The merit of originality is not novelty; it is sincerity. The believing man is the original man; whatsoever he believes, read more

The merit of originality is not novelty; it is sincerity. The believing man is the original man; whatsoever he believes, he believes it for himself, not for another.

Utter originality is, of course, out of the question.

Utter originality is, of course, out of the question.

All profoundly original work looks ugly at first.

All profoundly original work looks ugly at first.

Original thought is like original sin: both happened before you were born to people you could not have possibly met.

Original thought is like original sin: both happened before you were born to people you could not have possibly met.

The first man to compare the cheeks of a young woman to a rose was obviously a poet; the first read more

The first man to compare the cheeks of a young woman to a rose was obviously a poet; the first to repeat it was possibly an idiot.

The principal mark of genius is not perfection, but originality.

The principal mark of genius is not perfection, but originality.

All truly wise thoughts have been thought already thousands of times; but to make them truly ours, we must think read more

All truly wise thoughts have been thought already thousands of times; but to make them truly ours, we must think them over again honestly, till they take root in our personal experience.

What a good thing Adam had--when he said a good thing, he knew nobody had said it before.

What a good thing Adam had--when he said a good thing, he knew nobody had said it before.

You've gotta be original, because if you're like someone else, what do they need you for?

You've gotta be original, because if you're like someone else, what do they need you for?