Ruby reflects on the nature of songs, emphasizing that they are often collective creations rather than the sole work of a single individual. As songs are passed among fiddlers, each musician modifies them, resulting in a version that can be vastly different from the original. This transformation highlights how music evolves over time, but it raises questions about whether these changes truly enhance the song or detract from its original essence.

The essence of Ruby's insight speaks to the broader concept of human endeavor, suggesting that progress is not always linear. Each alteration brings both new elements and the loss of old ones, and often what is lost is more valuable than what is gained. This perspective challenges the notion of improvement over time, indicating that acknowledging our limitations is essential to understanding our creative processes.