How Can Many Be One?

How can many be one? How can things that are identical also be different? The answer comes from understanding patterns that repeat themselves, also known as fractals [1].

Imagine that you're at a movie theater with seats lined up in rows:

             Row 5:    1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9    10

             Row 4:    1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9    10

             Row 3:    1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9    10

             Row 2:    1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9    10

             Row 1:    1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9    10

All seats numbered 7 are identical because they're all seat 7, but they're different because they're in different rows. So things that are identical can also be different.

Another way to say it is that all seats numbered 7 are exactly the same, they're all one seat 7. But there are many seat 7's. So one can be many, and many can be one.

Let's say you wanted to identify a specific seat, you could say Row 3 - Seat 7, so everyone would know exactly which seat 7 you're referring to. Or you could name each seat 7 a different name:

             Row 5:    1    2    3    4    5    6    Ron     8    9    10

             Row 4:    1    2    3    4    5    6    Pam    8    9    10

             Row 3:    1    2    3    4    5    6    Tim     8    9    10

             Row 2:    1    2    3    4    5    6    Sue     8    9    10

             Row 1:    1    2    3    4    5    6    Sam    8    9    10

Tim is Seat 7, specifically, he's Seat 7 in Row 3. Now Ron, Pam, Tim, Sue and Sam are all seat 7's - so they're all identical, they're all one - yet they're different because they're in different rows.

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1. Fractal. www.wikipedia.org. Accessed Feb 21, 2014.

Copyright © 2014, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.