“Positive feelings come from being honest about yourself and accepting your personality and physical characteristics, warts and all, and belonging to a family that accepts you without questions”~ William Scott.
Fact Is, Genetically, We Are All Different
No two people have the same fingerprints because, at conception, there is a unique mapping of our DNA blueprint. It all comes down to our DNA composition, which is different for everyone, so no wonder we have various degrees of awesomeness.
Once upon a time, people argued that race was merely a social construct. This was supported by certain studies, for example, the one done by Richard Lewontin in 19721. His study on the variations of protein types in blood, deduced that there are more differences within groups of people than between six different human populations.1
But over time, advances in DNA sequencing technology has allowed for in-depth studies of genetic sequences. These advances support the fact that race is not just a social concept but a paradigm highlighting all the wonderful possibilities of individuality that can be traced down to the blood’s protein types.
How We View Differences Makes All The Difference
People can be regarded as different because they don’t fit into a particular thought process or group, which is okay. An individual’s character is a culmination of intrinsic factors and learned behaviors. As far as it is not going against human rights laws and not being a danger to themselves or others, we need to be careful not to label people as ‘not good.’ We also need to stop trying to change people into what we think they should become. It can become counterproductive. If you try to imagine a 14-year-old boy being told to be chatty like his sisters, How would he feel? Maybe he may feel that he isn’t good enough. This behavior can disrupt a child’s emotional growth and prevent them from learning self-acceptance. Who knows, maybe they will acquire the trait later on in life, but all you can do is love them just the way they are.
What Does Different Say To You?
If We See Different as bad, then there will be many people who will never fit into a group. When we see differences as complementary and beautiful, we will not only be able to form healthy connections, but we will also be able to allow others to find their own group and make their own connections that will nurture and show them value. Everyone has a value group, and once they find their group, they ultimately shine and grow into themselves.
Everyone is loved by someone.
References
- Reich D. How Genetics Is Changing Our Understanding of ‘Race’. The New York Times [Internet]. 2018 Mar 23 [cited 2020 Dec 21]:paragraph 2. Available from: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/23/opinion/sunday/genetics-race.html