--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If we want a better original idea, we…" description: "\"If we want a better original idea, we must generate our own before we screen others' suggestions.\" — Adam Grant" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/658/adam-grant-3775_creativity_if-we-want-a-better-original-idea-we-mus_954523.png" --- # If we want a better original idea, we must generate our… ![“If we want a better original idea, we must generate our own before we screen others' suggestions.” quote by Adam Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/658/adam-grant-3775_creativity_if-we-want-a-better-original-idea-we-mus_954523.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/658/adam-grant-3775_creativity_if-we-want-a-better-original-idea-we-mus_954523.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/658/adam-grant-3775_creativity_if-we-want-a-better-original-idea-we-mus_954523.png) > “If we want a better original idea, we must generate our own before we screen others' suggestions.” [Adam Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-grant/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. To foster genuine innovation, we must first create our own ideas before evaluating others', ensuring originality. **In simple terms:** Create before copying to keep ideas original. Key Takeaway Generate your own ideas first. Themes creativity originality innovation idea generation leadership Mood inspirational practical Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - team brainstorming - product development - research - personal projects Key Concepts psychology of creativity strategic thinking Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance originality with learning from others? - When is it beneficial to adapt existing ideas? A Different Perspective Focusing only on originality may neglect valuable collaboration. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Creativity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativity/) [Idea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idea/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Original idea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/original-idea/) [Original ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/original-ideas/) [Suggestions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suggestions/) ## Related quotes > [If you come up with the original idea on your laptop, anything else is an embellishment of that idea. It's nice to have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hudson-mohawke/if-you-come-up-with-the-original-idea-on-your-laptop-anything-else-is/) Hudson Mohawke > [The best work comes from people who are motivated by crisis. When something stops their original idea, they respond by coming up with something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pharrell-williams/the-best-work-comes-from-people-who-are-motivated-by-crisis-when/) [Pharrell Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pharrell-williams/) > [ What happened was I was invited to meet Tom \[Hardy\] to discuss a project that he had in his mind about an adventurer who… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/what-happened-was-i-was-invited-to-meet-tom-hardy-to-discuss-a/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) > [There may be no less original idea than the notion that our hearts hold dominion over our heads.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-gibbs/there-may-be-no-less-original-idea-than-the-notion-that-our-hearts/) [Nancy Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-gibbs/) > [I love being directed. Because it's another thought, it's another fresh idea. You're so grateful for an original idea that you haven't had.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-rigg/i-love-being-directed-because-it-s-another-thought-it-s-another-fresh/) [Diana Rigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-rigg/) > [ \[Liv Corfixen\] very much part of my life in that she's everything in my life and we found a way to use each other… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-winding-refn/liv-corfixen-very-much-part-of-my-life-in-that-she-s-everything-in-my/) [Nicolas Winding Refn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-winding-refn/) > [Just because you can make an album on a laptop computer in your back bedroom doesn't mean it's going to be any good. Like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-panter/just-because-you-can-make-an-album-on-a-laptop-computer-in-your-back/) [Horace Panter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-panter/) > [All my pictures are a kind of revision of my original idea. This is surely very different from the way in which Japanese or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoni-tapies/all-my-pictures-are-a-kind-of-revision-of-my-original-idea-this-is/) [Antoni Tapies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoni-tapies/) > [But having had your bright, fresh, original idea, the really hard part is turning it into a successful product. That's what takes all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-baylis/but-having-had-your-bright-fresh-original-idea-the-really-hard-part/) [Trevor Baylis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-baylis/) > [Look, I know you meant well creating the world and all, but how could you let it get away from you like this? How…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-monk-kidd/look-i-know-you-meant-well-creating-the-world-and-all-but-how-could/) [Sue Monk Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-monk-kidd/) > [Somewhere along the way, the idea, which I think was initially to get some fair transaction between people, went out the window. And what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/somewhere-along-the-way-the-idea-which-i-think-was-initially-to-get/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [My original idea was to produce and not make records myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-bone-burnett/my-original-idea-was-to-produce-and-not-make-records-myself/) [T Bone Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-bone-burnett/) > [Back then, when I had that original idea to write about the seventeenth century, the whole thing was set in 1666. I was thinking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-dutton/back-then-when-i-had-that-original-idea-to-write-about-the/) [Danielle Dutton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-dutton/) > [Is it an original idea? Or is it something where you're literally a creative collagist? You're taking pieces of the world that you see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abigail-washburn/is-it-an-original-idea-or-is-it-something-where-you-re-literally-a/) [Abigail Washburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abigail-washburn/) > [I have not yet learned to live, that I can see, and I fear that I shall not very soon. I find, however, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-have-not-yet-learned-to-live-that-i-can-see-and-i-fear-that-i-shall/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## More by Adam Grant > [When young women get called bossy, it's often because they're trying to exercise power without status. It's not a problem that they're being dominant;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-grant/when-young-women-get-called-bossy-it-s-often-because-they-re-trying/) [Adam Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-grant/) > [If I had the day off and knew everyone else was voting, I wouldn't miss it. It would become a routine part of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-grant/if-i-had-the-day-off-and-knew-everyone-else-was-voting-i-wouldn-t/) [Adam Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-grant/) > [No one wants to hear everything that's in your head. They just want you to live up to what comes out of your mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-grant/no-one-wants-to-hear-everything-that-s-in-your-head-they-just-want/) [Adam Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-grant/) > [Geniuses don't have better ideas than the rest of us. They just have more of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-grant/geniuses-don-t-have-better-ideas-than-the-rest-of-us-they-just-have/) [Adam Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-grant/) > [Meditation isn't snake oil. For some people, meditation might be the most efficient way to reduce stress and cultivate mindfulness. But it isn't a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-grant/meditation-isn-t-snake-oil-for-some-people-meditation-might-be-the/) [Adam Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-grant/) > [In college, my idea of a productive day was to start writing at 7 A.M. and not leave my chair until dinnertime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-grant/in-college-my-idea-of-a-productive-day-was-to-start-writing-at-7-a-m/) [Adam Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-grant/) > [Creativity may be hard to nurture, but it's easy to thwart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-grant/creativity-may-be-hard-to-nurture-but-it-s-easy-to-thwart/) [Adam Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-grant/) > [I have lots of micro-goals of trying to get things done, whatever the amount of time available.