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You cannot hide from yourself, no matter how hard you try. The concept of individualism stems from individuality: You have a certain history, personality, physiology, and psychology (and probably a few other "ology"s) that are completely and utterly your own. This combination makes you a unique individual.

Once in a while, you'll find someone who looks a lot like you, or shares the same type of humor, or has the same peculiar talent, but there's no escaping the fact that all of us are individuals, even if you do your best to follow the crowd. It's that whole "no two snow flakes are alike" thing. You are also socially independent enough to think, feel, and act however you see fit, whether you really want to or not.

== The Past ==

Experience is one of the biggest contributors to individualism, and comes from a variety of different occurrences in your everyday life: Learning right from wrong, getting along with siblings, making friends and enemies, learning which foods you don't like, study habits, peer pressure, accepting or rejecting advice, relationships, family, travel - all of these experiences coagulate over time, creating the person you are today, right now.

It doesn't stop, either, because life is constant. You may not feel different tomorrow, or next week, or next year, but you are evolving, adding more to your history. The more experiences you have, the more memories you add to your mental library.

Over time, this personal history is combined with the wisdom you've acquired on certain subjects, and this combination allows you to question why, for instance, you may have been so eager to follow the herd when you were younger. It also lets you question your own tastes, and possibly try a new flavor, visit a new destination, or attempt a new style that may take you further from the huddled masses, but will always transport you towards your own individual likes and dislikes. As we grow older, we learn more about ourselves, sometimes even without trying.

== The Body ==

Another inescapable part of our individuality is our physical being. This is less likely to have an impact, since most of us are born with the same basic bodies. Unfortunately, defects, injuries, and ailments do occur, and sometimes these circumstances are life altering, demanding that we change the way we think about, view, and live our lives. Sometimes these changes are temporary - other times, they stick around.

Having said that, there are plenty of stories about people overcoming

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