The Belonging Paradox

To be like everyone else and to be unique: these conflicting forces to both assimilate and to stand out have operated within us since childhood. They are impulses that exist in each of us, reflective of our human nature. Everyone is born with a unique fingerprint. We possess external and internal qualities that make each of us unique and special. At the same time, humans are social animals, with a biological and evolutionary tendency to belong to groups. We live with perpetual tension, striving to establish our uniqueness at the same time as trying to fit in. This important and timely book explores how balance can be achieved and the importance of such balance at every level of humanity-from the personal to the organizational to the global. Individuals, communities, organizations and societies who manage this tension in an effective and conscious way will benefit and experience both the pleasures of belonging and the personal expression of each of the individuals. Moreover, the balance between belonging and personal expression is the key to sustainability and prosperity-a phenomenon that this book describes as Unique Belonging.