Exercise 2: "I AM the Enemy" (from Humanizing the Enemy...And Ourselves, copyright Diane Perlman, Ph.D., 2003. Re-printed with permission of the author. See Resources section for further resources from Diane Perlman.)

For some individual person, family, religious or ethnic group, organization, culture, or country on this planet I am the enemy.

1. What is it like to think of myself as the Enemy? How do I feel about being someone's Enemy?
   
   
2. To whom am I the enemy? In what ways do they perceive me as a threat?
   
   
3. Am I really a threat to them? How?
   
   
4. What have I, or my group done to earn the designation of Enemy?
   
   
5. If I were in their shoes, what would I think about me (us)? How would I feel about me (us)?
   
   
6. How would I respond to my (groups') words and actions?
   
   
7. Are my (groups') words and actions successful in bringing about the results I (we) want?
   
   
8. Might such actions increase tension, fear, and the potential for violence or reduce these?
   
   
9. What are the immediate and long-term consequences of our traditional ways of interacting with each other?
   
   
10. Can I imagine any other way of approaching them?
    
    
11. What is it that they don't understand about me (us)?
    
    
12. What do I most want them to know about me or my group?
    
    
13. What don't I know about them? What might I possibly learn about them that would allow me to see them in a new light?
    
    
14. Am I willing to reevaluate my beliefs and concepts?
    
    
15. What would it take for me to be less of a threat? What might I have to give up? What might I gain?
    
    
16. What are the potential consequences of increased communication and understanding and decreased tension?