Healthy vs Harmful National Identities

Issue 171: This July 4th, we explore different forms of national identity and how they shape democracy, solidarity, and collective responsibility in profoundly different ways.

For many Americans, July 4th is a day of fireworks, barbecue, and flags rippling in the wind—a day of shared national pride. But as that pride has waned in recent years, it’s also a time to ask: What does it mean to be proud of one's country? Today’s newsletter unpacks healthy and harmful forms of national identification and how they shape the world in profoundly different ways.

The Many Faces of National Pride

What it means to be proud of one’s country depends on how we think about our national identity. And national identity, as it turns out, can take many forms. One key distinction lies between healthy, secure national identity—rooted in civic values, solidarity, and genuine care for one’s fellow citizens—and a defensive, superficial one, more concerned with appearances and external recognition than with what the country stands for or how its people are actually doing. A prominent example of the latter is called national narcissism.

In Caravaggio’s famous painting of Narcissus, a hand…