--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Wit is an unexpected explosion of thought." description: "\"Wit is an unexpected explosion of thought.\" — Edwin Percy Whipple" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f18/edwin-percy-whipple-8845_explosions_wit-is-an-unexpected-explosion-of-though_2106097.jpg" --- # Wit is an unexpected explosion of thought. ![“Wit is an unexpected explosion of thought.” quote by Edwin Percy Whipple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f18/edwin-percy-whipple-8845_explosions_wit-is-an-unexpected-explosion-of-though_2106097.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f18/edwin-percy-whipple-8845_explosions_wit-is-an-unexpected-explosion-of-though_2106097.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f18/edwin-percy-whipple-8845_explosions_wit-is-an-unexpected-explosion-of-though_2106097.jpg) > “Wit is an unexpected explosion of thought.” [Edwin Percy Whipple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-percy-whipple/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A sudden, sharp insight that catches one off guard, revealing hidden connections or truths. **In simple terms:** A surprise flash of insight. Key Takeaway Embrace and act on sudden insights. Themes creativity insight humor Mood playful intrigued Type aphilosophical inspirational When to use this quote - writing - problem solving - brainstorming Key Concepts cognitive surprise mental breakthroughs Questions to Reflect On - How can you train yourself to notice unexpected insights? - What habits help preserve them? A Different Perspective May be fleeting and hard to capture. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Explosions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/explosions/) [Philosophy of Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-of-mind/) [Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought/) [Wit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wit/) [Witty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/witty/) ## Related quotes > [Wit is the unexpected copulation of ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-o-brian/wit-is-the-unexpected-copulation-of-ideas/) [Patrick O'Brian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-o-brian/) > [“Driving home, I heard the explosion and thought it was a new story born. But, Adrian, it’s the same old story, whispered past the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/driving-home-i-heard-the-explosion-and-thought-it-was-a-new-story/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [The essence of the ludicrous consists in surprise,--in unexpected terms of feeling and explosions of thought,--often bringing dissimilar things together with a shock; as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-percy-whipple/the-essence-of-the-ludicrous-consists-in-surprise-in-unexpected-terms/) [Edwin Percy Whipple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-percy-whipple/) > [Nature and society are so replete with startling contrasts that wit often consists in the mere statement and comparison of facts, as when Hume…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-percy-whipple/nature-and-society-are-so-replete-with-startling-contrasts-that-wit/) [Edwin Percy Whipple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-percy-whipple/) > [I have read that there are two fears that cannot be trained out of us: the startle reaction upon hearing an unexpected noise, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/i-have-read-that-there-are-two-fears-that-cannot-be-trained-out-of-us/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [Our entire universe emerged from a point smaller than a single atom. Space itself exploded in a cosmic fire, launching the expansion of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/our-entire-universe-emerged-from-a-point-smaller-than-a-single-atom/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [The online shopping paradigm is finally changing. Indeed, I think we’ve seen more innovation in the last 10 months than in the last 10…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-kopelman/the-online-shopping-paradigm-is-finally-changing-indeed-i-think-we-ve/) [Josh Kopelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-kopelman/) > [We've kind of grown up in a post-Star Wars era, and what Star Wars did to cinema, in terms of an explosion of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-pegg/we-ve-kind-of-grown-up-in-a-post-star-wars-era-and-what-star-wars-did/) [Simon Pegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-pegg/) > [There were two, three or four French Revolutions. Like a multi-stage rocket today, the Revolution involved several successive explosions and propellant thrusts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernand-braudel/there-were-two-three-or-four-french-revolutions-like-a-multi-stage/) [Fernand Braudel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernand-braudel/) > [I don't want to be in a movie with 20 minutes of dialogue and then stand around while the robots start explosions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-hopper/i-don-t-want-to-be-in-a-movie-with-20-minutes-of-dialogue-and-then/) [Henry Hopper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-hopper/) > [I don't really care for or that much about Chat Roulette. I think the phenomenon of it and like the first wow factor which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/casey-neistat/i-don-t-really-care-for-or-that-much-about-chat-roulette-i-think-the/) [Casey Neistat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/casey-neistat/) > [There are three things in this world that will survive a nuclear explosion: Twinkies, cockroaches and Dean Ambroses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-ambrose/there-are-three-things-in-this-world-that-will-survive-a-nuclear/) [Dean Ambrose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-ambrose/) > [“Three Moonie 65-megaton hydrogen bombs exploded nearly simultaneously at very high altitude. With no air around the bombs to absorb the initial blast of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hg47/three-moonie-65-megaton-hydrogen-bombs-exploded-nearly-simultaneously/) @hg47 > [The explosion was good. It sent a message to the rest of the world that the time of the big star getting all this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sumner-redstone/the-explosion-was-good-it-sent-a-message-to-the-rest-of-the-world/) [Sumner Redstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sumner-redstone/) > ["Summer Sisters" is probably my least autobiographical book. The whole idea started with rowing down the pond. And I heard an explosion. