Too Much Quoting?!

Have you ever met someone who is so well-read that he/she is able to produce a quote at almost any time and about almost any topic?  Most people have.  But is it impressive to have this skill, or is there such a thing as too much quoting?

In scholastic terms, were someone to use too many quotes, it could lead to accusations of plagiarism.  In other words, too much quoting crowds out your own ideas, leaving the reader with nothing but the thoughts of others.  It’s interesting how folks who quote others all the time are often viewed as “know-it-alls,” yet really, they’re actually devoid of any original thought.

That said, it is time for me to throw out some quotes of my own.  No wait, I mean others...

“People spend too much time finding other people to blame, too much energy finding excuses for not being what they are capable of being, and not enough energy putting themselves on the line, growing out of the past, and getting on with their lives.”-  J. Michael Straczynski

“Never follow somebody else's path; it doesn't work the same way twice for anyone...the path follows you and rolls up behind you as you walk, forcing the next person to find their own way.”-  J. Michael Straczynski

“Any man who reads too much and uses his own brain too little falls into lazy habits of thinking.”-  Albert Einstein

Did you like that last one?  Is this too much quoting?  Don’t like it?  Blame it on fast foods!


- B. J. T. Pepin