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While I agree that we are all unique individuals, I do not think this constitutes the argument that “none of us on this planet are made the same way.” I think a more appropriate statement might be that most healthy individuals have the same fundamental organs, but that our genetics, our environments, and our experiences shape us to react in different ways. This generalization attempts to acknowledge the commonalities between humans, but also recognizes that no two people are identical in how they react to a situation.

In a similar vein, I think it’s important to be aware of how small genetic differences can have huge impacts on anatomy, physiology, and more abstractly, behavior. Humans are currently thought to share approximately 94% of the same genes as chimpanzees. Clearly that 6% difference makes a huge impact. Seeing as humans are more similar to one another than to chimpanzees, we must share an even larger amount of the same DNA within our species. When thinking about medication, doctors should therefore be able to predict the relative effectiveness of treatments and medications. Of course, differences are seen with some people. For example, some medications warn that after taking the pills the person may experience headache, nausea, upset stomach, etc. Obviously these side effects do not occur in all people nor do they occur at the same level of severity.

DSM classifications also leave some room for classification. In schizophrenia, for example, patients exhibit a variety of symptoms—some have delusions while others experience hallucinations. However, their similarity in other behaviors leads to the diagnosis of schizophrenia. Thus while we like to think of ourselves as individuals who are unlike any other person, we must also remember that our genetic similarities are what keep ultimately unite us.