What makes you unique?

[SimpleBlur]

All ones experience makes a person different from everyone else. No one has experienced all the same events, places, or people as you or me. That is something that makes everyone unique.

 

fuck yeah I thought of something

[hotdensestate]

I think it's a fine thread. Of course, the term 'unique' more accurately refers to 'one-of-a-kind' which is a tall order to fill since I could you give you a thousand of my attributes and there'd still be tens of thousands of people in the world who match up.

Another interpretation would be to ask: how has your existence made a dent in the world that couldn't have occurred without you? The easiest way to distinguish or (if you feel this is important) justify one's existence is to create something that's not just unique, but also of value. (having children is an act of creation, but it would be absurd, circular and primitive to call mere reproduction an act of value because the value of that creation corresponds with the good that comes about from those children, and so on.) Everybody exists, but only an artist brings a particular song or painting into existence. Obviously this corresponds with medicine, business, sports, etc. as well. Standing out by doing something that no one else has done.

 

By extension, the creator is unique because only they created or brought about that particular thing of value. If you wanna wax existential, you could say you are nothing more than the sum of those individuating actions, or that you are nothing until you do something meaningful of your own volition.

 

Now that I've filled this thread with a bunch of pretentious cliche BS, I can't say that am unique by virtue of anything I've done. I've recorded music and written papers n' shit, but none of it has been anything of real interest, and I sometimes feel that I listen to music and read books avidly so that I can deliver myself from the responsibility of feeling that I have something of substance to contribute, but more often I just get insecure in the long run, and go on expressing myself through other people's work.

At the same time though, I feel I have a lot of potential that just hasn't found the right medium to work in. I stand out from my peers in that I don't find resolve in religion or solidarity, but am both attracted to and repelled by the isolation and unease that I go through in college. I embrace it because I know I'm living somewhat authenticly. That doesn't make me unique or anything obviously. Best most people can do is list skills and interests. I like philosophy, I'm pretty good at english and history, I play music all the time, I particularly like ambient post-rock, I'm quiet and have an accent that people are always asking about.

 

If you want to talk about the impact people have had in the world I would say I've had one but not as yet a very substantial one. I think I've given a few people insight and maybe possibly changed the way they think but I haven't, eg, written anything I would consider to be of real value, or played particularly moving music, or drawn anything particularly good, or whatever. I don't think any artistic creation I've made is of any real value.

 

Well. I'm not really sure. I don't think I'm one to judge my own work because I do realize I am pretty quick to judge it too harshly. I'm good at writing. But not, you know, earth-shattering or anything like that; only a few of my friends/my teacher have read, eg, assignments written for English class, and they all say it's good. But I haven't published anything or done anything to preserve its existence so I wouldn't really say I've created anything of value, just on those grounds alone.

 

On the other hand I of course have my dreams for the future and will probably change the world at least a little bit based on what I'm gon' do when I grow up (science). I hope to do something that really does change the world, at least a little bit. And of course, hopefully for the better.

 

But everybody wants to do that when they're young. We'll have to see if I can really cut it or not.

 

All ones experience makes a person different from everyone else. No one has experienced all the same events, places, or people as you or me. That is something that makes everyone unique.

 

fuck yeah I thought of something

 

Yeah that's what we've been talking about, the blend of your personality traits/experiences make you unique, not the personality traits/experiences themselves. Or at least that's my position.

[Gitta Rensolo]

I think I got it. My family. This might sound boring and unspecific, but there is some stuff in our dna that gives us a special sense of humour and a lot of creativity. I think we are actually known for this where we live. This probably doesn't make me unique but it makes my family unique at least. Hm shit. Ah wait it makes me/us unique here in my area. I have never met people who are like us

[ViVA Child]

I am unique like everybody else

[Grace.]

All ones experience makes a person different from everyone else. No one has experienced all the same events, places, or people as you or me. That is something that makes everyone unique.

 

Good summary :D

 

I know for a fact that none of the students who live where I live study at the same place I study, therefore I am unique :smug:

:lol:

[Prince Myshkin]

All ones experience makes a person different from everyone else. No one has experienced all the same events, places, or people as you or me. That is something that makes everyone unique.

 

fuck yeah I thought of something

 

i said that but the thread starter got all bitchy with me

[Gitta Rensolo]

If those things that make us unique were unique there wouldn't even be words to describe them.