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-blume/summer-sisters-is-probably-my-least-autobiographical-book-the-whole/) [Judy Blume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-blume/) ## More by Edwin Percy Whipple > [Cheerfulness in most cheerful people is the rich and satisfying result of strenuous discipline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-percy-whipple/cheerfulness-in-most-cheerful-people-is-the-rich-and-satisfying/) [Edwin Percy Whipple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-percy-whipple/) > [The minister's brain is often the "poor-box" of the church.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-percy-whipple/the-minister-s-brain-is-often-the-poor-box-of-the-church/) [Edwin Percy Whipple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-percy-whipple/) > [A true teacher should penetrate to whatever is vital in his pupil, and develop that by the light and heat of his own intelligence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-percy-whipple/a-true-teacher-should-penetrate-to-whatever-is-vital-in-his-pupil-and/) [Edwin Percy Whipple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-percy-whipple/) > [Felicity, not fluency of language, is a merit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-percy-whipple/felicity-not-fluency-of-language-is-a-merit/) [Edwin Percy Whipple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-percy-whipple/) > [A politician weakly and amiably in the right is no match for a politician tenaciously and pugnaciously in the wrong. You cannot, by tying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-percy-whipple/a-politician-weakly-and-amiably-in-the-right-is-no-match-for-a/) [Edwin Percy Whipple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-percy-whipple/) > [A thought embodied and embrained in fit words walks the earth a living being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-percy-whipple/a-thought-embodied-and-embrained-in-fit-words-walks-the-earth-a/) [Edwin Percy Whipple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-percy-whipple/) > [Nature and society are so replete with startling contrasts that wit often consists in the mere statement and comparison of facts, as when Hume…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-percy-whipple/nature-and-society-are-so-replete-with-startling-contrasts-that-wit/) [Edwin Percy Whipple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-percy-whipple/) > [The bitterest satires and noblest eulogies on married life have come from poets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-percy-whipple/the-bitterest-satires-and-noblest-eulogies-on-married-life-have-come/) [Edwin Percy Whipple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-percy-whipple/) > [Genius is not a single power, but a combination of great powers. It reasons, but it is not reasoning; it judges, but it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-percy-whipple/genius-is-not-a-single-power-but-a-combination-of-great-powers-it/) [Edwin Percy Whipple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-percy-whipple/) > [Nature does not capriciously scatter her secrets as golden gifts to lazy pets and luxurious darlings, but imposes tasks when she presents opportunities, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-percy-whipple/nature-does-not-capriciously-scatter-her-secrets-as-golden-gifts-to/) [Edwin Percy Whipple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-percy-whipple/) > [Even in social life, it is persistency which attracts confidence, more than talents and accomplishments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-percy-whipple/even-in-social-life-it-is-persistency-which-attracts-confidence-more/) [Edwin Percy Whipple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-percy-whipple/) > [A nation may be in a tumult to-day for a thought which the timid Erasmus placidly penned in his study more than two centuries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-percy-whipple/a-nation-may-be-in-a-tumult-to-day-for-a-thought-which-the-timid/) [Edwin Percy Whipple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-percy-whipple/) > [God is glorified, not by our groans, but by our thanksgivings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-percy-whipple/god-is-glorified-not-by-our-groans-but-by-our-thanksgivings/) [Edwin Percy Whipple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-percy-whipple/) > [As men neither fear nor respect what has been made contemptible, all honor to him who makes oppression laughable as well as detestable. Armies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-percy-whipple/as-men-neither-fear-nor-respect-what-has-been-made-contemptible-all/) [Edwin Percy Whipple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-percy-whipple/) > [What a man does with his wealth depends upon his idea of happiness. Those who draw prizes in life are apt to spend tastelessly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-percy-whipple/what-a-man-does-with-his-wealth-depends-upon-his-idea-of-happiness/) [Edwin Percy Whipple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-percy-whipple/) [Explore all 77 Edwin Percy Whipple quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-percy-whipple/) ## More Explosions quotes > ["Summer Sisters" is probably my least autobiographical book. The whole idea started with rowing down the pond. And I heard an explosion. