--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is impossible to imitate Voltaire…" description: "\"It is impossible to imitate Voltaire without being Voltaire.\" — Frederick The Great" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e25/frederick-the-great-8525_imitation_it-is-impossible-to-imitate-voltaire-wit_2429403.jpg" --- # It is impossible to imitate Voltaire without being Voltaire. ![“It is impossible to imitate Voltaire without being Voltaire.” quote by Frederick The Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e25/frederick-the-great-8525_imitation_it-is-impossible-to-imitate-voltaire-wit_2429403.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e25/frederick-the-great-8525_imitation_it-is-impossible-to-imitate-voltaire-wit_2429403.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e25/frederick-the-great-8525_imitation_it-is-impossible-to-imitate-voltaire-wit_2429403.jpg) > “It is impossible to imitate Voltaire without being Voltaire.” [Frederick The Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Imitating Voltaire requires becoming Voltaire; true imitation demands embodying the original. **In simple terms:** To copy someone, you must become them. Key Takeaway Seek deep understanding before imitation. Themes authenticity intellectual influence identity Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type educational philosophical When to use this quote - academic study - artistic mentorship - cultural translation Key Concepts philosophical imitation creative synthesis Questions to Reflect On - What does it mean to truly embody another’s ideas? - Can you adopt style without losing self? A Different Perspective Superficial copying misses essence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Imitate Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imitate-voltaire-261853/) [Imitation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imitation/) [Impossible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impossible/) [Impossible Imitate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impossible-imitate-261855/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voltaire/) [Voltaire Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voltaire-voltaire-261854/) ## Related quotes > [every being is unique.god neva creates carbon copies,he alys creates originals.he is truly a creator.he neva repeats.but man goes on living in imitation.we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/every-being-is-unique-god-neva-creates-carbon-copies-he-alys-creates/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Voltaire was a smart cookie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry/voltaire-was-a-smart-cookie/) [John Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry/) > [A jealous lover of human liberty, deeming it the absolute condition of all that we admire and respect in humanity, I reverse the phrase…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-bakunin/a-jealous-lover-of-human-liberty-deeming-it-the-absolute-condition-of/) [Mikhail Bakunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-bakunin/) > [“I am convinced that everything has come down to us from the banks of the Ganges, - astronomy, astrology, metempsychosis, etc... It is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/i-am-convinced-that-everything-has-come-down-to-us-from-the-banks-of-2/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [“Life is thickly sown with thorns, and I know no other remedy than to pass quickly through them. The longer we dwell on our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robyn-carr/life-is-thickly-sown-with-thorns-and-i-know-no-other-remedy-than-to/) [Robyn Carr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robyn-carr/) > [“They could not help loving anything that made them laugh. The Lisbon earthquake was “embarrassing to the physicists and humiliating to theologians” (Barbier). It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-mitford/they-could-not-help-loving-anything-that-made-them-laugh-the-lisbon/) [Nancy Mitford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-mitford/) > [“Since the time of Voltaire and two-chamber Government, which is at bottom simply distrust and personal self-examination, and gives the popular mind that bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stendhal/since-the-time-of-voltaire-and-two-chamber-government-which-is-at/) [Stendhal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stendhal/) > [O Voltaire! O humanity! O idiocy! There is something ticklish in "the truth," and in the SEARCH for the truth; and if man goes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/o-voltaire-o-humanity-o-idiocy-there-is-something-ticklish-in-the/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“If God is always on the side of the big battalions as Voltaire says, then, let us not waste our time with little detachments!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/if-god-is-always-on-the-side-of-the-big-battalions-as-voltaire-says/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Optimism and happiness are not the same thing, but they are becoming interchangeable, and it seemed to me that Voltaire's Candide gave me a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-ravenhill/optimism-and-happiness-are-not-the-same-thing-but-they-are-becoming/) [Mark Ravenhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-ravenhill/) > [Priests, kings, statesmen, soldiers, bankers and public functionaries of all sorts; policemen, jailers and hangmen; capitalists, usurers, businessmen and property-owners; lawyers, economists and politicians…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-bakunin/priests-kings-statesmen-soldiers-bankers-and-public-functionaries-of/) [Mikhail Bakunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-bakunin/) > [“Voltaire was soon turned, with Catherine’s encouragement, into a patron saint for the secular Russian aristocracy. Voltairianism, vaguely signifying rationalism, scepticism and reformism, became…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pankaj-mishra/voltaire-was-soon-turned-with-catherine-s-encouragement-into-a-patron/) [Pankaj Mishra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pankaj-mishra/) > [Voltaire made up his mind to destroy the superstition of his time. He fought with every weapon that genius could devise or use. