Do we Ever Have an Original Thought?

When a thought or an idea pops in your head, you think it’s yours; but what if it’s actually not?

Image Credit: PBS Kids / Arthur

Our minds and thoughts are shaped by things like history, culture, memory, and a lot of the times even incompetent people. We absorb information from everything around us— a comment you overheard, a viral post, your favorite movie; and before we know it, these things go through in our heads as if they were our own ideas and thoughts.

Psychology, specifically social psychology, shows that many of our beliefs aren’t formed on our own, but in response to pressure. Normative influence explains how people conform not because they genuinely agree, but because they fear the negative social consequences of appearing different, and not fitting in. We go along with everyone else because we care what others think of us. Over time, those borrowed opinions can become so rehearsed that we mistake them for our own.

But if we rely on egocentric voices, careless opinions, or shallow people-glazers, our thoughts will reflect the unnecessary noise. And then we wonder why our perspectives might feel a bit shaky.

The important thing is to filter with intention, and to decide which influences deserve space in our minds and which do not. Originality doesn’t mean you have to be uninspired by the world; it means choosing carefully what you let shape you.

Form opinions that are actually yours. Seek out perspectives from people who understand the context, who carry wisdom, or who are directly involved.