--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's really clear to me that you can't…" description: "\"It's really clear to me that you can't hang onto something longer than its time. Ideas lose certain freshness, ideas have a shelf life, and sometimes t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0d/alan-alda-1859_certain_it-s-really-clear-to-me-that-you-can-t-h_924664.png" --- # It's really clear to me that you can't hang onto something… ![“It's really clear to me that you can't hang onto something longer than its time. Ideas lose certain freshness, ideas have a shelf life, and sometimes they have to be replaced by other ideas.” quote by Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0d/alan-alda-1859_certain_it-s-really-clear-to-me-that-you-can-t-h_924664.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0d/alan-alda-1859_certain_it-s-really-clear-to-me-that-you-can-t-h_924664.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0d/alan-alda-1859_certain_it-s-really-clear-to-me-that-you-can-t-h_924664.png) > “It's really clear to me that you can't hang onto something longer than its time. Ideas lose certain freshness, ideas have a shelf life, and sometimes they have to be replaced by other ideas.” [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Ideas have a limited lifespan; they eventually need replacement to stay fresh. **In simple terms:** Ideas age and must be replaced. Key Takeaway Embrace new ideas when old ones fade. Themes change innovation impermanence Mood thoughtful inspirational Type philosophical practical When to use this quote - product development - academic research - personal growth Key Concepts creativity knowledge management Questions to Reflect On - When should an idea be retired? - How to honor old ideas while moving on? A Different Perspective Some ideas retain value long after their peak. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Freshness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freshness/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Shelf life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shelf-life/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Ideas have a shelf-life. Share yours, let others collaborate, and you'll get new ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-brogan/ideas-have-a-shelf-life-share-yours-let-others-collaborate-and-you-ll/) [Chris Brogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-brogan/) > [“Even the best ideas have a shelf life. Do not think that the way you have done something is the way it should be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-dominique-le-maire/even-the-best-ideas-have-a-shelf-life-do-not-think-that-the-way-you/) [Nicole Dominique Le Maire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-dominique-le-maire/) > [I never liked the idea of giving interviews. One says many things, but when they are published, they become shortened, condensed. The ideas lose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raul-castro/i-never-liked-the-idea-of-giving-interviews-one-says-many-things-but/) [Raul Castro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raul-castro/) > [To describe and explain my ideas is to lose them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marino-marini/to-describe-and-explain-my-ideas-is-to-lose-them/) Marino Marini > [The best ideas lose their owners and take on lives of their own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/the-best-ideas-lose-their-owners-and-take-on-lives-of-their-own/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) > [Griefs, at the moment when they change into ideas, lose some of their power to injure our heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/griefs-at-the-moment-when-they-change-into-ideas-lose-some-of-their/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [“If there are people in your organization who feel they are not free to suggest ideas, you lose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-catmull/if-there-are-people-in-your-organization-who-feel-they-are-not-free/) [Ed Catmull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-catmull/) > [“Ideas are substitutes for sorrows; when the latter change into ideas they lose part of their noxious action on our hearts and even at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/ideas-are-substitutes-for-sorrows-when-the-latter-change-into-ideas/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [Sometimes I have these abstract ideas and then lose track of myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-stiles/sometimes-i-have-these-abstract-ideas-and-then-lose-track-of-myself/) [Julia Stiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-stiles/) > [No matter whether someone has been in the business longer than you or for less time, you can learn something from any of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-blanchard/no-matter-whether-someone-has-been-in-the-business-longer-than-you-or/) [Tessa Blanchard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-blanchard/) > [Unless you're doing a feature piece, which is going to be longer, and you have more time to get into stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-loder/unless-you-re-doing-a-feature-piece-which-is-going-to-be-longer-and/) [Kurt Loder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-loder/) > [“I have only made this letter longer because I have not had the time to make it shorter." ( Letter 16 , 1657)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/i-have-only-made-this-letter-longer-because-i-have-not-had-the-time/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [“I will love you until the end of time, but not a minute longer. (From It's Time I Told You)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-preston/i-will-love-you-until-the-end-of-time-but-not-a-minute-longer-from-it/) Dave Preston > [Look for a long time at what pleases you, and a longer time at what pains you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidonie-gabrielle-colette/look-for-a-long-time-at-what-pleases-you-and-a-longer-time-at-what/) [Sidonie Gabrielle Colette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidonie-gabrielle-colette/) > [I was fine with numbers, but it took me a longer time to grasp simple things like spellings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-william-middleton/i-was-fine-with-numbers-but-it-took-me-a-longer-time-to-grasp-simple/) [James William Middleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-william-middleton/) ## More by Alan Alda > [On the stage, the characters express themselves more through words than images. So the arguments of the characters and the tension between characters -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/on-the-stage-the-characters-express-themselves-more-through-words/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [We need to be more conversant with it because science is in our lives. It's in everything. It's in the food we eat. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/we-need-to-be-more-conversant-with-it-because-science-is-in-our-lives/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [When I studied how to think in school, I was taught that the first rule of logic was that a thing cannot both be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/when-i-studied-how-to-think-in-school-i-was-taught-that-the-first/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [I was brought up as a Catholic, and I'm no longer a Catholic. I don't talk about my beliefs too much in public probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/i-was-brought-up-as-a-catholic-and-i-m-no-longer-a-catholic-i-don-t/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [life is meaningless unless you bring meaning to it; ... it is up to us to create our own existence. Unless you do something,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/life-is-meaningless-unless-you-bring-meaning-to-it-it-is-up-to-us-to/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [“My mother didn't try to stab my father until I was six.