Differentiation; Not Your Average Math Question.

(A response to http://afrotoast.blogspot.com/, check it out)

As mentioned, this article is dedicated to a request from afrotoast, a friend of mine.

Since I had nothing else but (school) work on my mind these few days (refer to the previous post for details), I'll conjure an article up within 30 minutes or so.

Incoming Wall of text; you have been warned.

Our society has it in such a way that when an individual is adversely different in a certain way or manner, other people will tend to look at him or her differently. This is what we call a generalisation or the more commonly used term, stereotyping.

"A simplified and standardized conception or image invested with special meaning and held in common by members of a group" (as cited from dictionary.com) defines the term "stereotype".

But what does stereotyping got to do with being different in the society?

As mentioned earlier, the act of stereotyping or generalisation is very often used when someone tries to stand out in a crowd. Obviously, this is very situational in a sense that you doing something perfectly normal in a set group may seem like taboo in another group.

Stereotyping is used to treat people acting differently in a group due to the fact that we as humans have this "oh that person is so different from the rest of us, so he must be a weird-do thus lets stay away from him" mentality. You can't say that you've never ever encountered a situation like that ever before haven't you?

This is harsh but its evident and happening in our world as we speak. Its due to this type of stereotyping that actually discourages creativity and discourages people to go "beyond their limits".

What is it with our modern society that condemns such individuals with stereotypical equations? Is it wrong to afterall, be different?

I personally believe that everyone, and I really mean everyone, at some point in their lives, will develop an urge to be different in a way or another; superficially or otherwise. This is largely due to the fact that when you're in a group, you want to stand out from the mass of other people and thus the only way to stand out is to portray yourself differently.

Notice that this can work both ways; positively and negatively.

The effects of both ways elaborated are rather straightforward as standing out from the crowd would either mean you're exceptionally good versus the person that gets left out or gets picked the last at football games.

But should people let the society dictate the way their lives should be led and lived?

I think not.

I'm sure I've mentioned in my previous blog entries that it is always good to "get out of your comfort zones" and "go over your personal limit" as it often reaps unexpected results, so as long as one doesn't overdo it. When you live in a society and are part of it, it is very much likely that you as an individual will get influence at how the way things work throughout the society and naturally, you'll not even think about distinguishing yourself as peer pressure is an element and you're not comfortable to being treated differently.

But lets face it realistically, who likes being treated differently? I'm sure and assume that everyone wants to be treated as an equal in society and nothing less and to be totally honest, I'm not even sure myself if I can personally withstand being treated as a lesser in society; its not that simple and easy to get by.

This is also the reason why racism is such a controversial topic in the world as it talks about the different in skin colour and the inequality faced. I'll not go into explicit detail due to the controversy (as mentioned) but i feel that people shouldn't be judged based on their skin colour and race; its just not fair.

Coming back on topic, certain aspects of being different from the masses are critical in understanding human behaviour and actions (some of which I've already elaborated on).

In a way, we say everyone is different. That claim holds a certain degree of truth as yes, we are very different living beings individually due to a number of aspects, like the way we think for instance, but what if the way people think about a certain subject is altered by the way the society is structured and worked? Aren't we all the same and back to square one?

No, I have my own belief that everyone is different in their own special way no matter how much influence and grip the society has on them. In a sense, every living organism on the planet is different; even twins share distinct differences, be it mentally or physically.

Being different doesn't always have to be an outright action or having a distinct personality so as long as we believe that we're all unique.

So the next time you feel left out and ostracized in a group remember that you're afterall, you and no one will be able to replace that no matter how different or similar you are as compared to the rest of the group.

And thus, the next time you smile at a stranger and the person looks at you funny, think not of it as a social faux pas, but as a step towards a different and more enriching life.