What makes different lives different?

 I feel that it is important for me to ponder upon the nature of human life in totality, as opposed to merely my own. While I comment upon my life, I also realize that there are plenty of factors that make different individuals’ lives different from each other. Furthermore, the sheer number of individuals living in this world leads me to marvel at the sheer abundance of different paths taken by these individuals throughout their lives.

When I think of a life that is almost entirely different from mine, I tend to think about individuals living in exotic or uncultured civilizations, such as in tribalists living in Africa or in the Amazon Rainforest.

I realize simultaneously that the things that unite us all, such as happiness, laughter, sadness, weeping, anger, love, guilt, and motivation are plenty, but still leave an enormous amount of unmolded material in the metaphorical statue of life, which is filled in as we live our lives. Daily routine, sleep schedule, fluctuation and relative abundance of emotions, our relationships with others, the goals that we strive towards, and the fate that comes our way are all factors that seem to make our lives different.

Some people are predisposed to feel happier than others, and throughout their lives, spend less time sulking and more time enjoying pleasure. Some experience pain and suffering to a larger degree than others, and have an experience with life that, whether dictated at birth by their genetics, or formed during the events of their lives, proves to be a rocky journey that often feels hopeless.

Some individuals live a life replete with healthy social relationships, and with a sense of social familiarity and comfort, while others struggle with insecurity and encounter intersocial instability or abuse. Some people manipulate their minds through their thoughts to believe that life is worthless, or that they are inferior to others, while others convince themselves of their superiority and revel in self-praise and affection towards themselves.

Some people live a rather mundane life, one lacking in situations that threaten their financial, social, emotional, or familial well-being, while others are quite familiar with such situations as being litigated from one’s apartment. Some people are more conscientious and work towards their goals with greater motivation, whether pushed by reward or fear, while others dream big but don’t have the courage to both believe in the beauty of their goals and to work towards them.

Some people feel a deep-rooted, sometimes spiritual sense of gratitude and humility, while others feel a sense of resentment and indignation about being put in such a position. Some people follow regimented, regular lifestyles, while others are lax about their day, and fail to create regularity. Some tend to feel guilt and reproach for their actions, while others, including psychopaths, encounter no such feelings. Some people naturally feel a greater sense of compassion, while others are not touched and compelled to such an extent by emotion.

Given such a diversity in personalities, emotions, experiences, and surroundings, I believe that different individuals value varying aspects of life, and when speaking about life, emphasize different aspects about it.