I have found a surprising parallel between our German and the English (or "Pakeha") demeanour.
Ask any man on the street (in New Zealand) what the term "Cultural Competence" is about. In this obviously multicultural society you will hear only one answer: it is when "Pakeha" understand and appreciate Maori cultural traditions. Where I would expect to see a complex, network-like structure, I am shown an arrow. A single line, pointing in only one direction.
How come? The answer to this question will be: "Listen, this has to do with "The Treaty" (of Waitangi). "Of course, cultural competence is much more. "But it is that we have our special focus and obligations there".
In the recent decades, there have been great attempts to encourage, and settle, the discussion around what the Englishmen did to their Maori co-citizens starting 150 years ago. However, the attempt to settle this conflict was and is doomed to fail. Why?
Because the English will never be able to stop ruminating about it. Equally as the Germans will never forget their attempted genozide on the Jews and the looking away of so many. There is a feel of guilt. It is a feel of guilt by design. How come?
Equally as the German identifies himself as a superior being, and an underdog at the same instance, standing one beside the other, the Englishman has an inward and an outward personality, one is despised and denied, the other one cultivated. This schism is the root of the never-ending conflict, in which the English identifies himself with the supposed aggressor and the supposed victim at the same time, making the feud an internal one, which hurts like a thorn in the flesh every time someone touches it. The Germans are similar in that regard, only that the latter torture themselves by picking at their thorn actively all the time.
Now, the inward Englishman knows that he is without doubt the true superior being, without the need to show it (like Germans do all the time). Why superior? Because he is highly moral, respectful towards even more primitive people, always willing to help, support others, and of high culture and education. Yes, he shows due respect to the more primitive people, like Maori, because he believes that even these creatures will come to some understanding at some time, if only they are taught the right ways with consistency and dedication. It is understandable that they want to be respected and loved, as they are not guilty to be what they are, they were not able to choose.
Now the outward Englishman is deeply embarrassed of what the inward Englishman has been able to do to the poor Maori in his conceit. Of course he knows that Maori are not at all primitive salvages, but Gods creatures like himself, and of the same value in Gods eyes.
So he tries to do reconciliation, in the real world and in himself. The struggle is difficult, because there are three of them fighting: The outward and the inward Englishman and the Maori. If there were only two, it would be less confusing!
The fight is a noble one, but humankind is too complex and entangled to be able to ever finish it. But the illusion to reach that state of perfect balance narrows the view, it sometimes obscures the consciousness that there is much more to see, a colourful spectrum of ethnicities and personalities within them.
