--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Men of strong minds and who think for…" description: "\"Men of strong minds and who think for themselves, should not be discouraged on finding occasionally that some of their best ideas have been anticipated..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/398/charles-caleb-colton-270_conquest_men-of-strong-minds-and-who-think-for-th_2685921.png" --- # Men of strong minds and who think for themselves, should… ![“Men of strong minds and who think for themselves, should not be discouraged on finding occasionally that some of their best ideas have been anticipated by former writers; they will neither anathematize others nor despair themselves. They will rather go on discovering things before discovered…” quote by Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/398/charles-caleb-colton-270_conquest_men-of-strong-minds-and-who-think-for-th_2685921.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/398/charles-caleb-colton-270_conquest_men-of-strong-minds-and-who-think-for-th_2685921.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/398/charles-caleb-colton-270_conquest_men-of-strong-minds-and-who-think-for-th_2685921.png) > “Men of strong minds and who think for themselves, should not be discouraged on finding occasionally that some of their best ideas have been anticipated by former writers; they will neither anathematize others nor despair themselves. They will rather go on discovering things before discovered, until they are rewarded with a land hitherto unknown, an empire indisputably their own, both right of conquest and of discovery.” [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Original ideas often echo past thinkers; progress builds on prior work. **In simple terms:** New ideas build on old ones. Key Takeaway Embrace continuity, seek novelty. Themes originality history progress Mood thoughtful inspired Type analytical inspirational When to use this quote - academic research - artistic creation - entrepreneurial innovation Key Concepts intellectual humility creative synthesis Questions to Reflect On - How can you differentiate your work? - When is borrowing beneficial? A Different Perspective Originality can be constrained by existing paradigms. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Conquest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conquest/) [Despair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/despair/) [Discovering things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discovering-things/) [Discovery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discovery/) [Empires](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empires/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Strong mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strong-mind/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [There is no reason why a strong back can't get you as far as a strong mind. Work together, grow together, conquer together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-j-cowell/there-is-no-reason-why-a-strong-back-can-t-get-you-as-far-as-a-strong/) [Larry J Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-j-cowell/) > [We can see every square metre of the planet on Google Earth. But there is no substitute for that sensory experience of going out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cope/we-can-see-every-square-metre-of-the-planet-on-google-earth-but-there/) [Tim Cope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cope/) > [What I try to do is write from the inside out. I really try to jump into the world of the film and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-nolan/what-i-try-to-do-is-write-from-the-inside-out-i-really-try-to-jump/) [Christopher Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-nolan/) > [Improvisation has to do with exploring something like two brothers in a room together. You find out things about situations by discovering the things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-nichols/improvisation-has-to-do-with-exploring-something-like-two-brothers-in/) [Mike Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-nichols/) > [I find that in the process of making a film you're constantly discovering things that you never even imagined would work at the beginning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-jackson/i-find-that-in-the-process-of-making-a-film-you-re-constantly-2/) [Peter Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-jackson/) > [I love learning about the science that governs the universe around us and want to share the delight of discovering how things work and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-munroe/i-love-learning-about-the-science-that-governs-the-universe-around-us/) [Randall Munroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-munroe/) > [I find that in the process of making a film you're constantly discovering things that you never even imagined would work at the beginning.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-jackson/i-find-that-in-the-process-of-making-a-film-you-re-constantly/) [Peter Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-jackson/) > [Finding your purpose may be a lifelong pursuit or you may have discovered it when you were 5 years old. There's no absolute timeline…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/finding-your-purpose-may-be-a-lifelong-pursuit-or-you-may-have/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [What scientists are attached to is journeys into the unknown and discovering things that are completely unexpected and baffling and surprising.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-cox/what-scientists-are-attached-to-is-journeys-into-the-unknown-and/) [Brian Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-cox/) > [I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-went-to-the-woods-because-i-wished-to-live-deliberately/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I'm constantly discovering things. Like Bobby Bland. Right now I suppose I'm into the Eighties, which turned out to be a great musical period.