Interesting.  There are a lot of ways that this could be approached.
I'm biased to illustrating the sense of the phrase using people, but
it isn't necessary.  Anything contrasting two (it could be more) takes
on the same subject are implied, so, using inanimate objects you could
take objects that have the same or similar functionality where one is
obviously conceptually different.

I think good candidates would be older objects that are stereotypical
of their period and a modern interpretation.  For example, an Italian
industrial designer came up with the concept of a 'spork', an almost
functional combination of a spoon and a fork.  You could shoot this
either as a sole image of the 'spork' because the concepts of the
spoon and fork are implied in its design and you wouldn't need to
include them because they are virtually universeally known.  However,
you could also do something interesting with all the utensils.

With people, since my background is photojournalism and photo essays,
I would think in terms of contrasting one or more subjects who are
clearly not reacting to their environment because it has become so
known that it holds no interest and another subject who is reacting to
the same environment because something, that everyone else is
ignoring, is interesting or engaging.

Another approach is to find a common object used in an unusual way.
This image may, or may not, involve a person.  An image that floats to
mind is of sandals made from old tires.

Just some thoughts off the top of my head.

Vance