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.