Unpacking Deleuze’s Ideas on Difference and Repetition

By Tintinades – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0

Deleuze’s philosophy is often described as complex, fragmented, and at times almost cryptic.

But at its core, it’s an exploration of how we might think and live differently.

His primary concern isn’t simply what life is, but how it might be.

This is where his revolutionary idea of difference and repetition comes into play.

The Traditional View: Identity as Primary

For much of Western philosophy, identity is the central pillar of existence.

We define ourselves, our world, and our experiences through fixed identities: the self, the other, objects, and so on.

This notion stems from the early works of philosophers like Plato and Aristotle, who believed that we could understand reality through stable, unchanging definitions of things.

For example, what is a chair? A chair is an object meant to support someone sitting—fixed, straightforward.

However, Deleuze turns this logic on its head by proposing that difference, not identity, should be the starting point for understanding the world.

In his view, it is difference that creates identity. This might sound abstract at first, but it has profound implications for how we understand life and how we might choose to live it.

The Ticking Clock: Difference Before Identity

Deleuze’s idea becomes clearer when we look at his famous work Difference and Repetition.

To explain his ideas, imagine a clock. A clock has two parts: the ticking (the repetition of a difference) and the observable time on the face of the clock (the identity of, say, 2:30).

If you ask, “Where did the time come from?”, you might think the answer lies in the numbers on the clock.

But Deleuze argues that the numbers—our experience of time—cannot create the ticking. Instead, the ticking itself creates the moments of time.

In other words, the difference—the ticking—precedes the identities we observe.

Identity emerges from repeated differences.

This is a radically new way of thinking about the world. Deleuze is not interested in static categories or fixed identities. He wants to know how these identities emerge from the fluid and dynamic forces of difference.

In his view, repetition isn’t about mere recurrence of the same thing—it’s about the creation of new things, new identities, through a process of differentiation.

Moving Away from “What Is” to “How Might One Live?”

Deleuze’s philosophy pushes us beyond the traditional “What is?” question.

Instead, he asks, How might one live? This shift in questioning is important because it opens up possibilities for transformation, experimentation, and creativity.

The how in Deleuze’s question points away from a fixed, moralistic approach to life.

Whereas questions like “How should one live?” are concerned with moral norms and external judgments, Deleuze’s question emphasizes the potential for personal transformation.

It suggests that the possibilities for living are open-ended, shaped by our engagement with the world. It is not about adhering to prescribed values but experimenting with new ways of being.

Identity and Multiplicity: The “One” in Deleuze’s Philosophy

Deleuze is also not a philosopher of the “one.”

While traditional philosophy tends to unify concepts under singular terms—whether it’s the soul, the ego, or the essence of a thing—Deleuze embraces multiplicity.

He sees the “one” not as an isolated singularity, but as a combination of many forces, drives, and contradictions.

In his view, there is no “one” self or identity. Instead, we are all multiplicities, formed from various desires, influences, and ideas.

In line with his rejection of unified identity, Deleuze’s philosophy also challenges the notion of a fixed, isolated subject.

Rather than thinking of yourself as a singular, consistent “I,” Deleuze invites you to see yourself as a collection of multiple forces and drives—some in harmony, others in conflict.

This insight leads to a more fluid, dynamic understanding of the self.

A Life of Experimentation: Ethics Beyond Morality

One of the most fascinating aspects of Deleuze’s thought is his concept of ethics, which is not grounded in moral imperatives (“should” or “ought”), but in experimentation.

Deleuze, influenced by philosophers like Spinoza and Nietzsche, suggests that ethics should be about how one might experiment with life, pushing boundaries, and finding new ways of being.

It’s about actively engaging with the world and discovering new modes of being, free from moral constraints.

Deleuze’s work often gets misunderstood as being apolitical, but this misses a crucial point. His philosophy is inherently political because it challenges established norms and encourages a rethinking of how we live together.

His focus on difference, repetition, and experimentation opens up spaces for alternative ways of thinking and acting. The very act of questioning the status quo—of questioning fixed identities and values—has profound political implications.

A Modern Parallel In Literature

A great alternative example that illustrates Gilles Deleuze’s ideas is Haruki Murakami’s novel 1Q84.

This complex and layered story intertwines the lives of two protagonists, Aomame and Tengo, who find themselves in a parallel reality that diverges from their original world.

In 1Q84, Murakami constructs a reality shaped by subtle, recurring differences—echoing Deleuze’s notion that difference generates identity.

The world of 1Q84 is not simply an alternate version of “our” world; it is a world where subtle deviations accumulate to create an entirely new and strange reality.

The repetition of certain motifs, such as the mysterious “Little People” or the enigmatic moons in the sky, creates a sense of evolving distinction.

These recurring elements aren’t static—they introduce new layers of meaning and possibility with each iteration, embodying Deleuze’s concept that repetition is a source of innovation and differentiation.

The characters’ experiences in 1Q84 also reflect Deleuze’s rejection of fixed identities.

Aomame and Tengo undergo transformations that reveal their multiplicities. They are not singular, unchanging selves; instead, they are shaped and reshaped by their encounters, desires, and the strange differences of the parallel world they inhabit.

Their journey is not about finding one ultimate truth or fixed identity, but about navigating a fluid, ever-changing existence.

A Story From Everyday Life

Jade had always been an artist who sought perfection. Every brushstroke on her canvas had to align with some invisible standard.

“What is the right way to paint this?” she would ask, staring at the blank space as if an answer would fall from the sky. But one day, something shifted.

It began when I shared an idea with her—Deleuze’s thought that difference, not sameness, is the heart of creation.

I told her about his belief that repetition isn’t about copying but discovering something new each time, and how identities and answers emerge only when we embrace the chaos of the process.

She listened quietly.

One evening, I found her in her studio, surrounded by half-finished works. But this time, she wasn’t staring at her canvas with confusion.

She was painting with layering colors, scraping them off, and layering them again.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“Trying something new,” she said, grinning. “I’m not painting an image anymore. I’m painting what happens when I stop asking for one.”

She repeated shapes and colors, but never the same way twice.

Each layer seemed to both hide and reveal, creating a living, breathing composition that felt more alive than anything she’d painted before.

Her strokes seemed almost chaotic at first glance, but as you looked closer, patterns began to emerge—unexpected harmonies of color, jagged contrasts that somehow sang together.

The painting wasn’t a “perfect” landscape or portrait; it was a testament to the process of becoming, of allowing difference to shape the final image.

When she finished, Jade stood back and said, “This is it.”

Watching her work that night, I understood Deleuze’s philosophy in a new way.

It wasn’t just about abstract ideas or metaphysical principles—it was here, alive on Jade’s canvas.

She had embraced the multiplicity of creation, letting repetition guide her, not as a loop but as a spiral leading her somewhere new.

The painting now hangs in her studio. It’s untitled, but when I look at it, I think of one phrase: The Canvas of Difference.

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