Dutch or do you live in the Netherlands? Your answer betrays how you think about refugees

Are you a Dutchman or do you live in the Netherlands?

The answer says a lot about how you think about immigrants. Immigrants? Yes and more things, but this is an interesting one

Dutch or live in the Netherlands?

Imagine you live in the Netherlands and this is how you experience it. Many people live in the Netherlands. Many are emigrating and people are moving in, and you are fine with it.

You live there and so do they. Fine.

But if you're a Dutchman , it's your identity, and then when people join, they come into you, so to speak.

Well, that's trickier. Then you can worry while living in The Hague about refugees in Friesland. You will never see them, but you are a Dutchman. It is your identity and they have come into you as it were.

Not a very tasty idea.

That's when you start confusing environment with identity. That's when you start confusing behavior with identity. Then you don't do stupid things, then suddenly you are stupid. A big difference.

Soccer fans do the same. You go to watch soccer or you are a Feyenoor player or Ajacied, for example. Nice to use in one. Will they like it.

When Feyenoord loses, you lose and it hurts. If you're just watching, you're fine. You're not.

Sometimes it is helpful to indeed take on a role and sometimes not.