Venting about society

"Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation."


--Oscar Wilde


I think Mr. Wilde undoubtedly very wise. There is very little left in this world of originality. We see movie after movie with the same plot and we read book after book with the same story. We see styles or ideas we like in other people, and we adopt them ourselves. In essence, each individual is a walking conglomeration of somebody else’s thoughts, ideas, and beliefs. It is said that mimicry is the sincerest form of flattery, so why do we get so upset when someone imitates us? People enjoy saying their original, or that they were the "first" to do or say something. Everybody wants to be a trend-setter, but we like to be in control of who follows that trend. We build on top of what our predecessors have already done. As children we frequently hear the term "copycat", and I can't remember a time when that term wasn't derogatory. The same idea seems to hide behind diferent expressions. Interesting how the world continues to turn and two things rarely change. The first being pride, and the second being hypocrisy.