Everything Important Has Been Said
You don’t need to, but if you read the classics, you’d find yourself circling back to the same fundamental questions, bottom-line wisdom and fantastic follies that pervade today.
Yes, even generative AI cannot invent anything inherently new. It’s all been said in one way or another. I’m literally holding my hands up as I type this (or at least in my head I am). Like why bother? What else is there to write and say?
Every book seemingly a duplicate. Every story on Medium, in movies or music becoming increasingly familiar, no matter its twists, nuances and supposedly unusual circumstances.
So why the retelling? I suppose it’s because stopping is not an option. Because even old stories continue to unfold. And because the individual is different. Oh, but there are commonalities of the human experience. Even perspectives and mindsets can be shared.
There’s another bit. Timing. The same old story can hold a different meaning at different times. Perhaps the reader was not ready yet the first time. Perhaps the story didn’t resonate with her experiences at the time. At another encounter, it could tell the perfect antidote to her crisis. It becomes personal. Real. Relevant. Even inspiring.
Personal. This word has taken on an elevated meaning for me in this day of computer data bits offering…
