{"id":9457,"date":"2026-07-20T02:32:30","date_gmt":"2026-07-20T01:32:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/binarywords.com\/?p=9457"},"modified":"2026-07-20T02:32:30","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T01:32:30","slug":"nosotros-y-ellos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/binarywords.com\/en\/2026\/07\/20\/nosotros-y-ellos\/","title":{"rendered":"\"Us\" and \"them\""},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u00b4m writing these lines shortly after having watched the 2026 World Cup Final; congratulations, Spain!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Drawing of the Spanish flag, coloured in by Eva when she was seven years old.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those of you who know me also know that I\u00b4m not a big sports fan, especially regarding football\/soccer, so it\u00b4s not habitual for me to sit down to watch a match. But today, being the final, with Spain playing and Irene and Alicia also at home, we made an exception and took the opportunity to suffer it, that is, to enjoy it together (we missed you, Eva).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Needless to say, I\u00b4m really happy for Spain\u00b4s victory, I think they were the team that played best today. But I have to say that I ended up with a bad taste in my mouth; I saw a lot of bad vibes and confrontation, and very little camaraderie between the two teams, which makes me sad. As I don\u00b4t have much to compare this to (I haven\u00b4t seen anything else from the World Cup at all), I\u00b4m not sure how \"normal\" that behaviour is among players (and even the national team coaches); my hope is that this is the exception rather than the norm, but I\u00b4m not a hundred per cent certain...<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What a stark contrast with the mid-time show, with its children singing about universal love and acting as if we are all friends. I couldn\u00b4t help but feel that it sounded false.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maybe this is one of the reasons why, in general, sports competitions don\u00b4t appeal to me: I struggle with this confrontation mentality, the \"us versus them\", which is a very human and very natural tendency, but also a very dangerous one, or at least not very productive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I mentioned in my post about labels<\/a>, there\u00b4s an evolution related explication for all this: human beings are social and tribal by nature<\/strong>. Belonging to a clan or tribe allowed our ancestors to survive and reproduce, as they were able to protect one another and collaborate to solve problems (hunt together, share the workload, specialise tasks, etc.). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But in the same way human beings are designed to collaborate, they\u00b4re also designed to compete.<\/strong> Because part of belonging to a tribe involves defending it from its enemies, that is, from other tribes, or even attacking those other tribes for the benefit of your own group. And that\u00b4s when we start to categorise people as \"one of us\" or \"one of the others\", creating a separation based on arbitrary rules, and that\u00b4s when the trouble starts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you think about it, those divisions and rivalries are everywhere<\/strong>: you can see them very clearly in the relationships between countries, but also between regions, cities or villages, departments or teams in a company, educational institutions, sports teams, sides of a family, and so on and so forth. And the level of distrust and animosity between both sides can range from harmless rivalry to a sort of entrenched hostility that instigates wars generation after generation, as we unfortunately see quite often. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is perhaps the explanation for one of the major contradictions we human beings have. How is it possible that sometimes we\u00b4re able to show so much empathy and compassion, and other times, be so cruel and aggressive to one another?<\/strong> Well, because we\u00b4re not using the same standard for everything<\/strong>; unfortunately, the rule doesn\u00b4t simply go \"you shall not kill\" - it goes \"you shall not kill... your own\". The others are something different. The others are enemies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, years ago, I received an excellent piece of advice at work: when you get to work with somebody, try to make them feel part of \"us\", because otherwise, they\u00b4re going to feel part of \"them\"; they\u00b4re going to perceive that distance, and there will be more resistance to collaborating. Today, I invite you to look around, paying attention, to discover those \"us versus them\" dynamics; how are you contributing to creating that atmosphere? And what can you do to \"bring the others around\" so that you all feel you\u00b4re on the same side?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Escribo estas l\u00edneas poco despu\u00e9s de terminar de ver la final del mundial de f\u00fatbol de 2026; \u00a1enhorabuena, Espa\u00f1a! (Dibujo de la bandera de Espa\u00f1a, coloreado por Eva cuando ten\u00eda siete a\u00f1itos.) Los que me conoc\u00e9is sab\u00e9is que soy poco aficionada a los deportes, y menos todav\u00eda al f\u00fatbol, con lo que no es habitual … Continue reading \"Us\" and \"them\"<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":3116429,"featured_media":9456,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","advanced_seo_description":"BinaryWords - \u00abNosotros\u00bb y \u00abellos\u00bb \/ \"Us\" and \"them\"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"\u00bfQui\u00e9nes son \u00abellos\u00bb? \u00bfY qui\u00e9nes somos \u00abnosotros\u00bb? \/ Who are \"they\"? And \"us\"?","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[5106,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9457","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-coaching","category-general","fallback-thumbnail"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3DPtR-2sx","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2015,"url":"https:\/\/binarywords.com\/en\/2023\/02\/20\/renunciando-a-la-culpa\/","url_meta":{"origin":9457,"position":0},"title":"Giving up guilt","author":"binarybea","date":"20\/02\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Hoy Facebook me ha recordado un post que escrib\u00ed hace exactamente trece a\u00f1os, citando una frase con la que en aquel momento me identificaba much\u00edsimo: Dios me puso en este mundo para conseguir un cierto n\u00famero de cosas - ahora mismo voy con tanto retraso que no me voy a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Emociones"","block_context":{"text":"Emociones","link":"https:\/\/binarywords.com\/en\/category\/emociones\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"White page with the words \"not guilty\" written on it, next to a judge's hammer seen from above","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/binarywords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/pexels-photo-6077325.