Most people have  at one time or another grappled with the fear of being replaced. We hear, for instance, of factory workers who fret about being replaced by robots, mature employees who worry about being pushed out of their jobs by someone younger, those in relationships who are anxious about being dropped for someone more attractive or successful, and others who believe their homeland is being overtaken by immigrants.

The belief that someone or something can replace us or keep us from our rightful place—one we desire or feel we deserve—is no doubt disheartening. If we buy into it, we have fallen victim to the notion that life is material and mortal, that we are all competing for a piece of a limited pie—a certain amount of space, only so many opportunities—and that time is running out.

In recent years, some of these false beliefs have been purposely stirred up in some countries and promoted in the form of conspiracy theories—such as a belief that there is an organized movement to replace the white majority race with Black and brown people in order to change the balance of political and social power. As such theories have taken root in the consciousness of many individuals, they have promoted fear and hatred, leading in extreme cases to violence, including mass killings.