--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There's a big difference between the role…" description: "\"There's a big difference between the role of an academic and the role of someone in government. That's a cliche, but in academic life if you say things..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/570/cass-sunstein-7201_academic_there-s-a-big-difference-between-the-rol_1692295.png" --- # There's a big difference between the role of an academic… ![“There's a big difference between the role of an academic and the role of someone in government. That's a cliche, but in academic life if you say things that are common sense and people nod their heads, it's not very useful. You're not adding anything.” quote by Cass Sunstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/570/cass-sunstein-7201_academic_there-s-a-big-difference-between-the-rol_1692295.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/570/cass-sunstein-7201_academic_there-s-a-big-difference-between-the-rol_1692295.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/570/cass-sunstein-7201_academic_there-s-a-big-difference-between-the-rol_1692295.png) > “There's a big difference between the role of an academic and the role of someone in government. That's a cliche, but in academic life if you say things that are common sense and people nod their heads, it's not very useful. You're not adding anything.” [Cass Sunstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cass-sunstein/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Academic insight must go beyond obvious truths to add value. **In simple terms:** Academics should offer novel contributions. Key Takeaway Seek originality in discourse. Themes knowledge academia innovation Mood analytical educational Type essay argument When to use this quote - research proposals - lecture content - policy briefs Key Concepts critical thinking policy education Questions to Reflect On - How can you make common sense compelling? - What adds value to a familiar idea? A Different Perspective Common sense may be dismissed as trivial. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Academic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/academic/) [Academic life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/academic-life/) [Academic Role](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/academic-role-1067738/) [Adding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adding/) [Anything](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anything/) [Between](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/between/) [Big](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big/) [Big difference](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-difference/) [Cliche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cliche/) [Cliche Academic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cliche-academic-1067739/) [Common](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common/) [Common sense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common-sense/) [Difference](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difference/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Government Cliche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-cliche-1067740/) [Heads](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heads/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Nod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nod/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Role](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/role/) [Role Academic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/role-academic-1067737/) [Role Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/role-government/) [Say](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/say/) [Sense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sense/) [Someone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/someone/) [Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things/) [Useful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/useful/) [Very](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/very/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/) ## Related quotes > [What is the role of an academic - no matter what they're teaching - within political debate? 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He would do a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-baker-hall/some-directors-don-t-say-much-michael-mann-for-example-i-remember-on/) [Philip Baker Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-baker-hall/) ## More by Cass Sunstein > [I think President Barack Obama has been an extraordinarily successful president, and that this period will record that with a bunch of exclamation points.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cass-sunstein/i-think-president-barack-obama-has-been-an-extraordinarily-successful/) [Cass Sunstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cass-sunstein/) > [I am proud to say that the Federalist Society was founded in part at the University of Chicago, and one of its best characteristics…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cass-sunstein/i-am-proud-to-say-that-the-federalist-society-was-founded-in-part-at/) [Cass Sunstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cass-sunstein/) > [Groups become more extreme and entrenched in their beliefs and polarized from others when members only exchange information that reinforces their views and filter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cass-sunstein/groups-become-more-extreme-and-entrenched-in-their-beliefs-and/) [Cass Sunstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cass-sunstein/) > [Those who believe in climate change, as I do, I think it's also fair to say that they are more receptive to confirming evidence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cass-sunstein/those-who-believe-in-climate-change-as-i-do-i-think-it-s-also-fair-to/) [Cass Sunstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cass-sunstein/) > [I think it's a very firm part of human nature that if you surround yourself with like-minded people, you'll end up thinking more extreme…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cass-sunstein/i-think-it-s-a-very-firm-part-of-human-nature-that-if-you-surround/) [Cass Sunstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cass-sunstein/) > [There is no liberty without dependency. That is why we should celebrate tax day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cass-sunstein/there-is-no-liberty-without-dependency-that-is-why-we-should/) [Cass Sunstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cass-sunstein/) > [And so it's no surprise that people who object to the death penalty on pure moral grounds also think it has no deterrent effect,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cass-sunstein/and-so-it-s-no-surprise-that-people-who-object-to-the-death-penalty/) [Cass Sunstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cass-sunstein/) > [It is even possible that desirable redistribution is more likely to occur through climate change policy than otherwise, or to be accomplished more effectively…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cass-sunstein/it-is-even-possible-that-desirable-redistribution-is-more-likely-to/) [Cass Sunstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cass-sunstein/) > [Presumed consent preserves freedom of choice, but it is different from explicit consent because it shifts the default rule. Under this policy, all citizens…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cass-sunstein/presumed-consent-preserves-freedom-of-choice-but-it-is-different-from/) [Cass Sunstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cass-sunstein/) > [A well-functioning democracy has a culture of free speech, not simply legal protection of free speech. It encourages independence of mind. It imparts a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cass-sunstein/a-well-functioning-democracy-has-a-culture-of-free-speech-not-simply/) [Cass Sunstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cass-sunstein/) > [I'm also a big Bob Dylan fan. 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Of course I knew it from life before, but the core of enthusiastic female…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cass-sunstein/whatever-your-gender-you-can-be-a-star-wars-fan-of-course-i-knew-it/) [Cass Sunstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cass-sunstein/) [Explore all 93 Cass Sunstein quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cass-sunstein/) ## More Academic quotes > [When I went to college, as much as my parents emphasized academic achievement, they emphasized marriage even more. 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Good sleep they sought for themselves, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/now-know-i-well-what-people-sought-formerly-above-all-else-when-they/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Because my graduate academic training at law school was not one that included most of the intellectual traditions I find useful for understanding the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-spade/because-my-graduate-academic-training-at-law-school-was-not-one-that/) [Dean Spade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-spade/) > [An academic discipline, or any other semiotic domain, for that matter, is not primarily content, in the sense of facts and principles. 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I am a novelist who happens to be quite good academically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-s-byatt-2/i-am-not-an-academic-who-happens-to-have-written-a-novel-i-am-a/) [A. S. Byatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-s-byatt-2/) [Browse all 958 Academic quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/academic/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There's a big difference between the role of an academic and the role of someone in government. That's a cliche, but in academic life if you say things that are common sense and people nod their heads, it's not very useful. 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