There’s a fine line between participation and mockery.
—Scott Adams (b.1957) American Cartoonist
Copy from one, it’s plagiarism; copy from two, it’s research.
—Wilson Mizner (1876–1933) American Playwright, Entrepreneur
Plagiarists, at least, have the merit of preservation.
—Benjamin Disraeli (1804–81) British Head of State
As monarchs have a right to call in the specie of a state, and raise its value by their own impression; so are there certain prerogative geniuses, who are above plagiaries, who cannot be said to steal, but, from their improvement of a thought, rather to borrow it, and repay the commonwealth of letters with interest; and may more properly be said to adopt than to kidnap a sentiment, by leaving it heir to their own fame.
—Laurence Sterne (1713–68) Irish Anglican Novelist, Clergyman
It has come to be practically a sort of rule in literature, that a man, having once shown himself capable of original writing, is entitled, thenceforth, to steal from the writings of others at discretion. Thought is the property of him who can entertain it and of him who can adequately place it.—A certain awkwardness marks the use of borrowed thoughts; but as soon as we have learned what to do with them, they become our own.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
When a thing has been said and said well, have no scruple. Take it and copy it.
—Anatole France (1844–1924) French Novelist
Ideas improve. The meaning of words participates in the improvement. Plagiarism is necessary. Progress implies it. It embraces an author’s phrase, makes use of his expressions, erases a false idea, and replaces it with the right idea.
—Guy Debord (1931–94) French Philosopher
All the makers of dictionaries, and all compilers who do nothing else than repeat backwards and forwards the opinions, the errors, the impostures, and the truths already printed, we may term plagiarists; but they are honest plagiarists, who do not arrogate the merit of invention.—Call them, if you please, book-makers, not authors; rather second hand dealers than plagiarists.
—Voltaire (1694–1778) French Philosopher, Author
What a good thing Adam had. When he said a good thing, he knew nobody had said it before.
—Mark Twain (1835–1910) American Humorist
Nothing is said which has not been said before.
—Terence (c.195–159 BCE) Roman Comic Dramatist
Nothing is sillier than this charge of plagiarism. There is no sixth commandment in art. The poet dare help himself wherever he lists—wherever he finds material suited to his work. He may even appropriate entire columns with their carved capitals, if the temple he thus supports be a beautiful one. Goethe understood this very well, and so did Shakespeare before him.
—Heinrich Heine (1797–1856) German Poet, Writer
Genius Borrows nobly.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
No earnest thinker is a plagiarist pure and simple. He will never borrow from others that which he has not already, more or less, thought out for himself.
—Charles Kingsley (1819–75) English Clergyman, Academic, Historian, Novelist
It is not strange that remembered ideas should often take advantage of the crowd of thoughts and smuggle themselves in as original. Honest thinkers are always stealing unconsciously from each other. Our minds are full of waifs and estrays which we think our own. Innocent plagiarism turns up everywhere.
—Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. (1809–94) American Physician, Essayist
Literature is full of coincidences, which some love to believe are plagiarisms.—There are thoughts always abroad in the air which it takes more wit to avoid than to hit upon.
—Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. (1809–94) American Physician, Essayist
The immature artist imitates. The mature artist steals.
—Lionel Trilling (1905–75) American Literary Critic
If you steal from one author, it’s plagiarism; if you steal from many, it’s research.
—Wilson Mizner (1876–1933) American Playwright, Entrepreneur
Most plagiarists, like the drone, have not the taste to select, the industry to acquire, nor the skill to improve, but impudently pilfer the honey ready prepared, from the hive.
—Charles Caleb Colton (c.1780–1832) English Clergyman, Aphorist
There is a difference between imitating a good man and counterfeiting him.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
Immature artists imitate. Mature artists steal.
—Lionel Trilling (1905–75) American Literary Critic
About the most originality that any writer can hope to achieve honestly is to steal with good judgment.
—Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw) (1818–85) American Humorist, Author, Lecturer
It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.
—Herman Melville (1819–91) American Novelist, Short Story Writer, Essayist, Poet
And for the citation of so many authors, ’tis the easiest thing in nature. Find out one of these books with an alphabetical index, and without any farther ceremony, remove it verbatim into your own… there are fools enough to be thus drawn into an opinion of the work; at least, such a flourishing train of attendants will give your book a fashionable air, and recommend it for sale.
—Miguel de Cervantes (1547–1616) Spanish Novelist
Plagiarists at least have the quality of preservation.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
It is a special trick of low cunning to squeeze out knowledge from a modest man who is eminent in any science, and then to use it as legally acquired, and pass the source in total silence.
—Horace Walpole, 4th Earl of Orford (1717–97) English Art Historian, Man of Letters, Politician
Nothing is new except arrangement.
—William C. Durant (1861–1947) American Industrialist
I don’t think anybody steals anything; all of us borrow.
—B. B. King (1925–2015) American Blues Singer, Guitarist
The human plagiarism which is most difficult to avoid, for individuals… is the plagiarism of ourselves.
—Marcel Proust (1871–1922) French Novelist
They lard their lean books with the fat of others’ works.
—Robert Burton (1577–1640) English Scholar, Clergyman
Horace or Boileau have said such a thing, before.—I take your word for it, but I said it as my own; and may I not have the same just thoughts after them, as others may have after me?
—Jean de La Bruyere (1645–96) French Satiric Moralist, Author
He invades authors like a monarch; and what would be theft in other poets is only victory in him.
—John Dryden (1631–1700) English Poet, Literary Critic, Playwright
Borrowed garments never keep one warm. A curse goes with them, as with Harry Gill’s blankets. Nor can one get smuggled goods safely into kingdom come. How lank and pitiful does one of these gentry look, after posterity’s customs-officers have had the plucking of him!
—James Russell Lowell (1819–91) American Poet, Critic
If we steal thoughts from the moderns, it will be cried down as plagiarism; if from the ancients, it will be cried up as erudition.—But in this respect every author is a Spartan, more ashamed of the discovery than of the depredation.
—Charles Caleb Colton (c.1780–1832) English Clergyman, Aphorist
Plagiarists are always suspicious of being stolen from.
—Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772–1834) English Poet, Literary Critic, Philosopher
Steal! to be sure they may, and, egad, serve your best thoughts as gipsies do stolen children—disfigure them to make them pass for their own.
—Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1751–1816) Irish-born British Playwright, Poet, Elected Rep
Borrowed thoughts, like borrowed money, only show the poverty of the borrower.
—Marguerite Gardiner, Countess of Blessington (1789–1849) Irish Novelist, Writer
Touching plagiarism in general, it is to be remembered that all men who have sense and feeling are being continually helped; they are taught by every person whom they meet and enriched by everything that falls in their way. The greatest is he who has been oftenest aided; and, if the attainments of all human minds could be traced to their real sources, it would be found that the world had been laid most under contribution by the men of most original power, and that every day of their existence deepened their debt, to their race, while it enlarged their gifts to it.
—John Ruskin (1819–1900) English Writer, Art Critic