Different people have different ways of expressing themselves. Each one of us has his own way of reacting or adapting to certain situations. We differ on how we look at ourselves and how we view others. We think differently and live differently. Different as we are, we still strive and manage to coexist harmoniously.

There are times when although unintentional, we somehow are biased on how we treat and interact with some people. We may appreciate or dislike them for whatever reason. And the saddest- becoming partial for no reason at all. As physicians, we see, talk, and interact with our patients, colleagues, and other professionals in the medical field. It is just unfortunate that sometimes we become imposing to some of these people. We reach a point of telling them what they should do. We are then unknowingly and indirectly telling them, “Be like me. I live a healthy lifestyle….I read and study a lot….I love what I do….” Or we go gaga over them and even worse become envious (again for no reason). This mentality slowly corrupts us leading us to become bitter to the point of losing our self-esteem and wanting to ask ourselves, “Why am I not like them?”

Most people (including myself) are guilty of such acts. Such an act is so human after all. Moreover, our frailties do not end there. The list goes on….If we do not like how a certain individual acts and reacts, we tend to judge him based on our “self-created” standards. Some of us may find an overconfident person as way too cocky or a shy and timid type as way too boring. And if another person exceeds our expectations, we project him as an icon, a hero we look up to- somebody we want ourselves to be.

These biases are probably the influence from the way we were brought up, what was taught at school, what we have assimilated from different cultures, and what we learned from experiences and from people dear to us. But what we should always remember is that we are different individuals. Whatever we think of others, whatever opinions we have on them, they too have their biases towards us. The things, good or bad we think of them, are the same things they think of us.

However we perceive ourselves or other people, saintly or evil-like, there will always be persons willing to accept and love us for what and who we are. We cannot change a person who has comfortably lived many years being him just because he does not abide by the norms dictated by society. In my 30 years of existence on this planet, I have gradually accepted the fact that how a certain individual views himself and others cannot be dictated because he is one special individual.

What’s important is that despite our differences, we have this innate ability to coexist in harmony. We do this by accepting ourselves as what and who we are and other people as they are. Let us think of ourselves and other people as special in our and their own unique way. None of us is alike. We are different individuals. We ought to respect ourselves and others. We ought to respect one’s individuality.