It is a definite challenge for people to think out of the box and recognize someone who is different from themselves as just another person, also similar in many ways, with a lot of the same human needs, who only wants to go about life the same as we do, but in a way that is meaningful for them. There are some differences that we can accept, and some that we perceive as threatening in some way for some reason.

Sometimes there is a fear that the others will hurt us in some way, because we don't understand what motivates them and how they make choices. In some cases we may have actually been hurt by someone who was different. Maybe even someone like the person who is different. Maybe it can be understood in terms of "transference." We react to people based on how we have reacted to someone else in our past. The less that we understand about someone, the more likely that one detail may stand out and trigger a transference reaction.

People have always had a fear of change. They are usally most comfortable with what they know and understand, and differences often threaten our sense of security.

If we can understand what scares us and why, and that it has more to do with us than with whoever or whatever we are afraid of, it is much easier to stay calm and make rational decisions that work to everyone's benefit. We can see the same principles at work on a grand scale as in our own psyches. Each of us is a microcosm of our cultures and societies.

Are there any witch hunts going on in your life? Are you the hunter or the hunted? Sometimes maybe we all experience both sides of it.