un-unique and predictable

[unwashed potato!]

after hearing the other day on tv someone insulting the police by saying "you police are all the same" it got me thinking why does being told your not unique annoy us, or is classed as an insult. Now i know the person that said it wouldn't have had much more then 10 brain cells but it is something said by all, "boys are all the same", "your just like your brother/dad/friends etc". so why does it bother us? Police are obviously going to all be the same, not like each police person will be told, ok you'll be the nice one, you'll be the slightly grumpy one, and you'll be the fat lazy dont give a rats ass one

Now also im thinking about a simpsons episode where flanders gets told he is predidlyictable and he gets upset about it, buts whats wrong with that? am i wrong in thinking someone can only become preditable once they have known someone for quite some time and if they have a strong character that stays the same, and is obviously made clear to people otherwise how would they know

so whats your thoughts anyway on why people take being told your un-unique and predictable as an insult

 

[Nix]

Because our culture focuses heavily on self-identity and self-determination with the notions of individuality.

 

[fatiain]

Yes we're all individuals. Just like everyone else.

 

[Aod]

i'm not.

Monty Python +1

 

[fatiain]

i'm not.

Monty Python +1

Shush.

 

[Saberu]

Because of the inference that being the same communicates.

 

[tim_enchanter]

I suppose it's an insult because the suggestion is that you are incapable of doing something original and off your own back/spontaneous.

Most people are predictable in some way or another ( we tend to follow routes/methods we know). But some people are better able to see predicatable behaviour and other don't see it till it hits them in the face.

 

[theleg]

Um...

The phrase 'youre all the same' in such a context would imply, to me at least, that they are all bad...

You police are all the same...Its not a comment about their general uniformity but rather that the speaker believes they are all bad..

Thats how i always interpret it anyway.

 

[Jonny69]

I think it's a stereotyping thing. We all know what stereotypical behaviour belongs to a certain sect can and we like to think we can rise above it. When it's pointed out to us that we are that stereotype it makes us take offence.