On being original
One form of originality is creation. Another form is synthesis.
People often focus so much on creating new ideas that they overlook the value of synthesizing ideas from different sources.
Innovation usually mean connecting previously unconnected concepts.
People often focus so much on creating new ideas that they overlook the value of synthesizing ideas from different sources.
Innovation usually mean connecting previously unconnected concepts.
James Clear • 3-2-1: On Seeing Opportunities, Originality, and the Magic of Books | James Clear
Anyhow, the older I get, the less impressed I become with originality. These days, I’m far more moved by authenticity. Attempts at originality can often feel forced and precious, but authenticity has quiet resonance that never fails to stir me.
Elizabeth Gilbert • Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear
I tend to mostly value sincerity over originality. I think I perform better when I focus less on being original and more on being honest.
Timothy Ferriss • Tribe of Mentors: Short Life Advice from the Best in the World
There’s a frustration in feeling like every idea has already been picked apart by someone smarter, faster, and with a larger audience than you. For many, the impulse to add to the conversation is suffocated by their fear of redundancy. I’m sure a lot of us can relate to that—I know every time I go to write an essay, I feel like I’m just echoing ide... See more
The death of the public intellectual
It’s also understandable that some hesitate to step into the intellectual sphere today because it feels like everything has already been said and done. We live in a time where every thought, argument, counterargument, and counter -counterargument have already been made and analyzed. The modern landscape isn’t necessarily devoid of intellectuals, it... See more