Be yourself; everyone else is already taken: Oscar Wilde
From the moment we are born, we carry something profoundly unique, our originality. A fingerprint no one else has. A mind, a voice, a vision, unrepeatable in the history of humanity. And yet, in the rush to belong, we spend much of our lives trying to become someone else, imitating trends, lifestyles, even dreams that were never truly ours.
The Silent Crisis Of Our Times: The Death Of Individuality
We live in an age where conformity is celebrated more than courage.
Social media tells us how to look.
Society tells us how to live.
And success is often defined by how well we copy what’s already been done.
So we shrink ourselves to fit someone else’s mould, professionally, socially, even spiritually.
And in doing so, we risk forgetting who we are.
The Cost Of Copying: Lost Peace, Lost Potential
When we abandon our originality, we don’t just lose our uniqueness, we lose our peace.
We feel disconnected from ourselves.
We may gain approval, but lose authenticity.
We may find followers, but never fulfilment.
A society full of imitations becomes creatively bankrupt, unable to solve new problems, build better futures, or raise independent thinkers.
The World Was Changed By Originals
Imagine if Frida Kahlo decided her pain wasn’t worth painting.
If James Baldwin kept quiet to avoid controversy.
If Nelson Mandela chose safety over justice.
If Greta Thunberg waited for permission to speak.
Each of them was called “difficult,” “different,” or “disturbing” at some point. But they stayed true.
And because they did, they shifted the world.
Why Society Needs Originals Now More Than Ever
In this time of climate anxiety, war, social injustice, and identity crises, the last thing we need is more people pretending to be someone else.
We need:
Original teachers who spark imagination.
Original activists who speak when silence is easy.
Original students who question instead of memorise.
Original parents who raise thinkers, not followers.
Original leaders who serve, not dominate.
Because only original minds can create original solutions.
How To Reclaim Your Originality
Being yourself is not a cliché; it’s a daily act of rebellion in a world pushing you to conform. Here’s how you can start:
1. Unfollow the herd, listen to your gut.
2. Create something, art, thought, action, anything.
3. Speak your truth, even if your voice shakes.
4. Be alone sometimes; solitude reveals your core.
5. Celebrate others, true originals lift others up.
6. Forgive your failures, they are proof you dared.
Leave a Signature, Not a Shadow
You don’t have to go viral.
You don’t have to be loud.
You just have to be real.
Because every person who chooses to be original becomes a mirror for others to find themselves. And every act of truth, no matter how small, strengthens the soul of society. So before you trade your originality for approval, remember:
“You were born original, don’t die a copy.”
The writer is a lecturer in ET & ICT, Islamia Faridiya College of Education, Kishtwar
Mohd Salahudin Qazi
mo****************@***il.com