Politics & Governance / International Politics / Diplomacy & International Relations

The Patriot Paradox: Can National Pride Actually Stop War?

Pride, Not Prejudice: National Identity as a Pacifying Force in East Asia

Eunbin Chung

Everyone thinks nationalism fuels conflict. But what if loving your country is the only thing that can prevent war? Slide 1: The Common Lie We are told that erasing national pride brings peace. Yet decades of globalization between China, Japan, and South Korea failed to build trust. Threatening people's identity only makes them fight back harder. Slide 2: Pride Is Not Hatred Loving your own people is inward-looking. Hating your neighbors is outward-looking chauvinism. They are completely different psychological forces. Slide 3: The Psychology of Defense Insecure people attack. When citizens feel their national pride is genuinely affirmed, their psychological armor drops. They stop viewing neighbors through paranoia. Slide 4: Admitting Past Horrors Here is the biggest shocker: citizens with affirmed national pride are far more willing to acknowledge their country's past war crimes. True confidence allows genuine reconciliation. Slide 5: The Blueprint for Peace Stop forcing people into a hollow globalist identity. When nations feel secure in their own skin, ancient rivalries finally dissolve. About the Author and Book: Eunbin Chung is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Utah, specializing in international relations, foreign policy, and political psychology. Her groundbreaking book, Pride, Not Prejudice: National Identity as a Pacifying Force in East Asia, published by Columbia University Press, uses rigorous cross-national experiments to overturn decades of conventional wisdom on conflict resolution.