Is Innovation a fine art of plagiarism?

What has been will be again? What has been done will be done again. There is nothing new under the Sun – Ecclesiastes 1.9

Ecclesiastes is one of the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible.

What is innovation? Is it materializing an idea that has never existed before? Or is it just a clever tweak to an already existing one? 

Life on this planet is a result of a progressive mutation that we call evolution. It’s the subtle variation of an earlier idea that has resulted in modern-day species, including humans. Nature is the greatest innovator and thrives purely on altering the previous version. Sea turning into tall mountains, landmass becoming oceans are all part of the continuous reworking and tweaking by nature. The world will forever be a work in progress.

Innovations often are a result of enhancing a previous attempt. The winning difference could be the approach, the viewpoint, or adaption. Apple did not invent computers or Mobile devices but they simply elevated the standards of innovation by adding little tweaks and creativity to an existing idea. From electricity to medicines, technology to farming methods, art to culture everything is a variation of an already existing idea.

So no matter how brilliant the idea seems in your head, be rest assured that someone has already thought about it. Don’t shy away from expressing it though. You can claim the idea as your own as long as you adapt and use it with a different approach. You can never be completely unique. You are never the first.

How can we forget that the insipid but still funny Mallu legend that astronaut Neil Armstrong was greeted on the lunar surface by man selling steaming tea. ... chai, kappi?

Mankind can always pride itself on the giant leap with a small step. But we will always do well to remember that there is always a tea shop set up earlier. 

So go ahead and innovate. It is not a bad idea after all.