---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The charge that an idea is radical…"
description: "\"The charge that an idea is radical, impractical, or long- haired is met by showing that a prominent businessman has favored it?an additional tactic in ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bf/john-kenneth-galbraith-643_businessman_the-charge-that-an-idea-is-radical-impra_1828516.jpg"
---

#  The charge that an idea is radical, impractical, or long…

![“The charge that an idea is radical, impractical, or long- haired is met by showing that a prominent businessman has favored it?an additional tactic in this strategy of defense?is to assert that Winston Churchill once sponsored the particular idea. If one is challenged, a sufficiently careful…” quote by John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bf/john-kenneth-galbraith-643_businessman_the-charge-that-an-idea-is-radical-impra_1828516.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bf/john-kenneth-galbraith-643_businessman_the-charge-that-an-idea-is-radical-impra_1828516.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bf/john-kenneth-galbraith-643_businessman_the-charge-that-an-idea-is-radical-impra_1828516.jpg)

> “The charge that an idea is radical, impractical, or long- haired is met by showing that a prominent businessman has favored it?an additional tactic in this strategy of defense?is to assert that Winston Churchill once sponsored the particular idea. If one is challenged, a sufficiently careful investigation will show that he did.”

[John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Labeling ideas as radical can be deflected by citing famous supporters, creating an appeal to authority that stifles critique.

**In simple terms:** Using famous names to defend ideas can block criticism.

Key Takeaway

Question authority claims.

Themes

critical thinking argumentation authority bias

Mood

skeptical analytical

Type

philosophical critical

When to use this quote

- political debate
- business pitch
- academic discussion
- media commentary

Key Concepts

appeal to authority defensive rhetoric

Questions to Reflect On

- Who truly benefits from the idea?
- Is the endorsement relevant?

A Different Perspective

Reliance on famous names may not address the idea's merit.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Businessman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/businessman/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Radical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/radical/) [Strategy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strategy/) [Tactics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tactics/)

## Related quotes

> [“If you believe in an idea that others find radical, don’t let fear keep you from stepping outside of conformity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chitra-d-nawbatt/if-you-believe-in-an-idea-that-others-find-radical-don-t-let-fear/)

Chitra D. Nawbatt

> [Then I came up with this crazy idea just to walk out on the stage with no band at all and just start singing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-mcferrin/then-i-came-up-with-this-crazy-idea-just-to-walk-out-on-the-stage/)

[Bobby McFerrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-mcferrin/)

> [When you're left on the floor of a hospital gasping for breath, or you can't get your kid a school place, the simplest things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jess-phillips/when-you-re-left-on-the-floor-of-a-hospital-gasping-for-breath-or-you/)

[Jess Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jess-phillips/)

> [Is there an idea more radical in the history of the human race than turning your children over to total strangers whom you know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-taylor-gatto/is-there-an-idea-more-radical-in-the-history-of-the-human-race-than/)

[John Taylor Gatto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-taylor-gatto/)

> [I also would rather race than strut red carpets in Hollywood - and thank God this is not my job - but also the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-ecclestone/i-also-would-rather-race-than-strut-red-carpets-in-hollywood-and/)

[Bernie Ecclestone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-ecclestone/)

> [Unlike scandal-monger Ed Klein’s fantastical No. 1 best-selling narrative about the supposed Blood Feud between the Clintons and the Obamas, Halper’s study is juicy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lloyd-grove/unlike-scandal-monger-ed-klein-s-fantastical-no-1-best-selling/)

Lloyd Grove

> [Moral decay first hampers and then strangles honest government, regular commerce, and even the ability to take genuine pleasure in the goods of this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-kirk/moral-decay-first-hampers-and-then-strangles-honest-government/)

[Russell Kirk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-kirk/)

> [It is not all that common, but there is a phenomenon where autism could get worse at about age two. There are some controversies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-fischbach/it-is-not-all-that-common-but-there-is-a-phenomenon-where-autism/)

[Gerald Fischbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-fischbach/)

> [If I become President, I'll make every piece of information this country has about UFO sightings available to the public, and the scientists. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/if-i-become-president-i-ll-make-every-piece-of-information-this/)

[Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/)

> [According to the estimate of a prominent advertising firm, above 90 per cent, of the earning capacity of the prominent nostrums is represented by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-hopkins-adams/according-to-the-estimate-of-a-prominent-advertising-firm-above-90/)

[Samuel Hopkins Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-hopkins-adams/)

