Different from or the same as everyone else, preferences please?
By DCLehnsherr
@DCLehnsherr (1037)
September 23, 2009 5:13pm CST
Hey mylotters,
Wow that is the first time I have had a title too long to fit in the box.
It was meant to read:
Do you prefer to think of yourself as different from, or the same as everyone else?
I am curious about this, and have been for quite a while now.
I like to think of myself as abnormal, I draw a strange sense of comfort from the idea that I am in some way different from other people. This means that at times, if caught unaware, I get very defensive if someone says something contrary to this. I don't get as defensive now as I used to because I now understand it is meant to be a form of comfort to people, to be the same as everyone else. But for me it was always seen as some form of insult. Even if the person was just saying 'everyone goes through that'. I used to just think 'well I am not everyone, I am me dammit so treat me like it 
.' Or something similar.
But I was wondering if this is the same for other mylotters, or whether you actually do draw a sense of comfort form the idea that you are 'normal' or the same as everyone else.
By the way I would rather avoid questions of what normality is. For this just imagine that it is whatever you see it as, regardless of whether it is what anyone else would see it as! 
Many thanks for the responses,
Dranz 
.' Or something similar.
But I was wondering if this is the same for other mylotters, or whether you actually do draw a sense of comfort form the idea that you are 'normal' or the same as everyone else.
By the way I would rather avoid questions of what normality is. For this just imagine that it is whatever you see it as, regardless of whether it is what anyone else would see it as!
Many thanks for the responses,
Dranz 2 people like this
10 responses
@growingupthree (54)
• United States
23 Sep 09
I completely understand, my mom used to ask me why couldn't i be like everyone else. I didn't want to be like everyone else. I got the most aggravated with it when my doctor wanted to keep me on a super high dose of heart medication that was making things worse for me. His defense to it was "That is the standard dose for everyone" I am not standard nor am I everyone. Imagine how boring this world would be if we were all alike. OMG! A world full of me. no way I got three kids that I can see so much of myself when I was younger. That is definitely a scary thought!
@DCLehnsherr (1037)
•
23 Sep 09
HI growingupthree,
Just curious, Are your kids the inspiration for your username here?
Wow on what your doctor said, I thought they especially were meant to treat all patients as individuals, especially when it came to medication! Treating everyone the same could end up killing them I would have thought. I am glad you stood up for yourself before anything too bad happened.
As for the world being boring if we were all the same I definitely agree with that, though I think it would also be dangerous depending on personalities. That said I am quite solitary so if everyone was like me we would die out pretty quick as we would do everything for ourselves to avoid coming into contact with one another, and never mate lol!
Many thanks for the response and all the best
Dranz
Wow on what your doctor said, I thought they especially were meant to treat all patients as individuals, especially when it came to medication! Treating everyone the same could end up killing them I would have thought. I am glad you stood up for yourself before anything too bad happened.
As for the world being boring if we were all the same I definitely agree with that, though I think it would also be dangerous depending on personalities. That said I am quite solitary so if everyone was like me we would die out pretty quick as we would do everything for ourselves to avoid coming into contact with one another, and never mate lol!
Many thanks for the response and all the best
Dranz1 person likes this
@msfrancisco9369 (10002)
• Boston, Massachusetts
24 Sep 09
you got it... if we are all the same...IT WILL REALLY BE BORING!
@growingupthree (54)
• United States
24 Sep 09
It's funny in the way he described Mitral valve prolapse which my uncle had to have open heart surgery for as being " a variance of normal" If it is normal then why do I need medication. If it varies from normal then isn't it abnormal? I finally found a sane doctor that got me the medication that I needed.
Yes, my girls are my inspiration for pretty much everything. I had a blog site on today.com that was based on raising my girls called growingupme. With the theme of growing up me and me and me. I know probably pretty lame but oh well. I don't write for them anymore so don't matter anyways.
