That the world is marked by deep differences of all kinds—cultural, linguistic, religious—is a fact, one we might even take for granted. What is not so obvious, however, is the ability of many of us humans to accept this reality. Ethnocentrism is a widespread "disease" that affects much of our species, and the tendency to label everything that is different as "wrong" or even "dangerous" often leads to an aggressive attitude, one that excludes others—those who are not like "us." But are we so sure that "we" are the same? Today, there is a lot of talk about "identity," but have we ever really thought about what this word means? Being identical is not even possible for twins; no one is identical to another, yet we continue to invoke "our" identity. Without even realizing that, if anything, we consider ourselves similar precisely because there is diversity. Every "us" is based on a "them," both of which are often arbitrary. Learning to reflect on the causes of humanity’s diversity is fundamental to understanding the concept of culture. It is culture that makes us human and allows us to live; without culture, we would not only cease to be human, we simply would not exist.