> [ I've heard so many stories of Jared \[Kushner\] being groomed from a very young age - really, from from when he was a child… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-kushner/i-ve-heard-so-many-stories-of-jared-kushner-being-groomed-from-a-very/)

[Jared Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-kushner/)

> [His (Lloyd Kaufman) string of low-budget, lowbrow horror comedies stretching back to the ’80s has been cited as influence by Peter Jackson, the Farrelly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-lumenick/his-lloyd-kaufman-string-of-low-budget-lowbrow-horror-comedies/)

Lou Lumenick

> [Prominent exploration experts have recently predicted that total world production of liquid oil will peak by about the end of this decade-or a few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amory-lovins/prominent-exploration-experts-have-recently-predicted-that-total/)

[Amory Lovins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amory-lovins/)

> [My dad's a prominent theatre director in Toronto, so I grew up in that world, directing and producing theater since I was a teenager.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-gass-donnelly/my-dad-s-a-prominent-theatre-director-in-toronto-so-i-grew-up-in-that/)

[Ed Gass-Donnelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-gass-donnelly/)

> [The ways in which acquired savants show up are usually the same ways that congenital, or non-acquired, savant syndrome shows up. They tend to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darold-treffert/the-ways-in-which-acquired-savants-show-up-are-usually-the-same-ways/)

[Darold Treffert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darold-treffert/)

## More by John Kenneth Galbraith

> [Getting on the cover of TIME guarantees the existence of opposition in the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/getting-on-the-cover-of-time-guarantees-the-existence-of-opposition/)

[John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/)

> [Technology means the systematic application of scientific or other organized knowledge to practical tasks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/technology-means-the-systematic-application-of-scientific-or-other/)

[John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/)

> [“Men can labor to make sense out of single steps toward the goal without ever pausing to reflect that the goal itself is ludicrous.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/men-can-labor-to-make-sense-out-of-single-steps-toward-the-goal/)

[John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/)

> [Consumer wants can have bizarre, frivolous, or even immoral origins, and an admirable case can still be made for a society that seeks to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/consumer-wants-can-have-bizarre-frivolous-or-even-immoral-origins-and/)

[John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/)

> [That one never need to look beyond the love of money for explanation of human behavior is one of the most jealously guarded simplification…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/that-one-never-need-to-look-beyond-the-love-of-money-for-explanation/)

[John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/)

> [Agriculture is one economic activity that does not obey the laws of demand and supply.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/agriculture-is-one-economic-activity-that-does-not-obey-the-laws-of/)

[John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/)

> [If we were not in Vietnam, all that part of the world would be enjoying the obscurity it so richly deserves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/if-we-were-not-in-vietnam-all-that-part-of-the-world-would-be/)

[John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/)

> [Washington is a place where men praise courage and act on elaborate personal cost-benefit calculations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/washington-is-a-place-where-men-praise-courage-and-act-on-elaborate/)

[John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/)

> [World War II revealed two of the enduring features of the Keynesian Revolution. One was the moral difference between spending for welfare and spending…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/world-war-ii-revealed-two-of-the-enduring-features-of-the-keynesian/)

[John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/)

> [Money is what fueled the industrial society. But in the informational society, the fuel, the power, is knowledge. One has now come to see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/money-is-what-fueled-the-industrial-society-but-in-the-informational/)

[John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/)

> [While it will be desirable to achieve planned results, it will be even more important to avoid unplanned disasters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/while-it-will-be-desirable-to-achieve-planned-results-it-will-be-even/)

[John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/)

> [A bad book is the worse that it cannot repent. It has not been the devil's policy to keep the masses of mankind in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/a-bad-book-is-the-worse-that-it-cannot-repent-it-has-not-been-the/)

[John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/)

> [Genius is a rising stock market.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/genius-is-a-rising-stock-market/)

[John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/)

> [Mr. David Stockman has said that supply-side economics was merely a cover for the trickle-down approach to economic policy—what an older and less elegant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/mr-david-stockman-has-said-that-supply-side-economics-was-merely-a/)

[John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/)

> [Inventions that are not made, like babies that are not born, are rarely missed. In the absence of new developments, old ones may seem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/inventions-that-are-not-made-like-babies-that-are-not-born-are-rarely/)

[John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/)

[Explore all 434 John Kenneth Galbraith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/)

## More Businessman quotes

> [Musicians talk of nothing but money and jobs. Give me businessmen every time. They really are interested in music and art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-sibelius/musicians-talk-of-nothing-but-money-and-jobs-give-me-businessmen/)

