Your Audience Is Going to Love Your Unoriginal Ideas
And you should, too.
The Medium algorithm must have a built-in sense of humor.
Recently when I refreshed my homepage, Medium placed two stories at the top of my recommended list speaking on the same subject matter from opposing perspectives.
Why you should quit the job you hate VS why you shouldn’t quit the job you hate.
A battle, how exciting!
This got me thinking: what’s the point of writing in this vast sea of conflicting ideas and perspectives? Everyone has a different way of saying the same thing, so why bother speaking at all?
Well for starters if you don’t say it, somebody else will. Do you want someone else speaking for you?
Furthermore, your audience needs to hear what you specifically have to say. That’s something you shouldn’t forget.
Where there’s an audience that needs to hear what you have to say, there’s a certain obligation to share your perspective with them.
Even if someone else has already said the same thing.
Your unique perspective matters
It is estimated that 107 billion people have graced our planet thus far. With that in mind, it would be naïve to think we’re capable of churning out one brand new idea after another.
But we can churn out unique takes on perspectives. Let me explain.
Your thumbprint is as exceptionally unique as it is common. Everyone has a thumbprint and to the naked eye, they all look fairly similar.
But yours has the ability to put you on either the good or bad side of a Netflix docuseries.
The same can be said about your unique ideas and perspectives.
Yes, there will already be a documented variation of every idea that’s ever manifested in your mind, but only you can bring the uniqueness of your:
- Childhood
- Successes
- Failures
- Fears
- Anxieties
- Health challenges
The list goes on.
Everything that makes you, you, creates the unique thumbprint of perspective that only you can tell. Your unique thumbprint will be exactly what others need to hear.
For some, the audience pool may be small (such as mine), but for others it may be gargantuan (Tim Denning).
Thus, don’t be discouraged when you stumble across someone else’s take on your idea. Your audience wants (and may very well need) your perspective.
Your perspective matters.
The cream rises to the top
Thankfully, those dedicated to writing, content creation, and the art of idea-sharing can still stand out. Whether it’s through literary, marketing, or networking mastery, the “best” content rises to the top.
And if you have the mettle to rise to the top, you will be in rare company.
Michael Simmons details this when discussing the “long tail theory” in his piece: Blockbuster: The #1 Mental Model For Writers Who Want To Create High-Quality, Viral Content.
It’s worth every 14 minutes of your time, and I’d argue multiple re-reads after the fact. But in essence, Michael details how a small portion of all content receives the majority of views.
If this is discouraging to you, it shouldn’t be. “Blockbuster” content doesn’t happen overnight, and it doesn’t happen to those who don’t attempt to share their perspective.
As with anything else, writing is a practice that requires a significant amount of time and perseverance to get good, let alone great at. Those that accept this notion give themselves a chance of creating a blockbuster.
Even if said blockbuster has been conceptualized 1000 times before.
It’s your turn
There’s nothing wrong with writing just to write. It can serve as a fantastic outlet and healthy practice in general.
But being discouraged because what you have to say has already been said by countless others is a problem.
It’s the type of problem that causes people to give up, sometimes before they ever start.
If you accept the fact that your ideas have already been shared, but your unique perspective has not, you can confidently step forward in search of your audience.
In search of your voice.
Go ahead, fearlessly find your voice, give yourself a chance to rise to the top.
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