Zig When Others Zag - Scott Belsky

Originality is nothing but judicious imitation. — Voltaire

Voltaire

At first glance, Voltaire’s remark seems self-defeating: how can originality come from imitation? Yet his point is subtler than it appears.

In a world full of copies, be an original. — Suzy Kassem

Suzy Kassem

At its core, Suzy Kassem’s line urges people to resist the comfort of imitation and instead cultivate a life that reflects their own convictions, talents, and vision. In a culture shaped by trends, algorithms, and social...

Originality is not about doing what no one else has done, but about doing what you do in a way that is uniquely yours. — Arthur Koestler

Arthur Koestler

At first glance, originality is often mistaken for absolute novelty, as if value only exists in ideas never before imagined. Koestler gently overturns that assumption by suggesting that originality emerges less from inve...

Originality is the best form of rebellion. — Mike Sasso

Mike Sasso

Mike Sasso’s line reframes rebellion in a striking way: instead of imagining protest only as noise, confrontation, or spectacle, it presents originality as a subtler but often more enduring act of defiance. To create som...

The more powerful and original a mind, the more it will incline towards the religion of solitude. — Aldous Huxley

Aldous Huxley

Huxley’s phrase “religion of solitude” reframes being alone as more than a preference: it becomes a disciplined devotion, a set of inner practices that gives meaning and structure to thought. By calling it a religion, he...

Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the ancients; seek what they sought. — Matsuo Bashō

Bashō

Bashō’s counsel draws a sharp line between copying a master’s outward style and inheriting a master’s inward purpose. “Footsteps” implies visible technique—preferred subjects, established forms, and recognizable manneris...