--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you are only skeptical, then no new…" description: "\"If you are only skeptical, then no new ideas make it through to you.\" — Carl Sagan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a9/carl-sagan-160_acceptance_if-you-are-only-skeptical-then-no-new-id_395282.jpg" --- # If you are only skeptical, then no new ideas make it… ![“If you are only skeptical, then no new ideas make it through to you.” quote by Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a9/carl-sagan-160_acceptance_if-you-are-only-skeptical-then-no-new-id_395282.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a9/carl-sagan-160_acceptance_if-you-are-only-skeptical-then-no-new-id_395282.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a9/carl-sagan-160_acceptance_if-you-are-only-skeptical-then-no-new-id_395282.jpg) > “If you are only skeptical, then no new ideas make it through to you.” [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Skepticism blocks fresh ideas; openness is needed for innovation. **In simple terms:** Being too skeptical stops new ideas. Key Takeaway Stay open to new possibilities. Themes innovation open‑mindedness learning Mood curious inquisitive Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - research meetings - brainstorming sessions - product development - academic seminars Key Concepts skepticism creativity growth mindset Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance healthy doubt with openness? - What filters help you evaluate new ideas? A Different Perspective Excessive openness can lead to gullibility. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acceptance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acceptance/) [Adoption](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adoption/) [Conflicting ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conflicting-ideas/) [Gullibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gullibility/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Ideas and innovation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas-and-innovation/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [New ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-ideas/) [Philosophy of science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-of-science/) [Rejection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rejection/) [Resistance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/resistance/) [Ruling the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ruling-the-world/) [Sceptic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sceptic/) [Scepticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scepticism/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Science and religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science-and-religion/) [Skeptic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skeptic/) [Skeptical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skeptical/) [Skepticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skepticism/) ## Related quotes > [“It seems to me what is called for is an exquisite balance between two conflicting needs: the most skeptical scrutiny of all hypotheses that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/it-seems-to-me-what-is-called-for-is-an-exquisite-balance-between-two/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [If you are only skeptical, then no new ideas make it through to you. You become a crotchety old person convinced that nonsense is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/if-you-are-only-skeptical-then-no-new-ideas-make-it-through-to-you-2/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“It seems to me what is called for is an exquisite balance between two conflicting needs: the most skeptical scrutiny of all hypotheses that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/it-seems-to-me-what-is-called-for-is-an-exquisite-balance-between-two-2/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“It seems to me what is called for is an exquisite balance between two conflicting needs: the most skeptical scrutiny of all hypotheses that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/it-seems-to-me-what-is-called-for-is-an-exquisite-balance-between-two-3/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“If you’re only sceptical, then no new ideas make it through to you. You never learn anything. You become a crochety misanthrope convinced that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/if-you-re-only-sceptical-then-no-new-ideas-make-it-through-to-you-you/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [While it is quite reasonable for scientists to be skeptical of new ideas that do not fit within the accepted realm of scientific knowledge,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-b-prusiner/while-it-is-quite-reasonable-for-scientists-to-be-skeptical-of-new/) [Stanley B. Prusiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-b-prusiner/) > [In science it often happens that scientists say, "You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken..."