Belonging to a category that aligns with our culture, language, and values provides relief and happiness.
Categories serve as a defense mechanism against the fear of disappearance by creating a sense of belonging and recognition amidst existential dread.
Deep dives
The Desire for Similarity and Belonging
Humans have a natural inclination to be among people who are like them. In the story, an Indian man named Iggie creates an all-Indian retirement community in Florida, where people can be surrounded by their own culture. This desire for similarity and belonging is not limited to race or religion but extends to various aspects of life, including language, values, and beliefs. People in the community express their relief and happiness in being among people who understand and accept them. The need for belonging is so strong that it overrides financial concerns and the challenging housing market, emphasizing the importance of finding one's category.
The Search for Wholeness
Aristophanes' story about the origin of love highlights the inherent longing for completeness. The story mentions the children of the moon, sun, and earth who were split into halves and forever search for their other halves. However, it also acknowledges a fourth sex, the children of the dirt, who remained incomplete and did not have another half. This resonates with people who feel alone and different, as the story offers a sense of relief by placing them in a category with others who share the same experience. It suggests that being part of a category, even if it is one of loneliness, provides a certain level of comfort and understanding.
The Impact of Mortality Salience
Existential dread and the awareness of one's mortality lead people to seek out their own categories. When individuals contemplate their own death, they gravitate towards people who are similar to them and show preference for their own culture, language, and values. This tendency is driven by the desire to create a sense of significance and enduring identity amidst the inevitability of death. Categories serve as a defense mechanism against the fear of disappearing by offering a sense of belonging and recognition.
The Changing Nature of Categories
The effect of categories is not constant and can evolve over time. Simon Rich, the author of the story, experienced a shift in his perception of the children of the dirt category after finding love and forming a happy relationship. He no longer identifies with the sense of loneliness and longing conveyed in the story. This highlights that people's categorization and need for similarity can change depending on their personal circumstances and emotional state.
The Power Of Categories examines how categories define us — how, if given a chance, humans will jump into one category or another. People need them, want them. The show looks at what categories provide for us, and you'll hear about a person caught between categories in a way that will surprise you. Plus, a trip to a retirement community designed to help seniors revisit a long-missed category.