Belief is one of the ultimate ways to form an identity for one's self. With identity comes the the labeling of what you are and what you are not. "The other" is what you are not, what you do not understand, and (most of the time) what you do not want to consider. The other, since it is unknown, is frightening.
DEFINING THE OTHER: FROM "FRANKENSTEIN: THE INABILITY TO PLACE THE OTHER"
"...We have already established that Frankenstein’s monster is not human. So what is it? It is other. But what is other? Other is anything that is separate from us, such as an animal, a plant, or even another human. Another human can be claimed as somewhat other because they are separate from our mind and our body, though as individuals we understand somewhat how other humans think and respond. The animal is a more frightening other because we do not know how animals think (or if they do think at all as many philosophers argue) and we know very little about how animals respond. The other is always considered at least somewhat, if not fully, frightening to us. This is because the other is mysterious. We are not the other, so we cannot know what the other thinks or how the other will respond." (Gould 3)
STEPPING INTO ANOTHER'S SHOES
"Why can't you see yourself as beautiful as I see you?"
Or, the more common, "why can't you see me as beautiful as I see me?"
