Living In Between

After having recently listented to a RadioLab Podcast entitled "Invisibilia", I was struck by the important role that classifications play in our lives. This episodes follows a genderfluid individual who randomly vacillates between feeling psychologically male and female. While these unpredictable psychological shifts are undeniably stressful, the protagonist of this podcast asserts that the most difficult aspect of this condition is having no clear classification, precedent or diagnosis by which to measure this experience. 

It is not surprising that as social creatures, human beings have an intrinsic need to fit in and belong. However, most people would be surprised to realize just how often they rely on various internalized role-models, whether professional, racial, gender, ethnic, or other, to steer and anchor the various experiences of their lives. In fact, some would argue that this social comparison is, in part, what gives life context, if not meaning. 

But what if there was no prototype, no role-model and no guidelines to help guide one's experiences? While some may feel that this type of uncharted existence allows for a more natural, unanchored experience of life that is free from expectations, few would disagree that having a set of guidelines makes the inherent uncertainty of life much more manageable.