Opinion | Angry, fearful Hong Kong needs to call a truce and get some sleep, even if it can’t end the unrest

We are in the third month of social unrest in Hong Kong. Although the crisis is political, many psychological processes have contributed to its evolution. We’ll just highlight a few here.

Society has been divided into police and protesters, black shirts and white shirts, or blue ribbons and yellow ribbons – a legacy of the “umbrella movement” in 2014. And the in-group versus out-group dynamics are playing out again in the current conflict: the out-group is seen as homogenous, and the problematic behaviour of a few is ascribed to an entire group. In addition, the whole group is thought to have a single, common, malicious motivation for their behaviour.

There is “ingroup favouritism” within both camps: fellow protesters or police officers can’t be wrong, whatever they do. What is particularly troubling is that both sides hew to an ethos of not condemning or ostracising those within the camp. That is, protesters condone all forms and means of protest, no matter how destructive and debilitating, while police allow each other to deviate from protocol and use excessive force. This, in effect, is reinforcing the radicalisation of the two opposing groups.

There is also increasing pressure not just on celebrities and large corporations but also friends and family to declare their allegiance. People are quick to label each other as yellow or blue. This “you’re either with us or against us” mentality is not conducive to dialogue and removes the common ground for constructive discussions. Anecdotally, such a mentality has already caused significant rifts among friends and family. This is further exacerbated by the echo chamber of social media.