At bottom every man knows well enough that he is a unique being, only once on this earth; and by no extraordinary chance will such a marvelously picturesque piece of diversity in unity as he is, ever be put together a second time.

Indeed, I thank the Absolute every day that there is no other being in existence exactly like me.  I mean, how could I stand myself?  I really don’t think I could put up with someone else who shared the same thoughts, emotions & experiences.  Where would the chance to learn new things come from?

Many scholars through the centuries have tried to define Individuality.  These mediations have fallen mostly among the Philosophers – but some great minds in other fields have also pondered the question: What makes an Individual distinct from other Individuals?  In all honesty, I could take time right now to expand on my ideas regarding the nature of Individuality.  However, I set out today to celebrate the things that make us unique & not worry about epistemological or ontological arguments.

In this day & age where so much of our culture is based on xenophobia & a drive to “fit in” or conform to social norms & expectations, we really need to take a moment & remember that any society or culture is simply a collection of Individuals who share common values, experiences & (in some cases) genealogy/ethnicity.  We have to remember that the whole is only as good as the sum of its parts & that often the talents, experiences & knowledge of the Individuals who compose a group are often the group’s biggest strengths.

So what makes you unique?  What talents, experiences or knowledge can you share to enrich your society, your culture or any other group you might be a part of?  I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic.  Leave me a comment below & let us start a discussion that might better humanity as a whole.