---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A new and speculative idea, which…"
description: "\"A new and speculative idea, which although it may seem trivial and almost laughable, is nonetheless of great value in quickening the spirit of inventio..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c37/michael-j-gelb-27607_great-value_a-new-and-speculative-idea-which-althoug_2970866.jpg"
---

#  A new and speculative idea, which although it may seem…

![“A new and speculative idea, which although it may seem trivial and almost laughable, is nonetheless of great value in quickening the spirit of invention.” quote by Michael J. Gelb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c37/michael-j-gelb-27607_great-value_a-new-and-speculative-idea-which-althoug_2970866.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c37/michael-j-gelb-27607_great-value_a-new-and-speculative-idea-which-althoug_2970866.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c37/michael-j-gelb-27607_great-value_a-new-and-speculative-idea-which-althoug_2970866.jpg)

> “A new and speculative idea, which although it may seem trivial and almost laughable, is nonetheless of great value in quickening the spirit of invention.”

[Michael J. Gelb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-gelb/)

## About This Quote

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

Even trivial, seemingly laughable ideas can spark valuable invention.

**In simple terms:** Small ideas can lead to big inventions.

Key Takeaway

Value every idea, no matter how odd.

Themes

creativity innovation ideas invention open‑mindedness learning

Mood

enthusiastic encouraging

Type

creative educational

When to use this quote

- brainstorming sessions
- product development
- artistic experiments

Key Concepts

design thinking lateral thinking

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you evaluate an idea’s potential?
- When have you turned a joke into a breakthrough?

A Different Perspective

Some ideas remain impractical.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Great value](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-value/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Innovation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/innovation/) [Invention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/invention/) [Laughable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laughable/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [New Speculative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-speculative-4573005/) [Quickening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quickening/) [Seems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seems/) [Speculative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speculative/) [Speculative Idea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speculative-idea-4573004/) [Spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirit/) [Spirit Invention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirit-invention-4573006/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/)

## Related quotes

> [The iPod is not a new category. Music is not new. It's not a speculative market. It's a very, very large market. It's been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-ipod-is-not-a-new-category-music-is-not-new-it-s-not-a/)

[Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/)

> [The inventor is a man who looks around upon the world and is not contented with things as they are. He wants to improve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-graham-bell/the-inventor-is-a-man-who-looks-around-upon-the-world-and-is-not/)

[Alexander Graham Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-graham-bell/)

> [Art, if it is to be reckoned as one of the great values of life, must teach man humility, tolerance, wisdom and magnanimity. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/art-if-it-is-to-be-reckoned-as-one-of-the-great-values-of-life-must/)

[W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/)

> [Therefore, what you do as a spiritual practitioner in this life shapes that. To seek and find this beautiful, continuing existence, where there can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-thurman/therefore-what-you-do-as-a-spiritual-practitioner-in-this-life-shapes/)

[Robert Thurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-thurman/)

> [Here is my biggest takeaway after 60 years on the planet: There is great value in being fearless. For too much of my life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-keaton/here-is-my-biggest-takeaway-after-60-years-on-the-planet-there-is/)

[Diane Keaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-keaton/)

> [We've got a great value proposition against Chromebooks, we are not ceding the market to anyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-kevin-turner/we-ve-got-a-great-value-proposition-against-chromebooks-we-are-not/)

[B. Kevin Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-kevin-turner/)

> [The intelligence services would probably be in a better position to make an assessment of the advancement of the Iranian nuclear program than Podhoretz…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trita-parsi/the-intelligence-services-would-probably-be-in-a-better-position-to/)

[Trita Parsi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trita-parsi/)

> [He used to say that it was better to have one friend of great value than many friends who were good for nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/he-used-to-say-that-it-was-better-to-have-one-friend-of-great-value/)

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

> [Timothy's great value was that he was always willing to go anywhere; and in his hands a message was as safe as if Paul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-barclay/timothy-s-great-value-was-that-he-was-always-willing-to-go-anywhere/)

[William Barclay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-barclay/)

> [The Bible Belt, the religious South, is the section of the country that practiced slavery until the war made them give it up. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/the-bible-belt-the-religious-south-is-the-section-of-the-country-that/)

[John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/)

> [Some set great value on method, while others pride themselves on dispensing with method.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chai-lu/some-set-great-value-on-method-while-others-pride-themselves-on/)

[Chai Lu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chai-lu/)

> [I had great parents, and they trained me well and instilled great values in me. They also taught me common sense about money and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-osmond/i-had-great-parents-and-they-trained-me-well-and-instilled-great/)

