What is the point of winning if you change everything about yourself to win? If your identity is so 'open' and 'fluid', is it even an identity? Is the goal of individuals, societies and civilizations to 'stand out' or to 'fit in'? Are there any sacred limits to change? Relative universality vs Absolutist identitarianism. That is the philosophical debate underpinning the inter-generation conflict in the galactic war in "Consider Plebas", the first novel in the Culture series by *Iain M. Banks*. I found myself reflecting on how these philosophical ideas relate to the conflicts and relationships between groups in real life; there were many connections to be found at different level of politics and society.