Nationalism

Article on Nationalism & the Olympics

Nationalism, it is something that is felt deep within you, strong feelings about certain things for reason that may not even be known to you. This is an ideology that is present within every one of us that expresses our love for our nation. Think back to a time when you have felt great pride in your country, did you feel the pride because of something that directly benefited you? Probably not, then why would one feel this pride? For the most part people are very selfish beings and they live their life for themselves and the people that are closest to them. So how does it make sense that they feel this overwhelming pride when their country wins an Olympic medal or a sports team from their country wins a national cup?

Being part of a nation is like being part of a very large family, you do not always have to life everyone in your family but when it comes down to it they will always be there for you and you will always be there for them. Therefore when something great happens to your nation or they accomplish something great you take pride in it. You cheer them on and you bask in their glory, your nation is your home and everyone from that nation is part of you. Nationalism is a beautiful and puzzling concept that I believe will never leave us, as more and more generations come into this world they will feel the same kind of pride for their nation as well.

There are also symbols that every nation has that represent their nation. One obvious and much honored symbol is the flag, every country, every province, every state, and every nation has a unique flag that represents their home. These flags are held on flag poles, cars, signs, and so many other places to show honor and respect for place they live, or have lived. Also going hand-in-hand with the flag is the fact that the colors of each flag mean a lot to each place. When you think of your home I am sure a lot of your think of the colors that are placed on your flag that represent your country. Other examples of symbols of nationalism are our nation’s anthem, I’m sure that everyone knows their country’s anthem without even having to think about it. There are many amazing concepts about the ideology of nationalism that each of us can reflect on, but the best of all is feeling pride for your country.