How Not to Get Caught in a Fad
Tradition, progress, and two perspectives on time — diminishing and progressive.
Introduction — The Age of Pet Rocks
Having grown up in the 1990s, the phenomenon of the pet rock eluded my purview. I’ve also noticed that many owners of the pet rock no longer maintain possession of the previously exuberant hobby. This is because the pet rock was a fad.
The interesting dynamic of what makes something a fad is that nothing subsumes the concept to sustain it over time. Fads emerge not because they are interested in longevity; nor is there a deep-seated intention of existential value and meaning within the oracles of time. They exist for a present, momentary validation — often with the potential of short-term profit. Fads are not concerned about rooting themselves in the strain of the history or memory they come from and their growth ceases as soon as the moment is complete.
Yet, fads continue to pervade the landscape.
What is new and exciting and cool and trendy rises to immediate awareness and then goes away just as quickly. Like a transplant in the…
