Off the Cuff / My Other Journal

Different or Similar, Solidarity Matters

When it comes to divisiveness, both similarities and differences can be divisive. In the same vein, both can work as unifiers. To insist that either similarities or differences cause a division would result in a fallacious argument.

Here in Writing.com, we are all writers. In that we are similar. Yet, we all have our own styles, our specific vocabularies, and our own degrees of experience with the craft. Don’t we all embrace our differences and live and work quite happily together?

Emile Durkheim says: “Social solidarity is a wholly moral phenomenon which by itself is not amenable to exact observation and especially not to measurement.” If we take the word solidarity as the opposite of division, this will mean that, whether we are similar or different, finding unity or solidarity has to be a moral obligation. I think this is because there can be differences in similar beings and similarities in different ones.

The key to unity among people is not how similarities bind us; it is finding a way to make our differences work together. People, groups, religions, and nations are pretty much alike. Unfortunately their definitions are usually based upon the differences, and even more unfortunately, some of us end up poking fun at or scorning those differences, which this practice only encourages division.

Akin to this, similarities sometimes cause jealousy and hate, and therefore serious division among people. Just imagine, in any situation, two very similar people going for the same prize in a competition or aiming to get in the good graces of another person in a higher position. If they focus on the negatives of the people and the situation, there will be a division between them, and if they focus on the positives, they will find a way to work together.

Yet, even similar people do things differently at times and possibly quite often and vice versa. In either case, I tell myself this has nothing to do with right or wrong; thus, there is no need for feeling a separation from the other person or group.

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Prompt: Differences and similarities: which divides us more?