Writer, Agilist, Elder Geek
So last column I mentioned that some businesses and companies were probably only surviving (perhaps even poorly) because they had simply become social institutions. We are used to these companies, and that keeps them from evolving–or dying off appropriately. So I asked myself, what companies and so forth were probably surviving due to a large part of sheer familiarity? The answer was pretty illustrative.
Here are a few I came up with. This is in no way the end all-be-all.
Aspiration.
It's a funny word, really, not one we use a lot. We talked casually about aspiring to something, having aspiration, but "aspiration" isn't one of those words people use a whole lot. It’s just a funny, useful words that we take out occasionally, like a special tool we use only under certain circumstances.
I've been thinking about this word lately, as I do; language fascinates me. Thinking about it, I realized that what a lot of people actually lack in their careers is aspiration. Maybe one of the reasons we don't use this useful word is because we don't experience what it means very much in our lives.
Aspiration. Aspiring to something. Directing ourselves towards something and hoping to get there. It's really a lovely word.
Last post I explored why people are obsessed with originality to dysfunctional degrees. I noted that there were factors of individuality, a desire to be industrious, a sense of property, a desire for notoriety, and a focus on making a contribution. All these factors lead to an emphasis on originality in media work in my opinion. Let me also note that I think all too often originality gets over emphasized.
Yes, in short I am saying that people and groups and cultures can take an emphasis on originality too far. That may sound strange, but an obsession with something good does not mean one puts it into practice properly. I feel fear of unoriginality crushes people's creativity, destroying the very thing they're seeking.