Unique, Just Like Everyone Else

Throughout the years of history humans have fought many battles with society. Whether it be the biblical people’s battle to worship freely without fear of prosecution or death, as demonstrated by a young man named Daniel in a story in which he was thrown into a den of lions for refusing to obey a law that forbade him to worship his God, (New American Standard Bible, Daniel 6:6-8.) the battle of the African American people for equality and desegregation fought by such people as Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks back in the 1950’s and 1960’s, (Shabe, Scholastic News, 2006.) and the present day battle fought by the homosexual people all over the world, for the privilege to be able to legally marry the person they love, and to be recognized and respected for that love. (Cherrin, 2003.)

No matter what our cause, and no matter how hard the fight may seem, humans are always ready and willing to “put up their dukes.” for what they believe in. One of the world’s longest hardest battles has been that for individuality, to be seen differently than another. We fight for it with the clothes on our backs and the music we listen to, with the people we admire and the people we surround ourselves with.

We do it at work when we set ourselves apart hoping for that promotion, (Ezarik, 2003.) advertising companies do it when they want people to sit up and take notice of their new-and-improved products, (Gordon, 2005.) and even society’s single people are encouraged to work on seeming different and special in the eyes of a new potential mate. (Good, 2006.) It is said however, that humans are social beings that need to interact with each other in order to be happy and that it is impossible to create a healthy functioning society without looking to someone else for guidance about what is the right way to behave. (Massoud, 2006.) This essay will explore several issues such as the correlation between generations of the past and generations of today, the way society treats people who are seen as different, and what would happen to a world that allowed true individualism to rule it. This exploration will help bring to light once and for all whether the fight for individuality is a losing battle.

Each period in history has bred many different kinds of people and many different hardships, failures and trials for them to face. It has also formed many connections between these people regardless of what time and place they lived, or do currently live in. Even though time has passed