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-grant/i-have-lots-of-micro-goals-of-trying-to-get-things-done-whatever-the/) [Adam Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-grant/) > [People often believe that character causes action, but when it comes to producing moral children, we need to remember that action also shapes character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-grant/people-often-believe-that-character-causes-action-but-when-it-comes/) [Adam Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-grant/) > [When a salesperson truly cares about you, trust forms, and you're more likely to buy, come back for repeat business, and refer new customers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-grant/when-a-salesperson-truly-cares-about-you-trust-forms-and-you-re-more/) [Adam Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-grant/) > [When you develop a reputation for being responsive and generous, an ever-expanding mountain of requests will come your way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-grant/when-you-develop-a-reputation-for-being-responsive-and-generous-an/) [Adam Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-grant/) > [To get important work done, most leaders organize people into teams. They believe that when people collaborate toward a common goal, great things can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-grant/to-get-important-work-done-most-leaders-organize-people-into-teams/) [Adam Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-grant/) > [Most people believe that great leaders are distinguished by their ability to give compelling answers. This profound book shatters that assumption, showing that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-grant/most-people-believe-that-great-leaders-are-distinguished-by-their/) [Adam Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-grant/) > [Kids who evolve into creative adults tend to have a strong moral compass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-grant/kids-who-evolve-into-creative-adults-tend-to-have-a-strong-moral/) [Adam Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-grant/) > [Authenticity means erasing the gap between what you firmly believe inside and what you reveal to the outside world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-grant/authenticity-means-erasing-the-gap-between-what-you-firmly-believe/) [Adam Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-grant/) [Explore all 122 Adam Grant quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-grant/) ## More Creativity quotes > [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“The Soviet “creative intelligentsia” - that is, people accustomed to thinking one thing, saying another and doing a third - is as a whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrei-amalrik/the-soviet-creative-intelligentsia-that-is-people-accustomed-to/) Andrei Amalrik > [It’s so important to create in your own voice, to hold onto what makes you unique, and have faith in your vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lasseter/it-s-so-important-to-create-in-your-own-voice-to-hold-onto-what-makes/) [John Lasseter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lasseter/) > [A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/a-rock-pile-ceases-to-be-a-rock-pile-the-moment-a-single-man/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [You don't get lucky. You create lucky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sharma/you-don-t-get-lucky-you-create-lucky/) [Robin Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sharma/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [“You are the end of beauty and creativity one must have created so far.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/you-are-the-end-of-beauty-and-creativity-one-must-have-created-so-far/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [Jonah Lehrer is one of the most talented explainers of science that we’ve got. What a pleasure it is to follow his investigation of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-foer/jonah-lehrer-is-one-of-the-most-talented-explainers-of-science-that/) [Joshua Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-foer/) > [If you've got creativity, imagination, and intelligence, and you want to be hypnotised, then there's no reason you shouldn't be able to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-barry/if-you-ve-got-creativity-imagination-and-intelligence-and-you-want-to/) [Keith Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-barry/) > [“I believe in magic. As a writer, I create them on blank paper.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonnia-kemmer/i-believe-in-magic-as-a-writer-i-create-them-on-blank-paper/) [Sonnia Kemmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonnia-kemmer/) > [Creativity is like chasing chickens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christoph-niemann/creativity-is-like-chasing-chickens/) Christoph Niemann > [It is proposed that a form of free dialogue may well be one of the most effective ways of investigating the crisis which faces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bohm/it-is-proposed-that-a-form-of-free-dialogue-may-well-be-one-of-the/) [David Bohm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bohm/) > [You always hear actors say, 'Theater is my first love,' and it is. It's a time when you really get to do what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-landecker/you-always-hear-actors-say-theater-is-my-first-love-and-it-is-it-s-a/) [Amy Landecker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-landecker/) > [Create an environment for people to fail, to learn, and to grow. Their creativity and productivity will increase.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/create-an-environment-for-people-to-fail-to-learn-and-to-grow-their/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 13,625 Creativity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If we want a better original idea, we must generate our own before we screen others' suggestions.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Adam Grant" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-grant/if-we-want-a-better-original-idea-we-must-generate-our-own-before-we/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Creativity" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-grant/if-we-want-a-better-original-idea-we-must-generate-our-own-before-we/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/658/adam-grant-3775_creativity_if-we-want-a-better-original-idea-we-mus_954523.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/658/adam-grant-3775_creativity_if-we-want-a-better-original-idea-we-mus_954523.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/658/adam-grant-3775_creativity_if-we-want-a-better-original-idea-we-mus_954523.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If we want a better original idea, we must generate our own before we screen others' suggestions.” — Adam Grant", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Adam Grant", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-grant/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If we want a better original...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-grant/if-we-want-a-better-original-idea-we-must-generate-our-own-before-we/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-grant/if-we-want-a-better-original-idea-we-must-generate-our-own-before-we/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```