--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Conventional wisdom is so scary because…" description: "\"Conventional wisdom is so scary because what if everybody's wrong?\" — Kevin Costner" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/769/kevin-costner-2386_conventional_conventional-wisdom-is-so-scary-because_2620607.jpg" --- # Conventional wisdom is so scary because what if… ![“Conventional wisdom is so scary because what if everybody's wrong?” quote by Kevin Costner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/769/kevin-costner-2386_conventional_conventional-wisdom-is-so-scary-because_2620607.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/769/kevin-costner-2386_conventional_conventional-wisdom-is-so-scary-because_2620607.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/769/kevin-costner-2386_conventional_conventional-wisdom-is-so-scary-because_2620607.jpg) > “Conventional wisdom is so scary because what if everybody's wrong?” [Kevin Costner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-costner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Questioning popular belief reveals hidden risks and opportunities. **In simple terms:** Doubt the crowd to uncover truth. Key Takeaway Challenge assumptions before accepting. Themes critical thinking skepticism risk Mood curious skeptical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - decision making - investing - policy analysis - media consumption Key Concepts psychology social dynamics Questions to Reflect On - What evidence supports the prevailing view? - How do you verify your own beliefs? A Different Perspective Popular opinion can be wrong, leading to collective error. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Conventional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conventional/) [Conventional wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conventional-wisdom/) [Everybody Wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/everybody-wrong-600666/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Scary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scary/) [Scary Everybody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scary-everybody-2106686/) [What if](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/what-if/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) [Wisdom Scary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom-scary-2106685/) ## Related quotes > [You know, what if everybody's wrong in life? And so you have to live your life yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-costner/you-know-what-if-everybody-s-wrong-in-life-and-so-you-have-to-live/) [Kevin Costner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-costner/) > [The most important lesson of New Labour is this: Every time we made progress we did it by challenging the conventional wisdom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-miliband/the-most-important-lesson-of-new-labour-is-this-every-time-we-made/) [Ed Miliband](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-miliband/) > [Analysts may be correct that the presidential election won't primarily turn on entitlements reform, but by choosing Paul Ryan as his running mate, Mitt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-limbaugh/analysts-may-be-correct-that-the-presidential-election-won-t/) [David Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-limbaugh/) > [The world is always changed by people who don't listen to conventional wisdom. I think we often set our goals too small and try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/the-world-is-always-changed-by-people-who-don-t-listen-to/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [In a corporate context, companies have to try very hard to oppose the enticements of conventional wisdom. They must aim for the leaps, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kao/in-a-corporate-context-companies-have-to-try-very-hard-to-oppose-the/) [John Kao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kao/) > [When you're used to being prepared to reject conventional wisdom, it leaves you open to learn more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mayim-bialik/when-you-re-used-to-being-prepared-to-reject-conventional-wisdom-it/) [Mayim Bialik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mayim-bialik/) > [“Conventional wisdom is not always wrong—but it’s always suspect.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-webb/conventional-wisdom-is-not-always-wrong-but-it-s-always-suspect/) [Brandon Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-webb/) > [Conventional wisdom tells us we'll only be happier after a divorce if the marriage itself was a war zone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ariel-gore/conventional-wisdom-tells-us-we-ll-only-be-happier-after-a-divorce-if/) [Ariel Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ariel-gore/) > [The line that I am urging as today's conventional wisdom is not a denial of consciousness. It is often called, with more reason, arepudiation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willard-van-orman-quine/the-line-that-i-am-urging-as-today-s-conventional-wisdom-is-not-a/) [Willard Van Orman Quine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willard-van-orman-quine/) > [Conventional wisdom on government's role in inequality often has it backwards. Tax reforms have resulted in a more progressive federal income tax; government transfer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-ryan/conventional-wisdom-on-government-s-role-in-inequality-often-has-it/) [Paul Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-ryan/) > [All conventional wisdom has an element of truth to it, but good design requires more than an element of truth - it requires an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-petroski/all-conventional-wisdom-has-an-element-of-truth-to-it-but-good-design/) [Henry Petroski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-petroski/) > [Hurricane Katrina overwhelmed levees and exploded the conventional wisdom about a shared American prosperity, exposing a group of people so poor they didn't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/hurricane-katrina-overwhelmed-levees-and-exploded-the-conventional/) [Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/) > [What's