Aren't Very New After All (Quote of the Day)

Ever have that "aha!" moment while reading? Like someone else has voiced what you have always thought somewhere in the back of your mind? Turns out even that reaction isn't very new after all, because Lincoln felt it too:

"Books serve to show a man that those original thoughts of his aren't very new after all." -Abraham Lincoln

What do you think? Does this happen to you? Good thing or bad thing?

Personally, I love finding my own thoughts in another's writing. I think this is one of the things that keeps reading - a solitary activity - from being a lonely activity. I'm drawn to Mark Helprin's novels for several reasons, but this is definitely one of them. Sometimes it's almost eerie to see your thoughts on a page written by a total stranger...