One thing to rule them all, and in the darkness bind them

One....Number One..Only One...oneOneONE!!!!!!!11(minus one)

One this and One that, One kid or one cat(never ends that way with cats though )

One best friend, one favourite color, one favourite food, one true love, one true god oneoneoneoneone

Oi vey! What's with this one thing? Why must there be only one of something important? Why this monopoly of one? Why is it so neccessary that we choose one? This number has seemingly pervaded the entirety of human and nonhuman existence on this planet.. Why are ya'll so compelled, so convinced that you have to choose? That one person is right, one person is wrong, ya have to choose. There are numerous examples of this type of thinking everywhere. Polytheism works, Polyamory works too....in fact at one time these things were vastly more widespread(resists a feminist jab). So where did this whole thing come from and why do so many people adhere to this perceived rule? Is it just a societal thing or what?

Because mainstream religions and schools of thought focus on one god, one person for everyone, one one one. We are socialized into the one mentality.

Because "1" is supposed to be the "best". Me, I've got more than one favorite color, and many other favorite things. I've got more than one best friend too. Having only one is just to denote what is the best. *shrug*

“1” is overrated, but unfortunately that is the mindset of a lot of modern and global society today. Whenever something diverges its consider wrong, unnatural, or something along those lines. That is just the society mindset at the present, though there is no telling were it might be later. I refuse the to accept the idea of the one.

- Earth Listener

Glad to hear I'm not the only one >..> It seems others agree that it is a conditioning thing, how sad.

It would be interesting to see if primarily polytheistic cultures have a "one!" mentality as well. If not that would be evidence supporting socialisation. Not that socialisation makes something bad of course . . . just that some things are not inherent in human genes, but are enduring artefacts from social existence that provide, in some way, some advantage or other.

Aside from social pressures, I think "One!" is an easy thing to believe. It's easier to balance devotion to one thing/idea/place/person than it is to work out how they fit together.

Speaking for myself, a great deal in my life is non-one. Obviously I am a multiple, but aside from that, I'm Northern Irish which means my cultural identity is Northern Irish and British and European and English-Speaker. Other people from the same street as me might have a cultural identity of Irish and American or an identity of African and Ghanan or an identity of British and Chinese or an identity of just Irish or just British or just Northern Irish or just Italian or any number of other combinations. In much of Europe cultural identity is a mix of current national boundaries, plus historical ethnic areas, plus immigration. In parts of Africa it's tribe + country + continent; in parts of the Middle East it's religion + region + country.

So, hmm, while I think in many ways it's easy to be "One!" it's also easy to see oneself, and see other people, as "One!" when in fact they might have a whole host of pluralities in the background.

You bring up some interesting points, Archer. I'll see if I can find anything on the polytheist front.

On a completely unrelated note...I was so hoping this thread was a reference to The Lord of the Rings and not about society <!-- s --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_razz.gif" alt=":P" title="Razz" /><!-- s -->

I couldn't think of anything catchier >..>

On a brief sidenote, LOTR online is going to have a free/premium system soon.