For you to be able to follow a rule, someone else must have established the rule that you follow. People who imitate others’ ideas may be vital in sustaining society, but they aren’t the people who are driving society forward. The world demands new and different ideas as a prerequisite to development, because you can’t change society when you conform to the status quo. That is why I believe that people who innovate and present original ideas are more valuable than those who merely follow these ideas.
When you try to list the names of important people on Earth, more likely than not, you won’t be listing the names of servants who served in the Roman Empire; a random housewife during the Victorian Era; or a samurai that died in the battlefield following orders from his superior. Instead, you’re more likely to list out the names of scientists and innovators-people who broke the rules and actively challenged the status quo. It’s precisely these types of people who leave a mark on our planet and have their names preserved in history. The reason we honour them is that their existence played a key role in how our society has developed and changed over the course of centuries. In comparison, the act of copying means that you imitate the original source wholly, without any revisions or attempt to improve from the original. Insofar as it’s only a form of repetition, there isn’t much value to be taken from that action.
While some people might argue that historical figures wouldn’t be famous without society copying their ideas. However, if you apply the same logic to this statement, it actually works against it. If George Washington never paved the way for the US’ revolution, then other revolutionists wouldn’t even have someone to follow. It doesn’t mean that the sacrifices made by the soldiers during the revolution are completely invalid, but it does prove that in an overarching sense, George Washington was the most valuable person in the movement simply for the fact that he played a role in starting it. This same analogy can be applied to multiple different scenarios.
In conclusion, even though I don’t disregard the importance of supporting actors in society, if I were to compare an innovator with a follower-I’d have to conclude that the person who dared to speak out, create, challenge, and start something is the more valuable person out of the two.