--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This isn't a particularly novel…" description: "\"This isn't a particularly novel observation, but the world is full of people who think they can manipulate the lives of others merely by getting a law ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/612/groucho-marx-788_funny_this-isn-t-a-particularly-novel-observat_1440108.jpg" --- # This isn't a particularly novel observation, but the world… ![“This isn't a particularly novel observation, but the world is full of people who think they can manipulate the lives of others merely by getting a law passed.” quote by Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/612/groucho-marx-788_funny_this-isn-t-a-particularly-novel-observat_1440108.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/612/groucho-marx-788_funny_this-isn-t-a-particularly-novel-observat_1440108.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/612/groucho-marx-788_funny_this-isn-t-a-particularly-novel-observat_1440108.jpg) > “This isn't a particularly novel observation, but the world is full of people who think they can manipulate the lives of others merely by getting a law passed.” [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People often overestimate the power of legislation to control individual lives, overlooking personal agency and complexity. **In simple terms:** Laws can't fully control people's lives. Key Takeaway Recognize limits of legal influence. Themes power law agency control politics Mood skeptical reflective Type cynical political When to use this quote - policy making - activism - legal advocacy - community organizing Key Concepts legal theory human behavior social influence Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance legal action with personal responsibility? - When does legislation become overreach? A Different Perspective Laws may be ineffective without cultural change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Getting Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/getting-law-5150254/) [Humorous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humorous/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Law Passed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law-passed-1151684/) [Lives of others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lives-of-others/) [Manipulate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manipulate/) [Manipulate Lives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manipulate-lives-785608/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Observation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/observation/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-think/) [Think Manipulate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-manipulate-2079336/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Witty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/witty/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [Is capitalism really about the ability of a handful of rich people to manipulate the lives of thousands of people and then walk off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newt-gingrich/is-capitalism-really-about-the-ability-of-a-handful-of-rich-people-to/) [Newt Gingrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/newt-gingrich/) > [If you think I manipulate you, that just means you cant think for yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-think-i-manipulate-you-that-just-means-you-cant-think-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In 1938 the Coogan Law was passed in California.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-coogan/in-1938-the-coogan-law-was-passed-in-california/) [Jackie Coogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-coogan/) > [Well, there's no question that the law passed in 1996 was flawed. 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Its life, to a great extent, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-mann/the-soul-of-the-truly-benevolent-man-does-not-seem-to-reside-much-in/) [Horace Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-mann/) > [ “I realized Jack \[Kerouac\] was deeply committed to writing. Kesey was just as deeply committed to living and experiencing the lives of others; for… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sterling-lord/i-realized-jack-kerouac-was-deeply-committed-to-writing-kesey-was/) [Sterling Lord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sterling-lord/) > [“That story you're scared to share --- that story has the power to change both your life and the lives of others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-ann-fore/that-story-you-re-scared-to-share-that-story-has-the-power-to-change/) [Jo Ann Fore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-ann-fore/) ## More by Groucho Marx > [No one is completely unhappy at the failure of his best friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/no-one-is-completely-unhappy-at-the-failure-of-his-best-friend/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [There is no sweeter sound than the crumbling of one's fellow man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/there-is-no-sweeter-sound-than-the-crumbling-of-one-s-fellow-man/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [Television is where you watch people in your living room that you would not want near your house.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/television-is-where-you-watch-people-in-your-living-room-that-you/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [ He \[Groucho's father\] had absolutely no training, and if you had ever seen one of his suits, you'd realize what an accurate statement that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/he-groucho-s-father-had-absolutely-no-training-and-if-you-had-ever/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [Women should be obscene and not heard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/women-should-be-obscene-and-not-heard/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [Why would I want to join an organization that would encourage people like myself to become members.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/why-would-i-want-to-join-an-organization-that-would-encourage-people/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, and that's not saying much for you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/you-re-the-most-beautiful-woman-i-ve-ever-seen-and-that-s-not-saying/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [The only game I like to play is "Old Maid", providing she's not too old](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/the-only-game-i-like-to-play-is-old-maid-providing-she-s-not-too-old/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [Who are you going to believe, me or your own eyes?