Look at the Differences

Another boundary in "civilized culture" has just made itself clear to me, so I thought I should share it with you (the people that bother to watch the corners). Have you ever noticed how much we shy away from differences? An example off the top of my head would be the oft-repeated phrase "we're all people," because it's so commonly used as an easy way to explain differences. And it's irrefutable. If you are reading this and understanding the words, you are thinking them in English, which is a human language. We may be closer to fish than we care to imagine, but we--me, the writer; you, the reader--are undeniably human. Unfortunately, this (like everything else) can be taken to an extreme. In the extreme manifestation of the collective, members of a society tend to edge around the idea of any sort of difference. We join the search for acceptance, and in doing so, forsake our individuality. It's fairly easy to see why, too. It's much easier to accept someone like yourself, rather than to try to learn someone else and then accept them. This fear of differences is possibly the most obvious in the rampant consumerism taking place in America, as well as all around the world. If you look into any shopping mall around the country, there is a commonly accepted aesthetic standard for the way things should look. Among other things, this includes fluorescent lights, potted vines and miniature trees (many of which are fake), and small areas at the intersections of well lit hallways. But for many people, the hyperspace is a great comfort. It's a reminder that there is constancy wherever you go, whether it be London, Hong Kong, or the Big Apple. And this brings up that related question: "Is this similarity something to strive for or escape from?" I can't answer it, and I think it's not a question that can be answered the same way for any two people. Do you need the similarities? Think about it. Is your first answer an indignant "No!"? If it is, why is it indignant? Do you see a dependance on this kind of human construct as a weakness? Is it really? If it is, then are we (as a species) helping ourselves along the evolutionary scale by creating artificial similarities? Or maybe it's just the opposite--maybe we enjoy creating these hyperspaces for the purpose of our own comfort, and nothing more. But the avoidance of differences is certainly there, and is therefore another inviting corner to be explored.