Uniqueness, pattern-seeking and perception.
We tend to see ourselves, I believe, as unique individuals, not just how we think and feel but also how we look. How often do we say, “HE LOOKS JUST LIKE ME!” and when we do, it’s a bit of a surprise.
Yet, other people, depending on their pattern-compression algorithms in their brain, may see similarities from you to another person that you, and other people who see you frequently, might *not* see.
“All old people look alike… except for my grandma”. “All kids look the same, except for my nieces and nes, who are unique”.
Well, a friend on G+, likened me to The Undertaker by the name of ebonygentleman. (He posts a lot of big black booty-pics. Not my thing but he reads what I write sometimes and has an intelligent, unique perspective, so i enjoy his friendship)
Now, I would not have seen the similarity had he not pointed it out. Even THEN I was hung up on “How much I don’t look like him” rather than “How much I do”. But, put side by side, imagining a facial compression algorithm that folds irish/scottish/english-type faces all together into similar groupings, THEN I could see what he saw in the connection.
So: we are all of different backgrounds here. Our backgrounds can color our perception of reality, especially with regards to other people.
Do you see how I look the same as the Undertaker? Do you see how I look nothing like him? Or some combination of the two?
Is it possible to categorize without loss of data? [the categorization problem is of ongoing interest to me, as pre-established buckets of any sort, are something I always found problematic staying within)