I like to imagine the Dalai Lama and George W. Bush getting stuck in a hotel room together. They'd probably have a wonderful time. We tend to assume that soci

I like to imagine the Dalai Lama and George W. Bush getting stuck in a hotel room together. They'd probably have a wonderful time. We tend to assume that social relations are built on sameness, but people who can't build relationships without sharing every experience and attitude down to the last concrete detail are only one step more socially advanced than people who fail to build relationships at all. People who like to conform and be tribal have no need for the ability to find commonality across a superficial divide, but for weirdos, it's an essential skill. (Which I lack completely, of course, but here's to trying.)