Beast Posted January 25, 2013 Posted January 25, 2013 Something my mate had said to me this morning has got me thinking a little bit. He was talking about how he stands out and how he's unique in his taste of clothing. The trouble with this is: He's not. Don't get me wrong, this doesn't bother me in the slightest but it did make me think what makes him think that his style is unique. He basically wears the latest t-shirts and jeans from FootAsylum, the latest one being (as I've mentioned before in another thread) women dressed in a bikini with their eyes covered and blue jeans. Then the conversation went on to one of our mutual friends who said he was unique when he just dressed like a goth. He used to wear black eyeliner, black trenchcoat and these massive black boots in school and outside of school. However, I've seen other people dress like this. I know that it's not just dress sense that makes someone unique but I wonder whether anybody has that longing to be unique and stand out from the crowd. Do you feel like you stand out from the crowd? Do you think of yourself as a part of a group or alone? What's your idea of being individual or unique? With me, I don't think I'm unique or anything but I do feel like I'm in the minority most of the time. I've not really met a lot of people who think the same as me, I guess. So what about you guys?
Daft Posted January 25, 2013 Posted January 25, 2013 (edited) To actually be unique would be a horrendous thing. The illusion of it, though, everyone (read: a lot of people) wants that. I generally find it's the most boring people who think they are unique. If I had the choice, I'd be the most 'normal' person I could. I've not met anyone really like me, I'd feel sorry for them if I did. I'd probably hate them - but I'm sure that's probably a more common thought than many would expect. Edited January 25, 2013 by Daft Grammar Nazi Patrol - Typo Check
bob Posted January 25, 2013 Posted January 25, 2013 Yeah it's generally the most uninteresting people who end up trying to define themselves by wearing a ridiculous 'cool' hat etc. Presumably they think it makes them more interesting. People who dress 'unique' are always going to be fairly standardised, as they'll usually be buying their clothes/accessories from a high street shop and will therefore just be wearing the fashion of the moment. Even if they try really hard and wear stuff from tiny boutiques etc they'll still look fairly normal and non-unique. The only people who will end up looking truly unique are the ones who start wearing completely ridiculous non-clothes like bin-bags and bits of rubbish; basically mad people. You see one of them walking down the street and you'll think - 'well that's new.'
Agent Gibbs Posted January 25, 2013 Posted January 25, 2013 nobody is unique in what they wear or how they act alone, people self pigeon hole. Your first friend sounds like an arrogant hipster - he's a hipster ergo not unique Your former Goth friend was never unique he was a goth mad people who wear bin bags etc, are trying too hard to be unique and pigeon holing themselves as a wierd person you can assign a person to any sort of group and make them no longer unique to be unique isn't one defined aspect, its a multitude of things, your personality,your race, your sex, your beliefs, you style, your hopes your dreams combine them all together and you will be hard pushed to find a person who is the same, or even has a majority of the same "things" Individuality comes from within as well as outwardly, but by are very nature people are social creatures and although we strive to be ourselves we seek to conform and form groups. so the real question is can any human truly be 100% unique? and man that sounds pretentious
Daft Posted January 25, 2013 Posted January 25, 2013 "Miracles. Events with astronomical odds of occurring, like oxygen turning into gold. I've longed to witness such an event, and yet I neglect that in human coupling, millions upon millions of cells compete to create life, for generation after generation until, finally, your mother loves a man, Edward Blake, the Comedian, a man she has every reason to hate, and out of that contradiction, against unfathomable odds, it's you - only you - that emerged. To distill so specific a form, from all that chaos. It's like turning air into gold. A miracle."
Ville Posted January 25, 2013 Posted January 25, 2013 Yeah, I know some people who always whine about how hard it is when no-one understands them, no-one "gets" their musical ideas, how they're having it so tough, etc. Sounds really pretentious, and gets annoying very quickly... Anyway, my problem is quite the opposite. I know I can be replaced, and that any idea I come up with, someone else could come up with it as well. Ok, maybe not on the exact creative level, I mean everyone has their own personal style which could be said to be "unique"; two people working on the same idea will produce different results. Still, I often feel like "what's the point", "someone's gonna do it sooner or later". I do think than in some way, it doesn't really matter whether I exist / do something or not, the circus of the world rolls on regardless of that.
jayseven Posted January 25, 2013 Posted January 25, 2013 Everyone is unique in their combination of preset norms. I think it is fun to discover the uniqueness in people, and incredibly easy to box people up and label them. I don't worry about being boxed up myself -- if someone is labelling me and treating me in such a predetermined way then they have earned themselves a label from me - "un-cool."
bob Posted January 25, 2013 Posted January 25, 2013 Everyone is unique in their combination of preset norms. I think it is fun to discover the uniqueness in people, and incredibly easy to box people up and label them. I don't worry about being boxed up myself -- if someone is labelling me and treating me in such a predetermined way then they have earned themselves a label from me - "un-cool." I would label you as 'Trampcore Self-esteemo' personally.
