“Stop referencing. Stop quoting. Paraphrase. Internalize it. Make it yours.”
At what point in the process of internalizing an idea does it become your own?
It’s an interesting question to consider and one which led Derek Sivers to suggest you should stop quoting other people and start saying things yourself.
He points out doing so is often in the best interests of your audience and that there are no truly original ideas in the first place.