This quote touches on the intriguing boundaries of creativity and originality. It suggests that the emergence of a true idea can be acknowledged as genuine when the creator experiences a sense of déjà vu or familiarity, as if they are inadvertently referencing their own prior thoughts or works. This notion challenges traditional views of creativity as entirely original and emphasizes that authentic ideas often originate from a complex interplay of existing thoughts, personal experiences, and subconscious influences. The feeling of 'catching oneself plagiarizing oneself' can be understood as an awareness that the mind is drawing upon its own internal reservoir of ideas, reshaping and reconfiguring them into new forms. It reflects the fluidity of the creative process, highlighting how inspiration frequently stems from internal sources rather than external originality. Recognizing when an idea feels familiar yet still compelling allows for a form of self-honesty in the creative process: acknowledging that even our most innovative concepts have roots in our prior thoughts, but are transformed through reinterpretation. This perspective paradoxically validates the originality of ideas occurring within an individual's mental universe, as long as there's a conscious acknowledgment of this duality. It encourages creators to trust their internal source material, to view the cyclical nature of ideas not as a flaw but as the natural evolution of thought. Ultimately, the quote prompts us to consider the importance of subconscious influence, self-reference, and the continuous reinterpretation of internal dialogues in the journey of creative expression.