Why does humanity follow predictable patterns of thought. action, creation, etc. when there is nothing holding us back from creating the most original and unpredictable of things; even ourselves?
Consider this:
Have you ever noticed that almost every piece of literature we have written (novel, short story, play, poem, etc.) is no more than a subconcious offshoot of The Tempest? I challenge you to take your favorite book, movie, play, whatever. and see for yourself. For the most part, all of the literature we have created is no more than based on power, the control of power, knowledge, and the control of knowledge via the use of power.
I find it ironic that we, as a species, the ONLY species that is capable of rational and intellectual thought, is the very species to follow these predicatble patterns; even subconsciously. Even consciously.
The root of this lack of originality is our slothfulness. A slothfulness not inbred in us but encouraged by the media who often shove the dime-a-dozen novel, film, soap opera, idiotic-plotted tv show, and all of that other crap, to us(whether knowing or not knowing or maliciously not caring how that will influence us).
One could argue that any sort of originality is no longer possible because it has all been taken by another at some point in history. But I don't believe it.
I have often heard that "nothing is original [anymore]" and the only thing we can do now is to "break [original] things apart" in order to make them original "in our own way".
What sort of world is this that we live in?
Everything isn't uber-original, and, perhaps, everything doesn't have to be.
But I think we should learn to see patterns within our society and within ourselves. For, even if there is nothing that can be done about humanity following these predictable patterns, I would rather be aware of them and attempt not to follow them rather than to simply rehash what many people have been saying time and time again.
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Think about all of the books and movies you have seen/heard. There's so many predictable storylines: stuck in a video game/alternate reality (Matrix, eXistenZ, FearDotCom), twin brothers or sisters(Dead Ringer, Man in the Iron Mask), [sadistic] killers on the run from the law (Bonnie and Clyde, Natural Born Killers),
I fear no man(Nazgul)...i'm no man(Eowyn) -LoTR