All intelligent thoughts have already been thought; what is necessary is only to try to think them again.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- All great ideas already exist; we merely need to revisit and reinterpret them.
- In plain terms
- Think again on ideas that have already been thought.
- What can you take from it?
- Re‑examine classic concepts for fresh insight.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Which old ideas could solve modern problems?
- When have you reinvented a known concept?
Another view
Relying too much on past ideas can stifle original invention.
More from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
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