The imitator dooms himself to hopeless mediocrity. The inventor did it because it was natural to him, and so in him it has a charm. In the imitator something else is natural, and he bereaves himself of his own beauty, to come short of another man's.

Summary

This quote emphasizes the difference between an imitator and an inventor. It suggests that the imitator, by attempting to replicate someone else's work or ideas, condemns themselves to a state of insignificant mediocrity. In contrast, the inventor creates something new and original out of their natural inclination to do so, making it uniquely charming and authentic. The imitator, however, fails to recognize their own inherent abilities and sacrifices their own inherent beauty by constantly falling short of imitating someone else.

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