Title: A Scientific Explanation of Danny Taylor (by Martin F.)

Summary: Martin writes an essay about Danny

Rating: G

Disclaimer: I don't own Without a Trace

AN: This is a flow of consciousness so it might not be very coherent by then again, I don't think Martin can be coherent about Danny no matter how hard he tries

A Scientific Explanation of Danny Taylor (by Martin Fitzgerald)

I'm writing this for people like me. People who aren't used to Danny because he's so open; so exotic; the opposite of everything we've grown up with. Danny is like a force of nature but it can be explained using psychology. It's as simple as this: Danny is part of a collectivist society.

Cubans by nature ARE a collectivist society, which is the complete opposite of people like me who grow up in such an individualistic society, alone. In a collectivist society they don't see themselves as individuals: they're part of community, a community that shares everything.

So even though Danny lives and works in a place where most of the population is individualistic, he still manages to surround himself with a community to care for: his co-workers; the people from his apartment; his friends. It's how he lives and no matter where he is or who he's with, he still acts as though we're part of his community:

He has NO idea of a concept called 'personal space' because in a collectivist society there isn't such a thing. NOTHING is personal.

He'll share anything: you can take a sip of his coffee, you can use his computer, you could even ask for his tie and he'd give you it no questions asked. You could even take money from his wallet without asking and he wouldn't even bat an eyelid.

Mind you, it goes two ways though. He'll use your shoulder as a pillow to fall asleep, he'll share you food and while it may mean the world to you, it's the normal for him.

And being part of collectivist society gives him certain psychic powers, empathic powers. He can read people as easy as I can read a book. He knows how people are feeling because that's his culture. They know about feelings. They talk about and understand them. They spend their whole lives around people who feel. They don't hide or repress them.

But the big thing, the WORST thing about Danny being who he is is that it's bad for him to be alone. He has no purpose unless he's serving the community. He lives for others, but not himself. He doesn't like himself when he's alone and he doesn't realise that we do. And it's not in our nature to tell him.

Danny is a breath of fresh air but it's also heartbreaking to know him too. He MAKES you feel, but at the same time he feels with such a passion that when he's hurting you feel it too, and that reminds you not to feel.

Danny needs someone to love him because he has the ability to love everyone but himself. But we're living in an individualistic society; a self-serving, selfish, economy-based society which has forgotten how to care. And even if we do love, we don't know how to show it.

FIN