A Quote by Edward Young

We are all born originals - why is it so many of us die copies?

Edward Young

Quote Topics

Born Copies Die Many Originals Us Why

Quote Author

Edward Young
English - Poet
July 3, 1683 - April 5, 1765

Born Originals, how comes it to pass that we die Copies?

Edward Young

There is no doubt that each of us is born an individual. Why is it then that so many of us die carbon copies?

Jodie Foster

Not infrequently, we encounter copies of important human beings; and here, too, as in the case of paintings, most people prefer the copies to the originals.

Friedrich Nietzsche

History is a gallery of pictures in which there are few originals and many copies.

Alexis de Tocqueville

Born originals, how comes it to pass that we die copies? That meddling ape imitation, as soon as we come to years of indiscretion, (so let me speak,) snatches the pen, and blots out nature's mark of separation, cancels her kind intention, destroys all mental individuality. The lettered world no longer consists of singulars: it is a medley, a mass; and a hundred books, at bottom, are but one.

Edward Young

The circumstance which gives authors an advantage above all these great masters, is this, that they can multiply their originals; or rather, can make copies of their works, to what number they please, which shall be as valuable as the originals themselves.

Joseph Addison

The only good copies are those which make us see the absurdity of bad originals.

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Why are we born? We're born eventually to die, of course. But what happens between the time we're born and we die? We're born to live. One is a realist if one hopes.

Studs Terkel

There are more copies than originals among people.

Pablo Picasso

Every man is born an original, but sadly, most men die copies.

Abraham Lincoln

We live in a world of copies and we're fascinated when we encounter the originals (in a museum, for instance).

Susan Sontag

It's in my stars to invent; I was born on Madame Curie's birthday. I have this need for originals, for innovation. That's why I like Charlie Parker.

Joni Mitchell

God makes originals not carbon copies. It's okay to be inspired by someone, but be bold enough to be yourself.

Tony Gaskins

History, it is easily perceived, is a picture-gallery containing a host of copies and very few originals.

Alexis de Tocqueville

When I decided to write about my brother and friends, I was attempting to answer the question why. Why did they all die like that? Why so many of them? Why so close together? Why were they all so young? Why, especially, in the kinds of places where we are from? Why would they all die back to back to back to back? I feel like I was writing my way towards an answer in the memoir.