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/in-science-it-often-happens-that-scientists-say-you-know-that-s-a-2/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [I don't know what the comics community could do to make everyone feel welcome; I'm cynical and unsure if everyone can feel welcome, simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-prince/i-don-t-know-what-the-comics-community-could-do-to-make-everyone-feel/) [Liz Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-prince/) > [“You might be unsure about the true nature of God (or the life force in the universe) even if you have well defined religious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-giles/you-might-be-unsure-about-the-true-nature-of-god-or-the-life-force-in/) [Kimberly Giles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-giles/) > [Without absolutes revealed from without by God Himself, we are left rudderless in a sea of conflicting ideas about manners, justice and right and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-owen/without-absolutes-revealed-from-without-by-god-himself-we-are-left/) [John Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-owen/) > [What a dichotomy. What conflicting ideas that we love and embrace these women, and entrust them to raise our children and to feed us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-stockett/what-a-dichotomy-what-conflicting-ideas-that-we-love-and-embrace/) [Kathryn Stockett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-stockett/) > [I wouldn't be able to date someone who had conflicting ideas on abortion, no. Because it's every woman's right to do whatever they do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daisy-lowe/i-wouldn-t-be-able-to-date-someone-who-had-conflicting-ideas-on/) [Daisy Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daisy-lowe/) > [I wish feminism wasn't so scary to people. It should be an evolving concept. I think it's an umbrella term to embrace conflicting ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merritt-wever/i-wish-feminism-wasn-t-so-scary-to-people-it-should-be-an-evolving/) [Merritt Wever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merritt-wever/) > [“The present threat is not based on conflicting ideas about America's basic principles. It is based on several serious problems that stem from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-gore/the-present-threat-is-not-based-on-conflicting-ideas-about-america-s/) [Al Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-gore/) > [Design: holding conflicting ideas in your head without difficulty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-hillis/design-holding-conflicting-ideas-in-your-head-without-difficulty/) [Danny Hillis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-hillis/) ## More by Carl Sagan > [It is sometimes said that scientists are unromantic, that their passion to figure out robs the world of beauty and mystery. But is it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/it-is-sometimes-said-that-scientists-are-unromantic-that-their/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [The prediction of nuclear winter is drawn not, of course, from any direct experience with the consequences of global nuclear war, but rather from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/the-prediction-of-nuclear-winter-is-drawn-not-of-course-from-any/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [The suppression of uncomfortable ideas may be common in religion or in politics, but it is not the path to knowledge; it has no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/the-suppression-of-uncomfortable-ideas-may-be-common-in-religion-or/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“Telepathy’ literally means to feel at a distance, just as ‘telephone’ is to hear at a distance and ‘television’ is to see at a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/telepathy-literally-means-to-feel-at-a-distance-just-as-telephone-is/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“On the scale of worlds—to say nothing of stars or galaxies—humans are inconsequential, a thin film of life on an obscure and solitary lump…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/on-the-scale-of-worlds-to-say-nothing-of-stars-or-galaxies-humans-are/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Every one of us is, in the cosmic perspective, precious. If a human disagrees with you, let him live. In a hundred billion galaxies,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/every-one-of-us-is-in-the-cosmic-perspective-precious-if-a-human/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [In our time, we have sifted the sands of Mars, we have established a presence there, we have fulfilled a century of dreams!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/in-our-time-we-have-sifted-the-sands-of-mars-we-have-established-a/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [ “\[ When a religious couple wrote to Sagan about fulfilled prophecies, he wrote back in May 1996 :\] If ‘fulfilled prophecy’ is your criterion,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/when-a-religious-couple-wrote-to-sagan-about-fulfilled-prophecies-he/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Don't judge everyone else by your own limited experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/don-t-judge-everyone-else-by-your-own-limited-experience/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“Books permit us to voyage through time, to tap the wisdom of our ancestors. The library connects us with the insight and knowledge, painfully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/books-permit-us-to-voyage-through-time-to-tap-the-wisdom-of-our/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [We live on a hunk of rock and metal that circles a humdrum star that is one of 400 billion other stars that make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/we-live-on-a-hunk-of-rock-and-metal-that-circles-a-humdrum-star-that/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [A tiny blue dot set in a sunbeam. Here it is. That's where we live. That's home. We humans are one species and this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/a-tiny-blue-dot-set-in-a-sunbeam-here-it-is-that-s-where-we-live-that/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Any sufficiently crisp question can be answered by a single binary digit-0 or 1, yes or no.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/any-sufficiently-crisp-question-can-be-answered-by-a-single-binary/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Humans — who enslave, castrate, experiment on, and fillet other animals — have had an understandable penchant for pretending animals do not feel pain.