--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You had to be fundamentally stupid , I…" description: "\"“You had to be fundamentally stupid , I sometimes thought, to become the sort of academic specialist that hiring committees liked. You had to be thick ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05e/keith-gessen-14501_academics_you-had-to-be-fundamentally-stupid-i-som_1621626.png" --- # You had to be fundamentally stupid , I sometimes thought… ![“You had to be fundamentally stupid , I sometimes thought, to become the sort of academic specialist that hiring committees liked. You had to be thick somehow. You had to block out all the other things in the world to focus on one narrow, particular thing.” quote by Keith Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05e/keith-gessen-14501_academics_you-had-to-be-fundamentally-stupid-i-som_1621626.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05e/keith-gessen-14501_academics_you-had-to-be-fundamentally-stupid-i-som_1621626.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05e/keith-gessen-14501_academics_you-had-to-be-fundamentally-stupid-i-som_1621626.png) > ““You had to be fundamentally stupid , I sometimes thought, to become the sort of academic specialist that hiring committees liked. You had to be thick somehow. You had to block out all the other things in the world to focus on one narrow, particular thing.”” [Keith Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-gessen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Specialists succeed by narrowing focus, often at the cost of broader awareness, which can seem foolish to outsiders. **In simple terms:** Narrow focus leads to expertise but may seem stupid. Key Takeaway Embrace depth, but stay aware. Themes expertise focus career intellectual discipline Mood reflective critical analytical Type advice career philosophical When to use this quote - academic hiring - research projects - career planning - personal development Key Concepts specialization trade‑offs cognitive narrowing Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance depth with breadth? - When is specialization a disadvantage? A Different Perspective Depth can limit adaptability and interdisciplinary insight. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Academics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/academics/) [Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [Narrowness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/narrowness/) [Specialize](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/specialize/) ## Related quotes > [The one thing that has helped sustain my career as an actress and a comedian is that people generally view me as fundamentally stupid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-coolidge/the-one-thing-that-has-helped-sustain-my-career-as-an-actress-and-a/) [Jennifer Coolidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-coolidge/) > [If you think meet-and-greets are fundamentally stupid, then you're never not gonna think that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devin-townsend/if-you-think-meet-and-greets-are-fundamentally-stupid-then-you-re/) [Devin Townsend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devin-townsend/) > [But it was pointless, it was stupid; he thought about thoughtless things. 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M. Forster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-m-forster/) ## More by Keith Gessen > [“Honestly,” he says, “I judge writers on how they write queries. If you’re a good writer, you’re a good writer.” And if not, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-gessen/honestly-he-says-i-judge-writers-on-how-they-write-queries-if-you-re/) [Keith Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-gessen/) > [“The sanatorium itself was charming, a group of cabins in the woods, a place for overworked urbanites to feel pleasantly melancholic. A slackertorium.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-gessen/the-sanatorium-itself-was-charming-a-group-of-cabins-in-the-woods-a/) [Keith Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-gessen/) > [When we started reading books to Raffi, I included some Russian ones. 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Medawar > [At home, our focus has always been academics and playing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vicky-kaushal/at-home-our-focus-has-always-been-academics-and-playing/) [Vicky Kaushal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vicky-kaushal/) > [If there's one thing that 'No Child Left Behind' has proven, it's that more academics don't make for smarter children - or even higher…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darell-hammond/if-there-s-one-thing-that-no-child-left-behind-has-proven-it-s-that/) [Darell Hammond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darell-hammond/) > [“Just as no monkey is as good-looking as the ugliest of humans, no academic is worthier than the worst of the creators”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/just-as-no-monkey-is-as-good-looking-as-the-ugliest-of-humans-no/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [I've always been the type that's more about academics and technology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-baldwin/i-ve-always-been-the-type-that-s-more-about-academics-and-technology/) [Doug Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-baldwin/) > [We academics - I am an academic - we love complexity. 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