More The Same Than Different

When we get on social media or turn on the news, we are bombarded with all that is wrong with the world. Most of what we have come to understand as news, is bad news. There is a tremendous amount of polarization and accentuation of our differences. Nowadays, we do not get on social media to learn about others and to find common ground, but we get on to tear each other down. We have moved from the truly liberal mindset of embracing differences and celebrating similarities to a culture of taking sides. If we were to believe the news or social media, then we would think that the world is in the worst possible state. As humankind, we have to move past the echo chambers to find unity. We need to embrace the truth, which is, that we are more the same than we are different. We have to shut out the noise of social media and the news, and go out to experience real life. When you visit the outside world, you will find that we have a society filled with good people. 

We all have needs and wants, they may be expressed differently, but at the core of every being is the desire to have their needs and wants realized. Albeit in varying degrees, we all want and need to connect with others, our world, and with something greater than ourselves. We all want to be part of a cause that makes the world a better place for our families. We all need to express ourselves, belong, and appreciate beauty. Some of us might want to take it a step further by creating beauty for others to admire, but we all have an affinity for beautiful things. We all need to be valued, to love and be loved, and contribute to the well-being of others. Even the most minimalist of individuals still wants to have belongings. We all want to experience adventure, be entertained, and find fulfillment or enjoyment in our work. We are all having a human experience! We all deserve the ability to choose our path, as long as it does not objectively harm others. We all want the best for our family and friends. 

Another area that brings us all together is the area of our fears. We all fear boredom, loneliness, suffering, the unknown, and death. Those who claim not to be afraid of death, are still afraid of what death can take away from them. Many find that fears disappear when eclipsed by hope. We pursue love, even in old age, because we still have the hope that we will not die alone. We have the hope that we will be able to one day see our dreams come true, the hope or  belief that redemption is just around the corner. Fear can be debilitating for some, but its presence does not mean that bravery cannot exist. Courage is doing what you know you have to do even when you’re terrified of the journey. If fear and bravery did not coexist, then we would not have slayed any giants. We all have fears, and we all have to overcome them in order to reach our destiny. 

There is so much more that brings us together, than what drives us apart. So, why do we spend time on what divides us and on negativity? The answer is our biology and the actions of those who know how to exploit our weaknesses. We pay attention to what is unique, or what we do not know, because that is what, historically, turned out to be what killed us. We pay attention to the interruption in the pattern, the shiny, reflective surface in the grass or the water. We needed to follow the movement of the unknown animal in order to avoid being eaten. Now, for monetary reasons, the media companies use that biological wiring to keep us addicted to bad news. They use our wiring against us. We have to snap out of it in order to realize that we are all human. We all want and need something. The things we want may be different, but we all want harmony. The genre may be different, but we all want the music. 

The media companies, corporate entities, and politicians - in order to make profits through our attention - have made us focus on what makes us different. They have made us focus on who we love, instead of the fact that we love. They have made us hate the fact that we don’t love in the same way. They have made us forget that to be human is to have the ability to choose. 

There are many organizations that have profited from the knowledge that we share the following differences:

1. We all perceive things differently. 

2. We all express things differently.

We can have two children from the same household, with the same parents, but they can have different lives because of their perception of their experiences. We can watch the same incident, but have different witness accounts. We can sing the same song, but sound differently. We are the same in many ways, but the things that make us unique are the things that are purposefully obscured by those who stand to profit from creating division. So what makes us a group is our wants and needs, but what makes us individuals is how we perceive the fulfillment of those desires: our consciousness!

The perception of our experiences, or reality as it were, should be left within the domain of the individual. We can honor and respect all people when we understand that people are unique in  their perception and expression. Human rights are easy to understand when we understand freedom, know the power of choice, and honor someone else's choice without partiality. We should respect someone’s choice of religion, even if we disagree on its utility. Our expression should not infringe on their expression, it is what makes us unique. We need to celebrate the ways that we are different, but more importantly, the ways that we are the same. We are more the same than we are different.