Asmita in Collective Identity Formation

Asmita—ego-sense or false identification with characteristics—explains why political identity becomes impenetrable. Patanjali identifies asmita as one of the five klesa (afflictions) that distorts perception: we falsely identify with thoughts, beliefs, and group membership as if they define our essence. In political psychology, asmita manifests as rigid partisan identity, religious-political fusion, and ethnonationalism. Citizens who practice asmita unconsciously believe their political perspective is intrinsic to their identity; disagreement feels like existential threat. This explains why voters reject their own preferred policies when attributed to opposing parties, and why crosscutting issues destabilize political coalitions. Political leaders exploit asmita by fusing their personal identity with collective destiny, creating personality cults. Understanding asmita reveals that political polarization isn't primarily about policy disagreement but about false identification with beliefs. Interventions must help citizens distinguish between preferences and identity. Patanjali's approach—recognizing asmita as misperception rather than truth—enables psychological flexibility. When citizens understand their political views as adopted perspectives rather than essential identity, pluralism becomes psychologically tolerable.