The myth of fingerprints
Shorter post today. I thought it would be better if you knew up front.
I teach a business law class to junior and senior business students at a couple local colleges. I do it because I enjoy it and one of the colleges is a local Christian school I like to support. One of the things I have come to enjoy is how predictable people are in groups. Get a group of people together and you will always have certain personality types and people playing certain rolls. It is like the various versions of the expression that goes something like, every group of people has at least one person that the rest of the group makes fun of when they are not there. If you can not identify that person in your particular group it is because that person is you. ....or so the saying goes.
Anyway, every year I teach this class the "same" people sit in the same places in class, dress the same and make the same comments. They are actually different people, most of whom don't even know each other and yet the pretty girl sits in the same place, the goofy guy in the same place and the better students in the same place. Year after year I know exactly what kind of personality will sit in the front row or the right side of the second row, etc. In fact, if you walked in my class room and chose a seat, I might very well be able to guess what kind of student you are/were. The pattern is that consistent.
It is a pretty amazing phenomenon really. One offshoot of this is the way people respond to my instructions. I make my students answer my exams following a certain structure. I tell them what the structure is about 1000 times. I tell them and show them every way I know how. Then I tell them that it is mandatory with no exceptions. Then I explain that I know that some of them will ignore me and their grades will go down, using the implied dare as the cherry on top of my attempts to persuade them to do what I've asked. Every year, at least 10-15 % of the students will completely ignore these instructions and the numbers have been even higher than that in the past. It is not complicated. It is not difficult to do. And yet, some people predictably just do their own thing. It still amazes me. The most hilarious thing to me about it is that I actually tell them, “some of you will not do this” and I am right every time. Amazing.
I think the reality is that we are all more the same than we are different. Their are really only about 5-7 people in the entire world with a billion or so copies of each. We resist believing that, wanting to believe we are all unique. In a certain limited sense we are of course, but in most ways and including nearly all the ways it counts, we are the same.
I'm sure many who read this (as if many read this) will disagree. If you do disagree, I hope you will comment, so then it will be easier to know which of the 5-7 you are. I already know which type I am. I'm the type that declares his opinions as if they were obvious universal truths and then dares people to disagree. Needless to say, I'm not the most popular type.
I teach a business law class to junior and senior business students at a couple local colleges. I do it because I enjoy it and one of the colleges is a local Christian school I like to support. One of the things I have come to enjoy is how predictable people are in groups. Get a group of people together and you will always have certain personality types and people playing certain rolls. It is like the various versions of the expression that goes something like, every group of people has at least one person that the rest of the group makes fun of when they are not there. If you can not identify that person in your particular group it is because that person is you. ....or so the saying goes.
Anyway, every year I teach this class the "same" people sit in the same places in class, dress the same and make the same comments. They are actually different people, most of whom don't even know each other and yet the pretty girl sits in the same place, the goofy guy in the same place and the better students in the same place. Year after year I know exactly what kind of personality will sit in the front row or the right side of the second row, etc. In fact, if you walked in my class room and chose a seat, I might very well be able to guess what kind of student you are/were. The pattern is that consistent.
It is a pretty amazing phenomenon really. One offshoot of this is the way people respond to my instructions. I make my students answer my exams following a certain structure. I tell them what the structure is about 1000 times. I tell them and show them every way I know how. Then I tell them that it is mandatory with no exceptions. Then I explain that I know that some of them will ignore me and their grades will go down, using the implied dare as the cherry on top of my attempts to persuade them to do what I've asked. Every year, at least 10-15 % of the students will completely ignore these instructions and the numbers have been even higher than that in the past. It is not complicated. It is not difficult to do. And yet, some people predictably just do their own thing. It still amazes me. The most hilarious thing to me about it is that I actually tell them, “some of you will not do this” and I am right every time. Amazing.
I think the reality is that we are all more the same than we are different. Their are really only about 5-7 people in the entire world with a billion or so copies of each. We resist believing that, wanting to believe we are all unique. In a certain limited sense we are of course, but in most ways and including nearly all the ways it counts, we are the same.