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
24 Sep 09
It's because we're scattered all over the world, I guess. :-)
@DCLehnsherr (1037)
•
24 Sep 09
Hi Dawn,
You know, that is one of the main reasons I like being online as well. The people who seem to get along best with my personality seem to be around here too. Funny that 
.
Many thanks for the response
Dranz
.
Many thanks for the response
Dranz 1 person likes this
@marguicha (223297)
• Chile
24 Sep 09
I think all human beings are in a sense the same as everyone else but if looking at it better they are all unique.
I am a human being, therefore I´m different from you.
Normality is just a stadistic way of talking. There´s no such a thing, really.
So noone is "normal", noone is "the same as everyone else". Isn´t that wonderful? Because, as we are all different, we can learn from each other and rejoice and wonder.
What need would I have in answering your post if we were all the same? Robotlike we would know what the other thinks.
Take care!
@DCLehnsherr (1037)
•
24 Sep 09
Hi Marguicha,
I am guessing that is everyone were the same, all my responses to this would be 'I hate being called normal and woe betide anyone that does it to me', and then various examples depending on moods. Though that said if everyone were like me we would know not to call each other normal so I wouldn't have to do this in the first place lol. What an interesting idea 
Many thanks for the response and I am glad that you don't mind being different either
Dranz
Many thanks for the response and I am glad that you don't mind being different either
Dranz 
@voldrox (7191)
• India
24 Sep 09
Hi DCLensherr
I completely understand what you are trying to say here... i somewhat feel the same way about myself, i always am different and yes i am, well i don't react defensive now coz even i have begun to understand things, you know what... people try to be good to us by saying we are the same, but well you know it doesn't help, probably they shouldn't have said that...HEHE... but yeah we are normal this way...'normal in our own way' 
. . . have a nice day!
. . . have a nice day!@DCLehnsherr (1037)
•
26 Sep 09
Hi Voldrox,
I am insanely relieved to know I am not the only one who has had this happen to them, and had such a response to it as well. It is amazing, especially the way we are understanding it more now and why people do it lol
I am glad to hear that you are proud to be different, and many thanks for sharing
All the best,
Dranz
All the best,
Dranz
@inedible (768)
• Singapore
24 Sep 09
I'm the same as everyone else. There is nothing unusual or unique about me. I'm completely normal.
Hilarity: A lot of people think it's great to be unique or different. By trying to be different, they end up becoming just like everyone else who's doing the same thing. (This isn't intended as criticism. It's just something that's rather amusing.)
1 person likes this
@DCLehnsherr (1037)
•
24 Sep 09
Hi inedible,
Ahh that thing you added at the end is usually used around, is it goths? There is a group of people who do that, which people seem to find funny. On a personal level I don't try, I just get offended by being called normal, but I don't go out of my way to change lol. I am who I am and I find comfort in that and won't change
I am sure there is something unique about you somewhere
Dranz
I am sure there is something unique about you somewhere
Dranz 
@JAG2009 (266)
• India
24 Sep 09
I think, for me, it is a mix or a combination of the two.
There are times in my life that I like to think I am different, unique, and totally unlike anyone else. But there are also times when I look for similarities with people around me so that I can identify better with them. I guess it has to do with the frame of mind I am in at any given time.
When I am in a brave, optimistic mood, and I feel that everything/everyone in my life is safe and secure, then I am all set to look different, think different, act different.
But I have found that when I am shaky or insecure for any reason, I immediately reach out to people around me and find common factors between them and me, so that I can re-assure myself that it's not all that bad. Perhaps it is a kind of self-defense mechanism.
Hmmm....your question is making me think seriously about the issue...Thank you for that.
