--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sometimes a man wants to be stupid if it…" description: "\"Sometimes a man wants to be stupid if it lets him do a thing his cleverness forbids.\" — John Steinbeck" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c7/john-steinbeck-71_cleverness_sometimes-a-man-wants-to-be-stupid-if-it_1198524.jpg" --- # Sometimes a man wants to be stupid if it lets him do a… ![“Sometimes a man wants to be stupid if it lets him do a thing his cleverness forbids.” quote by John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c7/john-steinbeck-71_cleverness_sometimes-a-man-wants-to-be-stupid-if-it_1198524.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c7/john-steinbeck-71_cleverness_sometimes-a-man-wants-to-be-stupid-if-it_1198524.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c7/john-steinbeck-71_cleverness_sometimes-a-man-wants-to-be-stupid-if-it_1198524.jpg) > “Sometimes a man wants to be stupid if it lets him do a thing his cleverness forbids.” [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People may feign ignorance to bypass moral or legal constraints that their intelligence would otherwise prevent. **In simple terms:** Stupidity can be a strategic choice. Key Takeaway Recognize hidden motives. Themes psychology ethics strategy Mood reflective cautious Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - political negotiations - personal relationships - creative problem solving Key Concepts self‑deception moral flexibility social dynamics Questions to Reflect On - Why do people choose will? - What are the risks of feigned ignorance? A Different Perspective Such behavior can erode trust and accountability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cleverness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cleverness/) [Cleverness Forbids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cleverness-forbids-3585237/) [Ignorance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignorance/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Sometimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sometimes/) [Stupid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stupid/) [Stupidity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stupidity/) [Thing Cleverness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-cleverness-3585238/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Wants Stupid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wants-stupid-3034057/) [Willful ignorance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/willful-ignorance/) ## Related quotes > [“Be Stupid, be dumb, be funny, if that's who you are. Don't try to be somebody that society wants you to be; that's stupid.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-grimmie/be-stupid-be-dumb-be-funny-if-that-s-who-you-are-don-t-try-to-be-2/) [Christina Grimmie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-grimmie/) > [Tell a man something is bad, and he's not at all sure he wants to give it up. Describe it as stupid, and he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-seabury/tell-a-man-something-is-bad-and-he-s-not-at-all-sure-he-wants-to-give/) [David Seabury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-seabury/) > [I am often surprised by the cleverness, and now and again by the stupidity, of my dog; and I have similar experiences with mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/i-am-often-surprised-by-the-cleverness-and-now-and-again-by-the/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [“(both circumvented the handicap of deafness by answering only those questions they believed had been asked & accepting only those answers they believed had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mitchell/both-circumvented-the-handicap-of-deafness-by-answering-only-those/) [David Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mitchell/) > [Ignorance can be improved; willful ignorance and inaction is inexcusable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brock/ignorance-can-be-improved-willful-ignorance-and-inaction-is/) [David Brock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brock/) > [It was clear to me that it wouldn't matter what I did - they would never truly appreciate me or learn what I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-lindsay/it-was-clear-to-me-that-it-wouldn-t-matter-what-i-did-they-would/) [Jeff Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-lindsay/) > [“Willful ignorance or resistance to alleged facts has been a big ingredient in any success I’ve had.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-delaney/willful-ignorance-or-resistance-to-alleged-facts-has-been-a-big/) [Rob Delaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-delaney/) > [“We simply cannot engage with either the ills or promises of society if we continue to turn a blind eye to the egregious and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angel-kyodo-williams/we-simply-cannot-engage-with-either-the-ills-or-promises-of-society/) [Angel Kyodo Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angel-kyodo-williams/) > [When all this is over, people will try to blame the Germans alone, and the Germans will try to blame the Nazis alone, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-pears/when-all-this-is-over-people-will-try-to-blame-the-germans-alone-and/) [Iain Pears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-pears/) > [“Maybe you’re not a believer, but if you’re honest, you’ll have to agree that something is wrong with this place. Senseless violence, corrupting envy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/maybe-you-re-not-a-believer-but-if-you-re-honest-you-ll-have-to-agree/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [“. Christianity is marketed as a religion of