Conjuring Archive

The very young assume that the day they started in magic was the day magic was invented. Therefore they conclude that everything they invent is new. An amusing conceit but it becomes more serious if the young genius insists an idea is his even when he's been shown evidence that the same idea was in circulation before he was born. I know the argument: the idea is his because he worked it out independently. And I know what follows: amnesia descends and the young genius "forgets" to tell people that his idea is not altogether that original.

Karl Fulves
Epilogue, No. 23, 1975, p. 221