Humans are very interesting creatures. For all of our claims that we have an innate urge to stand out, be valued and feel special, and by our quest to do just that, we seem to actually work against the claim of originality. Similar to the image that the “Hipsters” have worked so hard to create, being a counter-culture. They turned around and created a main culture where they all blend in by trying to be as outrageous as they can. You can see this trend in everything from Movies and Music to Art and Fashion. But what is interesting is that by striving so hard to be remembered, you tend to blend into the millions before you that were desperate to be remembered. But, why do we feel this way? Bare with me on this one, I decided to go a little more philosophical for this one using a lot of religious viewpoints.
In the beginning there was God. No matter the faith, there is usually a central being but the focus here is a little different. The focus is on Adam or the main protagonist that sins against the central being. Usually, it is related to some act connected to a virtue that was voided or vice that was indulged. The interesting thing is the cause.
Satan is often thought to not have been the source of all temptation and evil. Some religious scholars believe that he is a fallen Angel. He was the leader of the Heavenly choir and a fairly beloved celestial entity. After some time, it is said that either Lucifer wanted to usurp God or specifically in Islamic religion, refused to bow to Man like God desired and was removed from Heaven, and with him, many others.
Story continues with Lucifer asking for respite until the Last Judgement and reigns over the underworld while trying to tempt and corrupt man. Him corrupting man would prove mankind’s inferiority and inevitably his justness of not bowing. Ever since then, Lucifer/Satan/Devil/Iblis/etc., has been tempting and misleading man to prove his correctness. By proving himself right and God wrong, This would mean that God is not perfect and his last act of Defiance of the Supreme God.
Now, what does this have to do with us today? Well, through the biting of the fruit from the tree of knowledge, we have developed a hunger for knowledge and understanding. However, it is also a quest for control and power. Before biting the fruit, we were already given God-like domain over heaven and earth. Adam sat and named EVERY creature in existence and they ALL obeyed. God periodically drop by like Mr. Feeny just to talk to Adam. But afterward, Satan stirred the desire to be “Greater than” and compete with God. We were already Gods but we didn’t believe in it and had to discover it our own way. 
This knowledge of Good and Evil also came with necessity to categorize things. We process information in very simple ways and we NEED to put knowledge in ways we can understand. The “mythical creatures” we create are only combinations of other creatures we know. Griffin = Lion + Eagle. Pegasus = Horse + Bird. And the things we fear the most are the things we cannot control or understand.
So, looking at the world around us, we have conquered everything. We have destroyed millions of different species and have draw lines in the sand against people just like us with subtle differences. Ethnic Cleansing is based the foolish notion of keeping a bloodline pure to “protect” something. Honestly, I have no clue how anything has benefited from inbreeding because genetics proves that we search out mates that are from a different gene pool to protect from defects and to give better evolutionary benefits. Yet, through prejudice and discrimination, we have made death a science. We kill our brothers and sisters out of a desire that MY survival is more important than yours. It has become so bad that we have created a planetary stalemate with weapons that NOBODY wants to use.
What kind of sense does this make? Are we really that different? Are we really that alike? Looking at the world today, how are we supposed to react to hate? What thoughts do you have about ego and pride?
Future Musings,
Miles Michael