--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But you are right, being stupid is not…" description: "\"But you are right, being stupid is not illegal. Otherwise half this town would be behind bars.\" — Jennifer Echols" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/028/jennifer-echols-943_bars_but-you-are-right-being-stupid-is-not-il_3084675.png" --- # But you are right, being stupid is not illegal. Otherwise… ![“But you are right, being stupid is not illegal. Otherwise half this town would be behind bars.” quote by Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/028/jennifer-echols-943_bars_but-you-are-right-being-stupid-is-not-il_3084675.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/028/jennifer-echols-943_bars_but-you-are-right-being-stupid-is-not-il_3084675.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/028/jennifer-echols-943_bars_but-you-are-right-being-stupid-is-not-il_3084675.png) > “But you are right, being stupid is not illegal. Otherwise half this town would be behind bars.” [Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He jokes that stupidity isn’t a crime, implying that many people act foolishly without legal consequences. **In simple terms:** Being stupid isn’t illegal, so many act foolishly. Key Takeaway Don’t mistake legality for wisdom. Themes humor law human nature Mood wry satirical Type social observational When to use this quote - workplace behavior - online discourse - education systems Key Concepts ethical relativism social critique Questions to Reflect On - What behaviors should be socially discouraged? - How do we balance freedom with responsibility? A Different Perspective Legal systems don’t address moral failings. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bars/) [Behinds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behinds/) [Being stupid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-stupid/) [Half](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/half/) [Illegal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illegal/) [Illegal Half](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illegal-half-5276723/) [Right Stupid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-stupid-1339042/) [Stupid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stupid/) [Stupid Illegal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stupid-illegal-377825/) [Towns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/towns/) [Would be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would-be/) ## Related quotes > [Stupid is not illegal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-ramsey/stupid-is-not-illegal/) [Dave Ramsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-ramsey/) > [We have not been scuffling in this waste-howling wildness for the right to be stupid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-cade-bambara/we-have-not-been-scuffling-in-this-waste-howling-wildness-for-the/) [Toni Cade Bambara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-cade-bambara/) > [“You all are behaving in a manner so stupid it should be illegal,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-score/you-all-are-behaving-in-a-manner-so-stupid-it-should-be-illegal/) [Lucy Score](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-score/) > [Freedom means the right to be stupid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/freedom-means-the-right-to-be-stupid/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Be honest: Are you surprised that I didn't realize sooner? Are you surprised that it took me so long to even /think/ the word…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/be-honest-are-you-surprised-that-i-didn-t-realize-sooner-are-you/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [You don't get old being stupid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chili-davis/you-don-t-get-old-being-stupid/) [Chili Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chili-davis/) > [Our world is built on adrenaline and getting away with it. Different cities different names. Its a far simpler life to lead when there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-carter/our-world-is-built-on-adrenaline-and-getting-away-with-it-different/) [Ally Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-carter/) > [Time flies when you’re being stupid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-henry-hwang/time-flies-when-you-re-being-stupid/) [David Henry Hwang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-henry-hwang/) > [Well, just being stupid and politically incorrect doesn't work. You can be politically incorrect if you're smart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-brooks/well-just-being-stupid-and-politically-incorrect-doesn-t-work-you-can/) [Mel Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-brooks/) > [Learn all you can, don't be lazy. Nothing's worse than being stupid. Being broke is bad, but being stupid is what's really bad. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/learn-all-you-can-don-t-be-lazy-nothing-s-worse-than-being-stupid/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [Baseball is a sport where being stupid and keeping things really simple a lot of times is the right way to do things. