Most topics in today's mainstream media is how to stand out, how to be unique, how to go against the flow of other people, like that solves whatever issue we're having with our Self and Ego.

Everywhere you go you see threads and needles on how to become the top whatever percent of whatever there is out there, how can u you stand out and differentiate yourself from the crowd. I find it to be comforting, and humbling, to find and accept that we are not unique in any sort of way, at least objectively. There are millions of people like us, and millions who are better than us. In the dating area, we're told that to tell ourselves "Well, their loss, there's no one like me" While in fact there are ton of people like us, some better, some worse, some our equals.

This carries to our careers, in Software Engineering, especially. Juniors are taught that it's okay to be a jack of all trades that is also a master of none guy. They are told, by expanding their horizon too much, they will stand out from the others and be at an advantage. Which reminds me of this glorious meme,



Most of us, our Ego tends to be the image on the left, and ton of people tell themselves that, yet, if you zoom out and have a better view at the reality, you find that, unironically, and in a sad way, there are a lot of people like you. 

There's beauty and humility in accepting this objective reality, our Ego would take a huge hit, but it's a step towards the everlasting quest for our higher Self.

Let's celebrate being a normal person instead of a mystic entity that is found in fairy land, labeled as "unique".