70 Quotes About Imitation

But once an original book has been written-and no more than one or two appear in a century-men of letters imitate it, in other words, they copy it so that hundreds of thousands of books are published on exactly the same theme, with slightly different titles and modified phraseology. This should be able to be achieved by apes, who are essentially imitators, provided, of course, that they are able to make use of language. Pierre Boulle

Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic. Authenticity is invaluable; originality is non-existent. And don’t bother concealing your thievery - celebrate it if you feel like it. In any case, always remember what Jean-Luc Godard said: “It’s not where you take things from - it’s where you take them to." #53 - Winter, January 22, 2004 ] . Jim Jarmusch

And whenever any one informs us that he has found a man who knows all the arts, and all things else that anybody knows, and every single thing with a higher degree of accuracy than any other man —whoever tells us this, I think that we can only imagine him to be a simple creature who is likely to have been deceived by some wizard or actor whom he met, and whom he thought all-knowing, because he himself was unable to analyze the nature of knowledge and ignorance and imitation. Plato

As a result of his experiments he concluded that imitation was a real evil that had to be broken before real rhetoric teaching could begin. This imitation seemed to be an external compulsion. Little children didn’t have it. It seemed to come later on, possibly as a result of school itself. That sounded right, and the more he thought about it the more right it sounded. Schools teach you to imitate. If you don’t imitate what the teacher wants you get a bad grade. Here, in college, it was more sophisticated, of course; you were supposed to imitate the teacher in such a way as to convince the teacher you were not imitating, but taking the essence of the instruction and going ahead with it on your own. That got you A’s. Originality on the other hand could get you anything — from A to F. The whole grading system cautioned against it. Robert M. Pirsig

Of course, if one does not fully trust the promise of God's Kingdom, he will have a hard time taking risks and making sacrifices in this life. A gospel centered around the temporal self - fleeting happiness, earthly success, vain prosperity, things such as these - is the primary ambition of the half-hearted Christian; the one who somewhat believes he is subject to an eternal death; the one who just might believe in men before God, who morbidly fears seeming less than anyone else. The man of this school feels deeply that he has but one life to live, that this must be his only chance, and therefore must have it all in his favor - from glory to comfort to riches - and have it right this instant. He is but hinting that he is overcome because he insists always that he must overcome, that his judgment comes now and by the persons around him. The point is, however, in this sense, that by grace the Christian is indeed free, but only for as long as he wants to be free - the practicality of true freedom: that of God which offers not so much freedom to be like the world as it does freedom from the pressures of having to be like the world. For Divine Law is based solely on love and freedom; whereas secular law, pressure and imitation. Criss Jami

A person who is truly cool is a work of art. And remember, original works of art cost exponentially higher than imitations. Just take a look at the the coolest people in history. They will always be a part of history for being extremely original individuals, not imitations. Suzy Kassem

Be yourself. An original is worth more than a copy. Suzy Kassem

..if I dont do something on the grand scale, it is that my genius is altogether imitative, and that I have nor recently encountered any very striking models of grandeur. Henry James

An original is worth more than a copy. Suzy Kassem

You were born an original work of art. Stay original. Suzy Kassem

Originals cost more than imitations. Suzy Kassem

To imitate nature involves the verb to do. To copy is merely to reflect something already there, inertly: Shakespeare's mirror is all that is needed for it. But by imitation we enlarge nature itself, we become nature or we discover in ourselves nature's active part. William Carlos Williams

People can copy anything; your mode of dressing, the way you talk, walk, dance, sing, cry, but they will find it very hard to imitate the way you donate money. Michael Bassey Johnson

Your original self is worth more than your imitation of someone else. Matshona Dhliwayo

People are eager to walk in other people's pair of shoes that does not fit them. The result is that, their dreams begin to imitate a "tortoise" walk and that I guess is already uncomfortable! Israelmore Ayivor

The hope is indeed that some will experience and believe: The purpose of a number of spiritual gurus is to demonstrate to God-fearing men faux spirituality. Criss Jami

The great idea is the one that is either saleable or is worthy of imitation. Amit Kalantri

One of the fundamental causes of the disintegration of society is copying, which is the worship of authority. Jiddu Krishnamurti

Through others we become ourselves. Lev S. Vygotsky

Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic. Authenticity is invaluable; originality is non-existent. And don’t bother concealing your thievery - celebrate it if you feel like it. In any case, always remember what Jean-Luc Godard said: “It’s not where you take things from - it’s where you take the . Jim Jarmusch

You need to make a decision - are you are an imitator or an innovator? Stewart Stafford

There must be a certain amount of imitation, copying, in outward technique, but when there is inward, psychological imitation surely we cease to be creative. Jiddu Krishnamurti

If a creative person steals your idea, he’s killing his creative ability, if he steals your art, he’s killing his art, if he makes it available to the world, it won, t create de impact you could have created, because it wasn’t from the right source. Michael Bassey Johnson

I think the writer is initially set going by literature more than by life. When there are many writers all employing the same idiom, all looking out on more or less the same social scene, the individual writer will have to be more than ever careful that he isn't just doing badly what has already been done to completion. The presence alone of Faulkner in our midst makes a great difference in what the writer can and cannot permit himself to do. Nobody wants his mule and wagon stalled on the same track the Dixie Limited is roaring down. . Flannery OConnor