Guy Posted January 25, 2013 Posted January 25, 2013 (edited) If the Internet has taught me anything it's that NOBODY is unique. In fact, things that should be unique are frighteningly common once the Internet comes into the picture. This thread is gonna get deep. Way too deep for me to contribute anything worthwhile to while sitting posting this message on the can. Edited January 25, 2013 by Guy
EddieColeslaw Posted January 25, 2013 Posted January 25, 2013 I was voted "Individual of the Year" in my last year of secondary school. Mainly because I hated/didn't talk much to everyone and tried to dress like people in the magazine FRUiTS. Being an individual comes down to attitude, I think. Not blindly doing what everyone else is doing would be a start. Following on from that, idk. I don't think individuality and being unique are the same thing? IDK
Josh64 Posted January 25, 2013 Posted January 25, 2013 I used to know a lot of people in college who tried desperately hard to be 'unique' and it was cringe worthy. Especially when most of the stuff was perfectly normal. This one guy once said he watches animé and listens to indie bands as though it was something that no other nerdy 16 year old had done before :p I do remember one guy who didn't have to try though. He was so fucked up. He used to wear a big trench coat and have his hood up all the time (almost looked like the Resi 4 merchant) and avoided eye contact with everyone. Fine, I thought. He's just a shy goth, whatever. But then the one day we had life drawing. The first weird sign was how excited he got, clasping his hands and running to the easel when we went in. We then all proceeded to draw the saggy, middle aged woman (beautiful by Nivea adverts standards, I'm sure). At the end of the lesson we all had a look around at each others lame drawings and we got to his and he'd decided to draw her with a decapitated head that had a knife in it. Another weird lesson was when we had to draw these stuffed animals (which I found bizarre in itself) and then his finished picture was the fox that was in front of us, but milking its own boobs with (presumably himself) underneath. Sadly, the one day I wore a Shy Guy tshirt (the Mario character) and he came up to me and asked if I'd like to sleep over at his house and play Metroid Prime all night. Whilst this would surely be great if it was any other person, his awful stench and 'possible murderer' vibe put me off. Every time he saw me he mentioned it, it got so awkward constantly making excuses to not go.
Debug Mode Posted January 25, 2013 Posted January 25, 2013 The idea of complete individualism is impossible. Every time you communicate with another, you're always forming a new self based on the residue of what you have learned. People these days believe individualism to be something along the lines of following your beliefs in your mind rather than that of the majroity, when in reality, it's having a strong independent will. Those that try to be an 'individual' in the sense of taste in pop culture or fashion etc are actually confirming to some thing that's hardly independent at all, which is societies desire to have a differential. I'm kind of drunk so I'm hardly understanding anything I'm saying, so props to any one who does.
The Bard Posted January 25, 2013 Posted January 25, 2013 I always think that's really funny. Manufactured, production line individualism. Individualism that's sold to you from a high street store front, your image and your conception of yourself producing an irony so thick that it colours everything you say with goonish hilarity. Nobody really wants pure individuality anyway - if only they'd admit it to themselves. Everyone wants to see a piece of themselves immortalised in another, so they can affirm themselves, and see that part play itself out in alien circumstances. Individuality as eccentricity is such a romanticised, juvenile trait peddled in Thora Birch films and 90s nu metal, when really what people want is to feel connected, and to feel like you have stake in the events around you. It's when that fails that people retreat into this idea of individuality over all else, because it's all they've been left with.
EddieColeslaw Posted January 25, 2013 Posted January 25, 2013 The idea of complete individualism is impossible. Every time you communicate with another, you're always forming a new self based on the residue of what you have learned. It's like the Palahniuk quote: Nothing of me is original. I am the combined effort of everyone I've ever known.
MoogleViper Posted January 25, 2013 Posted January 25, 2013 Everybody is unique. Apart from the people who say they're unique. They're the least unique.
Dannyboy-the-Dane Posted January 28, 2013 Posted January 28, 2013 Everyone is unique in that there's nobody exactly like them, but nothing about any one person is unique.
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