Being Different

You are different than me. Most people look at me and think to themselves, "Wow, he is the epitome of perfection!", but being different than me isn't a bad thing. It makes you unique. You are different than me, than my parents, than your parents, than your neighbors, than their uncles and aunts, than the cat lady down the street, and the bum on the corner. Different is good. Diversity brings new and exciting things into life. The same is boring, and it leads to closed-mindedness.

Where would we be in a world where everyone was the same? There would be no Shakespeare, no Motzart, no Galileo and Einstein, no Jack Johnson, no Rodney Mullen, and no Kobe Bryant. Not that I am particularly fond of Kobe Bryant, but I digress. If everyone was the same, we would all live in little bland houses with the same amount of rooms, lawns all exactly the same height, and all drive the same type of car around. We would all have the same number of kids in the back seat, all named John, and wearing the same thing. There would be nothing to talk about, nothing new to experience, nobody new to meet. Actually, there would be no cars, or computers or houses--everyone would have been content to live they way they had been living for generations, and there would be no new innovations.

When you look at your friends, how do they compare to you? Does everyone you hang out with paint their nails the same color? Does everyone wear their hair the same, and tell the same jokes, and listen to the same song over and over and over again? Do they all like the same foods and colors and flavors of ice cream? Do they all find the same traits in people attractive, and all have the same talents? There is nothing wrong with having friends who enjoy some of the same things as you--some familiarity is good and draws people closer, but think about it--really. How much of the same do you want in your life? I like a little bit of different.

Opposites attract because there is something inside all of us that wants to have a new perspective, or should want to have a new perspective. Being with people who are different than you helps you grow as a person. Sure, there is a line to draw when people become so different that they go against what you beleive, but experiencing diversity is what helps people mature. How would you know what you like if you never tried something new. Maybe it's time to go look for some people or things that are a little different than usual.