Anyone that says his mind will be probably regarded a fool, but the true artist is not moved by the comments about the looks of his painting or remarks that are dreadfully sarcastic, but hearken now! That he who says what others want to hear hasn't said anything of his own. Michael Bassey Johnson

A prudent man will always try to follow in the footsteps of great men and imitate those who have been truly outstanding, so that, if he is not quite as skillful as they, at least some of their ability may rub off on him. Unknown

Anybody who is imitating somebody else, no matter who it us, is heading in the wrong direction. It is impossible to become like somebody else. Your only hope is to become more fully yourself. Jon KabatZinn

Give me one more night to taste the dark When wolves imitate a lone dog's bark Let those secrets remain unspoken Fallen angel's heart now lover's token Light grows dim burying riddle’s death Just breathe to free your one last breath Munia Khan

A man who wants to imitate the life of a woman will invariably do some mischief Bangambiki Habyarimana

Everyone has limitations. Know that when you always say “I wish I am like someone else”, you are attempting to take alongside someone’s limitation you may not be able to manage. Israelmore Ayivor

You go into extinction by being obsessed about becoming something else and then travelling in the wrong car while your real self keeps waiting at the bus stop for your unfulfilled return! Israelmore Ayivor

Never stop learning to be who you are meant to be just because you have found someone and decided to be like him/her. Israelmore Ayivor

The desired shape of your dreams is different from the supposed shape of another person’s dream. When shaping your own, you may watch the process of another person’s dreams, but keep eyes away from the destination. Israelmore Ayivor

The only known technique to an imitator is to steal and rephrase, then with a mischievous smile, he said, "i did it", without any confidence and prove. Michael Bassey Johnson

When you are gunning to be like other people, you are foolishly repeating their mistakes, and the worst of it all is that you can't even correct yours. Michael Bassey Johnson

Don't envy what people have, emulate what they did to have it. Tim Fargo

Christian pop culture can be worthwhile if done well, but bad Christian pop culture isn't redeemed merely by the fact that it's Christian. Kevin Roose

Silence is golden but too long a silence an imitation junk Amit Abraham

Most undercover cops are vastly skilled at compartmentalization. It is a talent as valued as lying. They seal off their real feelings and create imitation emotions. Easily torn down when it's time to show the badge, drag someone downtown, and sit across from him in an interrogation cell and tell him how fucked he is now. Charlie Huston

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but theft is a sin. Elena

Your ultimate reason for staying in this crooked world is not to imitate its devastating physique, but trying do something about its ugly appearance. Michael Bassey Johnson

Now, it is of course well known that Christ continually uses the expression 'imitators.' He never says that he asks for admirers, adoring admirers, adherents; and when he uses the expression 'follower' he always explains it in such a way that one perceives that 'imitators' is meant by it, that is not adherents of a teaching but imitators of a life.... Unknown

Contrary to our metaphors, humans are much more imitative than the other apes. For example: if chimps watch a demonstration on how to get food out of a puzzle box, they, in their turn, skip any unnecessary steps, go straight to the treat. Human children overimitate, reproducing each step regardless of its necessity. There is some reason why, now that it’s our behavior, being slavishly imitative is superior to being thoughtful and efficient, but I forget exactly what that reason is. . Karen Joy Fowler

If you choose to be fearless, then be fearlessly authentic not an imitation of someone you envy. Shannon L. Alder

As much as I live I shall not imitate them or hate myself for being different to them Orhan Pamuk

Imitation is criticism. William Blake

Any local music scene at any point in time can be referred to as derivative of more well-known acts. The line separating influence from imitation is a blurry one. Very few artists are completely original; even great artists build upon what has occurred before, and add their personality and talent to create their own original expression. Stephen Tow

The necessity, then, of those “lesser breeds without the law”–those wogs, barbarians, niggers–is this: one must not become more free, not become more base than they: must not be used as they are used, nor yet use them as their abandonment allows one to use them: therefore, they must be civilized. But, when they are civilized, they may simply “spuriously imitate [the civilizer] back again, ” leaving the civilizer with no satisfaction on which to rest. Unknown

Listening, not imitation, may be the sincerest form of flattery. Joyce Brothers

Don't Copy What Someone Is Doing, Copy What God Wants You To Do. Cyc Jouzy

Without authenticity, we are only a poor imitation of someone else. Tom Hayes

An echo has no voice of its own. Marty Rubin

Always be yourself and have faith in yourself. Do not go out and look for a successful personality and try to duplicate it. Bruce Lee

Another great mistake is this; another understandable error is this: living to live the footprints of others when you have your own foot! Live your footprints! You were born unique! If possible, put the shoes of others, (they must fit you however) but don't walk as they walked and as much as possible, don't leave the same footprints they left except you were born to be like them or you can change the face of their footprints into a unique artifact! . Ernest Agyemang Yeboah

Nice is a city of ghosts and specters, but I hope not to become one of them right away. Patrick Modiano

To be as good as our fathers we must be better, imitation is not discipleship. Wendell Phillips

All art is but imitation of nature. Lucius Annaeus Seneca

To refrain from imitation is the best revenge. Marcus Aurelius

In everything truth surpasses the imitation and copy. Marcus Tullius Cicero

Art begins in imitation and ends in innovation. Mason Cooley

Of what use were the arts if they were only the reproduction and the imitation of life? Alfred De Vigny