The intangible effects of walls | Alexandra Auer

TL;DR

This content discusses the impact of physical and mental walls and how they create divisions and hinder integration between people.

Transcript

Transcriber: Joseph Geni Reviewer: Camille Martínez Humankind loves to build walls. Have you ever noticed that? We build walls for everything: for shelter, for protection, for privacy. Over the past 70 years, the number of barriers between countries has doubled. Right now, there are more walls than at the end of the Second World War, more than duri... Read More

Key Insights

• 🧱 The number of walls and barriers between countries has doubled in the past 70 years, with more walls now than at the end of World War II or during the Cold War.
• 🔒 Walls and fences are often built for security purposes, but they only provide a feeling of security and can't truly protect us.
• 🌍 Physical and mental walls are closely linked, and one often accompanies the other in a constant cycle of reinforcement.
• 🔍 The fall of the Berlin Wall resulted in the development of mental walls between East and West Germans, with lasting effects even after reunification.
• 🚧 A study found that Germans still believed that cities on the other side of the former wall were further away than they actually were, with a link between political attitude and perception of distance.
• 🌐 Gated communities function as small-scale countries, with walls and fences separating residents, creating the same physical and mental effects as walls between countries.
• 🏫 Separating children in schools based on social differences makes integration difficult, hindering their ability to learn from each other and forming connections.
• 💡 By transforming a fence into an interface for play and fostering interaction between children on both sides, similarities and common ground can be emphasized, breaking down mental walls.

Questions & Answers

Q: How has the number of barriers between countries changed over the past 70 years?

The number of barriers between countries has doubled over the past 70 years. Currently, there are more walls than at the end of the Second World War and even more than during the Cold War.

Q: Why are walls and fences often built?

Walls and fences are often built with the intention of security from another group of people, from crime, and from illegal trades. They are constructed to provide a feeling of security, although they cannot guarantee real security.

Q: What is the relationship between physical walls and mental walls?

Physical and mental walls are closely interlinked. One tends to empower the other. When physical walls are built, they create a mental wall in our heads, which further separates us from the people on the other side.

Q: How do physical barriers like walls and fences affect social interactions between individuals?

Physical barriers like walls and fences separate cities, neighborhoods, and even playgrounds. They hinder social interactions between individuals, particularly those from different backgrounds or social groups. They make integration difficult and create divisions between people.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The number of walls between countries has doubled in the past 70 years, with more walls now than at the end of World War II or during the Cold War.

• Walls and fences provide a feeling of security, but they actually create separation and division between "us" and "them".

• Mental walls, or barriers in our minds, can be just as strong as physical walls, and they make it difficult to see the similarities and commonalities between people on the other side.