[Ken Osmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-osmond/)

> [It is a custom often practiced by seafaring people to throw a bottle overboard, with a paper, stating the time and place at which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fontaine-maury/it-is-a-custom-often-practiced-by-seafaring-people-to-throw-a-bottle/)

[Matthew Fontaine Maury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fontaine-maury/)

> [Engaging the body in acts of being present with God, including certain ceremonial practices, opens us up to God in new ways. People of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-pagitt/engaging-the-body-in-acts-of-being-present-with-god-including-certain/)

[Doug Pagitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-pagitt/)

> [Make sure that your ambitions are really lofty - not just seem to be. Sometimes instead of engaging in those so called "mountaintop employments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sterling-w-sill/make-sure-that-your-ambitions-are-really-lofty-not-just-seem-to-be/)

[Sterling W Sill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sterling-w-sill/)

## More by Michael J. Gelb

> [Confusion is the welcome mat at the door of creativity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-gelb/confusion-is-the-welcome-mat-at-the-door-of-creativity/)

[Michael J. Gelb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-gelb/)

> [By stretching yourself beyond your perceived level of confidence you accelerate your development of competence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-gelb/by-stretching-yourself-beyond-your-perceived-level-of-confidence-you/)

[Michael J. Gelb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-gelb/)

> [Crazy people who are productive are geniuses. Crazy people who are rich are eccentric. Crazy people who are neither productive nor rich are just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-gelb/crazy-people-who-are-productive-are-geniuses-crazy-people-who-are/)

[Michael J. Gelb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-gelb/)

> [Surrounded by noises from televisions, airplanes, subways and automobiles, most of us 'tune out' for self-protection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-gelb/surrounded-by-noises-from-televisions-airplanes-subways-and/)

[Michael J. Gelb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-gelb/)

> [“Life is a continuous exercise is creative problem solving.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-gelb/life-is-a-continuous-exercise-is-creative-problem-solving/)

[Michael J. Gelb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-gelb/)

> [Your brain has a capacity for learning that is virtually limitless, which makes every human a potential genius.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-gelb/your-brain-has-a-capacity-for-learning-that-is-virtually-limitless/)

[Michael J. Gelb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-gelb/)

> [Life is a continuous exercise in creative problem solving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-gelb/life-is-a-continuous-exercise-in-creative-problem-solving/)

[Michael J. Gelb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-gelb/)

> [Innovation is the creation and delivery of new customer value in the marketplace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-gelb/innovation-is-the-creation-and-delivery-of-new-customer-value-in-the/)

[Michael J. Gelb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-gelb/)

> [Keeping your mind open in the face of uncertainty is the single most powerful secret of unleashing your creative potential.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-gelb/keeping-your-mind-open-in-the-face-of-uncertainty-is-the-single-most/)

[Michael J. Gelb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-gelb/)

> [“The Seven Da Vincian Principles are: Curiosità—An insatiably curious approach to life and an unrelenting quest for continuous learning. Dimostrazione—A commitment to test knowledge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-gelb/the-seven-da-vincian-principles-are-curiosit-an-insatiably-curious/)

[Michael J. Gelb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-gelb/)

> [You can increase your problem-solving skills by honing your question-asking ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-gelb/you-can-increase-your-problem-solving-skills-by-honing-your-question/)

[Michael J. Gelb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-gelb/)

> [“Brain researchers estimate that your unconscious data base outweighs the conscious on an order exceeding ten million to one. This data base is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-gelb/brain-researchers-estimate-that-your-unconscious-data-base-outweighs/)

[Michael J. Gelb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-gelb/)

> [Champions know that success is inevitable, that there is no such thing as failure, only feedback. They know that the best way to forecast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-gelb/champions-know-that-success-is-inevitable-that-there-is-no-such-thing/)

[Michael J. Gelb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-gelb/)

> [How does your experience of one sense affect all the others? In addition to being the conduits of pleasure and pain, your senses are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-gelb/how-does-your-experience-of-one-sense-affect-all-the-others-in/)

[Michael J. Gelb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-gelb/)

> [As you embrace the process-oriented approach described in The Practicing Mind, you'll achieve better results in any endeavor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-gelb/as-you-embrace-the-process-oriented-approach-described-in-the/)

[Michael J. Gelb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-gelb/)

[Explore all 20 Michael J. Gelb quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-gelb/)

