Copy What You Like

Paul Graham’s essay Copy What You Like argues that developing genuine aesthetic judgment requires distinguishing between what you truly enjoy and what you admire based on external validation.

Graham’s Personal Mistakes

He describes three formative periods where he imitated the wrong models:

In high school, he copied depressing short stories because they seemed prestigious
In college, he mimicked philosophy papers that “weren’t really saying anything”
In graduate school, he wasted effort on fashionable but empty expert systems technology

The Core Principle

“Copy only what you genuinely like.” His fundamental error was believing things were good “because they were admired” rather than because he found authentic value in them.

Practical Methods

Ignore presentation: Imagine how much you’d pay for something at a garage sale to reveal honest preferences.

Examine guilty pleasures: These represent “pure” enjoyment uncomplicated by the desire to appear cultured.

Avoiding Imitation Pitfalls

When copying admirable work, focus on what makes it excellent rather than its surface flaws. Eighteenth-century painters mimicked Renaissance masters’ brownish tones, not realizing they were copying accumulated dirt.

The Central Lesson

“You have to figure out for yourself what’s good. You can’t trust authorities.”