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Bad Ideas Quotes

Satirical lines on politics, persuasion, and weak ideas

These quotes take a satirical jab at political discourse, joking about which side sells its ideas better regardless of whether the ideas are actually bad.

One problem with globalisation is that bad ideas seem to travel faster than good ones; first there was smearing tomato ketchup on everything; then drinking sugar-soaked cocktails ('Cosmo'-politanism) instead of our traditional whisky soda, and now this idea that we...

Quotes by Abhijit Banerjee

Good and bad ideas both come from the same fountain of speculation and experiment.

Quotes by Shaun Tan

Republicans have nothing but bad ideas and Democrats have no ideas.

Quotes by Lewis Black

As Oscar Wilde should have said, when bad ideas have nowhere else to go, they emigrate to America and become university courses.

Quotes by Frederic Raphael

Abandon Quotes

The left is really good at selling bad ideas and the right is really bad at selling good ideas.

Quotes by Dan Crenshaw

Usually after finishing a novel, I have a head full of bad ideas for the next one.

Quotes by Charles McCarry

Democrats have bad ideas and Republicans have no ideas.

Quotes by Ben Sasse

In the long run of history, the censor and the inquisitor have always lost. The only sure weapon against bad ideas is better ideas.

Quotes by Alfred Whitney Griswold

The only sure weapon against bad ideas is better ideas.

Quotes by Alfred Whitney Griswold

Frequently Asked Questions

Do these quotes favor one political party over another?
No, the quotes poke fun at persuasion and messaging on more than one side without endorsing any particular party.
What does one quote say connects good and bad ideas?
It claims both spring from identical roots of speculation and trial, suggesting the real difference is mostly a matter of outcome.
Is there a joke here about bad ideas and universities?
Yes, one quote jokes that bad ideas with nowhere else to go end up becoming university courses in America.
How is selling ideas discussed in this collection?
One quote contrasts how effectively bad ideas get sold versus how poorly good ideas sometimes get communicated.
Where can I find more quotes about improvement and change?
Our better quotes page has more reflections on progress and doing things differently.

One line even claims good and bad ideas share the same origin in speculation and experiment, suggesting the line between them is thinner than it seems.