There are similarities and dissimilarities.

Similarities are similar, identical — and that’s that.

Dissimilarities are different, dissimilar.

There are infinitely many ways in which two things can be different — and only one way in which two things can be similar.

 

Dissimilarity is an innately contentious issue for humans — because we are ambitious, greedy and insecure.

 

When you meet someone dissimilar to you — you want to measure him. You want to measure him so as to know what to expect from him: and whether he’s a threat — or an ally, and potentially beneficial.

When you meet someone dissimilar to you — you want to measure him. You want to measure him so as to know HOW HE, the fellow human being — APPROACHES this all-important business of LIFE-LIVING. You want to know WHAT TO DO and what NOT TO DO. You want to mimic him — or you want to un-mimic him, UN-BECOME like him.

 

Some dissimilar men you understand. Perhaps you were similar once.

Many dissimilar men you don’t understand

And therefore you measure them. Which results in you understanding them, their perspective — or MISUNDERSTANDING.

 

When you understand someone — likely you realize he’s not a threat (since likely he’s not) — if not necessarily an ally.

When you don’t understand someone — you will invariably consider him a threat.

This is because unknown is innately threatening. Unknown involves both rewards and threats — therefore it invariably contains threats — therefore it’s invariably threatening.

Furthermore — when you understand someone — you understand his choices. You understand his choices and how they are different to your choices.

But when you don’t understand someone — you DON’T KNOW whether his choices are better then yours.

 

Children are scared of everyone. They understand no one. Not even each other.

Adults are adult-children. They still understand little of fellow humans — they just put on their bravest face.

 

When you don’t understand someone — you worry about them, you label them (futile attempt at understanding them), you keep your distance from them.

And likely you disparage them, you put them down — so as to protect your own reality (which is different then theirs — therefore at odds).

Much human behaviour is driven this way

 

But when you understand someone — similar or dissimilar to you — you don’t fear them. You don’t fight them. You don’t compete with them. You just accept them.

You don’t have to deal with them — but you don’t WORRY about them.

And if you don’t “like” them — you don’t talk about them, you don’t criticise them, you don’t care about them. That’s all there is to it

And if you do like them — you can learn from them, associate with them, create things with them, even imitate them. You understand how being like them, or around them — can benefit you.

 

Therefore

You don’t want to be ignorant: ignorant about others, or ignorant ever

You want to penetrate reality with your understanding

You want to understand the world around you

And you want to understand the people around you

AND you want to understand the people you meet, as soon as you meet them.

And you want to make an informed decision as to who they are and what they represent.

And you obviously don’t want to fear them and make faces at them and growl at them — like a hostile dog — because you smelled something you didn’t like.

…It’s actually what we do, when we are confused.

Don’t be confused, don’t be ignorant, be intelligent, be perceptive, be understanding

UNDERSTAND the DIFFERENCES between people

Don’t be afraid of it

Take advantage of it