Demanding uniqueness from everyone is an unnecessary, cruel standard

Evidence

Knowing all of this, we should temper our severe self-expectations regarding the achievement of pure originality. Even the most unique individuals will have a lot in common with others. The best we can hope for is a relative originality created in the margins of our persona. At the same time, not everyone needs to be different for difference’s sake. For those at the top, the pursuit of distinctiveness is important for receiving higher status. But to foist the requirement of uniqueness on everyone is unnecessary, unnatural, and often cruel. If we allow everyone to be themselves, this should also provide the freedom to be identical to others. — W. David Marx, Status and Culture, 298

Categorization

• APHORISMS: “Freedom to be identical to others” is a genuinely contrarian, life-relevant piece of wisdom against the modern cult of originality.
• XREF: connects to: Foisting uniqueness on everyone is itself a cruel status demand — W. David Marx, Status and Culture: How Our Desire for…, 298; Demanding one be both a person and an individuality imposes an impossible instinctual demand — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School: Its History,…, 2470; The moral duty to be unique is really a top-of-hierarchy status duty — W. David Marx, Status and Culture: How Our Desire for…, 173

Broader Connections

• Foisting uniqueness on everyone is itself a cruel status demand #corroborates (0.98) — W. David Marx, Status and Culture, 298
• The moral duty to be unique is really a top-of-hierarchy status duty #expands (0.82) — W. David Marx, Status and Culture, 173
• Demanding one be both a person and an individuality imposes an impossible instinctual demand #qualifies (0.75) — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School, 2470