stand on the shoulders of giants
Build on predecessors
To stand on the shoulders of giants is to build upon the work of those who came before.
The phrase acknowledges that new discoveries and achievements depend on accumulated knowledge: Newton famously said he could see farther only because he stood on the shoulders of giants.
Often shortened to shoulders of giants in casual use.
- NewtonFamous scientific surname
- EinsteinByword for genius
- great mindsExceptionally intelligent people
- innovationCreating something original
- discoveryAct of finding something
stepping-stone · prior knowledge · elevation · inheritance · scaffolding · learning · wisdom · legacy · passing the torch · Aristotle · perspective · horizon · looking forward · foundation · Galileo · guidance · Curie · education
stand on the shoulders of giantsself-made
Successful through own efforts
pull oneself up by one's bootstraps · plagiarism · ingratitude · self-taught · rugged individualism
stand on the shoulders of giantsreinvent the wheel
Redo unnecessary groundwork
start from scratch · learn the hard way · sui generis · tabula rasa · bootstrap
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