The "I want to be different" mentality

[Alex K]

That was perhaps the best thing about my experiences in the military -- it taught me how to fold myself into a team while at the same time maintaining my individuality.

Interesting.

You know, I grew up in a village of 500 people, and there were 5 other kids my age. When I first came to a big city, in my case Frankfurt or so, but way worse in NYC much later, I got a sort of feeling of existential dread, and I still do sometimes, that I am one of millions of people who all claim, same as me, to have complex inner lives, cherished memories, feelings that they associate with things, ideas, ambitions, a way they see the world, personal stories just as important to them as mine are ro myself. I literally cannot process this fact, and I long to be unusual in some ways to compensate.