An experience difficult to describe

[vvvexation]

I just asked my dad the following question over email:

Is there a name for the phenomenon whereby a pale imitation of some
experience is better known than the experience itself, and becomes
almost more of a prototype than the prototype is? But without people
forgetting that it is just an imitation, so that when they for once in
their lives have the prototypical experience, they think "wow, this
feels like [prototype X]" just as they always do when they're having
the derivative experience, and forget for a moment that this time it
actually is the prototype they're experiencing?

He evidently isn't quite sure what I mean and wants a specific example. However, I'm not sure I want to share with him the example I was thinking of.

Anybody have any parent-safe examples of this kind of thing?

Comments

[tshuma]

"You know the thing I hate about Tolkien is that he's so bloody derivative. Elves, halflings, wizards and the like are great, but they've been done to death already. Give it up!"
-- actual recent commentary from someone who had not a clue in the world

Or perhaps using a cross country ski machine at the gym, versus actually skiing the trails at a national park?

[bdot.livejournal.com]

some actually said that???? what rock did they crawl out from under?