--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The foolish and the dead alone never…" description: "\"“The foolish and the dead alone never change their opinion.”\" — James Russell Lowell" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6b/james-russell-lowell-561_change_the-foolish-and-the-dead-alone-never-cha_518816.png" --- # The foolish and the dead alone never change their opinion. ![“The foolish and the dead alone never change their opinion.” quote by James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6b/james-russell-lowell-561_change_the-foolish-and-the-dead-alone-never-cha_518816.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6b/james-russell-lowell-561_change_the-foolish-and-the-dead-alone-never-cha_518816.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6b/james-russell-lowell-561_change_the-foolish-and-the-dead-alone-never-cha_518816.png) > ““The foolish and the dead alone never change their opinion.”” [James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People who are stubborn or lack insight never revise their beliefs, even when evidence contradicts them. **In simple terms:** Stubborn people never change opinions. Key Takeaway Stay open to new evidence. Themes stubbornness beliefs growth Mood reflective critical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - political debates - personal relationships - scientific discourse Key Concepts cognitive bias closed-mindedness Questions to Reflect On - What evidence would make you reconsider a belief? - How do you handle disagreement? A Different Perspective Changing deeply held views often requires emotional safety and trust. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Opinion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opinion/) ## Related quotes > [The foolish and the dead alone never change their opinions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/the-foolish-and-the-dead-alone-never-change-their-opinions/) [James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/) > [“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorns have roses.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alphonse-karr/we-can-complain-because-rose-bushes-have-thorns-or-rejoice-because-2/) [Alphonse Karr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alphonse-karr/) > [“It's easy to be foolish... It's dead simple, really. All you have to be is human and to allow yourself to do the human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/it-s-easy-to-be-foolish-it-s-dead-simple-really-all-you-have-to-be-is-2/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [The dead can't change, but you can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-leavitt/the-dead-can-t-change-but-you-can/) [Caroline Leavitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-leavitt/) > [With the dead there is no rivalry, with the dead there is no change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/with-the-dead-there-is-no-rivalry-with-the-dead-there-is-no-change/) [Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) > [I tell you this once, hip hop is not dead. Change gon come just like Barack said.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jadakiss/i-tell-you-this-once-hip-hop-is-not-dead-change-gon-come-just-like/) [Jadakiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jadakiss/) > [“—Only fools and the dead never change their mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laird-barron/only-fools-and-the-dead-never-change-their-mind/) [Laird Barron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laird-barron/) > [Men's thoughts and opinions are in a great degree vassals of him who invents a new phrase or re-applies an old epithet. The thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/men-s-thoughts-and-opinions-are-in-a-great-degree-vassals-of-him-who/) [James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/) > [Right, and you point out something important which is that people who don’t want to pay, people who are pirates, don’t get bothered by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/right-and-you-point-out-something-important-which-is-that-people-who/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [Virtue is as little to be acquired by learning as genius; nay, the idea is barren, and is only to be employed as an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/virtue-is-as-little-to-be-acquired-by-learning-as-genius-nay-the-idea/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [It is as foolish to make experiments upon the constancy of a friend, as upon the chastity of a wife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/it-is-as-foolish-to-make-experiments-upon-the-constancy-of-a-friend/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The goal of the Creator is for each entity to make a conscious choice to again seek Oneness, out of our own free will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wilcock/the-goal-of-the-creator-is-for-each-entity-to-make-a-conscious-choice/) [David Wilcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wilcock/) > [Regrets are just a way for the foolish and the guilty to pass the time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gensoumaden-saiyuki/regrets-are-just-a-way-for-the-foolish-and-the-guilty-to-pass-the-time/) Gensoumaden Saiyuki > [I was so foolish to ever leave your side, Searching for what was right before my eyes. It was me who didn't realize, 'til…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jazmine-sullivan/i-was-so-foolish-to-ever-leave-your-side-searching-for-what-was-right/) [Jazmine Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jazmine-sullivan/) > [...it isn't foolish or wicked to enjoy. Wickedness is hurting people on purpose. I love what you are and who you are and how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-macdonald/it-isn-t-foolish-or-wicked-to-enjoy-wickedness-is-hurting-people-on/) [John D. MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-macdonald/) ## More by James Russell Lowell > [We kind o' thought Christ went agin war an' pillage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/we-kind-o-thought-christ-went-agin-war-an-pillage/) [James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/) > [He gives only the worthless gold who gives from a sense of duty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/he-gives-only-the-worthless-gold-who-gives-from-a-sense-of-duty/) [James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/) > [As life runs on, the road grows strange with faces new - and near the end. 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