Weather is a literary specialty, and no untrained hand can turn out a good article on it
Mark TwainRead
there was no crime in unconscious plagiarism; that I committed it everyday, that he committed it everyday, that every man alive on earth who writes or speaks commits it every day and not merely once or twice but every time he open his mouth… there is nothing of our own in it except some slight change born of our temperament, character, environment, teachings and associations
Interpretation
What this quote means
Unconscious plagiarism is a natural part of human expression, influenced by one's background and experiences.
Mark Twain's quote highlights the idea that all ideas are influenced by previous thoughts and expressions, suggesting that originality is often an illusion. He argues that, despite the notion of originality, every spoken or written word is shaped by our experiences, interactions, and the culture that surrounds us, pointing to a shared human experience in creativity and communication.
Themes
PlagiarismOriginalityCreativityInfluenceExpressionIdeas
In practice
Example use cases
In a creative writing workshop to illustrate the nature of inspiration.
More from Mark Twain
All quotes →The easy part of being an artist is figuring out the message that everyone else is ready to hear. The hard part is waiting for the proper lull to make the announcement.
Mark TwainRead
You can't reason with your heart; it has its own laws, and thumps about things which the intellect scorns.
Mark TwainRead
To be good is noble; but to show others how to be good is nobler and no trouble.
Mark TwainRead
Name the greatest of all inventors. Accident.
Mark TwainRead
In Paris they just simply opened their eyes and stared when we spoke to them in French! We never did succeed in making those idiots understand their own language.
Mark TwainRead
Similar quotes
I thought how unpleasant it is to be locked out; and I thought how it is worse, perhaps, to be locked in.
Virginia WoolfRead
The perfect man of old looked after himself first before looking to help others.
ZhuangziRead
Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you.
Woody AllenRead
There is but one freedom, To put oneself right with death. After that everything is possible. I cannot force you to believe in God. Believing in God amounts to coming to terms with death. When you have accepted death, the problem of God will be solved, and not the reverse.
Albert CamusRead
If people who cherish freedom, who know the importance of mutual respect and are aware of the imperative necessity to establish a constructive and critical debate, if these people are not ready to speak out, to be more committed and visible, then we can expect sad, painful tomorrows. The choice is ours.
Tariq RamadanRead
I have never known what is Arabic or English, or which one was really mine beyond any doubt. What I do know, however, is that the two have always been together in my life, one resonating in the other, sometimes ironically, sometimes nostalgically, most often each correcting, and commenting on, the other. Each can seem like my absolutely first language, but neither is.
Edward SaidRead