## More Great value quotes

> [Make sure that your ambitions are really lofty - not just seem to be. Sometimes instead of engaging in those so called "mountaintop employments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sterling-w-sill/make-sure-that-your-ambitions-are-really-lofty-not-just-seem-to-be/)

[Sterling W Sill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sterling-w-sill/)

> [Engaging the body in acts of being present with God, including certain ceremonial practices, opens us up to God in new ways. People of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-pagitt/engaging-the-body-in-acts-of-being-present-with-god-including-certain/)

[Doug Pagitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-pagitt/)

> [It is a custom often practiced by seafaring people to throw a bottle overboard, with a paper, stating the time and place at which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fontaine-maury/it-is-a-custom-often-practiced-by-seafaring-people-to-throw-a-bottle/)

[Matthew Fontaine Maury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fontaine-maury/)

> [I had great parents, and they trained me well and instilled great values in me. They also taught me common sense about money and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-osmond/i-had-great-parents-and-they-trained-me-well-and-instilled-great/)

[Ken Osmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-osmond/)

> [Some set great value on method, while others pride themselves on dispensing with method.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chai-lu/some-set-great-value-on-method-while-others-pride-themselves-on/)

[Chai Lu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chai-lu/)

> [The Bible Belt, the religious South, is the section of the country that practiced slavery until the war made them give it up. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/the-bible-belt-the-religious-south-is-the-section-of-the-country-that/)

[John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/)

> [Timothy's great value was that he was always willing to go anywhere; and in his hands a message was as safe as if Paul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-barclay/timothy-s-great-value-was-that-he-was-always-willing-to-go-anywhere/)

[William Barclay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-barclay/)

> [He used to say that it was better to have one friend of great value than many friends who were good for nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/he-used-to-say-that-it-was-better-to-have-one-friend-of-great-value/)

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

> [The intelligence services would probably be in a better position to make an assessment of the advancement of the Iranian nuclear program than Podhoretz…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trita-parsi/the-intelligence-services-would-probably-be-in-a-better-position-to/)

[Trita Parsi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trita-parsi/)

> [We've got a great value proposition against Chromebooks, we are not ceding the market to anyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-kevin-turner/we-ve-got-a-great-value-proposition-against-chromebooks-we-are-not/)

[B. Kevin Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-kevin-turner/)

> [Here is my biggest takeaway after 60 years on the planet: There is great value in being fearless. For too much of my life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-keaton/here-is-my-biggest-takeaway-after-60-years-on-the-planet-there-is/)

[Diane Keaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-keaton/)

> [Therefore, what you do as a spiritual practitioner in this life shapes that. To seek and find this beautiful, continuing existence, where there can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-thurman/therefore-what-you-do-as-a-spiritual-practitioner-in-this-life-shapes/)

[Robert Thurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-thurman/)

> [Art, if it is to be reckoned as one of the great values of life, must teach man humility, tolerance, wisdom and magnanimity. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/art-if-it-is-to-be-reckoned-as-one-of-the-great-values-of-life-must/)

[W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/)

> [In hindsight, I see the great value of family and how it moulded my life and kept me together. So now family means everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-cliff/in-hindsight-i-see-the-great-value-of-family-and-how-it-moulded-my/)

[Jimmy Cliff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-cliff/)

> [I think there's great value to the Associated Press and to Reuters, but if you wanted to generate original content, maybe written by local…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-eggers/i-think-there-s-great-value-to-the-associated-press-and-to-reuters/)

[Dave Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-eggers/)

[Browse all 48 Great value quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-value/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "A new and speculative idea, which although it may seem trivial and almost laughable, is nonetheless of great value in quickening the spirit of invention.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Michael J. Gelb"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-gelb/a-new-and-speculative-idea-which-although-it-may-seem-trivial-and/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Great value"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-gelb/a-new-and-speculative-idea-which-although-it-may-seem-trivial-and/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c37/michael-j-gelb-27607_great-value_a-new-and-speculative-idea-which-althoug_2970866.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c37/michael-j-gelb-27607_great-value_a-new-and-speculative-idea-which-althoug_2970866.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c37/michael-j-gelb-27607_great-value_a-new-and-speculative-idea-which-althoug_2970866.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“A new and speculative idea, which although it may seem trivial and almost laughable, is nonetheless of great…” — Michael J. Gelb",
                "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": "Michael J. Gelb",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-gelb/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "A new and speculative idea, which...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-gelb/a-new-and-speculative-idea-which-although-it-may-seem-trivial-and/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-gelb/a-new-and-speculative-idea-which-although-it-may-seem-trivial-and/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```