If you steal from one author it’s plagiarism; if you steal from many it’s research.
Wilson Mizner 

We’ve been taught that stealing is a “bad” thing. Well, what is good and what is bad is subject to interpretation. Stealing material is illegal and unproductive in most cases, but what if we steal mentally? What I mean when I say we must learn to steal is take other people’s ideas consistently. Experiment with what worked for others and seek to understand the ideas and logic that has made others so successful.

Key Points

• Stealing ideas and seeking to understand them is effective
• We learn to steal because it’s easier than coming up with our own ideas
• Closing our eyes and trying to be original is a waste of time
• Stealing ideas, quotes, etc is a way of acquiring information
• There is no such thing as originality
• Look for opportunities to steal an idea, phrase, quote or tactic

Learn to Steal

Good artists copy, great artists steal. 
Pablo Picasso

The nonsense of Originality

Nothing is original. There have been many before the Wright brothers who tried inventing flight. A lot of those men fell and died, leading the one’s who came after them to take what they could from the mistakes made and expand on them. Ideas are never exclusive and the idea of it is ridiculous.


There is no learning if originality existed. We take from those before us and build. There is a sense of pride in feeling original or developing something that seems new and unheard of. The only thing that really matters here is effectiveness. Pride of originality is a side effect of the monetary system. Inventions are kept secret and patents are present because of monetary value. Without a reward, originality means nothing.

 Learn to Steal Efficiently

A good way to learn to steal is by looking at the top people in your field of interest. The top websites, the best designs, etc. Even stealing phrases and techniques is extremely effective. There is a fine line between copying something we don’t comprehend and stealing an idea or tactic in order to make life easier for us. For example, trying to mimic an athlete may not work because their style might only work for them. On the other hand, repeating a clever line we heard from a friend is an awesome addition to your arsenal.


We have all the technology that we have today from other people’s inventions and ideas. We should take advantage of strategies, tactics, tricks, quotes and ideas that we like from other people. We should always be looking for an easy idea to snag and use for ourselves.

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