Do you believe it's important to have a strong sense of national identity? Or is this irrelevant in the modern world?

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Do you believe it's important to have a strong sense of national identity? Or is this irrelevant in the modern world?

2 Answers

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Answer 1

Well, some people shun national identity because they can clearly see their nation falling apart. I am proud to be a citizen of the United States, now this does not mean that I'm always proud of the decisions our government makes. Slowly but surely, the entire, "We the people" concept is beginning to fade. Various nations are eating themselves alive from the inside out, and it's mostly because there is no identity for citizens to uphold in the first place.

It's sad, yet correct. One can no longer "lose themselves" in the glory of their country. Here's what I'm finding out more and more each day: If I rely on my country for my identity, I'm going to be disappointed. I'll also disappoint others. Nations crumble. They always have, and they always will. Nowadays, with "the people" getting excluded more and more, it's almost a ridiculous thought to even speak about, "national identity".

-Noah

Answer 2

I think it really depends on what you believe in.

I personally have no sense of national identity — national identity assumes far too much. People are individuals. I'm not "proud to be British" as that's such a vague statement that it's borderline idiotic.

What makes someone British? What makes someone a woman? All of these things assume that whatever you identify with, you're identifying with a group (and a nationality is a very large and diverse group, too). Group mentality sends common-sense out the window.

Patriotism is completely lost on me. Everything is so diverse, that identifying with an entire nation seems futile.

Besides, if you think about it, national identity only seems to be relevant where sport is concerned. People are suddenly patriotic when the World Cup rolls round, but other than that, does anybody really feel proud of their nationality? It's not like it says anything about you as an individual.

In the modern world, I think it's quickly becoming irrelevant. Yes, it may create some sort of unity among people who wouldn't normally associate themselves with one another, but is being born in the same country really something to bond over?