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zack-greinke/baseball-is-a-sport-where-being-stupid-and-keeping-things-really/) [Zack Greinke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zack-greinke/) > [It is not merely that people must die and people must suffer, if not here, then there. But what is dreadful is that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ford-madox-ford/it-is-not-merely-that-people-must-die-and-people-must-suffer-if-not/) [Ford Madox Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ford-madox-ford/) > [So, thanks,” Vivian said. “For what?” I looked up at her, confused. “For being stupid enough to love your crazy, murdering lunatic of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiersten-white/so-thanks-vivian-said-for-what-i-looked-up-at-her-confused-for-being/) [Kiersten White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiersten-white/) > [Sometimes I feel like a complete kid when I'm running around with my friends being stupid for a week, and then sometimes I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendall-jenner/sometimes-i-feel-like-a-complete-kid-when-i-m-running-around-with-my/) [Kendall Jenner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendall-jenner/) > [I didn't get to be this smart by not being stupid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allison-mackie/i-didn-t-get-to-be-this-smart-by-not-being-stupid/) [Allison Mackie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allison-mackie/) ## More by Jennifer Echols > [“Well, let's say you heard a fight in the boys' bathroom, and you broke it up. What would you do naturally if you could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/well-let-s-say-you-heard-a-fight-in-the-boys-bathroom-and-you-broke/) [Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/) > [“But, Erin. If you are trying to make a writing career for yourself, you will get rejected again and again and again. You must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/but-erin-if-you-are-trying-to-make-a-writing-career-for-yourself-you/) [Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/) > [“Friends my ass.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/friends-my-ass/) [Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/) > [“Mr. Rush slapped Drew on the back of the head. "You pay attention, Morrow. There'll be hell to pay if you hurt my drum…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/mr-rush-slapped-drew-on-the-back-of-the-head-you-pay-attention-morrow/) [Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/) > [“He ran his hands through his hair and held on to the back of his neck both biceps bulging. Dang him for looking so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/he-ran-his-hands-through-his-hair-and-held-on-to-the-back-of-his-neck/) [Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/) > [“Did you alltake your pants off? The swim team really knows how to throw a party.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/did-you-alltake-your-pants-off-the-swim-team-really-knows-how-to/) [Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/) > [“I know what you're thinking.Girlfriend has fallen out of the stoopid tree and bonked her head against every branch on the way down.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/i-know-what-you-re-thinking-girlfriend-has-fallen-out-of-the-stoopid/) [Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/) > [“My intention all along had been to get my wakeboarding legs back this first day. Maybe I'd do tricks when we went out the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/my-intention-all-along-had-been-to-get-my-wakeboarding-legs-back-this/) [Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/) > [“He fumbled with something in his breeches. She had thought the past few minutes the most intense of her life, but they were nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/he-fumbled-with-something-in-his-breeches-she-had-thought-the-past/) [Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/) > [But you can’t live your life worried about dying all the time. If you do, you’re dead already.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/but-you-can-t-live-your-life-worried-about-dying-all-the-time-if-you/) [Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/) > [“I could have explained that I wanted to walk without Doofus to get some air. But it would be pretty unusual-one might even go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/i-could-have-explained-that-i-wanted-to-walk-without-doofus-to-get/) [Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/) > [“Nick's number waited impatiently on the screen, tapping its foot. I could press the red button to cancel the call. Without pressing anything, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/nick-s-number-waited-impatiently-on-the-screen-tapping-its-foot-i/) [Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/) > [“There was a reason I was so into yoga. I was high-strung(news flash!).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/there-was-a-reason-i-was-so-into-yoga-i-was-high-strung-news-flash/) [Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/) > [“It wasn't a pretty sunset. The colors were as expected: violet clouds, bright orange and pink underneath, against the pale blue sky. But the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/it-wasn-t-a-pretty-sunset-the-colors-were-as-expected-violet-clouds/) [Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/) > [“Adam found a break through the thicket and up the hill. He turned around and extended his hand to help me up. I froze,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/adam-found-a-break-through-the-thicket-and-up-the-hill-he-turned/) [Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/) [Explore all 322 Jennifer Echols quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/) ## More Bars quotes > [If, for instance, they have heard something from the postman, they attribute it to a semi-official statement; if they have fallen into conversation with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-waugh/if-for-instance-they-have-heard-something-from-the-postman-they/) [Evelyn Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-waugh/) > [The dark ages still reign over all humanity, and the depth and persistence of this domination are only now becoming clear. This Dark