The true paradox of humanity is really that we all share in one universal truth: we are all unique. We seek patterns to group and categorize people and our interactions with them so that we may smoothly navigate our interactions with other people…
But, inevitably, we will encounter new people, unlike any we have ever met before. Some of us may even crave the novelty of new people and new experiences. Some of us love new challenges and new puzzles—not all the time, of course, but every so often.
Every individual is truly unique. Not quite just a product of their environment. Not quite just a product of their biological parents. Not quite just a product of their DNA. Not quite like any other human that has ever existed. Every part of our experience transforms us.
We—all of us—are slightly different day to day. It’s a staggering amount of information to try to see and then learn.
It’s no wonder our parents might still look at us like we’re children even though we’re in our 30s. It’s no wonder we might not recognize someone after a year of absence. It’s no wonder it’s so hard to change: When others fail to see and understand the newer version of us, that can be so demoralizing it erases all the change we’ve attempted to undertake.
Our inability to see change in others—our dedication to the patterns we’ve recognized in the past—can hinder not only their ability to change, but our own.