Borders Between Peoples

What about the borders between people?

There are natural borders between peoples too. For one, there is language. But that is fast being pulled down in our technological world. Besides, a smile or a cry has never needed an interpreter. (Well... Sometimes it does. But that's rare.)
        Then there is race.: Which actually is not a border, but we humans have set it up as a border. Same goes for skin color. Same goes for sexual orientation etc. Luckily, these are all being pulled down by the globalized world and our mind's expansion. (Or you could say by the evolving of our humanity.) I mean, at least that's my hope.

Then there are the artificial borders between people. For one, there is religion... The subject that most people fight about. The subject that has been made into a big issue to divide peoples. But religion is not the only belief border, all our other beliefs about the world are borders too. Political orientation is another big border between people. Some people favor certain politicians as hooligans of a team.
        Then there is nationality, another imaginary construct we humans have created and have been made to believe in. An instrument to divide people.

Don't get me wrong. I believe in borders, I respect borders. They just need to comply with two criteria:
        1- They need to be between people, not between groups of people. Unless... The groups are formed by open consent and conscious choice.
        2- They need to be natural.

Now let's examine what I mean by these:
        1- Why do borders need to be between people and not between groups of people?
        Because the way the world is, group classification is all screwed up. Or they have to be between groups formed by open consent. Not by some “theoretical” or “hypothetical” social contract that was never submitted to you for your approval. The social contract is speculative. Nobody has a right to speculate my will. What's more, it presumes your consent to be considered one with a group of people born within the same imaginary line drawn by some people in power. How can they assume that I'd be consenting to such a classification?! I don't. I didn't. And I never will! What presumptuousness! What audacity and arrogance.

Having said this... People who have chosen to live together can form a border if they wish. Gated communities serve that purpose. I wouldn't want to live in one, but I'm fine with their existence. (I mean I wouldn't want to live in a gated community the way it is, I would very much like to live in a village with chosen friends. Like Einstein “How I wish that somewhere there existed an island for those who are wise and of good will! In such a place even I should be an ardent patriot!”)
        Thing is... I'm not fine with countries and their borders defined the way they are.

2- What do I mean by borders being natural?
        I mean they must be flexible and permeable. Otherwise, it's impossible to function without breaking.

You see, I formed a border together with my husband when I got married. A border against the world. But we have borders among ourselves too. For example, I have a border about the orderliness in the house, my husband pulls the same border at a slightly different place. He has borders about what needs to be removed from the house, I have borders about what needs to be let in the house. Our “check-points” work in opposite directions :) Ah, my dear husband has almost no border about time. I call that "no concept of time." He has borders in time in his daily life. He goes to work, he abides by the train schedule etc. I do not have borders in time in my daily life. My time is mine. But when it comes to what needs to be done first, I have a border of priority and a sense of urgency. He simply does not have that border. So we clash. Luckily, we do not have a border problem about our belief borders and our understanding of important concepts like honesty, respect and committedness. And that goes a long way. For the rest, we use the flexible and permeable borders. We flex our borders, sometimes it's me who retreats, sometimes it's him. Sometimes I let in things I wouldn't normally let in had I been the sole ruler in the house, sometimes he let's things out he wouldn't normally let out had he been on his own.

Whether it be a marriage, the smallest group composed of two people, whether it be a wider group, the outcome doesn't change. When you live together, borders clash. It's only natural. So the question we must find an answer to is how do we make borders work?

I guess the answer lies in what I wrote above. It's about finding a common ground on important concepts like honesty, respect and committedness. There will always be people who will disrespect whatever standard you'd like to set. I guess the only way to deal with them is find people who are willing to spend time and effort on these individuals, to find people who have the capacity to get such people integrate into society. Or you keep them out. Somehow... Then comes the issue of caution and precaution. It all depends on the number of tigers.