real discussions about politics and the future of the country.

Finally, the barriers between Us and Them are blurring. It's a new era for shamelessness. Instead of constantly thinking of how you're different from everyone else and of all the things you have to be ashamed of, think of who you are and what you stand for. Remember the voice of Hillary Clinton, of John McCain, of Barack Obama, and of Sarah Palin -- in different ways, all were very nontraditional political figures who rallied overwhelming support. They didn't step into the debates and onto the politcal stage focusing negatively on their gender, race, age, or socioeconomic status. Even when the public and some of the media started throwing these factors into the equation, they held their heads high, focused on their principles, and kept going for their goals.

When you're confident in your goals and stick to your principles, there's no need to be mired in shame. The divisions between Us versus Them are suddenly replaced by the ability to see a collective of unique, strong individuals. Instead of seeing Republicans versus Democrats, black versus white, young versus old, or rich versus poor, you'll see that we're all human. If we treat others and ourselves as diverse, unique individuals, we can convert shame to strength and make a real difference in our own success.