The Sameness Of Uniqueness

I've read somewhere, or maybe someone told me that for every person, there are seven other identical individuals in the world.

What is there in a person's identity that sets him apart from others? We like to think that we are all unique in our own way. We are all built differently, with individual features unique enough to make face recognition software, fingerprint identification and the like effective.

We are born with different temperaments, thought processes that are our very own, a very personal set of memories, emotions that carry the stamp of individuality.

In other words, no two people are exactly alike, not even identical twins, who are known to carry identical sets of genes.

But let's just step a little back from the trees, and lo and behold! It's actually a forest! Some of the trees are short and stunted, some tall, some with leaves in different hues or with colourful blossoms, but all of them are, finally, trees.

Agreed that we do find shrubs, fungi, little insects that scuttle about minding their own business. That brings us variety. Yet they all live in this world with the drive to survive. The drive of self-preservation and propagation of species exists with the same strength in all creatures living, be it plant or animal or bacteria.

All of us in this world want the same basic things - food, shelter, safety and procreation. We respond to threatening situations in similar ways- fight, flight or fright. We have similar emotions - love, anger, fear, sorrow. All creatures communicate- plants, microbes, viruses, cells- though in a different manner. They fight to survive too, and some of them are doing a very good job. For instance, we seem to be waging a losing battle against many bacteria. The ubiquitous cockroach - have we ever been able to successfully get rid of it? So come to think of it, we're not all that different after all.

We ought to be proud of our individuality, but also remember that we are not superior to others, neither other humans nor other creatures. In fact, some species may be better suited and hence further selected in the great sweep of evolution.

And that is the beauty of our world. We are individual threads in the great tapestry of life - all threads, but each one distinct in its existence, with its personal and valuable contribution to the strength and beauty of the fabric, but so closely meshed together that, in the bigger picture, individuality disappears and only the harmony of sameness remains.

Loud Speaker

Comments

Gifts: Pricey vs. priceless

Why do we hesitate to say 'no' to a gift? Our face lights up and we are overjoyed when someone actually hands over a gift, especially when it is least expected. Gifts have become a fashion icon these days. Not only the gift that is given, but the one that's taken back. Even children, when they are the invitees of a birthday party, are eager to get something in "return" and that's how the modern concept of return gift was born. Children seem to be enchanted by return gifts even when they get a simple pencil box or a party cap. But how far this culture is taking us and the next generation, is a pertinent question. Today being Teachers' Day, my thoughts roll back to this insignificant but impacting gesture of children in a school I worked. The day started with hoots and cheerful din which I thought were rather unnecessary, at least not from school children who are barely 15. I can understand if those in the late teens had behaved so. The children who ...

All The World's A Playground

I'm a pediatrician, and it has been told that pediatrics is one of the toughest medical specialties, because it deals with young children who tough to understand and 'handle'. This statement couldn't be any farther from the truth. Before I became a pediatrician, I too had been a believer of this view. I had had very little opportunity to interact with children, much less understand them, and they were truly an enigma for me. My earliest personal experiences with a child was first, with my nephew, and later, my daughter. The moments I've passed with them have been no less than eye-opening and life-changing. Every day spent with them showed me my drab world in its raw beauty as seen through the unassuming, wonder-filled eyes of a child. In fact, all children are often better than grown-ups with many 'superior' traits. They live in a simple world with simple beliefs. All it takes is a keen eye and a loving mind to understand them. Children have ...

I'm no football

Sometimes, I feel I'm a football. Right from the word 'Go'. I can see the goal post and nothing else. Innumerable fans are cheering me and want me to achieve something, or at least score one goal. But this is not possible within a given time frame because this is no football match. And I'm a lone player. Ever since I started perceiving things around me, I've been hearing this word. In its many avatars . Is the word so addictive? The first one came up when I was in school. My life was full of life and threw so many surprises. A mountain of advice followed me like a shadow -- from parents, teachers, elders and family friends: "Have a goal in life. Otherwise you will be nowhere." "Goals inspire you to achieve." "Dare to dream but work towards a goal." Then came the late teens and I was into a bit of reading. Just plain inquisitive. But again, the word "goal" did not let me go. I read some of the quotable quotes f...

The Thought Addict

Search This Blog