I had to reconcile that "I'm likely NOT the first" in the ONLY
   time I seriously thought of patenting an idea. It was
   ridiculously simple: a particular way to make backup webcams/car
   sensors, which is funny because I barely drive. Spare time at
   work back in 1999/2000, drew up plans for it after checking the
   USPTO (Patent Office) and finding nothing that was the same.
   After nine months of playing around with the idea, i was ready
   to go forward with it and actually put money into the process.
   But.. I took one more look at the USPTO database.... and some
   guy had filed for a patent (they didn't approve it yet) SIX
   MONTHS BEFORE.... [or three months into my initial idea]. I
   couldn't find a flaw! It was EXACTLY the same as far as I could
   see. It took a week before I FINALLY UNDERSTOOD that when the
   "time is right" for an idea (culture/society/technology/whatever
   is ready) - MANY PEOPLE are going to come up with the same idea.
   Since then, I try to ask myself, "What's nobody asking?" and
   pursue those but now I spent as much time as I can finding
   somebody ELSE who already came up with the question or the
   solution. When I _do_ find them, I'm happy now, because I can
   tell myself, "Good. They did it. They went through ALL the
   trouble. Now, I don't have to do it, and I'm free to work on
   something else". Helps a lot tongue emoticon