Standing on the shoulders of giants

"Standing on the shoulders of giants" is a metaphor that suggests that one can achieve greater understanding or knowledge by building upon the work and discoveries of those who came before. The phrase implies that the progress in knowledge, science, art, and other fields is cumulative, relying on the insights and achievements of previous thinkers, researchers, and innovators. The phrase is often attributed to Sir Isaac Newton, who used it in a letter to his colleague Robert Hooke in 1676.