Berlin and Beyond – Beyond what, exactly?

Berlin And Beyond has focused quite a lot on Berlin and not very much on the Beyond part of our blog. So let’s ask ourselves: what is beyond Berlin?

What is past the walls – or rather, above them? Why do we allow cities, countries and nationalities to define our identities above anything else, except perhaps race and gender?

Why is it so important for us to be defined by ourselves and others: You may be male, white, German, middle aged, a Berliner –

But what are you beyond that? And why does the idea of being something or someone beyond that create such prevalent anxiety in the overall identity of people?

Why do we need identities at all? Identities give us roles so we can function amongst other people, but often our identities are exactly what make us feel and act dysfunctional.

The identities we claim and those we reject are all simply stories with no more bases in reality than hobbits or wizards. And it’s fair enough to call yourself a Berliner – but do you know if there’s something beyond that? Do you care, and should you? Isn’t that’s the underlying question?