The word division is defined as "the action of separating something into parts or the process of being separated." This exact division is something human beings have been doing for centuries.

The constant search for difference and the need to divide into factions has been and still is fundamentally ingrained into human interaction. We continuously divide ourselves by tribe, status, race, religion, and wealth — citizenship is another classification of this phenomenon. The earth's land has been sectioned into countries, its inhabitants divided into citizens of those nations.

In many ways, those divisions make sense. Every country has its own cultural identity, a key one being language. Communication, how people express themselves, is a fundamental aspect of society. When I studied abroad in Germany, I was intrigued by how common phrases portrayed different parts of the culture. For example, most Germans would often use the phrase, "I believe (Ich glaube)," while in American English, the more common saying would be, "I think." This slight difference in language reveals a lot about both countries' social norms. The language in one place promotes directness and forcefully stating one's genuine opinion slightly more than in another country, where the common phrase is simply less intense. Phrasing and language are essential in creating and having a cultural identity. People in different nations also enjoy the stability and consistency of having a set of social norms and societal expectations in their lives. There is a profound comfort in the familiar and the idea that a border protects cultural identity.

Moreover, in theory, having separate governments and nations allows people to maintain their unique culture, heritage, lifestyles, and traditions. The hope is that governments will represent their citizens and act to further the varying goals and interests of those on their land. Furthermore, people will be able to preserve their past and feel protected by the simple truth that they are citizens of a nation. The government, or more specifically the idea of a protected piece of land, allows people to feel secure in the fact that there is a designated, unique place in which they can freely live and celebrate their culture.

To some extent, this is all very true; however, there is no one genuine interest, lifestyle, or even culture every citizen of every country has or wants. Citizens of nations across the world are, at any given moment, struggling with numerous issues plaguing their land. With so many controversial topics, most countries, to varying degrees, have a broad political spectrum. Just because people come from the same nation does not mean that they will have the same culture or even a desire to be grouped with one another. Furthermore, many citizens of the same land have very different lifestyles, leading to a significant contrast in goals and aspirations for both themselves and their country. A rural farmer will not have the same life aspirations or hopes as a lawyer working in a city. Even if there is a shared culture built on national pride and patriotism, people who have entirely dissimilar careers and live in vastly different places with distinct landscapes, such as diverging transportation methods, unique weather patterns, or even different infrastructure, will have different goals and lifestyles. The reality is that shared lifestyles and beliefs are much more uniting than the concept of citizenship. People do not need national identities to unify them and should instead recognize their existence within a global sphere and their power to create change and establish connections with people from a much greater international community.

For example, the United States is a country where patriotism and national pride are very common. From ideas like "the United States is the land of milk and honey" to the concept of the "American Dream," there is a deep foundation in the national ideologies that fill the land. However, while both a lawyer in a city and a rural farmer might be united by their belief in a patriotic principle such as the "American dream," their life goals and the way they each will bring that dream to fruition will diverge completely. Ultimately, the entire concept of citizenship being able to unite people in a genuine way is very fragile. Other factors like lifestyle and struggle are more critical to achieving meaningful connection than citizenship is or ever could be.

In that same vein, while some nations are governed by religion and therefore use religious practice to deny people citizenship, most countries don't have specific uniform criteria for citizenship. For many people, the idea of having criteria like political belief or small lifestyle preferences, let alone skin color, religion, or ethnic and racial background, as determining factors in someone's citizenship eligibility seems egregious and unjust. This comes from the foundational principle that not all citizens look the same or have the same lifestyles or beliefs, leading one to believe that citizenship may not be as significant or as large of a common thread between people.

While not all patriotism is terrible, and through American country music, celebrating veterans, or the several national holidays created around patriotic values citizens can unite despite massive political polarization, nationalist pride is a complicated issue.

Many citizens across political divides believe that the United States is the best country in the world and are joined together by listening to patriotic country music. However, while this camaraderie can exist, there is also the fact that, in reality, there is no one way to be an American citizen. There is no one way to look or sound American, no one shared belief, and there is not even a unique culture that everybody in all 50 states takes part in. While this celebration of citizenship and culture around national pride does exist, it's genuinely not as if the country's inhabitants are united simply because they are all citizens of the same place. When it comes down to it, citizenship is not a very powerful tool or recourse in establishing connection. Therefore, people should acknowledge the value of seeing profound commonalities between different human beings regardless of citizenship and use that unification to better our global world and communities.

Moreover, often when people believe that their county is the best, they ignore the many benefits of living in a diverse global world. Patriotism can become dangerous when people begin to think that their nation is superior and, therefore, they themselves are superior. This belief can discourage people from seeking global experiences such as participating in or learning about different cultures and meeting new people. Citizenship, patriotism, and national pride can obstruct the international community. For example, unlike in Germany or other places in Europe where high school study abroad is widespread, in the United States, traveling abroad for a high school exchange year is unheard of. When trying to understand this stark difference in high school and pedagogical culture, in my experience as an American exchange student, one of the most common things that come up is nationalism and nationalist pride. Growing up in the United States often means a constant presence of patriotic values and prideful ideas around America being the best. Unfortunately, I have seen that this can and does hinder students, especially younger ones who have yet to receive a college education from wanting to explore other places and cultures. Similarly, those ideas and that cultural emphasis on national pride stop so many Americans from analyzing their country's faults and being open to or even just learning about the many different, sometimes superior ways other cultures, nations, and governments operate.

Despite these phenomena and the existence of countries and citizenship, we as individuals must remember that a global community does exist. While national identities are real, ultimately, citizenship is not an essential part of what connects people. Being a citizen of the world means acknowledging the fragility of citizenship and understanding the value of genuine human connection and shared purpose in this life. We must all recognize that the lines we draw and the nations we create are not very important to establishing meaningful relationships and that we are all people just living

on this globe. Being citizens of the world is about realizing our collectivism and the many responsibilities we have to the earth, each other, and the broader community. We must, as human beings, understand the value of seeing beyond borders or geography and instead recognize the importance of taking care of one another and protecting the beautiful planet we all have the privilege and right to call home.