Journal of Danubian Studies and Research, Vol 2, No 2 (2012)

Abstract

The hypothesis from which we start our approach is the distinction between us
(Romanians) and the other which is strongly felt, for better or for worse. What we propose in this
paper is to perform an analysis of the different values identifiable in the national mythology, such as
hospitality, tolerance, and also an analysis of the rejection behavior of the foreigner, either in the
context of traditional societies and isolated by the historical conditions or in a community open to the
world, motivated by the desire to integrate. We also intend to study some of the other hypostases
outside and inside the “fortress”, as friend, as enemy, under an obsession of foreignness and a
competition of rights. Throughout the paper we argue about the significant role of misinformation and
manipulation in building the mythology of the other in the social and historical imaginary of the
Romanian people. The bottom line is that it is necessary to achieve a balance and a nuance in the
evaluation of the Romanians in relation to others, and also a permanent opening towards a permanent
reconfiguration of the relationships between us and the others.