Imitation, if noble and general, insures the best hope of originality.

Imitation, if noble and general, insures the best hope of originality.

No man ever yet became great by imitation.

No man ever yet became great by imitation.

Those who do not want to imitate anything, produce nothing.

Those who do not want to imitate anything, produce nothing.

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

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

Imitation is at least 50 percent of the creative process

Imitation is at least 50 percent of the creative process

One who imitates what is bad always goes beyond his model; while one who imitates what is good always comes read more

One who imitates what is bad always goes beyond his model; while one who imitates what is good always comes up short of it.

I used to make original snowmen, but it was time consuming, hard work. So I said, heck, this is crazy! read more

I used to make original snowmen, but it was time consuming, hard work. So I said, heck, this is crazy! Now I crank out crude imitations of what's already popular! It takes no time or thought, and most people don't care about the difference, anyway! And what good is originality if you can't crank it out?

We are all easily taught to imitate what is base and depraved.
[Lat., Dociles imitandis
Turpibus ac read more

We are all easily taught to imitate what is base and depraved.
[Lat., Dociles imitandis
Turpibus ac pravis omnes sumus.]

I would advise him who wishes to imitate well, to look closely
into life and manners, and thereby to read more

I would advise him who wishes to imitate well, to look closely
into life and manners, and thereby to learn to express them with
truth.
[Lat., Respicere exemplar vitae morumque jubebo
Doctum imitatorem, et veras hinc ducere voces.]