--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: if it really was brilliant I’d have…" description: "\"“if it really was brilliant I’d have thought of it already.”\" — Arthur C. Clarke" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0eb/arthur-c-clarke-640_brilliant_if-it-really-was-brilliant-i-d-have-thou_2398975.jpg" --- # if it really was brilliant I’d have thought of it already. ![“if it really was brilliant I’d have thought of it already.” quote by Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0eb/arthur-c-clarke-640_brilliant_if-it-really-was-brilliant-i-d-have-thou_2398975.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0eb/arthur-c-clarke-640_brilliant_if-it-really-was-brilliant-i-d-have-thou_2398975.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0eb/arthur-c-clarke-640_brilliant_if-it-really-was-brilliant-i-d-have-thou_2398975.jpg) > ““if it really was brilliant I’d have thought of it already.”” [Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. If an idea were truly brilliant, you would already have thought of it. **In simple terms:** Brilliant ideas are obvious in hindsight. Key Takeaway Seek originality, not just obviousness. Themes creativity originality innovation Mood inquisitive thoughtful Type literary inspirational When to use this quote - research development - product design - entrepreneurship - problem solving Key Concepts philosophy of invention cognitive bias Questions to Reflect On - What makes an idea seem obvious? - How can we recognize hidden brilliance? A Different Perspective Great ideas may be overlooked due to bias. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brilliant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brilliant/) [Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought/) ## Related quotes > [“That's brilliant." "I thought so. But I'm glad you agree. 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Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) > [You can't have it both ways. You can't have both free will and a benevolent higher power who protects you from yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/you-can-t-have-it-both-ways-you-can-t-have-both-free-will-and-a/) [Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) > [Astronomy, as nothing else can do, teaches men humility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/astronomy-as-nothing-else-can-do-teaches-men-humility/) [Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) > [Nowhere in space will we rest our eyes upon the familiar shapes of trees and plants, or any of the animals that share our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/nowhere-in-space-will-we-rest-our-eyes-upon-the-familiar-shapes-of/) [Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) > [“The universe is full of energy, but much of it is at equilibrium. 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Evil men could be destroyed, but nothing could be done with good men who were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/there-were-some-things-that-only-time-could-cure-evil-men-could-be/) [Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) > [“Pure coincidence, of course, but a sensible man makes coincidences work for him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/pure-coincidence-of-course-but-a-sensible-man-makes-coincidences-work/) [Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) > [They will have time enough, in those endless aeons, to attempt all things, and to gather all knowledge no Gods imagined by our minds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/they-will-have-time-enough-in-those-endless-aeons-to-attempt-all/) [Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) > [“One thing seems certain. Our galaxy is now in the brief springtime of its life—a springtime made glorious by such brilliant blue-white stars as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/one-thing-seems-certain-our-galaxy-is-now-in-the-brief-springtime-of/) [Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) > [Now I understand,” said the last man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/now-i-understand-said-the-last-man/) [Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) [Explore all 415 Arthur C. Clarke quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) ## More Brilliant quotes > [And you can't complain about kissing Emma Watson. Isn't that what everyone in the world wants to do? 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It's been a joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutina-wesley/i-enjoy-working-with-deborah-ann-i-think-she-s-brilliant-it-s-been-a/) [Rutina Wesley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutina-wesley/) > [Gravity Falls' didn't just appear overnight - every spooky cave and moss covered tree was created by a team of brilliant artists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-hirsch/gravity-falls-didn-t-just-appear-overnight-every-spooky-cave-and-moss/) [Alex Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-hirsch/) > [I like men who are very cool but who are also so brilliant that they are almost insane. Sean Penn, Gary Oldman, Bob Dylan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jolene-blalock/i-like-men-who-are-very-cool-but-who-are-also-so-brilliant-that-they/) [Jolene Blalock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jolene-blalock/) > [Without a trace of irony I can say I have been blessed with brilliant enemies. 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He looked weird and I think he took a really defensive attitude…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donnie-fritts/tom-stafford-was-an-odd-character-you-know-a-brilliant-guy-he-looked/) [Donnie Fritts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnie-fritts/) [Browse all 2,403 Brilliant quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brilliant/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“if it really was brilliant I’d have thought of it already.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Arthur C. 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