Ages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-buckminster-fuller/the-dark-ages-still-reign-over-all-humanity-and-the-depth-and/) [R. Buckminster Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-buckminster-fuller/) > [It wasn't really touching to be young; it was touching not to be young, because you had less of life left. Touching to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-macaulay/it-wasn-t-really-touching-to-be-young-it-was-touching-not-to-be-young/) [Rose Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-macaulay/) > [Your thief looks Exactly like the rest, or rather better; 'Tis only at the bar, and in the dungeon, That wise men know your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-byron/your-thief-looks-exactly-like-the-rest-or-rather-better-tis-only-at/) [Lord Byron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-byron/) > [While traveling, I love granola bars, trail mix nuts, dry cereal and fruit for on-the-go snacks. I also try and start the day with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christie-rampone/while-traveling-i-love-granola-bars-trail-mix-nuts-dry-cereal-and/) [Christie Rampone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christie-rampone/) > [3 people get stranded on a remote Island A Banker, a Daily Mail reader & an Asylum seeker All they have to eat is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-brookmyre/3-people-get-stranded-on-a-remote-island-a-banker-a-daily-mail-reader/) [Christopher Brookmyre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-brookmyre/) > [Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house unless they have a well-stocked bar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-c-fields/thou-shalt-not-covet-thy-neighbor-s-house-unless-they-have-a-well/) [W. C. Fields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-c-fields/) > [Meanwhile after failing the bar twice, I knew some people in New York and moved here in August '71.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-quine/meanwhile-after-failing-the-bar-twice-i-knew-some-people-in-new-york/) [Robert Quine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-quine/) > [If you look at coffee, tea, food and juice, we think there are inherent opportunities. If you look at health bars or grab-and-go products…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-schultz/if-you-look-at-coffee-tea-food-and-juice-we-think-there-are-inherent/) [Howard Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-schultz/) > [At about 10 o'clock in the morning the sun threw a bright dust-laden bar through one of the side windows and in and out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/at-about-10-o-clock-in-the-morning-the-sun-threw-a-bright-dust-laden/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [I bet a guy at a bar 50 bucks that I was more dysfunctional than he was. He raped me. So I tipped him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-bet-a-guy-at-a-bar-50-bucks-that-i-was-more-dysfunctional-than-he/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I closed my own jazz bar so I could be a man who can write novels as I like. I was pleased about that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/i-closed-my-own-jazz-bar-so-i-could-be-a-man-who-can-write-novels-as/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [My parents were Orthodox Jews but not very regular Orthodox Jews. I was bar mitzvahed and all that. But God was hardly ever mentioned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-hentoff/my-parents-were-orthodox-jews-but-not-very-regular-orthodox-jews-i/) [Nat Hentoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-hentoff/) > [I know a lot about Canadian politics. I lived in Canadian bars for six years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moriarty/i-know-a-lot-about-canadian-politics-i-lived-in-canadian-bars-for-six/) [Michael Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moriarty/) > [History is the heavy traffic that prevents us from crossing the road. We're not especially interested in what it consists of. We wait, more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mal-peet/history-is-the-heavy-traffic-that-prevents-us-from-crossing-the-road/) [Mal Peet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mal-peet/) [Browse all 1,768 Bars quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bars/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "But you are right, being stupid is not illegal. Otherwise half this town would be behind bars.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jennifer Echols" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/but-you-are-right-being-stupid-is-not-illegal-otherwise-half-this/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bars" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/but-you-are-right-being-stupid-is-not-illegal-otherwise-half-this/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/028/jennifer-echols-943_bars_but-you-are-right-being-stupid-is-not-il_3084675.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/028/jennifer-echols-943_bars_but-you-are-right-being-stupid-is-not-il_3084675.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/028/jennifer-echols-943_bars_but-you-are-right-being-stupid-is-not-il_3084675.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“But you are right, being stupid is not illegal. Otherwise half this town would be behind bars.” — Jennifer Echols", "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": "Jennifer Echols", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "But you are right, being stupid...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/but-you-are-right-being-stupid-is-not-illegal-otherwise-half-this/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/but-you-are-right-being-stupid-is-not-illegal-otherwise-half-this/#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 } } ] } ```