--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is better to have enough ideas for…" description: "\"It is better to have enough ideas for some of them to be wrong, than to be always right by having no ideas at all.\" — Edward de Bono" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43a/edward-de-bono-2489_bad-ass_it-is-better-to-have-enough-ideas-for-so_1374397.png" --- # It is better to have enough ideas for some of them to be… ![“It is better to have enough ideas for some of them to be wrong, than to be always right by having no ideas at all.” quote by Edward de Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43a/edward-de-bono-2489_bad-ass_it-is-better-to-have-enough-ideas-for-so_1374397.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43a/edward-de-bono-2489_bad-ass_it-is-better-to-have-enough-ideas-for-so_1374397.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43a/edward-de-bono-2489_bad-ass_it-is-better-to-have-enough-ideas-for-so_1374397.png) > “It is better to have enough ideas for some of them to be wrong, than to be always right by having no ideas at all.” [Edward de Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-de-bono/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Having many ideas, even if some are wrong, is better than having none and being always right. **In simple terms:** Ideas, even flawed, are better than none. Key Takeaway Encourage idea generation despite risk of error. Themes creativity risk learning Mood optimistic reflective Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - brainstorming sessions - product development - research projects - entrepreneurial ventures Key Concepts innovation critical thinking failure tolerance Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance idea quantity with quality? - What processes help discard bad ideas efficiently? A Different Perspective Too many wrong ideas can waste resources if not filtered. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad ass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-ass/) [Better Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-ideas-457884/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Creativity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativity/) [Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough/) [Having Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/having-ideas-275416/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Ideas Wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas-wrong-1386434/) [Innovation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/innovation/) [Wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrong/) ## Related quotes > [The need to be right all the time is the biggest bar to new ideas. It is better to have enough ideas for some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-de-bono/the-need-to-be-right-all-the-time-is-the-biggest-bar-to-new-ideas-it/) [Edward De Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-de-bono/) > [Collective judgment of new ideas is so often wrong that it is arguable that progress depends on individuals being free to back their own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-arthur-lewis/collective-judgment-of-new-ideas-is-so-often-wrong-that-it-is/) [W. Arthur Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-arthur-lewis/) > [We must fight all that we dislike in public life. We must substitute better ideas for wrong ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/we-must-fight-all-that-we-dislike-in-public-life-we-must-substitute/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [Every new idea is to challenge old. It also arises from the confusion and occasionally decide to get more ideas are wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/every-new-idea-is-to-challenge-old-it-also-arises-from-the-confusion/) [Mak\_786](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786/) > [Rizal learned the right ideas at the wrong time, and for this he was shot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/rizal-learned-the-right-ideas-at-the-wrong-time-and-for-this-he-was/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [People seem to think that they can't come up with ideas, and they're wrong. They can and they do, but they just think of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-seem-to-think-that-they-can-t-come-up-with-ideas-and-they-re/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [If you want to have good ideas you must have many ideas. 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The only way that you would change someone's mind is through dialogue, through productive discussion.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennys-sandgren/i-have-ideas-but-those-ideas-could-be-wrong-the-only-way-that-you/) [Tennys Sandgren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennys-sandgren/) > [Having ideas and doing them - that's what entrepreneurship comes down to. That's something that makes you not just a great founder who I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-ohanian/having-ideas-and-doing-them-that-s-what-entrepreneurship-comes-down/) [Alexis Ohanian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-ohanian/) > [I'm always having ideas. I'd like to continue being able to realise the ideas I have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-hewlett/i-m-always-having-ideas-i-d-like-to-continue-being-able-to-realise/) [Jamie Hewlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-hewlett/) > [Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-allen/your-mind-is-for-having-ideas-not-holding-them/) [David Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-allen/) ## More by Edward de Bono > [We still seek to solve conflicts with 'judgement' instead of designing the way forwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-de-bono/we-still-seek-to-solve-conflicts-with-judgement-instead-of-designing/) [Edward de Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-de-bono/) > [Traditional thinking is all about "what is" Future thinking will also need to be about what can be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-de-bono/traditional-thinking-is-all-about-what-is-future-thinking-will-also/) [Edward de Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-de-bono/) > [“In 80% of Socrates' dialogues there was no constructive outcome. He saw his role as simply pointing out what was "wrong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-de-bono/in-80-of-socrates-dialogues-there-was-no-constructive-outcome-he-saw/) [Edward De Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-de-bono/) > [The music that really turns me on is either running toward God or away from God. 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Bullets and bombs may offer physical power but eventually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-de-bono/the-weapons-of-the-positive-revolution-are-not-bullets-and-bombs-but/) [Edward de Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-de-bono/) > [“In real-life situations apparently logical lines of argument are often (not always) based on an inability to see alternative possibilities. In a similar way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-de-bono/in-real-life-situations-apparently-logical-lines-of-argument-are/) [Edward De Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-de-bono/) > [An expert is someone who has succeeded in making decisions and judgements simpler through knowing what to pay attention to and what to ignore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-de-bono/an-expert-is-someone-who-has-succeeded-in-making-decisions-and/) [Edward De Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-de-bono/) > [It wouldn't cost too much to change the rules of trade so that poor countries can work their way out of poverty. 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All thoughts welcome!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-wilde/friends-haters-it-s-twitter-poll-time-what-do-you-think-most-holds/) [Olivia Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-wilde/) > [Held in the palms of thousands of disgruntled people over the centuries have been ideas worth millions - if they only had taken the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hayes/held-in-the-palms-of-thousands-of-disgruntled-people-over-the/) [Robert M. Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hayes/) > [As an architect you design for the present, with an awareness of the past, for a future which is essentially unknown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-foster/as-an-architect-you-design-for-the-present-with-an-awareness-of-the/) [Norman Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-foster/) > [People are always like, Why did you and husband Carey Hart get back together? Well, we weren't done. 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