---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I make it a policy to try never to make a…"
description: "\"I make it a policy to try never to make a complete idiot of myself twice in the same way. After all, there's always all kinds of new ways to make a com..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17e/margot-dalton-259619_rules_i-make-it-a-policy-to-try-never-to-make_1471231.jpg"
---

#  I make it a policy to try never to make a complete idiot…

![“I make it a policy to try never to make a complete idiot of myself twice in the same way. After all, there's always all kinds of new ways to make a complete idiot of myself. Why repeat the old ones?” quote by Margot Dalton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17e/margot-dalton-259619_rules_i-make-it-a-policy-to-try-never-to-make_1471231.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17e/margot-dalton-259619_rules_i-make-it-a-policy-to-try-never-to-make_1471231.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17e/margot-dalton-259619_rules_i-make-it-a-policy-to-try-never-to-make_1471231.jpg)

> “I make it a policy to try never to make a complete idiot of myself twice in the same way. After all, there's always all kinds of new ways to make a complete idiot of myself. Why repeat the old ones?”

[Margot Dalton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-dalton/)

## About This Quote

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

Avoid repeating past foolishness; seek new ways to err.

**In simple terms:** Don’t repeat old mistakes.

Key Takeaway

Learn from errors, innovate.

Themes

self‑improvement mistakes innovation

Mood

reflective motivational

Type

Idiot:0 Rules:0 Idiot Twice:0 Complete Idiot:0 Repeat Old:0 Idiot Repeat:0

When to use this quote

- career development
- creative problem solving
- learning strategies

Key Concepts

psychology personal growth

Questions to Reflect On

- What repeat patterns do you notice?
- How can you break old habits?

A Different Perspective

Some mistakes are universal; avoid all errors.

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[Complete Idiot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complete-idiot-571280/) [Idiot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idiot/) [Idiot Repeat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idiot-repeat-5339028/) [Idiot Twice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idiot-twice-323418/) [Repeat Old](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/repeat-old-752921/) [Rules](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rules/)

## Related quotes

> [I need to look like an idiot at least twice a day to keep myself humble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/i-need-to-look-like-an-idiot-at-least-twice-a-day-to-keep-myself/)

[Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/)

> [“You realize, of course, that you are a complete idiot. Well, conscience, I'd say that much is obvious.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-bischoff/you-realize-of-course-that-you-are-a-complete-idiot-well-conscience-i/)

[Susan Bischoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-bischoff/)

> [It always shocked me how you could understand so many things and be such a complete idiot about so many others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/it-always-shocked-me-how-you-could-understand-so-many-things-and-be/)

[Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/)

> [“I'm a complete idiot".”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burak-alkan-chester/i-m-a-complete-idiot/)

[Burak Alkan Chester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burak-alkan-chester/)

> [“Apparently while I was reading The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Dating, he’d read The Guide to Dating a Complete Idiot.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-brogan/apparently-while-i-was-reading-the-complete-idiot-s-guide-to-dating/)

[Tracy Brogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-brogan/)

> [“The author has discovered to his cost that if you call a zoo to ask the cubic volume of the average adult camel, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-maxfield/the-author-has-discovered-to-his-cost-that-if-you-call-a-zoo-to-ask/)

[Clive Maxfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-maxfield/)

> [When you see someone trying to manoeuvre it round the school gates, you have to think, 'You are a complete idiot.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-livingstone/when-you-see-someone-trying-to-manoeuvre-it-round-the-school-gates/)

[Ken Livingstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-livingstone/)

> [Never repeat old grievances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/never-repeat-old-grievances/)

[George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/)

> [Every time a man is begotten and born, the clock of human life is wound up anew to repeat once more its same old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/every-time-a-man-is-begotten-and-born-the-clock-of-human-life-is/)

[Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/)

> [Prepare for the new; expect the new; embrace the new. Otherwise, you'll just repeat what's old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/prepare-for-the-new-expect-the-new-embrace-the-new-otherwise-you-ll/)

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

> [“The crowd often expects a repeat of the old and well-known traditions. In your quest to innovate and pursue your dreams, ignore the crowd.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-wambua-nzoka/the-crowd-often-expects-a-repeat-of-the-old-and-well-known-traditions/)

[Vincent Wambua Nzoka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-wambua-nzoka/)

> [I do make a conscious effort to not repeat old patterns, instead of being like, But they don't want me! I haven't always been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-shannon/i-do-make-a-conscious-effort-to-not-repeat-old-patterns-instead-of/)

[Molly Shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-shannon/)

> [“Never more then two, I told her once. I repeat an old joke about why martinis are like a women's breasts; one is never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dubow/never-more-then-two-i-told-her-once-i-repeat-an-old-joke-about-why/)

[Charles Dubow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dubow/)

> [That one teacher who makes you feel like a COMPLETE idiot when you get an answer wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/that-one-teacher-who-makes-you-feel-like-a-complete-idiot-when-you/)

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

> [A girl doesn't need a guy in her life in order to act like a complete idiot. Certainly I, at least, never have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jane-gilman/a-girl-doesn-t-need-a-guy-in-her-life-in-order-to-act-like-a-complete/)

[Susan Jane Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jane-gilman/)

## More Idiot quotes

> [The truth is I've just never had any kind of plan at all for my career, which is probably not a very flattering thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ty-burrell/the-truth-is-i-ve-just-never-had-any-kind-of-plan-at-all-for-my/)

[Ty Burrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ty-burrell/)

> [Thirty guys equals five percent die-off among active wingsuit base jumpers. That means there's a flaw in our system and you're an idiot if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-potter/thirty-guys-equals-five-percent-die-off-among-active-wingsuit-base/)

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> [You have to be an idiot to run out of gas…I just did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooke-burke/you-have-to-be-an-idiot-to-run-out-of-gas-i-just-did/)

[Brooke Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brooke-burke/)

> [Mechanical instruments, potentially a vehicle of rational human purposes, are scarcely a blessing when they enable the gossip of the village idiot and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-mumford/mechanical-instruments-potentially-a-vehicle-of-rational-human/)

[Lewis Mumford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-mumford/)

> [I need to look like an idiot at least twice a day to keep myself humble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/i-need-to-look-like-an-idiot-at-least-twice-a-day-to-keep-myself/)

[Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/)

> [“But no idiot-proofing can overcome a determined idiot.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-weir/but-no-idiot-proofing-can-overcome-a-determined-idiot/)

[Andy Weir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-weir/)

> [One or two years ago, I didn't know who I was on court and I used to swear a lot. But now I've learned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-federer/one-or-two-years-ago-i-didn-t-know-who-i-was-on-court-and-i-used-to/)

[Roger Federer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-federer/)

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[Holly Willoughby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-willoughby/)

> [“The woman may be a biomedical engineer, but I begin to think that she is a certifiable idiot.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-khoury/the-woman-may-be-a-biomedical-engineer-but-i-begin-to-think-that-she/)

[Jessica Khoury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-khoury/)

> [“Knowledge cannot replace friendship. I'd rather be an idiot than lose you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-to-spongebob/knowledge-cannot-replace-friendship-i-d-rather-be-an-idiot-than-lose/)

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> [Solemnity is the shield of idiots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/solemnity-is-the-shield-of-idiots/)

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> [“I’ve noticed that you are retarded, Dr. Phil.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christy-leigh-stewart/i-ve-noticed-that-you-are-retarded-dr-phil/)

[Christy Leigh Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christy-leigh-stewart/)

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[Codi Gary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/codi-gary/)

[Browse all 2,115 Idiot quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idiot/)

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