The imitator dooms himself to hopeless mediocrity. The inventor did it because it was natural to him, and so in him it has a charm. In the imitator something else is natural, and he bereaves himself of his own beauty, to come short of another man's.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Imitation leads to mediocrity while invention arises naturally and retains personal charm.
- In plain terms
- Copying others makes you average; creating from yourself makes you unique.
- What can you take from it?
- Create from your nature instead of copying others.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Where do you copy others?
- What is naturally yours?
Another view
Learning often requires imitation before true invention is possible.
More from Ralph Waldo Emerson
None believeth in the soul of man, but only in some man or person old and departed.
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