You can do something that walks a line, and invariably, whatever that line is, it will be crossed by people who don't know any better and want to ape the success.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Success often involves walking a fine line, but others will inevitably cross it without understanding the nuance, just trying to copy the result.
- In plain terms
- People copy successful behaviors without understanding the careful balance behind them.
- What can you take from it?
- Understand that imitation often ignores the underlying discipline.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do you communicate the unseen work behind your success?
- Why do people ignore boundaries when seeking success?
Another view
Not all imitators lack understanding; some learn through copying.
More from David Fincher
I don't have the Tom Hanks fans. When you make the kind of movies I make, you get weird letters from people.
Permalink to quote #14 I want to make a movie that has enough impact that it's going to do what it needs to do. But I don't want to make a film that serial killers masturbate to.
Permalink to quote #16 I tend to over-intellectualize things, to come at them from a structural point.
Permalink to quote #13
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