Ok now I need to think of my own statement...I confused myself----well, it came to my mind yesterday....ah nevermind....the way of confusing myself makes me unique (:wacky:)

 

I think we can only be unique in the area or society we live in and for someone special

[Electric.Candy]

I think I should let the people around me answer that, as I cannot answer the question myself.

and of course they won't be able to give a correct answer, so..

[Cyan Kat]

I Honestly don't know what makes me unique, my thoughts, I have Craazy thoughts that noone else could possibly ever think of. It makes me afraid someone will read my mind and send me to a looney Place :lol:

[Ambergris]

Is being unique more a product of the individual than the group? Individual inspiration may occur simultaneously anywhere on earth, but often ideas and individual attributes are a product of a combination of cultural forces, some strictly from the individual, some arising from group interaction, but manifested in each individual uniquely.

What makes me unique? Many things too numerous to mention. A better question might be to ponder the value of uniqueness, the value of commonality and cooperation, and the balance of each in our lives.

 

+1

 

I like how you have put this. Many people believe unique themselves because they can do this, or that, have certain habilities or perhaps because their very own experiences... But I often wonder, where's the originality in our existences? ... This is a very hard question (only a few people could actually call themselves "original"), and lately I've been thinking that it cannot be answered without a context of society, in what we ultimately contribute to our world, and how we use what we have to help others.

 

Unfortunately, I think because of the trend of individualism, people become mediocre. Think they're differrent from the rest, but contribute nothing. :\

 

I think I should let the people around me answer that, as I cannot answer the question myself.

 

I agree. :D

[Zeya]

I'm not gonna give smartass answers like few other but I'd just like to say that in my opinion, the uniqueness of someone is not on what they can do as an individual but rather the way they achieve what they have. In other words, many people can sing and dance and draw and things like that, but the things that they went through to have that certain quality in them makes them unique.

 

Yeah nothing new, just feeling like typing it out.

[rudy_o]

I have a uniqueness that people don't have.

And people would never want to have, perhaps.

:|

[Zeya]

I hear ya Rudz.

[eff-exx]

-My mood. I have kind of an odd mood, with mood swings and my friend said that I sound like I'm on drugs.

-My music taste, though that doesn't apply to this forum's community.

-My handwriting (as odd as that sounds).

-My need for privacy and personal space. Something that I take really seriously.

-Knowing myself. Though not completely, but I sort of know myself, my abilities, thoughts and such.

[Reilly]

Some great replies.

 

Didn't really intend to psychoanalyse what uniqueness is, but that said, the more I thought about it last night the more I started to go down that road.

 

I don't like the idea of being 'unique' because of things you've done or achieved, those things are merely an extension of your personality and nomatter what it is, at the end of the day it isnt YOU, a painting, a song, represents you during a certain point in time, and just as quick is it's over it is in the past, and your being carries on.

 

As Spieler said, any interests we have will always be matched up with thousands of other people, and that's what I meant by how I didn't really want to over analyse it (Which is pretty rare for me) but there's nothing wrong with that, and it's certainly been interesting reading the conclusions that have been drawn from this, it's simply just not how I'd personally look at this question.

 

What I don't understand is looking at the term 'unique' and what defines uniqueness, and searching for some way to get over the mind boggling idea that we must all be different in some way, and matching it up with how a person is creatively. Out of the billions of people that have come and gone on this earth, the amount of people who've achieved something noteworthy in terms of uniqueness in art or popular culture is such a tiny percent, it makes the question void for me.

[Prince Myshkin]

I completely agree that achievements don't reflect uniqueness at all. I resent that attitude a lot, but maybe that's because I feel like I am incapable of actually achieving anything and like to think that I can stand up for own worthiness (although to be honest I don't like the idea of having to prove that I am "worthy" of living) without having to justify it with a list of shiny things I have done in my life.

 

This is a frustrating topic to write about, because without intending to I am seemingly offended by the question, I wouldn't normally have posted this at such a badly thought out stage but I am going to have to leave this computer now and I'll just leave this here and edit it later on.

 

i don't think the word achievements is being used as something that makes people better than others. just that experiences and achievements or even lack of them can define who you are.

