I am the Kat that Walks By Itself

Groups... are a way of coping with the complexity of life, but when it comes down to it, every action by groups of human beings is really done by individuals within that group. Groups can do nothing, only individuals can act.

Well put. And actually, this is really helpful to me in terms of honoring other people. It's much easier for me to reach out to those different from myself (I mean *really* different, radical variations in culture or upbringings or experiences) when I think of each person as a growing, changing individual.

If I allow myself to think in groups (especially supposed hierarchies of groups, whether those imposed by a majority or those pled for by the obviously disenfranchised), it gets hard to remember that I, too, am a worthwhile human being, and that honoring others need not mean erasing any part of myself.