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/binarywords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/pexels-photo-6077325.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/binarywords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/pexels-photo-6077325.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/binarywords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/pexels-photo-6077325.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/binarywords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/pexels-photo-6077325.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9552,"url":"https:\/\/binarywords.com\/en\/2026\/08\/09\/generaciones\/","url_meta":{"origin":9457,"position":1},"title":"Generations","author":"binarybea","date":"09\/08\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Escribo estas l\u00edneas desde el aeropuerto de Barajas, prepar\u00e1ndome para volver a Dubl\u00edn despu\u00e9s de dos semanas de vacaciones en Espa\u00f1a. Vuelvo cansada, pero tambi\u00e9n muy contenta: estos d\u00edas me han cundido much\u00edsimo. Han sido unas vacaciones ligeramente ca\u00f3ticas, con un par de cambios de planes sobre la marcha, pero\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Inspiraci\u00f3n"","block_context":{"text":"Inspiraci\u00f3n","link":"https:\/\/binarywords.com\/en\/category\/inspiracion-inspiration\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/binarywords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/10001468442302795836458391553.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/binarywords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/10001468442302795836458391553.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/binarywords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/10001468442302795836458391553.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/binarywords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/10001468442302795836458391553.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/binarywords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/10001468442302795836458391553.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1981,"url":"https:\/\/binarywords.com\/en\/2023\/02\/06\/atrapados-en-el-tiempo\/","url_meta":{"origin":9457,"position":2},"title":"Stuck in time","author":"binarybea","date":"06\/02\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Esta semana hemos empezado el mes de febrero, que tambi\u00e9n tiene sus fechas se\u00f1aladas, aunque no sean tan famosas como las de otros meses. Por ejemplo, el 2 de febrero se celebra en algunos lugares de Espa\u00f1a la fiesta de la Candelaria, o \"las Candelas\", como se la llama en\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reflexiones"","block_context":{"text":"Reflexiones","link":"https:\/\/binarywords.com\/en\/category\/general\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Groundhog standing on their hind legs with a small twig in their hands","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/binarywords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/pexels-photo-4739057.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/binarywords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/pexels-photo-4739057.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/binarywords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/pexels-photo-4739057.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/binarywords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/pexels-photo-4739057.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/binarywords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/pexels-photo-4739057.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8488,"url":"https:\/\/binarywords.com\/en\/2026\/01\/05\/un-deseo-para-el-ano\/","url_meta":{"origin":9457,"position":3},"title":"A wish for the year","author":"binarybea","date":"05\/01\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Ya lleg\u00f3 el 2026, \u00a1Feliz A\u00f1o Nuevo! Las ni\u00f1as y yo llegamos anoche de pasar unos d\u00edas en Espa\u00f1a, donde todav\u00eda est\u00e1n de fiesta hasta despu\u00e9s de Reyes. En cambio, aqu\u00ed, en Irlanda, toca ya volver al cole (o en mi caso, al trabajo), as\u00ed que estamos en fase de\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Inspiraci\u00f3n"","block_context":{"text":"Inspiraci\u00f3n","link":"https:\/\/binarywords.com\/en\/category\/inspiracion-inspiration\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/binarywords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_20251229_171650.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/binarywords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_20251229_171650.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/binarywords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_20251229_171650.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/binarywords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_20251229_171650.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/binarywords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_20251229_171650.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8430,"url":"https:\/\/binarywords.com\/en\/2025\/12\/22\/nollaig-shona\/","url_meta":{"origin":9457,"position":4},"title":"Nollaig Shona","author":"binarybea","date":"22\/12\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Ahora ya s\u00ed que s\u00ed, la Navidad est\u00e1 a la vuelta de la esquina, y quiero aprovechar la ocasi\u00f3n para desearos a todos unas muy felices fiestas. 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