Would you ever steal someone else's ideas and pass them off as your own...?

1. 73

   Haseena Firdousiaposted 10 years ago

   Would you ever steal someone else's ideas and pass them off as your own...?

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2. 83

   AlexK2009posted 10 years ago

   No, but I would use them as a starting point for my own ideas then give credit for the original idea.

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3. 63

   TNT Huskyposted 10 years ago

   no, but a wise man once said "The key to creativity is hiding your sources" I don't remember the name of the man who said it, so if anyone else does, I'd love to know

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      Patty Inglish, MSposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Many sources say that it was Albert Einstein., but using "secret" instead of "key."  I never heard it before you wrote it here!  But one source is a university (repace DOT with .) : http://rescomp.stanford.edu/~cheshire/E … tesDOThtml

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   2. 63

      TNT Huskyposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you for letting me know that. I knew it was something of that nature. It just really makes sense when you think about it.  Kind of mean spirited from the right standpoint, but makes sense.

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   3. 70

      Shyron E Shenkoposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      “Creativity is knowing how to hide your sources”
      ― Albert Einstein
      tags: creativity, humor, misattributed
      http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/5793-cr … -hide-you.
      Maybe it is said that Einstein wrote the quote because creativity

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4. 94

   MsDoraposted 10 years ago

   I wouldn't do that intentionally.  Think about it though, we cannot trace the origin of most of the ideas we call our own.  Did we claim these ideas after hearing someone speak, after reading a book etc.?  Perhaps we all do, without intending to steal.

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   1. 83

      AlexK2009posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Understood. Sometimes when I write I feel I am parroting someone else but cannot recall who.

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   2. 66

      conradofontanillaposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Some ideas I use but not claim as mine; others I can't trace origin. Sometimes attribution clutters the composition. If it appears to belong in public memory, no attribution like "The Atlantic sank." "Oxygen is harmful".may need a source.

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   3. 0

      savvydatingposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I agree with all these comments. Stealing is wrong. By the way, it happens on Hubpages once in a while. I suggest that we always report these offenses to HP when they occur on this site. If we use someone's ideas, we must (legally) acknowledge them.

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5. 90

   Rock_njposted 10 years ago

   No, but I see it happen all of the time.  Even in these questions on HubPages.  There are many times when I am reading the answers, and the later ones are just rehashes of what people said previously. 
   
   I agree with MsDora, most ideas are not original and come from elsewhere.  I think the key is to piece together seperate ideas and expand upon existing ideas.

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6. 67

   johnwindbellposted 10 years ago

   Is it safe to say that if one doesn't think about it, one wouldn't ask the question?

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7. 91

   Alisha Adkinsposted 10 years ago

   No.  Even as a child, I never understood the point of plagiarism.  What sense of pride could you possibly get from your work if it isn't really yours?

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8. 70

   Shyron E Shenkoposted 10 years ago

   No! I have had that done to me and I know how hurtful that can be.

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9. 46

   Ericdierkerposted 10 years ago

   There is an interesting flip side to this question. Is it like first come first serve? Because I say something first does not mean I get to own an idea. If you used the word "writing" instead of "ideas" the answer is clear in the negative. But since you used ideas I think the answer is: It would be impossible as no one owns an idea.
   
   Your question does not refer to plagiarism. That requires more than just ideas. The same would go for patents. Until the work of creating something is begun there is no ownership.
   
   Wow what would happen if we could own ideas. Would we say "you cannot drink that water that was someone else's idea first". No more mathematics because it is not your original thought.
   
   So we cannot steal an idea. But we can and should not steal someone else's work like copying their writing and claiming we wrote it.

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10. 73

    pagesvoiceposted 10 years ago

    I would never steal another person's ideas or anything else. I once stole a dime from a fellow classmate in the 3rd grade. My mother found out and the next day marched me in front of the entire class. First I had to publicly apologize to my teacher and then I had to apologize to the boy I the 10 cents from and then I had to say how sorry I was to the entire class. Needless to say, my mom taught me a valuable lesson at a young age and I have never taken anything that wasn't rightfully mine since that early age.

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11. 82

    Seeker7posted 10 years ago

    No I wouldn't. For me this would be the same as stealing money or anything else. Most writers - whether they write fiction or non-fiction - are very honest, but unfortunately you will always get a minority who have no scruples about stealing from other writers.

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