[analogZero]

adaptation
one of the most steadfast characterisitics of any human is that they will adapt to their environment. In fact this can be said of many species. It's known as a survival mechanism, and though some people may act on it unconsciously, it's what makes many situations tolerable. you may not like work or the people there, but you can adapt to your surroundings to make it more suitable (or quit, haha). You may make more friends at school if you're more similar to them. I'm not talking flakes that try to be something they're not. But, for instance, I smoked a lot of pot when I was younger, and it could more than likely be attributed to the fact that everyone around me did too. in certain circumstances we can become something we're not. However, when I gave it up, I was the only one to do so. Yet I didn't lose a single friend over it.
As a counter, it's also true that we constantly shift ourselves to create our own individuality. Even going so far as to rebel against what we've been taught to be true. For instance my taste in music has shifted in it's primary over the years. As a boy I used to listen to a lot of my dad's tapes. By the 90's I was listening to grunge and garage stuff, most likely due to the fact that it was popular then. but could that be excused by the fact that it was dominant and therefore I was more exposed to it? Later I listened to rap almost all the time, and though I still do today, I'd say it's a minority in my playlist.
Homeostasis and transistasis: anybody seen evangelion? probably where most of us would've heard of it. one is a marker of change, while the other is a marker of how we stay the same. There's an infinite amount of possibilities, and a equal amount of influences that can change us. but while we may stay the same, we are also subject to change. did you know that over the course of 3 years all cells in the human body are replaced thereby making it completely recomposed of different materials, while retaining the same semblance? 3 years ago I was completely different matter, but am I all that different?
the question remains though. If I were to be cloned as a baby and raise in this day, would I turn out the same?