Be yourself. This is what much of society is told by parents, teachers, and even a few movies. One would think that because it is supported from such a young age it would be an easy phrase to follow. Not so much – and especially not now. Much of the world is laser-focused on the next weird invention or different songwriter to emerge, and this creates a feeling that being original is key, so much so that people are tossing authenticity to the side and only focusing on originality.

Being original is important, of course.We would not have entertainment if it were not for the originality of writers and musicians; however, it falls second to authenticity. Stepping outside of the box means nothing if it is not truly you. This is the main issue with our society’s obsession with originality. It seems harder to find people who are being their true selves rather than a version they constructed in order to stand out. We are losing our identities in this frenzy to be the next social media trend. Even if someone does gain fame solely on originality, it will not last without authenticity. Their originality was probably an invention from one simple idea. A person cannot realistically continue to invent originality and keep people hooked for that long. If this thought had come from authenticity, however, it is already within that person and much easier to maintain. There is no reason to continually put on a show for people.  It is waste of time when you could really be putting your true self into the world and making just as much of an impact.

In a sense a person does not even have to strive for originality. Because every person is built from different experiences, no one person is the same. This means that even by being authentic, a person can be original. It may not be an entirely new thought or idea, but it can be a different way to view it based on how each person lived. We just have to loosen our definition of originality, because even though it is not a new idea, it does not mean that it is not a new point of view. New is not always better. Sometimes the old just needs a little fixing up.

Originality brings a person “likes” on social media, attention from others and possibly even fame. It is a great idea and has brought the world just about everything. This being said, authenticity should not be sacrificed in its name. Being new will only get a person so far, but if they stick to who they are then it will launch them even farther in the end.