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/who-are-you-going-to-believe-me-or-your-own-eyes/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [My favourite poem is the one that starts 'Thirty days hath September' because it actually tells you something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/my-favourite-poem-is-the-one-that-starts-thirty-days-hath-september/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [Afraid? Me? A man who's licked his weight in wild caterpillars?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/afraid-me-a-man-who-s-licked-his-weight-in-wild-caterpillars/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [I hate London when it's not raining.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/i-hate-london-when-it-s-not-raining/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [I never forget a face, but in your case I'll be glad to make an exception.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/i-never-forget-a-face-but-in-your-case-i-ll-be-glad-to-make-an/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [Let there be dancing in the streets, drinking in the saloons, and necking in the parlor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/let-there-be-dancing-in-the-streets-drinking-in-the-saloons-and/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [If women dressed for men, the stores wouldn't sell much - just an occasional sun visor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/if-women-dressed-for-men-the-stores-wouldn-t-sell-much-just-an/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) [Explore all 366 Groucho Marx quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) ## More Funny quotes > [You cant be controlling in improv.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-walsh/you-cant-be-controlling-in-improv/) [Matt Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-walsh/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/) [Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/) > [It's a hard thing to describe. It's just this sense that you got something to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-lehrer/it-s-a-hard-thing-to-describe-it-s-just-this-sense-that-you-got/) [Jonah Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-lehrer/) > [God reveals Himself through surprises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/god-reveals-himself-through-surprises/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [Sometimes I look at my awesome twitter followers & think to myself, What the hell would I do without them :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/sometimes-i-look-at-my-awesome-twitter-followers-think-to-myself-what/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [The happy have whole days,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colley-cibber/the-happy-have-whole-days/) [Colley Cibber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colley-cibber/) > [Congratulations to Facebook on going public with all my private information...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/congratulations-to-facebook-on-going-public-with-all-my-private/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Why are things as they are and not otherwise?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johannes-kepler/why-are-things-as-they-are-and-not-otherwise/) [Johannes Kepler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johannes-kepler/) > [I've been funny my whole life. This is a gift God gave me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-morgan/i-ve-been-funny-my-whole-life-this-is-a-gift-god-gave-me/) [Tracy Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-morgan/) > [Penis goes in , sperms cums out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/penis-goes-in-sperms-cums-out/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [If you were to send a werewolf to the moon, would he be a werewolf permanently?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-schaal/if-you-were-to-send-a-werewolf-to-the-moon-would-he-be-a-werewolf/) [Kristen Schaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-schaal/) > [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/) [Pancho Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pancho-barnes/) > [If you can connect people, you can create the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-heiferman/if-you-can-connect-people-you-can-create-the-future/) [Scott Heiferman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-heiferman/) > [Don't think OF the market. Think AS the market.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-fishman/don-t-think-of-the-market-think-as-the-market/) [Michael Fishman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-fishman/) [Browse all 39,858 Funny quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "This isn't a particularly novel observation, but the world is full of people who think they can manipulate the lives of others merely by getting a law passed.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Groucho Marx" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/this-isn-t-a-particularly-novel-observation-but-the-world-is-full-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Funny" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/this-isn-t-a-particularly-novel-observation-but-the-world-is-full-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/612/groucho-marx-788_funny_this-isn-t-a-particularly-novel-observat_1440108.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/612/groucho-marx-788_funny_this-isn-t-a-particularly-novel-observat_1440108.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/612/groucho-marx-788_funny_this-isn-t-a-particularly-novel-observat_1440108.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“This isn't a particularly novel observation, but the world is full of people who think they can manipulate…” — Groucho Marx", "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": "Groucho Marx", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "This isn't a particularly novel observation,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/this-isn-t-a-particularly-novel-observation-but-the-world-is-full-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/this-isn-t-a-particularly-novel-observation-but-the-world-is-full-of/#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 } } ] } ```