@DCLehnsherr (1037)
•
26 Sep 09
Hi JAG,
Wow this is a fantastic response, you do seem to have been thinking about this before and it gives me a strangely happy/proud buzz to know that it made you think. I like mylot for that reason too
What you said here makes complete sense as well and it makes me wonder if I do the same,or have in the past. I think I have people who understand me now, quirks and all, which has probably changed how I saw being different, but yea, you raise very good points here and I wish you luck finding your answers and a deeper level of understanding
Many, many thanks for the response, and all the best,
Dranz
What you said here makes complete sense as well and it makes me wonder if I do the same,or have in the past. I think I have people who understand me now, quirks and all, which has probably changed how I saw being different, but yea, you raise very good points here and I wish you luck finding your answers and a deeper level of understanding
Many, many thanks for the response, and all the best,
Dranz
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
24 Sep 09
DCLehnsherr hi well I think God made each of us
unique so I dont go with either one, I am not like
any one else but me, I am Patsie Hatley and nobody
else is exactly like me, my finger prints are
different,my footprint is different, I am not like
'any one else except myself. I draw comfort from the
fact that I am unique, I am not like anyone else,only'
like myself.
@DCLehnsherr (1037)
•
24 Sep 09
Hi Patsie,
Ahh I had forgotten about the fingerprint aspect of this 
, I guess we can use DNA as well. Pah, now I know that, it is like there was little point in doing this anymore, I am now very glad I asked for perceptions not just science lol!
I am glad to hear you draw comfort from your uniqueness, it is indeed a fantastic thing 
.
Many thanks for the response,
Dranz
, I guess we can use DNA as well. Pah, now I know that, it is like there was little point in doing this anymore, I am now very glad I asked for perceptions not just science lol!
I am glad to hear you draw comfort from your uniqueness, it is indeed a fantastic thing .
Many thanks for the response,
Dranz 
@taztheone (1721)
• India
24 Sep 09
I always prefer to be different & unique from everyone. Even my name is unique t& no one will have the same name as of mine. Even when I was in my school I tried to be different from others by doing something or the other even the dressing was different even though it was a uniform & that made me the most happening guy around.
It's easy to swim with the tide, but a real hero is the one who swim against the tide.
Happy Lotting
It's easy to swim with the tide, but a real hero is the one who swim against the tide.
Happy Lotting@DCLehnsherr (1037)
•
24 Sep 09
Hi Taz,
I am envious about the name thing, I had a really common one until I got fed up and changed it. I still think there is probably someone around with it (though I really hope not 
lol)
That sounds fantastic with the school uniform. School was the one place where I hated being unique and did my best to blend in, in fact that could be what put me off the whole 'normal' thing in the first place lol.
Many thanks for the response
Dranz
lol)
That sounds fantastic with the school uniform. School was the one place where I hated being unique and did my best to blend in, in fact that could be what put me off the whole 'normal' thing in the first place lol.
Many thanks for the response
Dranz 
@happy6162 (3001)
• United States
24 Sep 09
I have always thought of myself as a little different then others. But I know that does not mean that someone else does not know what I might be going through because they may have been through it themselves or know someone that has. I know that what they say it to try and comfort me and not make me feel like I am like everyone else.
@DCLehnsherr (1037)
•
24 Sep 09
Hi Happy,
I realise that bit as well, that people are just trying to help. It took a while though I shall admit .
I am glad you are happy with your uniqueness, and may thanks for the response.
Dranz
.
I am glad you are happy with your uniqueness, and may thanks for the response.
Dranz @msfrancisco9369 (10002)
• Boston, Massachusetts
24 Sep 09
hi dclehnsherr,
i love myself so much to think that i am really different from anyone else. i have my unique features, skills and talents that made me even different from the rest.
i'm unique, i am me and there will never be another msfrancisco in mylot family and the entire universe.
friend...you are different from the rest and learn to accept it! cheers!
@DCLehnsherr (1037)
•
24 Sep 09
Hi msfrancisco,
Don't worry, I already wallow in my uniqueness, I was just doing this to see if everyone else did as well. I have to admit I am surprised that so many do, for some reason I had expected the opposite, though maybe that is why mylot is such a fantastic place to be, because we are all happy with that side of ourselves!
Glad to hear you like being unique and many thanks for the response
Dranz
Dranz 