I can't steal from you without at first stealing from myself!
In recent times I've been reading on forums about the concerns of people discovering their work being ripped off by fellow Internet marketers & writers etc.
The first time we discover such, it shocks, it hurts, and it disappoints. Our first reaction is, "How could you.....?" But sadly, it is part of the human nature. History is full of accounts given by inventors, innovators and creators who suffered the same thing.
Plagiarism is alive and (un)well! So when your work is ripped off, it is not really an inventor, innovator or a creator who does it, but a person with little belief and respect in themselves.
The truth is; I can't steal from you without at first stealing from myself. And whilst you may never see it, it comes at a cost to me in the end.
I would encourage all IM people to read "The Law of Compensation" by Ralf Waldo Emerson. It can be found on the Internet. It is an essay he wrote back around the !850's.
If you do read it, meditate on it and embrace the truths & unfailing principles that underpin it, you will be motivated to keep going with less concern.
As a creator, you'll get more creativity. That's the payoff for you. But as a stealer - well they'll keep at it because that's what stealers do and they are ignorant of any cost.
But they cannot steal your peace of mind - unless you hand that over too.
I don't know who said it first but.....
"Two men look out through the same bars.
One sees the mud, the other sees the stars."
All the best.
RogerW
Recent Comments
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I try to be as honest as I can be and I follow a code of ethics. Its sad but I've seen those here that cry their works been stolen while others advocate black hat SEO practices of buying links and social bookmarks. Both of these are no different than stuffing the ballot box.
So true. Emerson perfectly describes the law of cause and effect and balance in the universe. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Karma is not punishment, but the enactment of this law. It's terrible when people steal your work. I don't even think it's flattering. On land, if someone steals your intellectual property, you can march over to your lawyer, send the offending party a cease and desist. And if they don't act upon it, they get hit with an infringement lawsuit. People online do have options when someone steals an article. The best first approach is to just contact the person directly, assuming it was an oversight. Friendly is always good. At first. People who steal other people's work are just plain lazy. Not fair. Shouldn't get away with it. Thanks for this post. Ralph Waldo Emerson's essay on Compensation is so brilliant. True of the political scene too.
Wonderful post...thank you.