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/humans-who-enslave-castrate-experiment-on-and-fillet-other-animals/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Every star may be a sun to someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/every-star-may-be-a-sun-to-someone/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) [Explore all 1,043 Carl Sagan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) ## More Acceptance quotes > [We only enter into the full life if our faith gives thanks. Because how else do we accept His free gift of salvation if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/we-only-enter-into-the-full-life-if-our-faith-gives-thanks-because/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Losing someone is easy, but accepting it is hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/losing-someone-is-easy-but-accepting-it-is-hard/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When one fib becomes due as it were, you must forge another to take up the old acceptance; and so the stock of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/when-one-fib-becomes-due-as-it-were-you-must-forge-another-to-take-up/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Acceptance of death when it arrives is one thing, but to allow it to upstage the joys of living is ingratitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-blythe/acceptance-of-death-when-it-arrives-is-one-thing-but-to-allow-it-to/) [Ronald Blythe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-blythe/) > [“Loving someone who does not love you back hurts, alot, i know. It is liking seeing these pair of shoes at the retail store…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nomthandazo-tsembeni/loving-someone-who-does-not-love-you-back-hurts-alot-i-know-it-is/) [Nomthandazo Tsembeni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nomthandazo-tsembeni/) > [Take responsibily for your past, the bad memories of poor decisions you took were your choices once, and you liked them for the moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aruho-marvin/take-responsibily-for-your-past-the-bad-memories-of-poor-decisions/) [Aruho Marvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aruho-marvin/) > [Let us learn to accept and appreciate things now, and we'll find more happiness in every moment we live. Happiness comes when we stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/let-us-learn-to-accept-and-appreciate-things-now-and-we-ll-find-more/) [Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/) > [“Love first; ask questions later.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-courtney/love-first-ask-questions-later/) [Jeremy Courtney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-courtney/) > [“There was beauty in chaos, she'd just never known it before.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-linsmeier/there-was-beauty-in-chaos-she-d-just-never-known-it-before/) [Amanda Linsmeier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-linsmeier/) > [Accepting the challenges in life makes it interesting and overcoming them makes it eloquent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/accepting-the-challenges-in-life-makes-it-interesting-and-overcoming/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Acceptance is the only thing you should teach. Be it Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Dalit, you must inculcate acceptance, not tolerance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamal-haasan/acceptance-is-the-only-thing-you-should-teach-be-it-christian-muslim/) [Kamal Haasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamal-haasan/) > [There just seems to be more acceptance now of other kinds of British films, than the picture-postcard ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-roth/there-just-seems-to-be-more-acceptance-now-of-other-kinds-of-british/) [Tim Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-roth/) > [You should never hate anyone, even your worst enemies. Everyone has something good about them. You have to find the redeeming quality and love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/you-should-never-hate-anyone-even-your-worst-enemies-everyone-has/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [The sense that in this universe we are treated as strangers, the longing to be acknowledged, to meet with some response, to bridge some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-sense-that-in-this-universe-we-are-treated-as-strangers-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 3,960 Acceptance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acceptance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you are only skeptical, then no new ideas make it through to you.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Carl Sagan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/if-you-are-only-skeptical-then-no-new-ideas-make-it-through-to-you/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Acceptance" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/if-you-are-only-skeptical-then-no-new-ideas-make-it-through-to-you/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a9/carl-sagan-160_acceptance_if-you-are-only-skeptical-then-no-new-id_395282.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a9/carl-sagan-160_acceptance_if-you-are-only-skeptical-then-no-new-id_395282.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a9/carl-sagan-160_acceptance_if-you-are-only-skeptical-then-no-new-id_395282.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you are only skeptical, then no new ideas make it through to you.” — Carl Sagan", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Carl Sagan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If you are only skeptical, then...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/if-you-are-only-skeptical-then-no-new-ideas-make-it-through-to-you/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/if-you-are-only-skeptical-then-no-new-ideas-make-it-through-to-you/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```