our definition of the word Us,
defines us, in that:

it reflects how we see the world;
it influences how we behave towards others;
and, in general, it goes a long way towards
determining the kind of world we create

those that are not-Us, a.k.a. Them, tend to
get less attention and respect than is due Us

we are more comfortable around Us than we are
with Them

and we are more likely to slight, exclude, persecute
or even eliminate Them

do we define Us as:

everything in the universe,



or everything on earth,
or all life on earth,
or all mammals,
or all humans,
or all humans of our religion, country, political party,
race, culture, sex, and/or age . . . ?



finally, given all weapons of mass destruction we
hear about every day, the distinction made between
Us v. Them might be the single most important
factor determining whether humanity advances or
slowly self-destructs