[Reilly]

(although to be honest I don't like the idea of having to prove that I am "worthy" of living)

 

That's what I feel the achievements idea makes people think, not that the original question is far off of it (I did say I didn't want this thread to seem like "Hey you what have you done for humanity you cretin?").

 

Oddly I'm with you about the 2nd point, I'm increasingly getting annoyed and frustrated at my own question, yet I can't just leave it. We're all free to just ignore this thread but for some reason I'd feel like I don't really want to know the answer, because I may not be as unique as I feel I am (As I still haven't given any real reasons as to why I am, I just feel like I am). At the same time, should I care? You'd have to live without one tiny iota of arrogance or ego to not want to be at least different or special in some way.

 

i don't think the word achievements is being used as something that makes people better than others. just that experiences and achievements or even lack of them can define who you are.

 

I know what you're saying but inevitably talking about how big achievements as the main factor of defining who you are, that really alienates those who feel they don't really have any (And actually I think most people would feel they don't have huge achievements, whereas a university degree would be a huge thing for some people I've known plenty that just see it as something they went off and did rather then a spectacular achievement), and therefore without those achievements by this thesis, they basically haven't even existed yet.

 

But you are right that experiences can partly define who you are, but that's just like anything you do, whether it's a positive achievement or a negative failure, you did whatever because that's how you function as a piece of who you are. It's very one sided to look at just achievements, especially as a big sign of someones character is how they deal with terrible setbacks which they didn't even deserve.

[eff-exx]

because I may not be as unique as I feel I am (As I still haven't given any real reasons as to why I am, I just feel like I am). At the same time, should I care? You'd have to live without one tiny iota of arrogance or ego to not want to be at least different or special in some way.

 

I don't think we have to define ourselves to others, it's not a must. If you feel you're unique and you don't know why you are so, just leave it, you don't have to reply to this thread all because it's a question and you feel obligated to post something. What matters most is how a person understands the concept of being unique, whether that person wants to know why he's unique. Because if he just dumps the idea of the reasoning of it and doesn't really care, then does that person know himself or is just trying to convince himself that he is unique?

 

And I agree that everyone wants to be different, just how much the difference is. In terms of achievement and experience (someone pointed it out), I will say that it also applies; wanting to be different in that sense.

 

Some people just need reasons to boost their confidence (in terms of this, uniqueness). And I'm not saying it's wrong. Pretty lame, yes. But we always try to find out reasons for ourselves, don't we?

 

 

I suppose I did contradict my words within this post.

 

[xxKels]

^ "But we always try to find reasons for ourselves, don't we ?

 

"likes"

[hotdensestate]

I love thought provoking threads.

 

I've actually sat and thought about this for a while before I just signed up. I keep getting sidetracked in how arrogant it seems to think you are this unique person, even though you are unique. Although I also get stuck with certain ideas because of my semi-misanthropic ways. For the most part I think all people are the same and I dislike them, which is where the arrogance stems from. But on the other hand, I treat people as individuals completely differently and for the most part I look up to them and think they are more unique and interesting than I am. So there is a wonderful conflict between modesty and arrogance, hatred and love. I think this is why I struggle to put my thoughts into words I have so many conflicts going on inside me that I don't even really know what I think about some things.

 

I obviously think I am different to most people though, but I feel like I fail at standing out in certain areas, there is always someone better or more interesting on a certain area than I am, so I always feel like I'm not really obviously unique. I'm gunna try my best to put into words what I actually think makes me different though, it will probably be a mess, but that's to be expected, I think.

 

I'm consulting other people, is that allowed? I immediately feel like a dick for asking them such a ridiculous question though. I asked someone why they liked me, 2nd thing they said was that I am "different" so I guess there is something in it. Although like I implied earlier, it's hard to actually define what it is about me. We talked about the things I like, but on the surface it doesn't seem like merely liking something actually makes you unique as it's just liking something. This goes back to the whole achievements thing though, surely what you like defines you as a person just as much as what you do, as although it's not physical output, it still says a lot about your personality. Although that doesn't really go the whole way in implying uniqueness it is part of a bigger picture of being a unique person.

