We love statistics. We don't want to take the time to look at each person for who they are, or what their special circumstances may be: we have polls like "do you approve of abortion in cases of rape?" without allowing qualifying statements like "only as long as it's medically necessary." Who cares? Nobody!
You are a statistic. You fit into a grid somewhere, possibly a large one if the statistician is bored enough to look at you from several angles at once. Otherwise, you appear in several smaller grids, your preferences and attributes disconnected, disembodied.
Nevermind that I'm the safe driver that pisses everyone off by going at or below the speed limit, or that I make sure everyone has their seat-belts fastened before I engage the automatic transmission in the four-banger, four-door family sedan I drive. Statistically, I'm at a high risk for accident, and should pay the price of my lack of old age.
But I shouldn't complain too much: when I switch insurance companies, my medical rates will be significantly lower than my girl-friend's. We don't smoke or drink, but she's a woman. Her rates will be higher, as she's expected to see the doctor for all sorts of breast exams, pap smears, etc. It makes sense, doesn't it, for her to pay more?
Still, we are statistics. Every time information is reduced to a summary, something precious is lost. Profiling can harm: if you grow up in a high-risk neighborhood, you may see yourself harassed by the local police, sure that you're part of a gang. You live there, after all. Everyone else is a gang member. You must be too. Or maybe it harms the rest of us: some moron's parents are rich, famous, and mildly smart; obviously, he's assumed to have the same bright future ... and money may be wasted on him that could have been more effectively used elsewhere.
Fight for your individuality. Fight to be known for who you are. Fight to know those around you for who they are, and respect them for every facet of their being.
