Humans spend half of their lives figuring out how to fit in. Secretly, we all desire, no believe, that we are different. While on a cosmic level that is true, but universally we are more alike than we are different, as the findings from human genome projects discovered. Humans are 99.9% similar; our differences are genetically small.

kids are different
Most children are not self aware. They have not lived long enough to observe the various impact that differences make on humans. Children “see” differences, but they have not lived long enough to apply a point system to those differences. Thus, children cannot “see” themselves with their uniquenesses as adults do. One reason those over 18 years of age enjoy watching a child is because children are unique, different. Children allow the .1% of their genetic make-up rule their world Conversely, adults view differences in people through lenses clouded with prejudices, conformities, mores, and judgement. But they observe a child as nothing but a child.
at school
School is where students begin applying boundaries to place their peers in different categories. Those boundaries are learned through family interaction, by way of tradition media (TV), because of social media, and through observation.

As much as we do not want to be like everybody else…we do not want to be that different.