Nothing exists in a vacuum. Everything that exists does so because it relates to something, compares to something. Otherwise you can’t perceive it, can’t conceive of it.

If there’s nothing to compare something to — then there’s just everything, which is nothing.

 

It’s obviously the same with ideas.

All ideas are relative. They only derive meaning from a context.

 

Therefore there’s no such thing as an “old idea”.

Every old idea become new when it is applied in a new context, perceived in a new context.

 

It’s absolutely not guaranteed that your old and “obvious” idea, principle, will be obvious in a new context.

You have to actively recognise it in this new context, actively integrate it, and actively apply it.

Discovering “old” ideas in a new context is the same as discovering ideas period.

 

Of course if there’s no such thing as an “old” idea then there’s no such thing as a “new” idea.

INDEED there isn’t. There’s only ideas you failed to become aware of, ideas you failed to apply.

It really doesn’t matter if someone wrote about it or not, if someone did it or not, NONE of it matters.

There’s only the PROBLEM in front of you — and EACH problem is unique in it’s own ways — and therefore requires UNIQUE solutions, UNIQUE IDEAS.

It doesn’t matter if someone dealt with it before or not, if someone wrote about it or not. It only matters if you solve it or not.

If someone inspires you — good for you.

But it’s still up to you to find that solution here and now, find that idea here and now. Just because someone wrote about it before doesn’t necessarily make it any easier.

 

So get over this nonsense of finding “original idea”,

You don’t decide what an “original” idea is.

All you do is SOLVE PROBLEMS.

Find new, hard problems — and you WILL find new, interesting ideas.

That’s what an “IDEA” is — it’s nothing more nothing less but a solution to certain problem. A response to certain challenge. A response to the world, to life.

It’s not what you find for it’s own sake. “Original idea” has no value in and of itself. It’s just an abstract concept.

No idea exists in isolation. Therefore “original idea” only has value in how it relates to some concrete problem.

Therefore you don’t look for ideas. You JUST SOLVE PROBLEMS.

 

You JUST SOLVE PROBLEMS.

You solve them creatively,

You use the resources available to you,

You EXPERIMENT,

You do that and your solutions will be interesting, and thus your IDEAS will be interesting,

If you solve problems stupidly then your ideas will be stupid. If you solve problems mechanically then your ideas will be primitive and mechanical,

But if you solve ideas creatively and resourcefully and innovatively — then you find brilliant and intriguing and original ideas.

 

…and it really doesn’t matter that someone sometime had “the same idea”,

NO ONE CARES,

History is a lie,

There’s only PROBLEM and SOLUTION.

There’s no such thing as originality because there’s no such thing as an “original idea”, all ideas are original as long as they solve new problems. It’s new problem, new context which renders and old idea new and fresh.

 

What is the conclusion?

Just keep solving problems,

Keep learning,

And DON’T worry about your ideas being boring or unoriginal or unremarkable,

It’s QUALITY OF THE PROBLEMS you tackle which will determine the quality of your IDEAS.

Of course don’t be ignorant,

Of course don’t steal ideas if you don’t intend to apply them to solving concrete problem. Ideas in and of themselves are USELESS. It’s just dead weight which only makes you more stupid, more deluded.

But if you’re tackling real hard problems — please CHERISH every IDEA that you unravel.

CELEBRATE IT.

It’s your own journey.

It’s no one else’s business.

And once you solved a really hard problem — no one will ask how “original” your idea was.

There’s only problem and solution — and the world will thank you for the solution.

And you will thank you for the solution.