--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You might as well acknowledge what came…" description: "\"You might as well acknowledge what came before, because you can never do something wholly new. It's not unoriginal to make your references clear.\" — Jo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21e/johnny-flynn-8130_acknowledge_you-might-as-well-acknowledge-what-came_1636127.jpg" --- # You might as well acknowledge what came before, because… ![“You might as well acknowledge what came before, because you can never do something wholly new. It's not unoriginal to make your references clear.” quote by Johnny Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21e/johnny-flynn-8130_acknowledge_you-might-as-well-acknowledge-what-came_1636127.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21e/johnny-flynn-8130_acknowledge_you-might-as-well-acknowledge-what-came_1636127.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21e/johnny-flynn-8130_acknowledge_you-might-as-well-acknowledge-what-came_1636127.jpg) > “You might as well acknowledge what came before, because you can never do something wholly new. It's not unoriginal to make your references clear.” [Johnny Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-flynn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Acknowledging past influences is essential; originality builds on existing ideas. **In simple terms:** Build on what came before. Key Takeaway Embrace prior work. Themes creativity history innovation Mood reflective creative Type artistic philosophical When to use this quote - music composition - writing - design Key Concepts intertextuality originality Questions to Reflect On - What past work inspires you? - How do you credit sources? A Different Perspective Originality cannot be completely detached from influence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Unoriginal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unoriginal/) ## Related quotes > [I try to make those references. I try to make sure that they're not too obscure. But outside of that, I dare not claim…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-try-to-make-those-references-i-try-to-make-sure-that-they-re-not/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“Every successful venture is based on an unoriginal idea, beautifully executed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ziad-k-abdelnour/every-successful-venture-is-based-on-an-unoriginal-idea-beautifully/) [Ziad K. Abdelnour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ziad-k-abdelnour/) > [Even if you think you're being original...you're probably still unoriginal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/even-if-you-think-you-re-being-original-you-re-probably-still/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Originality is the one thing which unoriginal minds cannot feel the use of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/originality-is-the-one-thing-which-unoriginal-minds-cannot-feel-the/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [Sorry if we can't all be unoriginal but I have a mold to break.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffree-star/sorry-if-we-can-t-all-be-unoriginal-but-i-have-a-mold-to-break/) [Jeffree Star](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffree-star/) > [“No one is just a victim or a victor. Everyone is somewhere in between. 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Forster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-m-forster-2/) > [That young people don't have valid thoughts about the world because they haven't been alive long enough is sadly a very popular and, frankly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tavi-gevinson/that-young-people-don-t-have-valid-thoughts-about-the-world-because/) [Tavi Gevinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tavi-gevinson/) ## More by Johnny Flynn > [I like the idea of letting the music do its own work and the stories being more expressionful - if that's a word -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-flynn/i-like-the-idea-of-letting-the-music-do-its-own-work-and-the-stories/) [Johnny Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-flynn/) > [I feel really lucky that I somehow have blagged my way into loads of different experiences. I find making a film fascinating, I find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-flynn/i-feel-really-lucky-that-i-somehow-have-blagged-my-way-into-loads-of/) [Johnny Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-flynn/) > [I did a lot of theater as a young actor in my early twenties, and my first few records really came from writing songs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-flynn/i-did-a-lot-of-theater-as-a-young-actor-in-my-early-twenties-and-my/) [Johnny Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-flynn/) > [I have a classical music background. I studied violin and trumpet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-flynn/i-have-a-classical-music-background-i-studied-violin-and-trumpet/) [Johnny Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-flynn/) > [In my mind, there's usually a fairly definitive kind of narrative when I write. But I don't want to enforce that on other people.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-flynn/in-my-mind-there-s-usually-a-fairly-definitive-kind-of-narrative-when/) [Johnny Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-flynn/) > [Bob Dylan has and Einstein had their own way of perceiving the universe and translating it for us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-flynn/bob-dylan-has-and-einstein-had-their-own-way-of-perceiving-the/) [Johnny Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-flynn/) > [Our job as actors is to invent the things that bridge ourselves with the characters, so you have to build something if it's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-flynn/our-job-as-actors-is-to-invent-the-things-that-bridge-ourselves-with/) [Johnny Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-flynn/) > [My dad was working class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-flynn/my-dad-was-working-class/) [Johnny Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-flynn/) > [I take them both seriously - I don't particularly want to be an 'actor-musician.' I want to play the great challenging parts, to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-flynn/i-take-them-both-seriously-i-don-t-particularly-want-to-be-an-actor/) [Johnny Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-flynn/) > [I played trumpet for Noah and the Whale a couple of times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-flynn/i-played-trumpet-for-noah-and-the-whale-a-couple-of-times/) [Johnny Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-flynn/) > [I try and stay in my right brain as much as I can, but my left takes over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-flynn/i-try-and-stay-in-my-right-brain-as-much-as-i-can-but-my-left-takes/) [Johnny Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-flynn/) > [The truth is there's always a hum of people playing folk music in cities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-flynn/the-truth-is-there-s-always-a-hum-of-people-playing-folk-music-in/) [Johnny Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-flynn/) > [As a jobbing actor or musician, you have to take any work you can get.