Difference

Everyone is different. We are different genders, different 'races' (whatever that means), different sizes, different shapes, have different abilities and interests. We come from different places in the world so we have different cultures, religions, beliefs. Some of us know alot and some of don't know so much. There are many waysw that we are different and most of us notice the differences right away. Not only do we notice the differences, but we make value judgements about the differences. "He's fat." or "Her hair looks better than mine." "He is much better than that than I am."

Buddhist talk about 'accepting the differences.' Maybe we continue to notice them, but we eliminate the judgement part. That's a grand goal and one I aspire to, but one which I haven't achieved yet. . . "She did though. . . I wish I was as open minded as HER!"

We talked the other day about WHY difference is important. The class mostly decided that we separate ourselves from others and notice differences because we want to be noticed for who we are as individuals. We want to 'stand out from the crowd' to show how special we are, but at the same time we have a need to fit in. The need to fit in may have roots in biology. Animals have to live in groups because each individual can't do everything needed for survival. We need to surround ourselves with others for protection and support, both physical and emotional.

We surround ourselves with people like us. People with like experiences who will understand our point of view and the things we say without a lot of explanation. Think about cliques. Oreven the groups that form in a large crowd. Members of the groupd will look superficially alike. Within the large group there may be smaller groups or people more deeply alike. . . Like concentric circles. And even within those groups each person strives to maintain his/her individuality.