[Jean Sibelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-sibelius/)

> [In business, as in politics, it is never easy to go against the beliefs and attitudes held by the majority. The businessman who moves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-paul-getty/in-business-as-in-politics-it-is-never-easy-to-go-against-the-beliefs/)

[J. Paul Getty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-paul-getty/)

> [It turns out the businessman knows more about how the economy really works than the chattering class. What a shock.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-moore/it-turns-out-the-businessman-knows-more-about-how-the-economy-really/)

[Stephen Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-moore/)

> [If I were in this business only for the business, I wouldn't be in this business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-goldwyn/if-i-were-in-this-business-only-for-the-business-i-wouldn-t-be-in/)

[Samuel Goldwyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-goldwyn/)

> [I don't sell cosmetics, I sell hope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-arden/i-don-t-sell-cosmetics-i-sell-hope/)

[Elizabeth Arden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-arden/)

> [You don't have to be a spiritual seeker, you can be a businessman dealing with the revolution in computers. You could be a congressman,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/you-don-t-have-to-be-a-spiritual-seeker-you-can-be-a-businessman/)

[Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/)

> [We need to be clear when we venerate entrepreneurs what we are venerating.They are not moral leaders. If they were moral leaders, they wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/we-need-to-be-clear-when-we-venerate-entrepreneurs-what-we-are/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

> [“Greg Aloi Singapore Business Process Depending on the business, the business process specialist may be required to do more than assess and provide solutions.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/greg-aloi-singapore-business-process-depending-on-the-business-the/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Donald Trump's a businessman, he's a very successful businessman. I think he's a marketing genius.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-ford-jr/donald-trump-s-a-businessman-he-s-a-very-successful-businessman-i/)

[Doug Ford, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-ford-jr/)

> [The most successful businessmen were often uneducated when measured by the scholastic standards of the teaching profession. But they were equal to their social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/the-most-successful-businessmen-were-often-uneducated-when-measured/)

[Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/)

> [Even as a kid, I was a businessman. I figured out that if you plucked all the berries off my neighbor's tree and smashed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-devine/even-as-a-kid-i-was-a-businessman-i-figured-out-that-if-you-plucked/)

[Adam DeVine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-devine/)

> [I'm not a military general, a business guru, not a philosopher or author. It's only me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vin-scully/i-m-not-a-military-general-a-business-guru-not-a-philosopher-or/)

[Vin Scully](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vin-scully/)

> [“Nothing like an endangered pocketbook to help a businessman find his conscience.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-carol-mccarthy/nothing-like-an-endangered-pocketbook-to-help-a-businessman-find-his/)

[Susan Carol McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-carol-mccarthy/)

> [My father saw two black men lynched on his street in Cartersville, as a child. And I think seeing two black businessmen - not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/my-father-saw-two-black-men-lynched-on-his-street-in-cartersville-as/)

[Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/)

> [As a businessman, Frank Lorenzo gives capitalism a bad name.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-f-buckley-jr/as-a-businessman-frank-lorenzo-gives-capitalism-a-bad-name/)

[William F. Buckley, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-f-buckley-jr/)

[Browse all 753 Businessman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/businessman/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The charge that an idea is radical, impractical, or long- haired is met by showing that a prominent businessman has favored it?an additional tactic in this strategy of defense?is to assert that Winston Churchill once sponsored the particular idea. If one is challenged, a sufficiently careful investigation will show that he did.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "John Kenneth Galbraith"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/the-charge-that-an-idea-is-radical-impractical-or-long-haired-is-met/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Businessman"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/the-charge-that-an-idea-is-radical-impractical-or-long-haired-is-met/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bf/john-kenneth-galbraith-643_businessman_the-charge-that-an-idea-is-radical-impra_1828516.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bf/john-kenneth-galbraith-643_businessman_the-charge-that-an-idea-is-radical-impra_1828516.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bf/john-kenneth-galbraith-643_businessman_the-charge-that-an-idea-is-radical-impra_1828516.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The charge that an idea is radical, impractical, or long- haired is met by showing that a prominent…” — John Kenneth Galbraith",
                "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": "John Kenneth Galbraith",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The charge that an idea is...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/the-charge-that-an-idea-is-radical-impractical-or-long-haired-is-met/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/the-charge-that-an-idea-is-radical-impractical-or-long-haired-is-met/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