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/voltaire-made-up-his-mind-to-destroy-the-superstition-of-his-time-he/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [Voltaire! A name that excites the admiration of men, the malignity of priests. Pronounce that name in the presence of a clergyman, and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/voltaire-a-name-that-excites-the-admiration-of-men-the-malignity-of/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [“If I were king, I would redress an abuse which cuts back, as it were, one half of human kind. I would have women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milie-du-ch-telet/if-i-were-king-i-would-redress-an-abuse-which-cuts-back-as-it-were/) [Émilie Du Châtelet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milie-du-ch-telet/) ## More by Frederick The Great > [“If it is bad to debase the innocence of a private individual, whose influence on the affairs of the world is minimal, it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/if-it-is-bad-to-debase-the-innocence-of-a-private-individual-whose/) [Frederick the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) > [“The Miracle of the House of Brandenburg had come to pass.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/the-miracle-of-the-house-of-brandenburg-had-come-to-pass/) [Frederick the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) > [“Compare Holland with Russia; you see only marshy and sterile islands in the former, which rise from the center of the ocean: a small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/compare-holland-with-russia-you-see-only-marshy-and-sterile-islands/) [Frederick the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) > [All religions must be tolerated ... every man must go to heaven in his own way. \[Die Religionen müssen alle toleriert werden ... denn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/all-religions-must-be-tolerated-every-man-must-go-to-heaven-in-his/) [Frederick The Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) > [The people say what they like and then I do what I like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/the-people-say-what-they-like-and-then-i-do-what-i-like/) [Frederick The Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) > [“The cruel man is of misanthropic temperament, and is a man of moods, oscillating from quiet brooding to sudden explosions. If a man like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/the-cruel-man-is-of-misanthropic-temperament-and-is-a-man-of-moods/) [Frederick the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) > [The more I see of men, the better I like my dog.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/the-more-i-see-of-men-the-better-i-like-my-dog/) [Frederick The Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) > [I am up and about when I am ill, and in the most appalling weather. I am on horseback when other men would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/i-am-up-and-about-when-i-am-ill-and-in-the-most-appalling-weather-i/) [Frederick The Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) > [If I wished to punish a province, I would have it governed by philosophers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/if-i-wished-to-punish-a-province-i-would-have-it-governed-by/) [Frederick The Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) > [“The floods which devastate regions, the fire of the lightning which reduces cities to ashes, the poison of the plague which afflicts provinces, are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/the-floods-which-devastate-regions-the-fire-of-the-lightning-which/) [Frederick the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) > [A man with his heart in his profession imagines and finds resources where the worthless and lazy despair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/a-man-with-his-heart-in-his-profession-imagines-and-finds-resources/) [Frederick The Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) > [Be more than you seem to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/be-more-than-you-seem-to-be/) [Frederick The Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) > [A man, who can, in cold blood, hunt and torture a poor, innocent animal, cannot feel much compassion for the distress of his own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/a-man-who-can-in-cold-blood-hunt-and-torture-a-poor-innocent-animal/) [Frederick The Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) > [It is disgusting to notice the increase in the quantity of coffee used by my subjects, and the amount of money that goes out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/it-is-disgusting-to-notice-the-increase-in-the-quantity-of-coffee/) [Frederick The Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) > [Christianity - An old metaphysical romance, filled with marvels, contradictions, and absurdity, born in the ardent imagination of Orientals, has spread into our Europe.