My Attributions

Human understanding uses a quirky creative pattern:

  1. Devour information via perception.
  2. Discard all the context of that information.
  3. Figure out which information is better than the rest.
  4. Remember it for a while, devour lots more, condense into abstractions.
  5. Barf out that information into creative stuff, often believing it’s an original idea or trying to hide the evidence.

While nothing ever really changes, we feel like it does. This means nothing we make is truly new: it’s just stuff someone else wrote we haven’t met yet. Thus, I can’t pioneer anything because it’s just a remix.

When something feels familiar, I’m sure you’ve experienced the same book, movie, or journey as me. Or, maybe you just see the same pattern I see. I’m just copying things from someone I don’t know and don’t realize I’m copying.

I generally don’t like to cite people. Our opinions about a work or idea frequently incorporate who said or did it, irrespective of the work itself. I consider that association a thought crime against the abstract order that represents itself.

But, we still sometimes like to give credit to our benefactors. Some people who made an impact on me deserve honor, so I feel duty-bound to attribute them here.

Consider this my attribution Wall of Fame. Just remember, though: each of those people were simply reaping their forebears as well.

Please indicate if you think I’m stealing from you, and I’ll happily add your name here. If I remembered each attribution, I’d have to scour thousands of articles, books, videos, and discussions I’ve consumed at various degrees of consciousness and thoroughness.

Ideas

Long-Dead People:

Still-Alive People:

People I’ve Personally Known:

Collections

I’ve also scraped from the following collection-makers: