The Demand for Equality and Identity Arises in order to Avoid that Fear, that Feeling of Inferiority. Nobody Is Better, Nobody Is Superior, Nobody Feels Challenged, Everybody is "Safe"

There is a dull, animalistic leaning towards social conformity (identity) as well as a programmatic, fanatical drive in that direction. Nietzsche was aware of it, as was Jacob Burckhardt. Its driving motor is fear, formed by an inferiority complex and engendering hatred, with envy as its blood brother. This fear stems from feeling inferior to another person (or to a situation); hatred is possible only through feeling helpless before a more powerful person. A feeble and cowardly slave can fear and hate his master; the master, in contrast, will not hate but rather feel contempt for his slave. Haters throughout history have committed horrible acts of cruelty (the inferior's revenge), whereas contempt--always coupled with a feeling of superiority--has rarely produced cruelty.

The demand for equality and identity arises precisely in order to avoid that fear, that feeling of inferiority. Nobody is better, nobody is superior, nobody feels challenged, everybody is "safe." Furthermore, if identity, if sameness has been achieved, then the other person's actions and reactions can be forecast. With no (disagreeable) surprises, a warm herd feeling of brotherhood emerges. These sentiments--this rejection of quality (which ineluctably differs from person to person)--explain much concerning the spirit of the mass movements of the last two hundred years.

--Erik von Kuehnelt-Leddihn, Leftism Revisited: From de Sade and Marx to Hitler and Pol Pot (Washington, DC: Regnery Gateway, 1990), 5.