Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Everyone thinks they are 'unique', and play up their individual 'personality', but it seems I mean 'clones' of people I know, or 'types' every day. Every time I meet a new person, I just think how they remind me of such and such. It just seems that people really aren't AS unique as they seem, and can broadly be divided into personality types, cultural types, gendered thinkers, ethnic thinkers - all based on perceived identity.
Without sounding hypocritical I feel I'm more individual than average. I've done things that very few people my age have done, I often have very original insights, and oftentimes I feel I can't totally relate to other people. I'm not special or anything - I know plenty like me, but I've also had negative experiences nobody else seems to have. Even being the only Australian to post with any regularity in the City data US section (perhaps talking out of my arse too lol) kinda demonstrates this.
Anyway, do you think it's true that we over-value our individuality? Mostly, we're just told what to think and we don't TRULY take a look at what we think, or the values and assumptions we hold, and question them. We identify us by a collection of labels, but there are probably others who identify themselves with the same labels. Some people seem defined by being female, black, atheist, liberal, Republican, an animal lover, a mother...I see myself as an individual first, an expression of being, who has to wear many hats and play many roles. I've never embraced any one label to any great degree, although some might describe me as a romantic, determinist, idealist, artist...
Also, how truly individual do you see yourself?
I do actually think most people are like clones, many similar thoughts, mindset and ideas - I almost can predict what there going to say or come out with - Opinions are contrived, copied from others, lacking in any real insight, or originality.
I think the vast majority of people thoughts, ideas, mindset are just derived from a small percentage of genuine original thinker.
There is a real lack of original thinkers out there - Just clone like college graduates, clone like corporate employees, clone like people who watch tv.
Young kids are notorious for asking question after question. (To the annoyance of their parents.)...But after awhile the questions stop. Kids want to "fit-in" and eventually succumb to peer pressure as they grow older...It's not "cool" to be viewed as a "brain." Or a "nerd."...Groups have "leaders" but most kids (and even adults) are "followers" longing for acceptance...Longing for a sense of belonginess...Independent thinking is a "risky venture" within the framework of a group or social circle or setting...As a child I learned that I had to stay alone most of the time in order to hold-on to my "free mind."...Anytime I hung-out with a group of friends there was pressure to conform and be like everyone else...Through the years I just got used to "going it alone" most of the time to protect and preserve my ability to "think freely."....It can be a lonely life at times but I guess I've just made it my "norm." Thank goodness I'm friends with a few people who enjoy thinking "outside the box" too. I see and talk to my friends every so often. (So I'm not totally and completely "all alone" all the time. Just most of the time!)
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
24,544 posts, read 56,303,974 times
Reputation: 11862
Quote:
Originally Posted by mikeyking
I do actually think most people are like clones, many similar thoughts, mindset and ideas - I almost can predict what there going to say or come out with - Opinions are contrived, copied from others, lacking in any real insight, or originality.
I think the vast majority of people thoughts, ideas, mindset are just derived from a small percentage of genuine original thinker.
There is a real lack of original thinkers out there - Just clone like college graduates, clone like corporate employees, clone like people who watch tv.
Same goes for anything, really. Fashion, art...you name it. That's why it's so easy to dictate people's thinking. People can't even see how the powers that be are moulding their thinks. It seems 'critical thinking' is brain-dumped the minute they get their high school diploma or university degree.
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
24,544 posts, read 56,303,974 times
Reputation: 11862
Quote:
Originally Posted by CArizona
Young kids are notorious for asking question after question. (To the annoyance of their parents.)...But after awhile the questions stop. Kids want to "fit-in" and eventually succumb to peer pressure as they grow older...It's not "cool" to be viewed as a "brain." Or a "nerd."...Groups have "leaders" but most kids (and even adults) are "followers" longing for acceptance...Longing for a sense of belonginess...Independent thinking is a "risky venture" within the framework of a group or social circle or setting...As a child I learned that I had to stay alone most of the time in order to hold-on to my "free mind."...Anytime I hung-out with a group of friends there was pressure to conform and be like everyone else...Through the years I just got used to "going it alone" most of the time to protect and preserve my ability to "think freely."....It can be a lonely life at times but I guess I've just made it my "norm." Thank goodness I'm friends with a few people who enjoy thinking "outside the box" too. I see and talk to my friends every so often. (So I'm not totally and completely "all alone" all the time. Just most of the time!)
If there were no original thinkers, we probably wouldn't even have discovered how to make fire.
I think it depends on where and how people grow up towards how "individual" they may actually be. Many people actually, don't really care about being unique, because they crave to fit into certain social circles much more. Normal people don't like to feel left out, too different, and isolated... which are quite the opposite characteristics needed to be unique and a leader, or just, different.
Personally, I'm an individual based on where I've grown up and been. I have never personally met another legally Deaf young adult, that is an atheist, relies on human speech instead of ASL to communicate, dislikes parties, alcohol and anything ill-related, but is nice, and shy. I have chatted with other Deaf people, and although I have noticed many Deaf people are actually non-religious, many of them have grown up around Deaf people, in Deaf communities, are social as far as Deaf people can be social, and besides their hearing loss, are much more like a normal human being, but I have not personally met any, nor will I ever probably will. Not because I won't even fit in, most likely, but because I will also not share their interests, just like I don't with the average population.
But in a sense, I think there are distinct differences between an individual and unique personality. Because EVERYONE is an individual, regardless of how similar many may seem, still, we all know no two people are completely alike. And uniqueness is those small things that separate us from those around us.
Same goes for anything, really. Fashion, art...you name it. That's why it's so easy to dictate people's thinking. People can't even see how the powers that be are moulding their thinks. It seems 'critical thinking' is brain-dumped the minute they get their high school diploma or university degree.
Perhaps the internet is one of the problems - I notice people talking in depth about something as if they know all about the subject - when in reality all they have done is read about it - and you know exactly what websites they have been to, just by the way there talking.
Perhaps all the knowledge at your fingertips - stops critical thinking, and directs us to the easiest source of information.
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
24,544 posts, read 56,303,974 times
Reputation: 11862
Quote:
Originally Posted by mikeyking
Perhaps the internet is one of the problems - I notice people talking in depth about something as if they know all about the subject - when in reality all they have done is read about it - and you know exactly what websites they have been to, just by the way there talking.
Perhaps all the knowledge at your fingertips - stops critical thinking, and directs us to the easiest source of information.
Lol...how else can we know about the 99% of things we never learn first hand?
You look at questions people ask in yahoo answers. Ten people giving the same answer.
Maybe yes...the paradox is that information is easier than ever to access so we no longer feel to need to be 'knowledgeable' which is sad.
Despite all this knowledge the amount of ignorance is startling.
Lol...how else can we know about the 99% of things we never learn first hand?
You look at questions people ask in yahoo answers. Ten people giving the same answer.
Maybe yes...the paradox is that information is easier than ever to access so we no longer feel to need to be 'knowledgeable' which is sad.
Despite all this knowledge the amount of ignorance is startling.
I notice it everywhere, in the workplace especially people use words, terminology, and talk about things - they present a knowledge of things - but when questioned further they back off, or they can't be specific, just rhetoric. More like Armchair experts everywhere these days - who hide behind jargon, rhetoric and words - Who lack genunine ability and intelligence, and are more about pretense. The internet/education system is feeding this mindset.
We are all familiar with experts in one area, that is so much of a niche, no one else knows about, so they seem very clever - but then struggle to complete fairly simple activities.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
