Difference in thought: It’s a good thing

What if every person thought the same things and had the same ideas?

Wars would not be fought, no political disputes would ever arise, and arguments over what flavor of ice cream is best would cease to exist. These are all good things, of course.

As for negative consequences, I can think of just a couple, but they’re quite significant: the loss of every entrepreneur and Nobel Prize winner throughout time, and what separates man from ape. It’s losing the ability to think independently.

Let’s try an exercise. I want you to try and think of all the thoughts you have per day. This, of course is quite impossible, because even if you could diagram out every conscious thought you had in 24 hours, there are still millions of involuntary thoughts that cross your mind.

These unconscious thoughts include the nervous twitch in your leg, the ability to type without looking, and even breathing. If each of us had the exact same thoughts, both conscious and involuntary, we would all do the exact same things, at the exact same time of day, in the exact same manner. We would all be exact copies of each other and our thoughts would mirror our next-door neighbors.

Another consequence might be that nothing new would ever be created. If our thoughts started reflecting each other’s this very instant, a new iPhone would never be produced, a hover board would never defy gravity, nor would another cookie ever be baked.

In short, humans would lack the ability to think for themselves, and therefore lack the ability to think of something new.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that everyone has a different point of view. This little characteristic defines who we are, and how we do things.

Deborah Johnston is a sophomore at Susitna Valley Jr./Sr. School. She enjoys sports, volunteering, and excelling academically. She is also a member of Business Professionals of America, Peer Helpers and Moose Club.