Building on Our Commonalities

Is there any one who does not have a pet peeve? I think not. In fact, I bet it would be hard to find any one who has only one. One of mine is a driver who tailgates. It does not matter if it is on an open highway or a small road in the neighborhood. I do not like it. Never have and never will. Another one is when people say about another, "We have nothing in common" or "We are nothing alike." On the one hand, this is hogwash. The fact is all of us have far more in common than not. For instance, we all like to smile, be liked, be listened to, need oxygen, and appreciate Louis Armstrong. (Ok. Maybe that last one is a bit of stretch, but the fact is I have yet to meet any one who does not.) And on the other hand, this statement creates an artificial or false barrier that makes communication much more difficult than is necessary.

Communication is built on expanding commonalities. While at first they may not seem quite so apparent, commonalities are ever-present nevertheless. Here's a quick example: Particularly in the last decade, interest in the issue of global warming has escalated. More and more people are accepting the notion that this ecological phenomenon is beyond theory, is actually real, and must be addressed. A group that has emerged as a major proponent of this movement is the religious right. Upon first glance, the coupling of environmentalists and right wing conservatives is not one that quickly comes to mind. But their mutual interest in helping preserve our planet has brought them together.

Communication helped facilitate this connection and is helping keep it alive. This, of course, is not to say groups or individuals do not have differences that do help distinguish them. How boring would it be if we were all alike? But those differences, no matter how small or seemingly complex, derive from the many similarities we all share. All of us enjoy a good meal. While I may I love spaghetti and you may enjoy salmon, it should not keep us from going out to dinner together.