An exploration of why people use quotes in conversation and writing, examining the tension between showing off and giving credit. The author argues that citing sources is a moral imperative rooted in the concept of authorship, then traces how authorship itself is a relatively recent historical construction — emerging from Romantic-era ideas about originality — rather than a timeless universal value. Evidence from medieval writing practices and Greek folk music illustrates that prior cultures had no concept of individual authorship. The piece concludes by suggesting authorship may be deeply tied to the notion of private property.
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