--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You can't kill an idea the way they try…" description: "\"“You can't kill an idea the way they try to. You can keep it down awhile, but sooner or later it'll come out. Now what you've got to understand is that..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/840/john-wyndham-8340_science-fiction_you-can-t-kill-an-idea-the-way-they-try_1082158.jpg" --- # You can't kill an idea the way they try to. You can keep… ![“You can't kill an idea the way they try to. You can keep it down awhile, but sooner or later it'll come out. Now what you've got to understand is that the wheel's not evil. Never mind what the scared men all tell you. no discovery is good or evil until men make it that way." -The Wheel, John Wtndham” quote by John Wyndham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/840/john-wyndham-8340_science-fiction_you-can-t-kill-an-idea-the-way-they-try_1082158.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/840/john-wyndham-8340_science-fiction_you-can-t-kill-an-idea-the-way-they-try_1082158.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/840/john-wyndham-8340_science-fiction_you-can-t-kill-an-idea-the-way-they-try_1082158.jpg) > ““You can't kill an idea the way they try to. You can keep it down awhile, but sooner or later it'll come out. Now what you've got to understand is that the wheel's not evil. Never mind what the scared men all tell you. no discovery is good or evil until men make it that way." -The Wheel, John Wtndham”” [John Wyndham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wyndham/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Ideas cannot be permanently suppressed; they resurface, and technology itself is neutral until humans assign moral value. **In simple terms:** Ideas persist; technology is neutral. Key Takeaway Promote responsible innovation. Themes ideas technology ethics Mood cautionary philosophical Type warning reflective When to use this quote - research - development - public policy Key Concepts moral responsibility innovation societal impact Questions to Reflect On - How do we ensure ethical use of new ideas? - What safeguards prevent harmful applications? A Different Perspective Technology can be misused if unchecked. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Science fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science-fiction/) [Short stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/short-stories/) [Sooner or later](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sooner-or-later/) ## Related quotes > [“(He) let evil into his mind and it took over his heart. 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Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-a-miller/) > [“I’m not sure sex qualifies as R and R, but it’s a compromise I can live with.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelby-morgen/i-m-not-sure-sex-qualifies-as-r-and-r-but-it-s-a-compromise-i-can/) Shelby Morgen > [“The ultimate aim of reality is to become science fiction!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-of-kittim/the-ultimate-aim-of-reality-is-to-become-science-fiction/) [Eli Of Kittim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-of-kittim/) > [“And so we go.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-j-machale/and-so-we-go/) [D.J. MacHale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-j-machale/) > [“Science fiction and fantasy, though they seem to be about the future or fictional worlds, are always at their core really about the problems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-joseph-adams/science-fiction-and-fantasy-though-they-seem-to-be-about-the-future/) [John Joseph Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-joseph-adams/) > [“What we've done is make the categories of science fiction and fantasy larger, freer, and more inclusive than any other genre of contemporary literature.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/what-we-ve-done-is-make-the-categories-of-science-fiction-and-fantasy/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [As a result of reading science fiction when I was eight, I grew up with an interest in music, architecture, city planning, transportation, politics,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/as-a-result-of-reading-science-fiction-when-i-was-eight-i-grew-up/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [You can tell the date of an old science fiction novel by every word on the page. 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