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-flynn/as-a-jobbing-actor-or-musician-you-have-to-take-any-work-you-can-get/) [Johnny Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-flynn/) > [The reason I stopped music for a while and concentrated on theatre was that it was more conducive to parenting; having the days free…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-flynn/the-reason-i-stopped-music-for-a-while-and-concentrated-on-theatre/) [Johnny Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-flynn/) > [Diane Cluck is part of the anti-folk movement in New York. She's got a really haunting voice, and she usually sings in the pentatonic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-flynn/diane-cluck-is-part-of-the-anti-folk-movement-in-new-york-she-s-got-a/) [Johnny Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-flynn/) [Explore all 84 Johnny Flynn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-flynn/) ## More Acknowledge quotes > [Black music has always known, and not been afraid to acknowledge just how high the stakes of Black thought are. To summarize the final…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-b-wilderson-iii/black-music-has-always-known-and-not-been-afraid-to-acknowledge-just/) Frank B. Wilderson III > [I'm a Christian because Christianity names and addresses sin. It acknowledges the reality that the evil we observe in the world is also present…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/i-m-a-christian-because-christianity-names-and-addresses-sin-it/) [Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/) > [The only way to ease our fear and be truly happy is to acknowledge our fear and look deeply at its source. Instead of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-way-to-ease-our-fear-and-be-truly-happy-is-to-acknowledge/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [On Thanksgiving Day we acknowledge our dependence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-jennings-bryan/on-thanksgiving-day-we-acknowledge-our-dependence/) [William Jennings Bryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-jennings-bryan/) > [You can't go into games with any fear. You can acknowledge a good team but you can't go in worrying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reece-james/you-can-t-go-into-games-with-any-fear-you-can-acknowledge-a-good-team/) [Reece James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reece-james/) > [Conservative feminism is such an artificial term that doesn't mean much to me. For me conservatism means accepting reality. I acknowledge that there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristina-schroder/conservative-feminism-is-such-an-artificial-term-that-doesn-t-mean/) [Kristina Schroder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristina-schroder/) > [We must acknowledge that bearing and raising children is not some pesky, peripheral activity that we engage in, but the whole point.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-maushart/we-must-acknowledge-that-bearing-and-raising-children-is-not-some/) [Susan Maushart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-maushart/) > [When we pray, we must begin by conceiving God in full and vigorous images, but we must go on to acknowledge the inadequacy of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-farrer/when-we-pray-we-must-begin-by-conceiving-god-in-full-and-vigorous/) [Austin Farrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-farrer/) > [Acknowledging foolishness is a very powerful and important experience. We could almost say that being willing to be a fool is one of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chogyam-trungpa/acknowledging-foolishness-is-a-very-powerful-and-important-experience/) [Chogyam Trungpa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chogyam-trungpa/) > [Actually, when I look at my old notebooks, I think I have been a bit self-indulgent and have given myself too much time to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-goldberg/actually-when-i-look-at-my-old-notebooks-i-think-i-have-been-a-bit/) [Natalie Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-goldberg/) > [I would like, then, to end by putting in a good word for the non-industrious poor. At least they aren’t hurting anyone. Insofar as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-graeber/i-would-like-then-to-end-by-putting-in-a-good-word-for-the-non/) [David Graeber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-graeber/) > [No one seriously doubts Socrates' maxim: The unexamined life isn't worth living. Self-assessment and attempts at self-improvement are essential aspects of "the good life."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-burton/no-one-seriously-doubts-socrates-maxim-the-unexamined-life-isn-t/) [Robert A. Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-burton/) > [As objects of contemplation, images of the atrocious can answer to several different needs. To steel oneself against weakness. To make oneself more numb.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sontag/as-objects-of-contemplation-images-of-the-atrocious-can-answer-to/) [Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sontag/) > [It is in the measure that special methods acknowledge their common core in transcendental method, that norms common to all the sciences will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-lonergan/it-is-in-the-measure-that-special-methods-acknowledge-their-common/) [Bernard Lonergan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-lonergan/) > [I can hear of the brilliant accomplishments of any of my sex with pleasure and rejoice in that liberality of sentiment which acknowledges them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abigail-adams/i-can-hear-of-the-brilliant-accomplishments-of-any-of-my-sex-with/) [Abigail Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abigail-adams/) Browse all 1,475 Acknowledge quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You might as well acknowledge what came before, because you can never do something wholly new. 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