Why We’re Patriotic

The feeling that the benefits of the group are beneficial to the individual is innate.

One common characteristic of a group is that emotions appear to be contagious. A shared emotional experience occurs when one person feels a similar emotion to another due to perceiving the other's state. Conversely, xenophobia can be attributed to a dissimilarity in perception that creates an empathy gap.

• Patriotism is "ingroup love." An individual will sacrifice out of love for the greater good.
• Nationalism is about "outgroup hate." We are better than people that are not like us.

Very few people will go out of their way to try to harm an outgroup. However, if we perceive an outside group as an active threat, it is possible for ingroup love to change into outgroup hate.

A group has an existence that extends beyond the life of any of its individual members. A sense of weakness and anxiety lead us to depend on the group. Once you feel part of a group, you are less afraid.

There is a connection between the need for closure and group identification, including patriotism. When you are uncertain about yourself, you seek certainty, and that certainty is provided by the group ideology that tells you who you are. However, if you are successful as an individual, you feel less dependent on the group.