---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What I can't understand is why the silly…"
description: "\"“What I can't understand is why the silly things you say makes so much sense.\" \"I'll tell you why,\" said Papa Dima. \"It's because the best idea is the ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8a/eduard-uspensky-234696_idea_what-i-can-t-understand-is-why-the-silly_150885.jpg"
---

#  What I can't understand is why the silly things you say…

![“What I can't understand is why the silly things you say makes so much sense.&quot; &quot;I'll tell you why,&quot; said Papa Dima. &quot;It's because the best idea is the idea you least expect. And the unexpected always seems silly at first.” quote by Eduard Uspensky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8a/eduard-uspensky-234696_idea_what-i-can-t-understand-is-why-the-silly_150885.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8a/eduard-uspensky-234696_idea_what-i-can-t-understand-is-why-the-silly_150885.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8a/eduard-uspensky-234696_idea_what-i-can-t-understand-is-why-the-silly_150885.jpg)

> ““What I can't understand is why the silly things you say makes so much sense." "I'll tell you why," said Papa Dima. "It's because the best idea is the idea you least expect. And the unexpected always seems silly at first.””

Eduard Uspensky

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Explains that unexpected ideas often seem silly yet can be profound, encouraging openness.

**In simple terms:** Unexpected ideas seem silly but can be profound.

Key Takeaway

Embrace surprise in thinking.

Themes

creativity unexpectedness humor

Mood

playful insightful

Type

Idea:0 Silly:0 Silly things:0 Unexpected:0 Understand Silly:0 Unexpected Silly:0

When to use this quote

- brainstorming
- writing
- problem solving

Key Concepts

cognitive bias innovation

Questions to Reflect On

- Why do we dismiss unexpected ideas?
- How can silliness lead to breakthroughs?

A Different Perspective

May undervalue systematic analysis.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Idea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idea/) [Silly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silly/) [Silly things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silly-things/)

## Related quotes

> [THIS 1 IS FOR U ... HOPE U LL UNDERSTAND … :D SILLY GIRL ^\_^](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/this-1-is-for-u-hope-u-ll-understand-d-silly-girl/)

[Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/)

> [A lot of comic actors derive their main force from childish behavior. Most great comics are doing such silly things; you'd say, 'That's what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wilder/a-lot-of-comic-actors-derive-their-main-force-from-childish-behavior/)

[Gene Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wilder/)

> [When you start feeling silly, you start doing silly things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-truth/when-you-start-feeling-silly-you-start-doing-silly-things/)

[R-Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-truth/)

> [We're blessed to be worrying about the silly things that we worry about when people are worrying about where they are going to sleep,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-connelly/we-re-blessed-to-be-worrying-about-the-silly-things-that-we-worry/)

[Jennifer Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-connelly/)

> [Life is too short and too sweet to complain about the silly things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chandler/life-is-too-short-and-too-sweet-to-complain-about-the-silly-things/)

[Michael Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chandler/)

> [All the stupid silly things people do, say and fuss about now are going to mean absolutely nothing later in life. You see all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-lee-riner/all-the-stupid-silly-things-people-do-say-and-fuss-about-now-are/)

[Justin Lee Riner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-lee-riner/)

> [When I first was on Big Time Rush, the TV show, I did a lot of silly things. Among the first episodes that came…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-maslow/when-i-first-was-on-big-time-rush-the-tv-show-i-did-a-lot-of-silly/)

[James Maslow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-maslow/)

> [Burgundy makes you think of silly things; Bordeaux makes you talk about them, and Champagne makes you do them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-anthelme-brillat-savarin/burgundy-makes-you-think-of-silly-things-bordeaux-makes-you-talk/)

[Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-anthelme-brillat-savarin/)

> [Such silly things, children -- and so embarrassing -- because they keep changing themselves out of shame, out of a need to be loved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/such-silly-things-children-and-so-embarrassing-because-they-keep/)

[Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/)

> [Wine has made me bold, but not foolish; has induced me to say silly things, but not do them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duff-cooper/wine-has-made-me-bold-but-not-foolish-has-induced-me-to-say-silly/)

[Duff Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duff-cooper/)

> [NFL owners should quit worrying about silly things like players celebrating in the end zone. They should give them something to really celebrate. Get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/o-j-simpson/nfl-owners-should-quit-worrying-about-silly-things-like-players/)

[O. J. Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/o-j-simpson/)

> [One does silly things when one is twelve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/one-does-silly-things-when-one-is-twelve/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

> [Oh dear," said Sarah anxiously, "I do wish he wouldn't do these silly things." I'm sure we all wish that, Sarah," said Marcia sternly.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angie-sage/oh-dear-said-sarah-anxiously-i-do-wish-he-wouldn-t-do-these-silly/)

[Angie Sage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angie-sage/)

> [No man is exempt from saying silly things; the mischief is to say them deliberately.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/no-man-is-exempt-from-saying-silly-things-the-mischief-is-to-say-them/)

[Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/)

> [I'll run through things over and over and over again in my head and think, "How could I have done that better?" Silly things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-dallas-howard/i-ll-run-through-things-over-and-over-and-over-again-in-my-head-and/)

[Bryce Dallas Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dallas-howard/)

## More Idea quotes

> [You'd be surprised how hard it can often be to translate an action into an idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/you-d-be-surprised-how-hard-it-can-often-be-to-translate-an-action/)

[Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/)

> [Sometimes it's just enough for me to have the idea. I don't need to see it through to the end. When it actually happens,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-sedaris/sometimes-it-s-just-enough-for-me-to-have-the-idea-i-don-t-need-to/)

[Amy Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-sedaris/)

> [I had an idea for a technologically advanced luxury watch. I got involved in digital art and neon painting and put on shows of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giorgio-moroder/i-had-an-idea-for-a-technologically-advanced-luxury-watch-i-got/)

[Giorgio Moroder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giorgio-moroder/)

> [Everybody has a good idea, but nothing goes as planned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-winklevoss/everybody-has-a-good-idea-but-nothing-goes-as-planned/)

[Tyler Winklevoss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-winklevoss/)

> [I've never bought this idea of taking a therapeutic distance. If I see a student or house staff cry, I take great faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-verghese/i-ve-never-bought-this-idea-of-taking-a-therapeutic-distance-if-i-see/)

[Abraham Verghese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-verghese/)

> [The idea with a collection is sort of to begin with a kind of bang.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-christgau/the-idea-with-a-collection-is-sort-of-to-begin-with-a-kind-of-bang/)

[Robert Christgau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-christgau/)

> [When there's a firestorm going on around you, you have very little idea of what's next.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-quest/when-there-s-a-firestorm-going-on-around-you-you-have-very-little/)

[Richard Quest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-quest/)

> [The idea is not to copy nature, but to give a feeling of nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/piet-oudolf/the-idea-is-not-to-copy-nature-but-to-give-a-feeling-of-nature/)

Piet Oudolf

> [The American people reject the idea of giving Washington a blank check to increase the debt limit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-roby/the-american-people-reject-the-idea-of-giving-washington-a-blank/)

[Martha Roby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-roby/)

> [You wind up creating from silence, like painting a picture on a blank canvas that could bring tears to somebody's eyes. As songwriters, our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-atkins/you-wind-up-creating-from-silence-like-painting-a-picture-on-a-blank/)

[Rodney Atkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-atkins/)

> [I'm not an artist, and I want to take risks, and when the possibility of failure occurs, it's because the idea is all exciting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-morgan/i-m-not-an-artist-and-i-want-to-take-risks-and-when-the-possibility/)

[Peter Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-morgan/)

> [If there is an abiding theme in 'The Pursuit of Happiness,' it is the idea that you come into the world already shaped by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-kennedy/if-there-is-an-abiding-theme-in-the-pursuit-of-happiness-it-is-the/)

[Douglas Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-kennedy/)

> [My mom had no idea she was having twins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brie-bella/my-mom-had-no-idea-she-was-having-twins/)

[Brie Bella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brie-bella/)

> [When I was 12 years old, I went to Natchitoches, La.; it was summer vacation with my family. We visited a plantation, Melrose. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wilson/when-i-was-12-years-old-i-went-to-natchitoches-la-it-was-summer/)

[Robert Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wilson/)

> [I get worked up over an 'idea' or the ethos of an idea. I follow dreams, take notes on travels, and engage in research…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-waldman/i-get-worked-up-over-an-idea-or-the-ethos-of-an-idea-i-follow-dreams/)

[Anne Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-waldman/)

[Browse all 4,953 Idea quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idea/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“What I can't understand is why the silly things you say makes so much sense.\" \"I'll tell you why,\" said Papa Dima. \"It's because the best idea is the idea you least expect. And the unexpected always seems silly at first.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Eduard Uspensky"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eduard-uspensky/what-i-can-t-understand-is-why-the-silly-things-you-say-makes-so-much/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Idea"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eduard-uspensky/what-i-can-t-understand-is-why-the-silly-things-you-say-makes-so-much/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8a/eduard-uspensky-234696_idea_what-i-can-t-understand-is-why-the-silly_150885.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8a/eduard-uspensky-234696_idea_what-i-can-t-understand-is-why-the-silly_150885.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8a/eduard-uspensky-234696_idea_what-i-can-t-understand-is-why-the-silly_150885.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“What I can't understand is why the silly things you say makes so much sense.\" \"I'll tell you why,\" said Papa…” — Eduard Uspensky",
                "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": "Eduard Uspensky",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eduard-uspensky/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“What I can't understand is why...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eduard-uspensky/what-i-can-t-understand-is-why-the-silly-things-you-say-makes-so-much/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eduard-uspensky/what-i-can-t-understand-is-why-the-silly-things-you-say-makes-so-much/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
