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+We are not immune to influence. We are surrounded by all kinds of opinions, and a human,
+when deciding how they feel or think about something, will be influenced by those around
+them. In addition, all creative works are sourced from around the creator. Even art that
+is born from within us has been inspired by something or somebody that we have seen before.
+(Yes, even if the art was inspired by a hallucination, other mind tricks, or geometric
+shapes.) We cannot truly conjure something that our brain has never had any contact with.
+Our imagination is limited to what we have visual input for. Creativity exists when we can
+create something new out of our past knowledge. We can split and stick parts together and
+create something never seen before, but I digress. I am saying that one cannot be 100%
+original. This is not to discredit any artists, of course. In fact, what I'm talking about
+isn't a negative thing at all. Instead, it's somewhat unifying.
+
+Back to opinions. We may not all consciously look around and see what others are thinking
+before declaring what we think, even though it has become the norm to be considerate in
+some way or another to our surroundings. My point here is that we  all want to conform to
+those with whom we feel that we belong. Don't deny it. Even if you are willing to go against
+the grain in every aspect of your life, you are still trying to conform to something, and
+that something could be your own mental image. However, in most cases, we want to belong
+with others. We feel that we must not think or feel in a way that defies or contradicts
+those with whom we want to share a bond. That bond does not always exist either. It could
+be an invisible tie that none of us acknowledge, which appears in cases where our only
+similarity is intellectual. Those who think the same can be grouped together.
+
+Nobody likes to be isolated. In ancient times, isolation from a tribe meant death. That
+is the proposed origin of why loneliness is painful. How does this apply in our times?
+We may want to participate in the same activities that people we like participate in. We
+may want to incorporate into our creative works things that will draw in those similar to
+us, or those with whom we want to be grouped or part of. Actually, there is a fallacy in
+what I said, because, as you know, many artists do not create with a label in mind. They
+do not create in order to be similar to another artist or to fit a title, style, or genre,
+as it defeats the self-expression and individuality that comes with creative human
+expression. However, for things as general as style or genre, one cannot be truly one of
+a kind. There will always be something similar, even if distantly, or something that has
+been a source of inspiration. That is not a bad thing. There could be two poets who write
+a similar poem, yet they don't know that the other nor their poem exists. Things like that
+can happen, as there is only so much originality that a human being could produce.
+
+There is another distinction in this topic. There are those who do not want to be
+associated with any existing principle or group, those who want to be completely
+solitary in their individualism. Those people could be hermits, recluses, or otherwise
+anyone who wants to separate themselves as much as possible from society and/or to
+actively defy and fight the norms placed by it. Like most other things in the world,
+this can be good and bad. It's good to think for yourself and to try to eliminate as
+much influence as possible from your decision-making, but it's only natural to be
+influenced in some way. While one is capable of making a perfectly neutral and logical
+decision, part of what makes us human is our reasoning. We can decide what *we* find best.
+And that itself will be influenced by our past experiences, and in a lot of cases, our
+feelings. Thoughts and feelings in decision-making will be discussed in "Heart and Mind"
+and not here.
+
+The bottom line is that human beings do not want to be isolated or ostracized. We prefer
+decisions and opinions that will draw us closer to and not further apart from our people.
+However, I want to declare that you don't have to. You don't have to conform. You aren't
+a slave to others' opinions, so who cares whether or not you achieve the similarity to
+others, if you seek it? If you don't, then that's good. In this day and age, it is always
+better to draw your own conclusions and opinions. People you like aren't necessarily "more
+correct", so think for yourself before you let an influence choose your thoughts and feelings
+for you. This can apply to anything, big and small.
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