The Incredible Uniqueness of Being

It’s instinctive to associate the familiar with feelings of comfort and security, and the unfamiliar with feelings of discomfort and even trepidation.

This goes some way to explaining why many harbour an intolerance for diversity at the subconscious level.

However, deliberate conscious reflection about the intrinsic uniqueness of individuals can expose the irrationality of this intolerance and unlock the benefits of embracing a constructive approach to diversity.

Transcript

THE INCREDIBLE UNIQUENESS OF BEING


Right now there are just over 8 billion of us living on this amazing blue planet.

That's a rather staggering number of human beings.

It's even more staggering to contemplate the fact that each and every one of us is totally unique.

You won't find two people with the same sets of fingerprints or identical DNA.

Now, that's worth stopping to think about for a moment, especially in the context of the turbulent world in which we all co-exist.

“Every man is more than just himself; he also represents the unique, the very special and always significant and remarkable point at which the world’s phenomena intersect, only once in this way, and never again.”

— Hermann Hesse (German-Swiss poet and novelist)

Natural diversity

A simple stroll in the mountains, in the forest, on the beach, or anywhere that nature holds sway, will reinforce the value that the natural order ascribes to diversity.

As humans, we often find ourselves awestruck by the variety that nature presents to us. Experiencing the diversity of climate, terrain, fauna and flora, serves both to centre and energise us.

Human diversity and intolerance

Ironically though, when faced with the incredible diversity that is inherent in our own species, many are quick to react with intolerance, irritation, anger, or worse.

Why is this?

The difference lies in the fact that humans actively express, communicate, or project their differences, whereas nature, as a general rule, is more passive in its expression.

Projecting one’s worldview

When we communicate or interact with one another, we project our worldview or 'internal map'. And just as each of us is biologically unique, we each possess a unique perspective of the world and how we interpret it.

That's hardly surprising, given that, during our lives, we are each exposed to a unique upbringing, education, environment, events and outcomes of those events. All of these serve to shape the beliefs we hold, the values we ascribe to, and, ultimately, the overall worldview we choose to adopt.

When we communicate with others, we subconsciously project our worldview. And they do the same.

Inconsistencies in worldview, coupled with a lack of tolerance, can cause a breakdown in communications and, in extreme cases, result in violent reactions and behaviour.

Much of the strife that we experience in this world is caused by a lack of tolerance for different worldviews.

The security blanket of sameness

Lack of tolerance results from a self-centric attitude – the belief that any worldview that differs significantly (or sometimes even slightly) from one's own, is misguided.

Self-centric individuals justify their intolerance by labelling, or creating a blanket association between the worldviews they dislike and specific groups, cultures, ethnicities or nationalities.

They choose to shun diversity and, instead, actively seek out the security blanket of relative sameness.

Embracing the wonder of diversity

To embrace the wonder of diversity it is necessary to become consciously aware that individual uniqueness is a natural part of life and the kaleidoscopic variety that it offers us.

By learning to appreciate the uniqueness that exists in each of us, we become more open to exploring different worldviews, how they came about, and why they may make perfect sense to others.

This builds tolerance for the fact that others hold opinions that differ from our own. It also builds curiosity for why and whether we might benefit from adapting our own views.

Beyond tolerance and towards adventurousness

To benefit fully from the richness of human diversity, it is necessary to go beyond practising tolerance and become more adventurous in our approach to the uniqueness of our fellow humans.

After all, why should it come as a surprise that different people have different thought patterns, likes, dislikes and views about life?

This is not to say that we need to give up our own beliefs and value systems. Far from it. Rather, that we should seek to become more open-minded about alternative perspectives and approaches.

Respectful curiosity and a good sense of humour can be very helpful attributes in this regard!

Finding the value in diversity

So, instead of looking for differences in others that we can criticize, we should look to find and exploit the amazing value in the differences that result from the incredible uniqueness of being human.

By doing so, we can, together, build a life that is richer, more productive, more fulfilling and more meaningful.