Jonah Lehrer was one of the most respected young writers in the country. At the relatively young age of 31, he’d accomplished so much. His books were popular and he had a staff position at The New Yorker. But somewhere along the way, he cheated. He took a shortcut for reasons we may never entirely understand. And last week he got caught.
You should read the story here.
Basically, he fabricated some quotes in his latest book, Imagine — a book I was looking forward to reading at some point this year. Now, I’m not sure if I’ll get that chance because the publisher has pulled Imagine from physical and digital retail outlets.
The book might reappear once the publisher sorts out a few things. Jonah Lehrer might even reappear — his talent was unmistakable, after all. But things will never be the same, will they?
You — the human behind the work — are more important than your work. Protect yourself, care for yourself, and don’t take any shortcuts. Your voice is directly connected to your soul, so resist the temptation to throw it all away.
Scott McClellan is the Editor of Echo Hub and the Director of Echo Conference. You can follow him on Twitter: @scottmcclellan.