In the past, talented people were highly appreciated. However, nowadays, the situation has reversed. In many societies, untalented individuals repeatedly produce subpar work, arguing that “anyone can do it,” thereby degrading culture. I fully agree that the value of geniuses has dramatically decreased. In the following paragraphs, I will substantiate my viewpoints.
In a century where attention is the most valuable currency, everyone seeks to capture it in different ways. Some go to extremes—just turn on your phone and open any news or social media platform, and you will see “incomplete” creators, artists, and musicians. As society evolves, culture does as well, forming new branches and becoming increasingly personal and taste-dependent. For example, in the past, music had only a few main genres like jazz, rock, classical, and national styles. But today, each of these genres has divided into countless subgenres, making it difficult to define a single standard of quality.
In the past, the mindset of “anyone can do it” didn’t exist, and cultural behavior followed logical principles. Artists like Leonardo da Vinci, actors like Leonardo DiCaprio, and musicians like Bob Dylan were masters of their craft, staying within their areas of expertise. However, today, some artists merely splash paint onto a canvas, poets ignore traditional poetry rules, screenwriters create illogical plots, and musicians produce whatever they please, dismissing criticism by saying, “It’s not my fault if the listener doesn’t like my music.” Culture, which has been built brick by brick over millennia with the contributions of countless individuals, is now being dismantled piece by piece by so-called “new-wave” thinkers. This poses a serious threat to future generations.