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/christianity-an-old-metaphysical-romance-filled-with-marvels/) [Frederick The Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) [Explore all 78 Frederick The Great quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) ## More Imitation quotes > [Imitation is the first instinct of the awakening mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/imitation-is-the-first-instinct-of-the-awakening-mind/) [Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/) > [every being is unique.god neva creates carbon copies,he alys creates originals.he is truly a creator.he neva repeats.but man goes on living in imitation.we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/every-being-is-unique-god-neva-creates-carbon-copies-he-alys-creates/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“You go into extinction by being obsessed about becoming something else and then travelling in the wrong car while your real self keeps waiting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/you-go-into-extinction-by-being-obsessed-about-becoming-something/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [Obviously I don't play the same way as Peter, but I could do a passable imitation of Peter Green; if you gave me a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-moore/obviously-i-don-t-play-the-same-way-as-peter-but-i-could-do-a/) [Gary Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-moore/) > [“Imitation and custom are the spring of almost all human action. The cause of it is that men fight shy of all and any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/imitation-and-custom-are-the-spring-of-almost-all-human-action-the/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [The method of not erring is sought by all the world. The logicians profess to guide it, the geometricians alone attain it, and apart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/the-method-of-not-erring-is-sought-by-all-the-world-the-logicians/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [We have lost the good old British spirit. Instead we have American journalism and black-shirted buffoons making a cheap imitation of ice-cream sellers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-mosley/we-have-lost-the-good-old-british-spirit-instead-we-have-american/) [Oswald Mosley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-mosley/) > [It is not the imitation that makes sons; it is sonship that makes imitators.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/it-is-not-the-imitation-that-makes-sons-it-is-sonship-that-makes/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [“most expensive originals have cheap imitations.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elfriede-jelinek/most-expensive-originals-have-cheap-imitations/) [Elfriede Jelinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elfriede-jelinek/) > [I said breathe. Not do a fish-out of-water imitation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/i-said-breathe-not-do-a-fish-out-of-water-imitation/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) > [“Don't envy what people have, emulate what they did to have it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-fargo/don-t-envy-what-people-have-emulate-what-they-did-to-have-it/) [Tim Fargo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-fargo/) > [Acquiring knowledge is a form of imitation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/acquiring-knowledge-is-a-form-of-imitation/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A tragedy is the imitation of an action that is serious and also, as having magnitude, complete in itself . . . with incidents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/a-tragedy-is-the-imitation-of-an-action-that-is-serious-and-also-as/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [It is not imitation that makes sons. It is sonship that make imitators.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/it-is-not-imitation-that-makes-sons-it-is-sonship-that-make-imitators/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [I propose not our enemies as an example for our general imitation, yet, as their navy is the best regulated of any in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-jones/i-propose-not-our-enemies-as-an-example-for-our-general-imitation-yet/) [John Paul Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-jones/) [Browse all 737 Imitation quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imitation/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is impossible to imitate Voltaire without being Voltaire.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Frederick The Great" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/it-is-impossible-to-imitate-voltaire-without-being-voltaire/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Imitation" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/it-is-impossible-to-imitate-voltaire-without-being-voltaire/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e25/frederick-the-great-8525_imitation_it-is-impossible-to-imitate-voltaire-wit_2429403.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e25/frederick-the-great-8525_imitation_it-is-impossible-to-imitate-voltaire-wit_2429403.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e25/frederick-the-great-8525_imitation_it-is-impossible-to-imitate-voltaire-wit_2429403.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is impossible to imitate Voltaire without being Voltaire.” — Frederick The Great", "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": "Frederick The Great", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It is impossible to imitate Voltaire...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/it-is-impossible-to-imitate-voltaire-without-being-voltaire/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/it-is-impossible-to-imitate-voltaire-without-being-voltaire/#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 } } ] } ```