The proper term is: "On the shoulders of a very large pyramid of hobbits." The concept is the very core of human intelligence, also known as cultural evolution. I can't resist to recommend Joseph Henrich's book "The Secret of Our Success" every few years here, to anyone interested in human intelligence, and how it is different from other primates.

There was a critical review article with a title that summarizes the book well: "On the shoulders of a very large pyramid of hobbits, or why we are not just very smart chimps. The Secret of Our Success: How Culture is Driving Human Evolution, Domesticating Our Species, and Making Us Smarter." Obviously I got triggered by your comment, which was eerily close to that title.