Do Not Ventriloquise the Voice of Another

There is no virtue in repeating what has not been understood. To speak with a voice that is not your own is to commit a double offence: It is dishonest, and it is worthless. Dishonest, because it presents imitation as authorship—whether to deceive others or oneself. Worthless, because it contributes nothing to collective conversation. The mere appearance of insight is not insight. To speak without comprehension is to echo, not to think.

An idea must be taken in, tested, and incorporated into one’s own framework of understanding before it can be propagated. Until then, it is not yours to speak.