love and tolerance, but inwardly it is a destructive virus that causes division, promotes willful ignorance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-stefanelli/christianity-is-marketed-as-a-religion-of-love-and-tolerance-but/) [Al Stefanelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-stefanelli/) > [ \[T\]he scripture worshippers put the writings ahead of God. Instead of interpreting God's actions in nature, for example, they interpret nature in the light… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheri-s-tepper/t-he-scripture-worshippers-put-the-writings-ahead-of-god-instead-of/) [Sheri S. Tepper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheri-s-tepper/) > [It’s much easier not to know things sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/it-s-much-easier-not-to-know-things-sometimes/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [“Bill O'Reilly calls his tv show the "No Spin Zone" but the man is practically a whirling dervish. He combines willful ignorance with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-lee/bill-o-reilly-calls-his-tv-show-the-no-spin-zone-but-the-man-is/) [Earl Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-lee/) > [The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-asimov/the-strain-of-anti-intellectualism-has-been-a-constant-thread-winding/) [Isaac Asimov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-asimov/) ## More by John Steinbeck > [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three \[great teachers\] did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-the-arts-since-the-medium-is/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [Prayer never brought in no side-meat. Takes a shoat to bring in pork.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/prayer-never-brought-in-no-side-meat-takes-a-shoat-to-bring-in-pork/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“And now submarines are armed with mass murder, our silly, only way of deterring mass murder.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/and-now-submarines-are-armed-with-mass-murder-our-silly-only-way-of/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“I’d think there are degrees of greatness,” Adam said. “I don’t think so,” said Samuel. “That would be like saying there is a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-d-think-there-are-degrees-of-greatness-adam-said-i-don-t-think-so/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“He was forever inventing a new way of doing an old thing and doing it better and quicker, but he never in his whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/he-was-forever-inventing-a-new-way-of-doing-an-old-thing-and-doing-it/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“You come back a changed man. Samuel, you don’t change him. He changes you. I can see the look of him in your face.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/you-come-back-a-changed-man-samuel-you-don-t-change-him-he-changes/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [I find out of long experience that I admire all nations and hate all governments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-find-out-of-long-experience-that-i-admire-all-nations-and-hate-all/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [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 have noticed that there is no dissatisfaction like that of the rich. Feed a man, clothe him, put him in a good house,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-have-noticed-that-there-is-no-dissatisfaction-like-that-of-the-rich/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“Who in his mind has not probe the dark water?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/who-in-his-mind-has-not-probe-the-dark-water/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [Sometimes, a lie is told in kindness. I don't believe it ever works kindly. The quick pain of truth can pass away, but the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/sometimes-a-lie-is-told-in-kindness-i-don-t-believe-it-ever-works/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [People like you to be something, preferably what they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/people-like-you-to-be-something-preferably-what-they-are/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“Suddenly he knew joy and sorrow felted into one fabric. Courage and fear were one thing too. He found that he had started to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/suddenly-he-knew-joy-and-sorrow-felted-into-one-fabric-courage-and/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [I am writing this from what we Americans call Yurrp. In Yurrp writers are taken as seriously as Lana Turner's legs are in America…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-am-writing-this-from-what-we-americans-call-yurrp-in-yurrp-writers/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [I write because I like to write. I find joy in the texture and tone and rhythm of words. It is a satisfaction like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-write-because-i-like-to-write-i-find-joy-in-the-texture-and-tone/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) [Explore all 1,589 John Steinbeck quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) ## More Cleverness quotes > [“Rumi observed, “Sell your cleverness and purchase bewilderment.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-w-dyer/rumi-observed-sell-your-cleverness-and-purchase-bewilderment/) [Wayne W. Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-w-dyer/) > [“Passion often makes a madman of the cleverest man, and renders the greatest fools clever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/passion-often-makes-a-madman-of-the-cleverest-man-and-renders-the/) [François de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [If we fail to appreciate the soul that Easternism gives us, then what we have is a disconnected, Greco-Roman, Western, egocentric, compartmentalized, reductionist, fragmented,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-salatin/if-we-fail-to-appreciate-the-soul-that-easternism-gives-us-then-what/) [Joel Salatin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-salatin/) > [A fool is a person who guesses and gets it wrong, a clever man is one who guesses, regardless of time period, and gets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/a-fool-is-a-person-who-guesses-and-gets-it-wrong-a-clever-man-is-one/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [Ultimately, of course, you must decide for yourself whether the subjective psychological effects created by your evolved cognitive biases reflect an objective reality, perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-bering/ultimately-of-course-you-must-decide-for-yourself-whether-the/) [Jesse Bering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-bering/) > [Limits have to be set on how far one can simply use the... cleverness that we have to make changes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-kass/limits-have-to-be-set-on-how-far-one-can-simply-use-the-cleverness/) [Leon Kass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-kass/) > [Sometimes people try way too hard to sound clever on Facebook.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-people-try-way-too-hard-to-sound-clever-on-facebook/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Many of the greatest men have owed their success to industry rather than to cleverness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lubbock/many-of-the-greatest-men-have-owed-their-success-to-industry-rather/) [John Lubbock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lubbock/) > [What a curious picture it is to find man, homo sapiens, of divine origin, we are told, seriously considering going underground to escape the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-william-fulbright/what-a-curious-picture-it-is-to-find-man-homo-sapiens-of-divine/) [J. William Fulbright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-william-fulbright/) > [“Neither the Russians nor the Americans were the cleverest people, or the most experienced, in the world that followed 1945. The French were rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-r-fehrenbach-2/neither-the-russians-nor-the-americans-were-the-cleverest-people-or/) [T.R. Fehrenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-r-fehrenbach-2/) > [Where there is simplicity, there are a hundred Angels, but where there is cleverness - there are none.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-of-optina/where-there-is-simplicity-there-are-a-hundred-angels-but-where-there/) [Ambrose of Optina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-of-optina/) > [Human integrity is determined by the heart, not by cleverness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senora-roy/human-integrity-is-determined-by-the-heart-not-by-cleverness/) [Senora Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senora-roy/) > [In late modernity we grow more and more accustomed to politicians and public figures who are indebted to their appetites for their "values," to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-smith/in-late-modernity-we-grow-more-and-more-accustomed-to-politicians-and/) [Kenny Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-smith/) > [The art of investment has one characteristic that is not generally appreciated. A creditable, if unspectacular, result can be achieved by the lay investor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-art-of-investment-has-one-characteristic-that-is-not-generally/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [Books are in no hurry. An act of creation is in no hurry; it reads us, it privileges us infinitely. The notion that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steiner/books-are-in-no-hurry-an-act-of-creation-is-in-no-hurry-it-reads-us/) [George Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steiner/) [Browse all 406 Cleverness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cleverness/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Sometimes a man wants to be stupid if it lets him do a thing his cleverness forbids.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Steinbeck" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/sometimes-a-man-wants-to-be-stupid-if-it-lets-him-do-a-thing-his/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cleverness" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/sometimes-a-man-wants-to-be-stupid-if-it-lets-him-do-a-thing-his/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c7/john-steinbeck-71_cleverness_sometimes-a-man-wants-to-be-stupid-if-it_1198524.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c7/john-steinbeck-71_cleverness_sometimes-a-man-wants-to-be-stupid-if-it_1198524.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c7/john-steinbeck-71_cleverness_sometimes-a-man-wants-to-be-stupid-if-it_1198524.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Sometimes a man wants to be stupid if it lets him do a thing his cleverness forbids.” — John Steinbeck", "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 Steinbeck", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Sometimes a man wants to be...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/sometimes-a-man-wants-to-be-stupid-if-it-lets-him-do-a-thing-his/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/sometimes-a-man-wants-to-be-stupid-if-it-lets-him-do-a-thing-his/#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 } } ] } ```