Categories are a very useful concept. Most evolved form of life would probably not exist without this concept. For example, distinguishing edible food from poison, distinguishing a nice road from a dangerous cliff, or distinguishing a friendly person from a serial killer are obvious cases. Based on this experience, human beings crafted many other categories: what is tasteful and what is not, what is beautiful and what is not, who drinks alcohol and who doesn't, who listens to heavy metal and who listens to jazz, who plays football and who plays chess, who earns a lot of money and who does not, who speaks English and who does not, the list goes on. Why this need of categories? I suppose that a first explanation is straightforward: when one wants to stay in his comfort zone, it is handy to quickly identify what or who corresponds to the criteria. Categories work as road signs: they help us taking the path we look for.

That being said, it is easy to see how having too many categories can quickly become counter-productive, just like hundreds of signs per mile wouldn't make a road safer nor easier to use. Yet, I have the feeling that we reached that point: it is like no decision, no opinion, no thought can be achieved without categorizing everything to the last extent. In fact, we are even educated this way: it is now extremely hard to avoid thinking within pre-made categories. This is quite sad, because all these categories create boxes around everything and everyone. Even sadder, our society looks at the situation as a normal fact, to the point we do ask for, and love this segregation.

It is nothing new, but electing leaders simply because they promise to segregate more, is disheartening. Categories were supposed to be a useful tool for everyone, not a convenient way for the cynical to gain power. Your voice for the promise of walls...

The Great Covfefe

As usual, everything photographed and edited by me, no stock.