different now is that while political leaders used to give talking points to talk radio, now talk-radio hosts are giving talking points to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-avlon/what-s-different-now-is-that-while-political-leaders-used-to-give/) [John Avlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-avlon/) > [Contrarian thinking at its best simply asks, Is this really true? It speaks up when the politically correct answer or the conventional wisdom doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-osborne/contrarian-thinking-at-its-best-simply-asks-is-this-really-true-it/) [Larry Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-osborne/) > [Whether you are buying a car or casting a ballot, choosing a job or planning a family, follow your moral compass. Don't let others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-hayes/whether-you-are-buying-a-car-or-casting-a-ballot-choosing-a-job-or/) [Denis Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-hayes/) ## More by Kevin Costner > [I would hate to see a UFO. Because it would ruin my life. I would have to talk about it the rest of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-costner/i-would-hate-to-see-a-ufo-because-it-would-ruin-my-life-i-would-have/) [Kevin Costner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-costner/) > [I think religion is a funny thing because, when you see somebody who can really break it down, sometimes it feels foolish what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-costner/i-think-religion-is-a-funny-thing-because-when-you-see-somebody-who/) [Kevin Costner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-costner/) > [We stand our best chance of leaving a legacy to those who want to learn, our children, by standing firm. In matters of style,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-costner/we-stand-our-best-chance-of-leaving-a-legacy-to-those-who-want-to/) [Kevin Costner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-costner/) > [I don't give up. I'm a plodder. People come and go, but I stay the course.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-costner/i-don-t-give-up-i-m-a-plodder-people-come-and-go-but-i-stay-the-course/) [Kevin Costner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-costner/) > [We all have that burning question about what happens if we lose somebody we love, especially if we lose them tragically. We wonder what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-costner/we-all-have-that-burning-question-about-what-happens-if-we-lose/) [Kevin Costner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-costner/) > [I have instinctually thought I could do things in my life, and I followed that up by sometimes putting everything I have at risk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-costner/i-have-instinctually-thought-i-could-do-things-in-my-life-and-i/) [Kevin Costner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-costner/) > [I work for the public, for the people who are paying to go to the cinema, rather than for the critics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-costner/i-work-for-the-public-for-the-people-who-are-paying-to-go-to-the/) [Kevin Costner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-costner/) > [You're just as good, and if you work harder, you can be better and you can be more than you think you can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-costner/you-re-just-as-good-and-if-you-work-harder-you-can-be-better-and-you/) [Kevin Costner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-costner/) > [I believe in the soul ... the small of a woman's back, the hanging curveball, high fiber, good scotch, that the novels of Susan…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-costner/i-believe-in-the-soul-the-small-of-a-woman-s-back-the-hanging/) [Kevin Costner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-costner/) > [Westerns aren't about the gunfight, even though it has to be there at one point. It's not what they're about, at least the good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-costner/westerns-aren-t-about-the-gunfight-even-though-it-has-to-be-there-at/) [Kevin Costner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-costner/) > [If somebody said my wife's not beautiful, I'd go, she is. I wouldn't say, really? No, she is. I know she is. In my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-costner/if-somebody-said-my-wife-s-not-beautiful-i-d-go-she-is-i-wouldn-t-say/) [Kevin Costner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-costner/) > [Here's the thing - the accent is cool. It's like a girl with big breasts - they get your attention first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-costner/here-s-the-thing-the-accent-is-cool-it-s-like-a-girl-with-big-breasts/) [Kevin Costner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-costner/) > [I don't take much stock in other people's opinions if I think something's good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-costner/i-don-t-take-much-stock-in-other-people-s-opinions-if-i-think/) [Kevin Costner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-costner/) > [The kind of love that these young men have and the respect that they have for their fathers, I don't see that as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-costner/the-kind-of-love-that-these-young-men-have-and-the-respect-that-they/) [Kevin Costner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-costner/) > [We still live with this unbelievable threat over our heads of nuclear war. I mean, are we stupid? Do we think that the nuclear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-costner/we-still-live-with-this-unbelievable-threat-over-our-heads-of-nuclear/) [Kevin Costner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-costner/) [Explore all 169 Kevin Costner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-costner/) ## More Conventional quotes > [Whether you are buying a car or casting a ballot, choosing a job or planning a family, follow your moral compass. Don't let others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-hayes/whether-you-are-buying-a-car-or-casting-a-ballot-choosing-a-job-or/) [Denis Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-hayes/) > [A