Chauvinism: characteristics and causes of this psychological phenomenon

This attitude based on discrimination and extreme nationalism can be seen in many ways.

It is normal to feel pride for the country where we are from, and for the things we find there; beaches, soccer teams, customs, political systems, etc. But sometimes, this patriotism becomes extreme, and leads to an impossibility to see things as they really are.

Chauvinism can be understood as an exaggerated form of boasting about one's native country.which goes hand in hand with repudiation of other nations. Therefore, it is related to xenophobia. In this article we will see in detail what this psychological and sociological phenomenon is about, and we will review some of its main characteristics.

What is chauvinism?

As we have already seen, chauvinism is understood as the idea that some people have that their country or nation is somehow superior to other nations. the idea that some people have that their country or nation is somehow superior to other nations, and they are able to defend this idea over any logical argument that is put to them.and they are able to defend this idea over any logical argument that is put to them. The term chauvinism is coined due to the surname of a French soldier named Nicolas Chauvin; it is said that this character was loyal to Napoleon Bonaparte and his native France in such a way that everyone was inspired by his blind devotion to the homeland.

Chauvinism is a pattern of behavior associated with extreme nationalismwhich generates in people a cognitive bias that makes it impossible for them to understand abstract aspects, such as the nuances and cultural diversities of each country, etc. Chauvinistic people only keep focused on seeing things the way they want them to be.

Generally, this type of behavior and attitudes can be seen by public figures in the political sphere, as a form of promotion and a campaign strategy or ideology of their party. Phrases such as "our country is the most beautiful in the world", "we have the best citizens in the world", "we are a model country for the rest of the world" may seem innocent, and in many cases are not used with the intention of creating confrontation, but taken to their ultimate consequences, they express chauvinism.

These and other ideological expressions are typical of a chauvinistic discourse, since they are loaded with the idea that some characteristic or thing from the country of origin is superior to that of other countries. These irrational ideas provoke discord and generate enmity between people of different nationalities..

Characteristics of chauvinistic thinking

The following list contains some of the most typical characteristics and actions of people who demonstrate chauvinism through their beliefs and attitudes.

1. Tunnel thinking

The main characteristic of chauvinistic people is that they possess a narrow and rigid style of thinking and are unable to see other perspectives. are unable to see other perspectives. They seek to prove that their nation is the best, regardless of the opinions and arguments of third parties, usually based on prejudices and without questioning the latter or becoming aware that they think based on them.

2. Emotional attachment

In this case the emotional attachment is to the nation and everything related to it. and everything related to it; the people, the sports teams, the national companies, etc. This attachment makes the subject unable and unwilling to let go of the idea that everything that corresponds to his country is of better quality than what comes from other parts of the world.

• You may be interested in, "Are we rational or emotional beings?"

3. Defense of the territorial

People find it difficult to leave their extreme national territory, they feel a high level of anguish at the prospect of living somewhere else, even if only for a while. They are unable to visualize themselves leading a full life in territories other than their own.

4. They blindly defend their fellow countrymen

Chauvinistic individuals have no problem in defending anyone who shares the same nationality as they do, regardless of whether the other person is right or wrong, or whether he or she is a good person or not. In the face of foreigners, the only thing that matters is that they share the same nationality..

5. Lack of logical reasoning

These people do not base their country's defense on reasonable or logical arguments. Regardless of whether the place they come from is in bad political, economic, or any other kind of conditions, these facts would not affect the opinion of those who irrationally defend their country because it is an essentialist defensedirected to a reality beyond the material.

6. Nostalgia for the past

Nostalgia for moments lived in the past intensifies the behavior and thinking of chauvinism. The subject clings to his or her nation for sentimental rather than logical reasons, and this generates a distortion of his or her own nation.and this generates a distortion of thought. It seeks to repeat the same experiences over and over again, without changing the environment too much.

In addition, this vision of the past is characterized by historical revisionism: twisting the concepts and systems of ideas of previous centuries to fit one's own ideology (which only exists in the present). And it is an idealized and self-interested vision of the past: normally, there is a fixation with the times of maximum territorial expansion of what is considered to be the nation itself.

7. Tribal ideas prevail

Tribal instincts are those related to belonging to a tribe or closed group collective. The subject has the need to be part of a certain group of people, which must meet the requirement of being of the same nationality, and in some cases of belonging to a specific region within the nation and certain ethno-linguistic or religious characteristics..

8. Prevalence of territorial instincts

Territorial instincts refer to people's need to stay in a certain territorial space, irrational beliefs of security or subjective benefits.. People will eagerly defend the place they do not want to leave, no matter what their real situation is.

Thus, in chauvinism, borders are defended for the simple fact of delimiting the limits of the group with which one identifies, considering hostile or potentially hostile everything beyond it.

Causes of this social drift

The main cause for a person to have this pattern of thought and behavior is based on a false reasoning that responds more than anything else to an ethnocentric fallacy (analysis from one's own reality). (analysis from one's own reality).

Low self-esteem and the perception of being a victim can also motivate chauvinism, taking into account that these people look for a way to take refuge in the face of low self-esteem. If the defects in the functioning of one's own society are rooted in the influence of other nations, the imperfections of the collective with which we identify can be excused.. At least in our eyes.

Subjects who unhesitatingly affirm that they could give their lives for their nation have generally suffered significant affective deficiencies during the development of their identity, which predisposes them to attribute a protective role to the diffuse concept of nation.

On the other hand, the blind defense of the nation is useful for them to feel part of a stable social group that offers protection and stability. Thus, they displace all their feelings of emptiness and resentment towards a "just cause" that can be achieved collectively.

Bibliographical references;

• Canovan, M. (1996). Nationhood and Political Theory. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.
• Isaac, B.H. (2006). The Invention of Racism in Classical Antiquity. Princeton University Press.
• Mansbridge, J.; Katherine F. (2005). Male Chauvinist, Feminist, Sexist, and Sexual Harassment: Different Trajectories in Feminist Linguistic Innovation. American Speech. 80(3): p. 261.
• Nairn, T.; James, P. (2005). Global Matrix: Nationalism, Globalism and State-Terrorism. Londres y Nueva York: Pluto Press.
• Yack, B. (2012). Nationalism and the Moral Psychology of Community. University of Chicago Press.