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-blume/summer-sisters-is-probably-my-least-autobiographical-book-the-whole/) [Judy Blume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-blume/) > [The explosion was good. It sent a message to the rest of the world that the time of the big star getting all this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sumner-redstone/the-explosion-was-good-it-sent-a-message-to-the-rest-of-the-world/) [Sumner Redstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sumner-redstone/) > [“Three Moonie 65-megaton hydrogen bombs exploded nearly simultaneously at very high altitude. With no air around the bombs to absorb the initial blast of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hg47/three-moonie-65-megaton-hydrogen-bombs-exploded-nearly-simultaneously/) @hg47 > [There are three things in this world that will survive a nuclear explosion: Twinkies, cockroaches and Dean Ambroses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-ambrose/there-are-three-things-in-this-world-that-will-survive-a-nuclear/) [Dean Ambrose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-ambrose/) > [I don't really care for or that much about Chat Roulette. I think the phenomenon of it and like the first wow factor which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/casey-neistat/i-don-t-really-care-for-or-that-much-about-chat-roulette-i-think-the/) [Casey Neistat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/casey-neistat/) > [I don't want to be in a movie with 20 minutes of dialogue and then stand around while the robots start explosions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-hopper/i-don-t-want-to-be-in-a-movie-with-20-minutes-of-dialogue-and-then/) [Henry Hopper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-hopper/) > [There were two, three or four French Revolutions. Like a multi-stage rocket today, the Revolution involved several successive explosions and propellant thrusts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernand-braudel/there-were-two-three-or-four-french-revolutions-like-a-multi-stage/) [Fernand Braudel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernand-braudel/) > [We've kind of grown up in a post-Star Wars era, and what Star Wars did to cinema, in terms of an explosion of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-pegg/we-ve-kind-of-grown-up-in-a-post-star-wars-era-and-what-star-wars-did/) [Simon Pegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-pegg/) > [The online shopping paradigm is finally changing. Indeed, I think we’ve seen more innovation in the last 10 months than in the last 10…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-kopelman/the-online-shopping-paradigm-is-finally-changing-indeed-i-think-we-ve/) [Josh Kopelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-kopelman/) > [Our entire universe emerged from a point smaller than a single atom. Space itself exploded in a cosmic fire, launching the expansion of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/our-entire-universe-emerged-from-a-point-smaller-than-a-single-atom/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [As long as there is no control of population, the population explosion will make it so easy for politicians to dominate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-huxley/as-long-as-there-is-no-control-of-population-the-population-explosion/) [Laura Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-huxley/) > [Fulfilling the four needs in an integrated way is like combining elements in chemistry. When we reach a "critical mass" of integration, we experience…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/fulfilling-the-four-needs-in-an-integrated-way-is-like-combining/) [Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) > [The brutality of the pace. This was my third presidential campaign and it was a thousand times faster paced than my first one in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-madden/the-brutality-of-the-pace-this-was-my-third-presidential-campaign-and/) [Kevin Madden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-madden/) > [He felt as though his heart were a bomb, a complicated bomb that would result in a simple explosion, wrecking the world without rocking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathanael-west/he-felt-as-though-his-heart-were-a-bomb-a-complicated-bomb-that-would/) [Nathanael West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathanael-west/) > [There are times when the ocean is not the ocean - not blue, not even water, but some violent explosion of energy and danger:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-are-times-when-the-ocean-is-not-the-ocean-not-blue-not-even/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 430 Explosions quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/explosions/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Wit is an unexpected explosion of thought.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Edwin Percy Whipple" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-percy-whipple/wit-is-an-unexpected-explosion-of-thought/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Explosions" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-percy-whipple/wit-is-an-unexpected-explosion-of-thought/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f18/edwin-percy-whipple-8845_explosions_wit-is-an-unexpected-explosion-of-though_2106097.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f18/edwin-percy-whipple-8845_explosions_wit-is-an-unexpected-explosion-of-though_2106097.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f18/edwin-percy-whipple-8845_explosions_wit-is-an-unexpected-explosion-of-though_2106097.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Wit is an unexpected explosion of thought.” — Edwin Percy Whipple", "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": "Edwin Percy Whipple", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-percy-whipple/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Wit is an unexpected explosion of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-percy-whipple/wit-is-an-unexpected-explosion-of-thought/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-percy-whipple/wit-is-an-unexpected-explosion-of-thought/#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 } } ] } ```