Other? What does that mean? Other means not us—someone different. Someone who does not share common traits, beliefs, locations, or even species. Other is a word that comes up often when people want to judge someone harshly. He has other beliefs. She has other interests. Not ours. Against us. Not with us. These are the connotations associated with the word other.

Other also has another meaning. It can mean not this, but something different—something that is not the usual, the mundane, the status quo. Something other than the way we always do things, say things, or see things. Another alternative.

Other, by its very nature, is controversial. It encourages choice and conscious thought rather than settling for the same. This makes many people nervous—the concept of pushing past the typical way life is lived and exploring other options.

There is yet another way to think of the word other—as more or additional. “There are other people who can do this work,” you might say to a boss, meaning there are additional people to draw from. “We could use other ingredients along with our usual recipe,” a chef might say to an assistant. Other in this case means to add to—to supplement—what is already there. This is not displacement; it’s not either/or, but both—what we have plus other additions as well. This has a positive connotation because it’s inclusive.

Other is a word that makes some people nervous and others happy. It depends on how they interpret its connotation. I think other makes life much more lively. Other means we have choices, help, and options that make everything more colorful.