Generalities

I hate them. I loath them. These things called generalities force, shove and push people and things into predetermined positions of horrifying uniformity. I am not saying generalities do not exist, but they are overused and abused. We prescribe boxes for everything and place people inside them for safe keeping. Generalizations leave no room for uniqueness or unpredictability, but rather ubiquitous sameness; they are like smothering blankets or stifling fumes. Humanity has taken general truths and run pell-mell. For example: women are more relational and men are more technical. Thus, at a given lunch outing, the women confine themselves to one side of the table and discuss "relational things," while the men sit across mulling over the opposing "technical jargon." Why is this so? Is it that women are incapable of conversing on all things "male" or "technical," or conversely do men not understand "relational" issues? No, neither claims are true, in my opinion. Generalities have created this false dichotomy. Yes, generally speaking, women are more relational and men are more technically inclined, but again the divide forces a false assignment of roles. I realize that human beings fit and function best within the confines of generalizations which are neat and tidy, clean and orderly, but life is not so, thus I say--shall we defy generalities...?