Diana Neslen on the dangers of whitewashing the past, and Jim Grozier on the benefits of forgetting where we have come from, and concentrating on where we are going

John Domokos (My Hungarian dad is an Orbán supporter. Now I see why, 29 January) makes a heartfelt plea for everyone to recognise the powerful impact of national identity on populations, and asks us to reflect on its meaning and how we can improve our message to those who need its siren call. However, he skates over the problem of national identity. Usually, it is composed of myths which build up the positives and erase the negatives. Thus the Hungarians can feel a glow of victimhood in considering how they were occupied and how they are treated in foreign lands, while lauding the antisemite Admiral Horthy, who sent 400,000 Jews to their deaths.

In the same vein, the British – so eager to trumpet their valour in battle – seem to be immune to reflection about Britain’s chequered history as a colonial power and as the beneficiary of the slave trade. By all means encourage people to develop national identities, but until those identities dispense with the myths that whitewash the past, they will only perpetrate damage.

Diana Neslen

Ilford, London

• At a time when so many in the UK are thinking about whether they want to be part of Europe, your 29 January issue carried two articles displaying an interesting contrast. On the one hand, we had John Domokos on the need to “pass down” national identity, while on the other, Derek Niemann struggled to escape the legacy of his Nazi grandfather (The Nazis tried to kill kindness. We fight against that, G2).

However benign the concept of “cultural identity” might seem, belonging to a particular group and excluding others from it are two sides of the same coin. The world would be a happier and safer place if we could all try to forget where we have come from, and concentrate on where we are going.

Jim Grozier

Brighton, East Sussex

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