#originality

[transgwender616]

Do you ever think something you think is an original thought only to find out it's been said dozens of times before you were even born?

[ancient-whimsy]

[kewpiette]

8. How do you describe yourself in three words?

original, intuitive, and introspective

♡ Original, because of my creativity, inspiring others, and not following the mainstream. I don't let opinions affect myself or my choices. I don't mind being disliked, because I know I'm true to myself. I steer clear of people who can't think for themselves.

♡ Intuitive, since unfortunately I'm usually proven right about situations in the long run. I also spot when someone has a fake personality (before people find out the hard way). As I've gotten older, I can notice a phony quicker than I used to. Growing up, I sometimes wouldn't get the gut feeling about a "friend" until after getting to know them well enough.

♡ Introspective. I work hard to be self-aware and have a deep understanding of myself and the world. I always think about the why of things, not letting it leave my mind until I can make sense of it.

[newgirldark]

“Being different makes those uncomfortable who survive by copying.” — @newgirldark

[domusregni]

From the Heart to the Feed: What Luxury 'Dupes' Tell Us About Our Starvation for Authenticity

Ever since the inception of social media, we have witnessed a quiet, tragic transformation. A profound human gift—the act of charity—has been systematically hijacked, commodified, and turned into a commercial appeal designed to promote corporate brands, personal profiles, and organizational metrics.

True altruism has lost its meaning, replaced by an era of algorithmic optimization.

The Gimmick of Performative Kindness

We have all seen the videos: a high-definition camera tracking a creator handing a thick stack of cash or a meal to someone experiencing homelessness. The music swells, the creator smiles warmly for the thumbnail, and the caption begs for likes, shares, and subscriptions.

It is no longer a good deed; it is a calculated marketing ploy designed to farm social proof and manufacture a chance at virality.

Society has noticed. We have reached a tipping point where the collective response to these productions is no longer a warmed heart, but a collective eye-roll. Audiences are turning away, dismissing these displays as:

Fake productions: Manufactured scenarios that exploit vulnerable people for views.

Cheap attention: Clout-chasing disguised as benevolence.

"Lame-framed" content: A modern term for a transparently manufactured narrative.

In short: we are entirely onto the gimmick.

The Power of a Secret Good Deed

This cultural fatigue isn't new; it is a rejection of a flaw in human nature that ancient wisdom warned us about long ago. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus addresses this exact performance, reminding us how to preserve the true integrity of doing good:

"So that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you openly." — Matthew 6:4 (NIV)

When we modernize this text for today’s landscape, the intent is clear: do good deeds without the camera crews. Do them without the social media posts, the brand tags, and the corporate PR playbooks. True charity must come from a place of genuine, quiet love, not a desire for public validation. In a world full of digital noise, silence is indeed golden.

The "Dupe" Culture Connection

When performative charity becomes the norm, it mirrors the disingenuous theatrics of old-school politicians shaking hands and kissing babies. It signals a foundational breakdown in society—a structural rot where appearance matters more than substance.

Because we are drowning in a sea of manufactured moments, the world is now on a desperate, global journey to find true authenticity, originality, and real connection.

As someone deeply connected to and involved in the luxury retail industry, I see this exact pattern playing out in consumer behavior every day. Many wonder why the younger generation has so willingly embraced:

"Lushentic" replicas

High-tier clones

Dupes and explicit counterfeits

The mainstream assumption is that it's purely about money. But the truth runs deeper: the younger generation has accepted fake products as a normality because they are still waiting for the arrival of true, genuine authenticity in the people and institutions around them. When the culture around you is entirely fabricated, a replica handbag is at least honest about what it is.

The rebellion against the "gimmick" starts with us. True connection, real brand loyalty, and genuine human respect cannot be bought with a viral video or a performative donation. It requires us to put the cameras away, log off the feed, and start operating from the heart again—in secret, where it actually matters.

[peacemore-springs]

The Originality of Creativity

How much did such families get for selling the creative ideas of other people anyway? Was it in the millions, billions maybe? Had the education system declared itself a racist institution for personal growth and financial gain? Were uneducated families now being routinely enslaved to be kept poor and disabled so educated nurses and their police officer friends, their families within funded commercial competition, could feed this unlimited source of creative potential into what had become the shape of their financial network? Was this the juice they sustained their little bodies and minds from? Would AI now tell him to visit a doctor if he asked for an answer to this conundrum? He would get up, and leave the chair they had him strapped to. He knew this would happen soon. He knew things would be ok once they had changed their allegiance. They would learn and change their allegiance and life would again be ok.

[lynbelisle]

The Myth of Originality?

Every Artwork Has Ancestors A Resident in the Enso Circle just today asked a thoughtful question while preparing work for our final catalog: “Is it okay to include a piece that began in one of your workshops?” The question stopped me for a moment—not because I doubted the answer, but because it touches on something many artists wonder about. If we learned a technique from a teacher, borrowed an…

View On WordPress