No copying allowed

Why you can be inspired and get inspiration from others but shouldn’t copy.

When getting started in anything, it is always good to draw inspiration and motivation from someone or something that you admire. However, it becomes a very slippery slope when you start copying word for word, action for action, or step for step. You will not develop properly, and will always be one step behind.

The greatest risk you run when directly copying someone else’s work or method is that you may very well completely miss that which might make you great.

Going back to Jocko Willink’s podcast with Arnold Schwarzenegger.

As Arnold was rising in his career, he was constantly put down for his physique and accent; however, they soon became his greatest assets in movies like Conan the Barbarian. Arnold says that the only reference for the larger-than-life character was a painting; if they hadn’t found Arnold, they would have had to make an artificial Conan.

Also in The Terminator, Director James Cameron said that Arnold’s physique gave the audience the impression of an artificial machine, and when he spoke, it confirmed the impression, hence solidifying Arnold’s place as the Terminator.