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiwetel-ejiofor/i-m-constantly-discovering-things-like-bobby-bland-right-now-i/) [Chiwetel Ejiofor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiwetel-ejiofor/) > [“The whole key to life is discovering things for yourself. What you do with that discovery is what lies on the other side of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-whitaker/the-whole-key-to-life-is-discovering-things-for-yourself-what-you-do/) David Whitaker > [Becoming conscious is of course a sacrilege against nature; it is as though you had robbed the unconscious of something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/becoming-conscious-is-of-course-a-sacrilege-against-nature-it-is-as/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) > [You remind me of Christopher Columbus in that you're always discovering things people knew about years ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-remind-me-of-christopher-columbus-in-that-you-re-always/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It all comes down to what you truly love doing, and what I love doing is overdubbing and making new sounds out of things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-lynne/it-all-comes-down-to-what-you-truly-love-doing-and-what-i-love-doing/) [Jeff Lynne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-lynne/) ## More by Charles Caleb Colton > [Villainy that is vigilant will be an overmatch for virtue, if she slumber at her post.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/villainy-that-is-vigilant-will-be-an-overmatch-for-virtue-if-she/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [A beautiful woman, if poor, should use double circumspection; for her beauty will tempt others, her poverty herself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/a-beautiful-woman-if-poor-should-use-double-circumspection-for-her/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [Were the life of man prolonged, he would become such a proficient in villainy, that it would become necessary again to drown or to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/were-the-life-of-man-prolonged-he-would-become-such-a-proficient-in/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [To dare to live alone is the rarest courage; since there are many who had rather meet their bitterest enemy in the field, than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/to-dare-to-live-alone-is-the-rarest-courage-since-there-are-many-who/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [It is doubtful whether mankind are most indebted to those who like Bacon and Butler dig the gold from the mine of literature, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/it-is-doubtful-whether-mankind-are-most-indebted-to-those-who-like/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [Be very slow to believe that you are wiser than all others; it is a fatal but common error. 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The image of a white Jesus has been used to justify enslavement, conquest, colonialism, the genocide of indigenous peoples. There are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/here-s-the-reality-the-image-of-a-white-jesus-has-been-used-to/) [Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) > [Politics...You see, it depends on what kind of politics. What we did during my father's generation was a duty. And it was beautiful because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/politics-you-see-it-depends-on-what-kind-of-politics-what-we-did/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [If love is the quest, then marriage is the conquest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-love-is-the-quest-then-marriage-is-the-conquest/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We must not forget that what I mean by the conquest of the world by spiritual thought is the sending out of the life-giving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/we-must-not-forget-that-what-i-mean-by-the-conquest-of-the-world-by/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [Any piece of knowledge which the pupil has himself acquired- any problem which he has himself solved, becomes, by virtue of the conquest, much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/any-piece-of-knowledge-which-the-pupil-has-himself-acquired-any/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [I have visited sweatshops, factories, and crowded slums. If I could not see it, I could smell it. The foundation of society is laid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/i-have-visited-sweatshops-factories-and-crowded-slums-if-i-could-not/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) > [It is in meeting the great tests that mankind can most successfully rise to great heights. Out of danger and restless insecurity comes the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-asimov/it-is-in-meeting-the-great-tests-that-mankind-can-most-successfully/) [Isaac Asimov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-asimov/) > [By the age of three, the child has already laid down the foundations of his personality as a human being, and only then does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/by-the-age-of-three-the-child-has-already-laid-down-the-foundations/) [Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/) > [I refer to the misunderstanding of Soviet Russia as an aggressive power, militaristically and ideologically bent upon world domination 'seeing', to quote a recent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enoch-powell/i-refer-to-the-misunderstanding-of-soviet-russia-as-an-aggressive/) [Enoch Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enoch-powell/) > [At length weariness succeeds to labor, and the mind lies at ease in the contemplation of her own attainments without any desire of new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/at-length-weariness-succeeds-to-labor-and-the-mind-lies-at-ease-in/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The film The Conquest will be seen on many different levels and the American point of view is always more technical. The French are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xavier-durringer/the-film-the-conquest-will-be-seen-on-many-different-levels-and-the/) [Xavier Durringer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xavier-durringer/) > [Misgovernment is of four kinds, often in combination. They are: 1) tyranny or oppression, of which history provides so many well-known examples that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-tuchman/misgovernment-is-of-four-kinds-often-in-combination-they-are-1/) [Barbara Tuchman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-tuchman/) > [In scientific thought, the concept functions all the better for being cut off from all background images. In its full exercise, the scientific concept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaston-bachelard/in-scientific-thought-the-concept-functions-all-the-better-for-being/) [Gaston Bachelard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaston-bachelard/) > [There must be a law if there is to be liberty. 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