theEsco: March 2008

Being Different vs. Being Original

+ Tuesday, March 18, 2008 //

I thought of this example the other day. And something came up which reminded me of it. It almost frustrates me, because of people who choose to be different, and then claim it makes them unique, or original. The example is this:
A set of twins, are out shopping with their parents.
They are going to be getting the same shirt, but there is only 2 colors.
One child, the one wishing to be different, waits to find out which color the sibling will pick, and then chooses the other color, thinking that this somehow makes him different.

The problem with the example is this. The choice is not an original choice. It is reactionary. This doesn't make the child unique, or original. This is common; people go against the grain of society, or against what the current craze is. Its just a rebellion reaction to the bandwagon. I really don't like when people go against the bandwagon just for the sake of it. Just cuz they want to be different. It just puts them in the other bandwagon labeled "Bandwagon haters"

What is more important is that people live from the heart.
For example, the child choosing the color shirt, should choose the color he likes most, no matter what anybody else says or does. If he chooses the color that is different of his own accord, not simply as a reaction to everybody else, then he is really being original.

I would much rather people just be real and honest. If u like something that is different, then live it, and don't be ashamed. And if u like something that happens to be a trend, thats fine too. Just don't live as a reaction to what everybody else does. Simply rebelling against the popular, is just as bad as going along with the popular. It doesn't say anything about who you are, other than you make your decisions based on whats cool or not cool. That includes those who choose to be 'not cool' because they think 'trying to be cool' is uncool.

Frankly being cool in my opinion is being yourself. Unfortunately even that phrase "being yourself" has become something that is cool, and now people claim to be themselves even though most of their decisions are still a reaction to whats current.

I hope all that makes sense.

Labels: anthropology, original, unique