 

I have a feeling this next paragraph is going to sound really pretentious:

 

One thing I can't really ask people about is the way I think, for obvious reasons, but also because I rarely express my thoughts vocally, although my dad often tells me about it cos he's known me my whole life so he obviously knows quite a bit about me, although he reads into it the wrong way, but that's not the point. Anyway I feel like I think about things in different ways to most people, I have no idea how to describe it, my dad seems to think I am just trying to "rebel" against everything, which I can understand why he thinks that, I just like to look at things in more than one way, which to him will look like constant contradiction of everything. Although merely being analytical isn't exactly a unique way of thinking, I do think my thought process differs from a lot of people, I am basing this just from talking to people though so I have no idea. It's not like I think it's a good thing, it often makes me feel really alienated, but at the same time I don't think I'd want other people to think like I did anyway.

 

That leads me onto a completely different point actually, the uniqueness of people is what makes life fun, it's what makes talking to people entertaining, it's amazing how we can all live in the same places, experience similar things and all grow in our own unique ways (for the most part). I never understood people who only talk to others who like the same music as them or wear the same clothes, it's hilarious when you see a group of people all wearing the same outfits essentially. I like my friends to be a big mix of people because I actually enjoy people's different viewpoints. I'm not however saying that I don't befriend people who like the same things as me, I love those guys too, but that's a given.

 

I apologise if this reads really badly, I am scared to proof-read it in case it's all horrible and I delete it and feel like I've wasted a few hours sitting here being introspective, I hope it's not though and thanks for reading anyone who made it this far!

 

Holy shit long post is so fucking long.

 

What did you mean exactly though, by how you think your thought process is different? In what ways?

[Crests]

I'm gonna have to go with nothing, because if you think about it there's a way you can argue against any point made so that it's not actually unique. I've been sitting here doing that with myself. :blank:

[Reilly]

What did you mean exactly though, by how you think your thought process is different? In what ways?

 

I agreed with what he said about thought processes, and it's also something I feel that's unique about me, I often think about the littlest things and situations and why they happen or the psychology behind people, and analyse many possibilities.

 

And before it's brought up, I do indeed realise that I am not the only person on earth who thinks like that, as I've even met plenty of people who think like that, but to generalise, it's certainly not how the average person is. Most people take most things at face value, not really thinking about why they happen or whatever, they just accept most things as they are. I don't do that nearly all of the time, I always want to get to the bottom of things even if they don't matter in the grand scheme of things whatsoever.

[Gitta Rensolo]

I agreed with what he said about thought processes, and it's also something I feel that's unique about me, I often think about the littlest things and situations and why they happen or the psychology behind people, and analyse many possibilities.

 

And before it's brought up, I do indeed realise that I am not the only person on earth who thinks like that, as I've even met plenty of people who think like that, but to generalise, it's certainly not how the average person is. Most people take most things at face value, not really thinking about why they happen or whatever, they just accept most things as they are. I don't do that nearly all of the time, I always want to get to the bottom of things even if they don't matter in the grand scheme of things whatsoever.

 

I think I am pretty similar, well the same....there are so many things I think about a lot even if they seem absurd thinking about...sometimes I start asking questions to my sisters for example, their usual answer is "What the hell? Why are you asking this???"....talking of my sisters....when I compare myself to them I consider myself as "unique", because they are those average people you were talking of....I don't know, but thinking that way (I mean the way you decribed) makes life interesting imo...I don't want to take things just the way they are without thinking about them further most of the time...I think that's why I get confused about my own thoughts quite often....this might be off-topic actually

[Reilly]

It's on-topic.

 

Sometimes I have these compulsions where I really need to know an answer. I can't think of it but there was a really good example of this a few days ago (Which shows how meaningless it actually was) and it had something to do with Louis Theroux (Documentary maker) and I spent maybe over an hour searching through loads of information, old doc's, interviews, etc. And then I got whatever answer I got, and was like, "Oh".

 

It wasn't even the answer though, it's the fun of getting to it really, and discovering things you never knew. So while sometimes this thought process can hinder me (I do end up fussing over little things that aren't important at times, especially at work) for the most part I really enjoy it.

[Gitta Rensolo]

I think I get like this when it comes to things like existencialism....sometimes I get so lost in it that it feels like my head is going to explode, because I am stuck in my thoughts and there is no way out anymore...but I love it

 

and seriously....I feel pretty unique where I live, because of my way of thinking of some things....I can't really explain it....might be the reason why I just can't find someone haha...

an excuse at last:wacky: