--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: They copied all they could copy, But they…" description: "\"They copied all they could copy, But they couldn't copy my mind; And I left them sweatin' and stealin', A year and a half behind.\" — Rudyard Kipling" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/916/rudyard-kipling-527_behinds_they-copied-all-they-could-copy-but-they_1804515.png" --- # They copied all they could copy, But they couldn't copy my… ![“They copied all they could copy, But they couldn't copy my mind; And I left them sweatin' and stealin', A year and a half behind.” quote by Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/916/rudyard-kipling-527_behinds_they-copied-all-they-could-copy-but-they_1804515.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/916/rudyard-kipling-527_behinds_they-copied-all-they-could-copy-but-they_1804515.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/916/rudyard-kipling-527_behinds_they-copied-all-they-could-copy-but-they_1804515.png) > “They copied all they could copy, But they couldn't copy my mind; And I left them sweatin' and stealin', A year and a half behind.” [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Creative originality cannot be duplicated; the mind’s uniqueness outpaces imitation. **In simple terms:** Ideas are unique, copying fails. Key Takeaway Protect your original thoughts. Themes creativity originality competition mind copying Mood defiant proud reflective Type proverbial assertive motivational When to use this quote - artistic work - business strategy - academic research Key Concepts intellectual property innovation individuality Questions to Reflect On - What makes your mind unique? - How can you safeguard your ideas? A Different Perspective Copying may still yield partial success. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) ## Related quotes > [“They copied all they could follow, but they couldn’t copy my mind. So I left ’em sweating and stealing, a year and a half…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-neumeier/they-copied-all-they-could-follow-but-they-couldn-t-copy-my-mind-so-i/) [Marty Neumeier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-neumeier/) > [The style of an author is a faithful copy of his mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/the-style-of-an-author-is-a-faithful-copy-of-his-mind/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [“Love was a miracle the flesh couldn’t copy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/weihui-zhou/love-was-a-miracle-the-flesh-couldn-t-copy/) Weihui Zhou > [The theme of counterfeits, of those that produce and sell them, has always been part of the culture of M.I.A. When I was contacted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-i-a/the-theme-of-counterfeits-of-those-that-produce-and-sell-them-has/) M.I.A > [In my early days, I copied the great French chefs, like most chefs do. Copying is not bad. Copying and not recognizing that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferran-adria/in-my-early-days-i-copied-the-great-french-chefs-like-most-chefs-do/) [Ferran Adria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferran-adria/) > [Victorian architecture in the United States was copied straight from England.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-gardiner/victorian-architecture-in-the-united-states-was-copied-straight-from/) [Stephen Gardiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-gardiner/) > [“It would not be easy, indeed, to catch their expression, but their colour and shape, and the eyelashes, so remarkably fine, might be copied.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/it-would-not-be-easy-indeed-to-catch-their-expression-but-their/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [Good poetry could not have been otherwise written than it is. 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It's all part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-head/couture-has-copied-my-things-for-years-in-addition-to-countless-other/) [Edith Head](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-head/) > [The awkward moment when wikipedia has copied your homework.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-awkward-moment-when-wikipedia-has-copied-your-homework/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you listen to Drake's first single... he copied my whole bar word for word and my cadence and my flow from my song.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soulja-boy/if-you-listen-to-drake-s-first-single-he-copied-my-whole-bar-word-for/) [Soulja Boy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soulja-boy/) ## More by Rudyard Kipling > [Borrow trouble for yourself, if that's your nature, but don't lend it to your neighbours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/borrow-trouble-for-yourself-if-that-s-your-nature-but-don-t-lend-it/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [“I follow the Law—the Most Excellent Law.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/i-follow-the-law-the-most-excellent-law/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [Brothers and Sisters, I bid you beware Of giving your heart to a dog to tear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/brothers-and-sisters-i-bid-you-beware-of-giving-your-heart-to-a-dog/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [O it's Tommy this, and Tommy that, and Tommy 'ow's your soul/But it's thin red line of heroes when the drums begin to roll.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/o-it-s-tommy-this-and-tommy-that-and-tommy-ow-s-your-soul-but-it-s/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [Believe the best of everybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/believe-the-best-of-everybody/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [Oh, Adam was a gardener, and God who made him sees That half a proper gardener's work is done upon his knees, So when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/oh-adam-was-a-gardener-and-god-who-made-him-sees-that-half-a-proper/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [Adam was a gardener, and God, who made him, sees that half of all good gardening is done upon the knees.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/adam-was-a-gardener-and-god-who-made-him-sees-that-half-of-all-good/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [Call a truce, then, to our labors - let us feast with friends and neighbors, and be merry as the custom of our caste;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/call-a-truce-then-to-our-labors-let-us-feast-with-friends-and/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [No one accuses the gunner of maudlin affection for anything except his beasts and his weapons. 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Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/) Browse all 6,789 Behinds quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "They copied all they could copy, But they couldn't copy my mind; And I left them sweatin' and stealin', A year and a half behind.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Rudyard Kipling" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/they-copied-all-they-could-copy-but-they-couldn-t-copy-my-mind-and-i/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Behinds" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/they-copied-all-they-could-copy-but-they-couldn-t-copy-my-mind-and-i/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/916/rudyard-kipling-527_behinds_they-copied-all-they-could-copy-but-they_1804515.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/916/rudyard-kipling-527_behinds_they-copied-all-they-could-copy-but-they_1804515.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/916/rudyard-kipling-527_behinds_they-copied-all-they-could-copy-but-they_1804515.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“They copied all they could copy, But they couldn't copy my mind; And I left them sweatin' and stealin', A…” — Rudyard Kipling", "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": "Rudyard Kipling", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "They copied all they could copy,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/they-copied-all-they-could-copy-but-they-couldn-t-copy-my-mind-and-i/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/they-copied-all-they-could-copy-but-they-couldn-t-copy-my-mind-and-i/#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 } } ] } ```