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/my-mother-didn-t-try-to-stab-my-father-until-i-was-six/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [Originality is unexplored territory. You get there by carrying a canoe - you can't take a taxi.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/originality-is-unexplored-territory-you-get-there-by-carrying-a-canoe/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [It's always better to be wise than to be smart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/it-s-always-better-to-be-wise-than-to-be-smart/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [M\*A\*S\*H' was a collection of people, in front of and behind the cameras, that really clicked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/m-a-s-h-was-a-collection-of-people-in-front-of-and-behind-the-cameras/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [“Be brave enough to live creatively. The creative is the place where no one else has ever been. You have to leave the city…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/be-brave-enough-to-live-creatively-the-creative-is-the-place-where-no/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [To do a musical takes a tremendous amount of energy because you have to act and sing at the same time. And everything has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/to-do-a-musical-takes-a-tremendous-amount-of-energy-because-you-have/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [Be brave enough to live creatively.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/be-brave-enough-to-live-creatively/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [It's better to be wise than to be smart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/it-s-better-to-be-wise-than-to-be-smart/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [“You can't get there by bus, only by hard work, risking, and by not quite knowing what you're doing. What you'll discover will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/you-can-t-get-there-by-bus-only-by-hard-work-risking-and-by-not-quite/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [I used to read science fiction a lot, and I still like science fiction when it is a model of how we really are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/i-used-to-read-science-fiction-a-lot-and-i-still-like-science-fiction/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) [Explore all 203 Alan Alda quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) ## More Certain quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [One can put some trust in the gratitude of a sovereign, and also in that of his family; under certain conditions, one can even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/one-can-put-some-trust-in-the-gratitude-of-a-sovereign-and-also-in/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [For successful education there must always be a certain freshness in the knowledge dealt with. It must be either new in itself or invested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/for-successful-education-there-must-always-be-a-certain-freshness-in/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [People don't always realize that a record is forever. It'll always be there under your name. You've got to be certain that it's right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-iero/people-don-t-always-realize-that-a-record-is-forever-it-ll-always-be/) [Frank Iero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-iero/) > [Faith gives you a certain structure and meaning to your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riffat-hassan/faith-gives-you-a-certain-structure-and-meaning-to-your-life/) Riffat Hassan > [I started out dancing on a reality TV show, but always with the intention of making my way over to film. I transitioned into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-hough/i-started-out-dancing-on-a-reality-tv-show-but-always-with-the/) [Julianne Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-hough/) > [One of the deepest and strangest of all human moods is the mood which will suddenly strike us perhaps in a garden at night,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-of-the-deepest-and-strangest-of-all-human-moods-is-the-mood-which/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A dialogue is very important. It is a form of communication in which question and answer continue till a question is left without an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/a-dialogue-is-very-important-it-is-a-form-of-communication-in-which/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [I mean those people who are interested in good government will certainly contribute in order to make certain there's some counter-balance to those whose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-breyer/i-mean-those-people-who-are-interested-in-good-government-will/) [Stephen Breyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-breyer/) > [Why do we love certain homes, and why do they seem to love us? It is the warmth of our individual hearts reflected in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-h-robsjohn-gibbings/why-do-we-love-certain-homes-and-why-do-they-seem-to-love-us-it-is/) T. H. Robsjohn-Gibbings > [Human life consists of doing certain things ... to take part in the life of the community; to be able to talk about subjects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/human-life-consists-of-doing-certain-things-to-take-part-in-the-life/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [We've all seen talented young players who get to a certain level but there comes a point where that talent will only take you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-gatland/we-ve-all-seen-talented-young-players-who-get-to-a-certain-level-but/) [Warren Gatland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-gatland/) > [The concept of humanity is an especially useful ideological instrument of imperialist expansion, and in its ethical-humanitarian form it is a specific vehicle of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-schmitt/the-concept-of-humanity-is-an-especially-useful-ideological/) [Carl Schmitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-schmitt/) > [I think that at a certain age, say fifteen or sixteen, poetry is like masturbation. But later in life good poets burn their early…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/i-think-that-at-a-certain-age-say-fifteen-or-sixteen-poetry-is-like/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [If a person does not listen to the demands of their own spiritual and heart life and insists on a certain program, you're going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/if-a-person-does-not-listen-to-the-demands-of-their-own-spiritual-and/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) Browse all 13,673 Certain quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's really clear to me that you can't hang onto something longer than its time. 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