I'm sure many who read this (as if many read this) will disagree. If you do disagree, I hope you will comment, so then it will be easier to know which of the 5-7 you are. I already know which type I am. I'm the type that declares his opinions as if they were obvious universal truths and then dares people to disagree. Needless to say, I'm not the most popular type.
Comments
The reasons for our similarities are grounded in our humanity, our morality, and in our societal influences. I think it is also because the "bell curve" exists in almost every type of measure and forces force people to the predictable center.
Our poll and statistics happy society reinforces this. The chances are that if your parents smoke or did drugs, so will you. The chances are that if you are the middle-child in your family, you will be a peace lover. The chances are if you are beautiful/handsome and tall, you will make more money in your career. Chances are you take the most popular driving route to work each day. Wrong or right, these statistical probabilities combine in consistent patterns that cause us to be more alike and predictable than any single characteristic might indicate.
However, I do think that we should all strive to develop the uniqueness in ourselves. Not by ignorning instructions to an assignment perhaps, but by being aware of strengths and developing them. There is a body of literature on this. I have referenced some at this post: http://jenniferbdavis.blogspot.com/2006/07/your-best-self.html.
I think what makes a singer on American Idol defy the odds to win celebrity is the same thing that makes each of us successful in our own circles - we cultivate that which is unique (odds defying or just odd) about ourselves.
i do find the "5-7" people to exist; along with the 5'7". i try to move around the classroom (especially the first few weeks) but then that makes me the 'indecisive' one; the one who will not make eye contact--then, well, maybe--when a volunteer is requested...
the interesting thing about 'american idol' is that they highlight a 'uniqueness' to play up and pitch it as : if you were to conform to this (exemplify this characteristic) than you too will be the most liked/successful. the more 'unique' you are, the less you are; thus making you what they/we need---5-7 people (including the 'must complicate and confuse the matter' person aka 'indecisive').
I should have also added that I do occasionally meet someone who genuinely seems to be outside the 5-7. I am certainly not one of them, but my wife is. She is sometimes predictable in her non-conformity, but in general she is just pattern-defying. If there are 5-7 types out there, she is the 8th and I have yet to meet any of the copies.
Leslie, if only more people played that roll with me....most of the nodding I get is nodding off or just an attempt to survive until I finally shut up. Also, good question on your blog by the way. Very interesting.
Like the other day one of my co-workers said whenever there is a "commotion" in the staff room, she "KNOWS that Peggy is involved."
You know that's just NOT me. I appreciate quiet order and simplicity.
I cannot imagine the audacity of any misdirected person accusing you of anything but quiet simplicity and order!!!
In other news, I want to meet Guy Smiley.
Second, as with nearly everything on my blog (as I'm sure you gathered), my comments should be taken with a mountain of salt. I generally try not to let facts get in the way of truth and don't let either get in the way if I'm really amusing myself.
So, if I were going to defend some part of what I said it is that for all of the factors that combine to make each of us unique, there are certain key personality traits or characteristics that dominate and make us similar. Of course, my take was an exageration, but my experience in teaching, Church, work, family and any other aspect of life you can dream up reveals that there are distinct patterns to human behavior. Some people wearing blue suits may have a pin stripe or plaid or be double breasted or 3 button. Some will have a cuff some will chose braces over suspenders, but in the end they are all still wearing a blue suit. I don't think there are really that man suit colors, just lots of fabrics, patterns and opions. My point is that we are so distracted by the unique pattern that we often fail to appreciate our more general sameness. This is understandable of course since part of our humanness at least in this country drives us to want to believe ourselves unique. There is a sense in which we are, but there is more sameness than difference in my estimate. The fact that the same types of students sit in the same seats every year in a single class does not "prove" anything of course, but all my experience in life has led me to conclude that it is not coincidence.
No one wants to be Neo being told that he is only the latest version of himself, but there is a truth to that that we keep hidden for fear that it makes our lives and choices less valuable or meaningful. I suspect that if we understood better what gives both of those things meaning, we would be less afraid, but I'm probably wondering a bit beyond the scope at this point, so I'll just stop.
Thanks for the comment.
You didn't tell me what the 3 personality is! I'm just going to assume it's the witty, intelligent, with a tendancy to over-analyze things personality.