language possesses utility only insofar as it can construct conventional boundaries. A language of no boundaries is no language at all, and thus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-wilber/a-language-possesses-utility-only-insofar-as-it-can-construct/) [Ken Wilber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-wilber/) > [Conventional agriculture has never succeeded in feeding the world, and it's never produced anything good to eat. For the future, we need to look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-barber/conventional-agriculture-has-never-succeeded-in-feeding-the-world-and/) [Dan Barber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-barber/) > [Contrarian thinking at its best simply asks, Is this really true? It speaks up when the politically correct answer or the conventional wisdom doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-osborne/contrarian-thinking-at-its-best-simply-asks-is-this-really-true-it/) [Larry Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-osborne/) > [Because investors are not usually penalized for adhering to conventional practices, doing so is the less professionally risky strategy, even though it virtually guarantees…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-klarman/because-investors-are-not-usually-penalized-for-adhering-to/) [Seth Klarman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-klarman/) > [My father was in real estate, banking, and land management. As family life, it was very conventional, happy, and comfortable. We weren't wealthy, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-child/my-father-was-in-real-estate-banking-and-land-management-as-family/) [Julia Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-child/) > [Our Christian faith is actually very subversive of the conventional notion of success - the notion that what invests a person with worth is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/our-christian-faith-is-actually-very-subversive-of-the-conventional/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [I think you will learn to be natural with me, as I find it impossible to be conventional with you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/i-think-you-will-learn-to-be-natural-with-me-as-i-find-it-impossible/) [Charlotte Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [What's different now is that while political leaders used to give talking points to talk radio, now talk-radio hosts are giving talking points to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-avlon/what-s-different-now-is-that-while-political-leaders-used-to-give/) [John Avlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-avlon/) > [Some days, I think maybe we should try and be a little more conventional, but every time I try, I fail, so I'm learning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seinabo-sey/some-days-i-think-maybe-we-should-try-and-be-a-little-more/) [Seinabo Sey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seinabo-sey/) > [The vision of extraordinary achievement is,by definition, a few steps beyond consensus and conventional logic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-belsky/the-vision-of-extraordinary-achievement-is-by-definition-a-few-steps/) [Scott Belsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-belsky/) > [“Can you make me remember the conventional way?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-ellen-malpas/can-you-make-me-remember-the-conventional-way/) [Jodi Ellen Malpas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-ellen-malpas/) > [Nobody can live in society without conventions. The reason why sensible people are as conventional as they can bear to be is that conventionality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/nobody-can-live-in-society-without-conventions-the-reason-why/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [Currency speculation-over a trillion dollars a day-is a tax-free activity. The notion of a tax on "day trades" or other speculative swaps was revived…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-kierans/currency-speculation-over-a-trillion-dollars-a-day-is-a-tax-free/) [Eric Kierans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-kierans/) > [Fear is a problem with film music and films; people want to be conventional, and there's more commercialism today. If you are not daring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-north/fear-is-a-problem-with-film-music-and-films-people-want-to-be/) [Alex North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-north/) [Browse all 742 Conventional quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conventional/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Conventional wisdom is so scary because what if everybody's wrong?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kevin Costner" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-costner/conventional-wisdom-is-so-scary-because-what-if-everybody-s-wrong/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Conventional" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-costner/conventional-wisdom-is-so-scary-because-what-if-everybody-s-wrong/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/769/kevin-costner-2386_conventional_conventional-wisdom-is-so-scary-because_2620607.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/769/kevin-costner-2386_conventional_conventional-wisdom-is-so-scary-because_2620607.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/769/kevin-costner-2386_conventional_conventional-wisdom-is-so-scary-because_2620607.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Conventional wisdom is so scary because what if everybody's wrong?” — Kevin Costner", "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": "Kevin Costner", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-costner/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Conventional wisdom is so scary because...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-costner/conventional-wisdom-is-so-scary-because-what-if-everybody-s-wrong/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-costner/conventional-wisdom-is-so-scary-because-what-if-everybody-s-wrong/#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 } } ] } ```