a social analogy
Warning: extremely unedited and not at all close to finished :(
Regression toward the mean is a principle in statistics that states that if you take a pair of independent measurements from the same distribution, samples far from the mean on the first set will tend to be closer to the mean on the second set, and the farther from the mean on the first measurement, the stronger the effect.
I see another subtle application of this statistical pattern. It relates to how one tends to regress to a societal norm.
WHen you place yourself in a position that can be judged by the society around you, you start to average yourself out to make yourself become more acceptable.
From your immediate personal circle to the public’s eye, it’s hard to escape this screeching need for (?). The mere effort of trying to connect to those around you calls for a sense of normalcy, a sense of (?)
Being able to understand other people’s emotions and experiences calls for one’s own ability to sympathize, empathize, and relate to the experiences of those around them. For this very reason, it is the will of society to create a sense of averageness. People differ, some people differ so much, that people are often casted out because of it. The neuro-diverse, personality-diverse, and all other diverses who don’t fit close enough to the mean are often felt to be too different. There is a smaller room for connection possibilities for these sorts people. This diminishes the likelihood for meeting others similar to oneself, and you are left searching for the other 10% that will have an inkling of how you experience a certain aspect of life. Where do I want to fall?
It’s interesting. The more I spend time alone, the more i feel i’m walking down a road of change. The more I spend on social media, the more normalized and socialized I feel. I walk toward the road of comfort and imitation. However, I/m starting to feel this draw (or complacency) towards acting and imitating those around me. I’m not sure if I like it, and I’m not sure where I want to stand.
However on another thought, is it possibl to create a society that is able to connect despite these wide differences? Could we train our minds to listen and understand another person’s perspective without molding into that person as well?
I believe it is more than possible.
I believe there is more room for connection than there are differences. All human emotions boils down to similar feelings of anger, sadness, happiness, pride, embaressment, etc. Although the experiences caue these emotions may differ, the ability to connect on such fundamental human levels is what. ibelieve will continue to keep society in check.l Insteazd of focusing on how others can;t understand, ;et’s continue to focus on how we can understand others.
