Discerning our differences may be the quintessential trait of human beings, but it need not be our primary obsession. There's zero chance that the human race will ever suffer from "sameness" -- there's considerable chance that we will be challenged for our spot at the top of the pyramid of life by other species--some of which are becoming sentient--and some of which are molecular. I think your reference to reincarnation is an interesting observation.

While I was raised a Christian and a Catholic, years ago I explored other religious philosophies, and I have a "tongue-in-cheek" belief in the survival of the human soul, the return of the spirit in new bodies. It's hard to learn the lessons of life in one span of years.

I believe the web of life is filled with entities small and great who have a bit of the Divine Spark that is both life and sentience. (Sometimes I speculate about the possibility that the real pinnacle of sentient being here is our planet, and not its inhabitants. It's a humbling thought.)