psychology

Thoughts on Aspiration

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Aspiration.

It's a funny word, really, not one we use a lot. We talked casually about aspiring to something, having aspiration, but "aspiration" isn't one of those words people use a whole lot. It’s just a funny, useful words that we take out occasionally, like a special tool we use only under certain circumstances.

I've been thinking about this word lately, as I do; language fascinates me. Thinking about it, I realized that what a lot of people actually lack in their careers is aspiration. Maybe one of the reasons we don't use this useful word is because we don't experience what it means very much in our lives.

Aspiration. Aspiring to something. Directing ourselves towards something and hoping to get there. It's really a lovely word.

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Keeping Originality In Perspective

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Last post I explored why people are obsessed with originality to dysfunctional degrees.  I noted that there were factors of individuality, a desire to be industrious, a sense of property, a desire for notoriety, and a focus on making a contribution.  All these factors lead to an emphasis on originality in media work in my opinion.  Let me also note that I think all too often originality gets over emphasized.

Yes, in short I am saying that people and groups and cultures can take an emphasis on originality too far.  That may sound strange, but an obsession with something good does not mean one puts it into practice properly.  I feel fear of unoriginality crushes people's creativity, destroying the very thing they're seeking.

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The Originality Trap: Why We Fear Unoriginality

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Last week I noted that originality didn't always sell for entirely understandable reasons.  This reason was the simple fact that humans socialize via their media choices and interests, and originality did not necessarily play into that.  Sometimes originality produced social bonding, sometime common and derived media did, but the originality's importance was not in its existence, but what it meant for social connection.  Originality just is not as vital as we may think for people's choices, nor is not chosing something original a personal failing.

As I examined the issue of originality I began to wonder why so often creative people obsess over originality.  Why do we fear being unoriginal?  Why do we fear ideas we have are derivative?  Why does the fear of unoriginality cripple some (I'm sure we've ll been there or known someone who has been).  It was worth analyzing.

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