Friday, October 2, 2009

Influence & Originality. -[WBP]

Influence: the capacity or power of persons or things to be a compelling force on or produce effects on the actions, behavior, opinions, etc.

What starts it all? Your interests, hobbies, actions. Whatever it is, chances are that you were influence by someone, or something. Influence is a heavy power that people take for granted. People can start taking drugs, listen to new genres of music, find new hobbies, etc., all through the power of influence. So what influences people? The media, friends, the environment? Anything can influence somebody.

Influence is the power that basically determines a persons' life. So, I wonder, if a person is influenced by everything around them, where does originality come from? How does it start if everything you do is based off another thing? What actions are really yours without any sort of influence? Where does originality begin in a world filled with influence?

This all leads to the main question, what is originality? Does it really exist? Honestly, I'm not so sure anymore. I think that everything you do is based off some sort of influence, whether it is obvious or not. I mean I suppose, for example, you write an essay on a certain topic for school. Your writing is yours right? Original. Well, is it really? I mean you could have been influenced by an author of a book you read to write the way you do. This type of influence is not so direct, but it's still not 100% your own writing.

I guess this only means that the only originality came from the first people on earth. The people who had nothing to influence them, their thoughts were their own, their actions, their likes and dislikes were all based off their own true feelings. Nobody else's. I guess this was true originality, this was real freedom. The power to think on your own, and act on your own.

I don't know. These are all just thoughts. Maybe I'm over-looking something really obvious.
Leave a comment on your thoughts of this?
Also, what are some of your major influences in life?

-Alvin

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