the Other
The unfamiliar one
The Other is a philosophical and social concept referring to anyone perceived as fundamentally different from oneself or one's group.
The term captures how people define themselves partly by contrast with those they see as unlike them—by race, culture, gender, or belief.
To other someone is to treat them as alien or inferior: Immigrants are often othered in political discourse.
The concept is central to discussions of identity, colonialism, and prejudice, where the Other becomes a projection screen for fears and stereotypes rather than a recognized individual.
- strangerPerson not yet known
- outsiderOne excluded from group
- alienNon-native being
- foreignerNon-native person
- unknownNot yet discovered
the great unknown · different · self · mirror · through the looking glass · shadow · exotic · marginalized · excluded · them · us versus them · identity · Lacan · Beauvoir · uncanny · foreign · unfamiliar · beyond
the Otherthe self
One's individual identity
oneself · selfhood · subjectivity · self-identity · interiority