So we could learn from each other.

I want people to feel comfortable around me. Not necessarily because of our similarities. But rather because of our dissimilarities. I want that person to feel accepted despite our differences. I like the notion of live and let live. In many ways, I’m more attracted to people who don’t look, think and act like me than I am to those who do. I’m stimulated by differences. I’m intrigued by people who have lived vastly different lives than I. The problem in human society, it seems to me, is our tendency to cluster likes with likes. So many of us want to be associated and surrounded by our clones, so to speak, our look-a-likes, our think-a-likes, our act-a-likes. Why is that? Am I the strange one for wanting to live in a diverse world? I’m a bit wary of organizations and institutions that consist of people who share commonness. Think-a-likes. I’m for more organizations that encourage tolerance, not necessarily commonness of thoughts and actions. We can be different sorts of people. Distinct individuals. And still live in harmony. Yes, by treating each other with respect and tolerance. I have no overwhelming desire to live with my clone. Just the opposite. I’d rather live with someone vastly different. So I could practice tolerance and respect. So we could learn from each other. --Jim Broede