I've come across some forums here and there that thought about this topic, as well - individuality. At the two poles are these: "Yes, individuality exists" and "No, we're too bound together by society; it doesn't exist." Still, I'm not sure if anyone in history actually stood at one of those poles. Is that even possible?

If someone didn't share anything in common with anyone else, wouldn't that individual be beyond comprehension to the point of being an alien (not a UFO alien, but a complete stranger to humanity itself)? Conversely, if someone shared everything in common with society (actually, that might be a better word than my using "humanity"), how would anyone be able to recognize that person as an-other? Notice that the ability to recognize and distinguish character traits between many people seems to be inherent in our language (e.g. other, you, them, we, us, I), and that suggests something to me. It's as if our communications systems were always already able to "sort out" who's who in this world, before we even start speaking. If it didn't do this - find similarities and differences - I don't think the dichotomy would even be apparent to anyone at all.

As for the more "social" side of it, it's true that we're influenced by the society we find ourselves in, even more so today when societies can in a sense "extend" themselves throughout the internet in real time. What influences do we choose to be influenced by? Which ones influence us almost against our will, as it were? Actually, let me suggest this: Do we want to define "originality" solely in terms of social influences and pressures, as quite a few people tend to do? To me, it doesn't seem right to say that someone isn't original because of their purchasing power and choices in a given society. It's as if the individual is a pure consumer to be studied sociologically, and no other way (perhaps statistically, if we must be generous!). Granted, choice is key to understanding what makes you you and me me. But limiting it to material goods leads us to nowhere significant. It's too mechanical an explanation.

Also, I wonder how slippery a slope it is when one conflates "originality" and "individuality". Surely a person can do an original act at least once in his or her life, without necessarily being an individual. The latter suggests a person who stands alone continuously. I can paint a picture that's an original, but my lifestyle may not be very original (starving artists are a dime a dozen!). What about the "outsider" who decides to create conceptual art with soiled bedsheets or buckets of innards, and lives his life beyond all respectable values? The artist who always does stuff like this? In this case, individuality risks being offensive and takes on a pejorative sense. If I can shorten it: Is individuality worth it?

I wonder how many people are actually willing to step outside of society in such a complete manner? We can find originality in society (the term gets its sense, its meaning from society, and makes no sense whatsoever outside it), and we can recognize acts of originality by virtue of them occurring in a society. Our being with one another give us a framework of what we have in common. We can measure acts of creativity and originality against this social framework. If it were not there, we wouldn't be able to recognize differences as differences.

Perhaps, my own words don't go far enough. Perhaps, I've defined my terms wrong. But I can't shake the feeling that being creative and doing acts of originality come before individuality. We have to share some things if we are to distinguish what is essentially different between ourselves. I can't see it being any other way.

I hope something in this stirs your thoughts, since this is more or less stream of conscious writing, on my part! Thanks for stirring my own thoughts, you creative being!

Everyone is original, if you get to know them enough. Well, if they aren't intentionally trying to be someone they are not. We all have little quirks that make us who we are. I like what you said about taking influences then using them to improve yourself *nod nod*