Different But the Same

The days of sameness are passé. We are human beings. Individuals. And what makes us interesting are our differences.

I recently read a book that discussed evolutionary psychology. It talked about modern man's reasons for certain behaviors and choices and how they are linked to survival instincts we've had hardwired into us for millennia. It also touched on the possibility that some of those behaviors may no longer serve us.

Sameness and the desire to fit in aligns with one of our basic instincts: to identify those groups and individuals like us and stick with them for safety and community. Think separating the known from the unknown, which [our instincts say] could potentially harbor dangers in the form of unfamiliar landscapes, predators, or people. 

A landscape shot I took for painting reference. To me it looks like the prairies our ancestors might have navigated 

Today we have the privilege of access to many different cultures in most major cities around the world. People of diverse backgrounds can be found everywhere now, even in more remote places. And now that we have that access, we also have the ability to expand as individuals exposed to people and cultures unlike ourselves. And to enjoy and celebrate those differences. Because in spite of the differences, we all have one important thing in common. We are human.

And as modern humans, we're no longer protecting our clans from dinosaurs or other hungry predators. We are not posted up in castles guarding against outsider attack or disease (or are we??) or needing to migrate to foreign lands to escape unlivable conditions... Waait... 

Wow. So the point of this 'lil ramble was to illuminate our differences from early man and his need for the protection offered by instincts. But it's a slightly more complicated discussion, with more intricacies than I realized (the utter hubris!). If life on this planet is cyclical, and things often come full circle, this is proof of it. 

With things like climate concerns, wars and civil unrest worldwide, have we simply come full circle back to those original instincts? Are our basic instincts an ancestral key that we must continue to hand down every generation in order to survive the same threats [in different form] that our ancestors faced? 

I started writing with the expectation of piecing together some of my random thoughts and possibly inspire someone out there to consider the deeply ingrained reasons for some of our actions as modern humans. Because I know I'm not the only one to wonder "what is WITH us these days??" 

Is the need to be unique to blame for some of our problems? Or is it more the sameness or unchanged instinct?? There are so many angles and perspectives to this. 

I'm afraid this is a ball of string I'd need a panel of experts and extensive research to unravel. But getting my thoughts down is a start.