Ward,

<<
 Without some common basis in a shared human psychology, it seems to me we
 human beings would have no real way of empathizing or connecting enough to
 be able to understand each other at all in the first place. >>

Absolutely this has been my experience.  Recognizing the commonalities that do
exist in reality between different people is not generalization.  There are
types of people that are as apparent as trees, and yet each person is an
individual, a unique self.

I think when people are afarid of being generalized into natural categories,
it is like a birch tree refusing to be labeled a birch tree.  Perhaps that
birch tree lacks self-identification, and thus reacts against labelling, ot
perhaps they are paranoid about people knowing that they are a birch tree, and
thus having insider information.  Of course, if the birch tree had a strong
self-identification, they would say, "sure, i don't mind being called a birch
tree, i am a birch tree, but i'm me, and there is no other birch tree like
me."

Delving into the commonalities allows us to understand the individuals, and
allows us to connect to and understand aspects of our self.  It is entirely
positive in my experience, as long as one uses that knowledge positively.

aaron