But you are Blanche... you are!

My friend Matt Duke recently asked me in IM, “Do you think I’m unique looking?”

“Huh”… was my response. That took me by surprise.

“I want your honest, objective opinion.” He said.

So I thought about it. Unique. Hmm. What makes someone unique looking? I deconstructed the elements of his face. His nose, eyes, mouth, ears, jaw line, and hair. Were any of his parts particularly unique? No. None were large or crooked or mis-shapen. Nothing that stood out from regular ol’ parts.

But then I considered his face as a whole. And ran through my database of faces. I couldn’t think of anyone else I’d ever met that looked like Matt or resembled Matt. No one I’d met and no one I’d seen on TV or such.

So I told him that. “I’d say yes…you are unique looking because I don’t know anyone else that looks like you.”

But then I thought to myself…everyone I know doesn’t look like anyone else I know. So I guess EVERYONE is unique looking. Which, then makes it seem less valuable. But even though we may know someone who “resembles” someone we know – we really don’t know ANYONE that looks exactly like someone (identical twins are the exception and even then…there are some differences). I think, in the spectrum of things like animals, flowers, plants, fish… where we see so much "identicality"… isn’t it FASCINATING that the majority of human beings have unique faces.

Thanks nature. That’s pretty cool.