---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Old ways of thinking die hard…"
description: "\"Old ways of thinking die hard, particularly when they were weaned by legally enforced monopolies.\" — Mitch Kapor"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad6/mitch-kapor-7363_die_old-ways-of-thinking-die-hard-particular_2755225.jpg"
---

#  Old ways of thinking die hard, particularly when they were…

![“Old ways of thinking die hard, particularly when they were weaned by legally enforced monopolies.” quote by Mitch Kapor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad6/mitch-kapor-7363_die_old-ways-of-thinking-die-hard-particular_2755225.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad6/mitch-kapor-7363_die_old-ways-of-thinking-die-hard-particular_2755225.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad6/mitch-kapor-7363_die_old-ways-of-thinking-die-hard-particular_2755225.jpg)

> “Old ways of thinking die hard, particularly when they were weaned by legally enforced monopolies.”

[Mitch Kapor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-kapor/)

## About This Quote

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

Established ideas persist because they are reinforced by legal and economic structures, making change difficult.

**In simple terms:** Old ideas stick due to laws and monopolies.

Key Takeaway

Challenge entrenched systems to foster new thinking.

Themes

innovation law monopoly change resistance

Mood

thoughtful determined

Type

strategic inspirational

When to use this quote

- policy reform
- startup culture
- education
- public discourse

Key Concepts

economic theory legal frameworks cognitive inertia

Questions to Reflect On

- What incentives can break monopoly‑driven thinking?
- How can innovators navigate entrenched regulations?

A Different Perspective

Legal barriers can be hard to dismantle quickly.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Die](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/die/) [Die hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/die-hard/) [Enforced](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enforced/) [Enforced Monopolies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enforced-monopolies-3129916/) [Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard/) [Legally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/legally/) [Monopolies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monopolies/) [Old](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old/) [Old ways](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-ways/) [Particularly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/particularly/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Thinking Die](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking-die-3129917/) [Ways](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ways/) [Were](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/were/)

## Related quotes

> [“USA corporations are legally regulated by laws which their managers know are rarely enforced. This criminal activity is what the USA government calls: Deregulation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/usa-corporations-are-legally-regulated-by-laws-which-their-managers/)

[Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/)

> [Cable companies aren't bad because they're parts of unwieldy media conglomerates. They're bad because they're monopolies (even where they are no longer legally exclusive)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-postrel/cable-companies-aren-t-bad-because-they-re-parts-of-unwieldy-media/)

[Virginia Postrel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-postrel/)

> [We live thinking we will never die, We die thinking we have never lived](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-becker/we-live-thinking-we-will-never-die-we-die-thinking-we-have-never-lived/)

[Jason Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-becker/)

> [If we've not succeeded once ,it doesnt mean we need to stop working, same as thinking to die one day,we cant stop living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/if-we-ve-not-succeeded-once-it-doesnt-mean-we-need-to-stop-working/)

[Senoraroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senoraroy/)

> [“You think too much and I bet it kills the magic," he says simply. "Some things are just instinct and if you try and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blue-ghostghost/you-think-too-much-and-i-bet-it-kills-the-magic-he-says-simply-some/)

[Blue GhostGhost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blue-ghostghost/)

> [If we want corporations to act differently, we have to force them to do so through laws that are fully enforced and through penalties…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/if-we-want-corporations-to-act-differently-we-have-to-force-them-to/)

[Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/)

> [Better no law than law not enforced](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danish-proverb/better-no-law-than-law-not-enforced/)

[Danish Proverb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danish-proverb/)

> [Whatever is enforced by command is more imputed to him who exacts than to him who performs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/whatever-is-enforced-by-command-is-more-imputed-to-him-who-exacts/)

[Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/)

> [Laws that do not embody public opinion can never be enforced.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/laws-that-do-not-embody-public-opinion-can-never-be-enforced/)

[Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/)

> [While the West has enjoyed overwhelming global power, its moral preachings have been legitimised, and in effect enforced, by that power. But as that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-jacques/while-the-west-has-enjoyed-overwhelming-global-power-its-moral/)

[Martin Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-jacques/)

> [ \[Obamacare\] has to be enforced because nobody wants it. This is the nature of progressive government they don't care if it's not good for… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-gutfeld/obamacare-has-to-be-enforced-because-nobody-wants-it-this-is-the/)

[Greg Gutfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-gutfeld/)

> [“The terrain enforced its own rhythms.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/the-terrain-enforced-its-own-rhythms/)

[Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/)

> [Many civil rights came about, not when they were passed into law, but because the federal government did what it should and saw them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-mccaskill/many-civil-rights-came-about-not-when-they-were-passed-into-law-but/)

[Claire McCaskill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-mccaskill/)

> [State constitutions typically provide that the state first has to service its debt, then make it pension payments, and then pay for services. What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-fama/state-constitutions-typically-provide-that-the-state-first-has-to/)

[Eugene Fama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-fama/)

> [Quite simply, federal laws already on the books aimed at stopping the flow of illegal immigration must be enforced. Furthermore, states must be given…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-west/quite-simply-federal-laws-already-on-the-books-aimed-at-stopping-the/)

[Allen West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-west/)

## More by Mitch Kapor

> [Velano Vascular has developed a simple, game-changing innovation that will improve the way medicine has been practiced for decades.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-kapor/velano-vascular-has-developed-a-simple-game-changing-innovation-that/)

[Mitch Kapor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-kapor/)

> [The Internet, the network of networks, is growing at an exponential pace. It's growing so fast, in fact, nobody really knows how many people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-kapor/the-internet-the-network-of-networks-is-growing-at-an-exponential/)

[Mitch Kapor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-kapor/)

> [If only I'd stayed on the West Coast, I might have made something of myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-kapor/if-only-i-d-stayed-on-the-west-coast-i-might-have-made-something-of/)

[Mitch Kapor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-kapor/)

> [I'd always wanted to live in San Francisco, and my circumstances never permitted it. I'm so happy I made the move.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-kapor/i-d-always-wanted-to-live-in-san-francisco-and-my-circumstances-never/)

[Mitch Kapor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-kapor/)

> [When regulations restricting competition are relaxed, nobody's market share is protected. If telephone companies can offer video programming, cable revenue will surely drop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-kapor/when-regulations-restricting-competition-are-relaxed-nobody-s-market/)

[Mitch Kapor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-kapor/)

> [Fundly is at the dynamic intersection of high-growth technology startups, social entrepreneurship, and the exploding world of social media. Kapor Capital is proud to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-kapor/fundly-is-at-the-dynamic-intersection-of-high-growth-technology/)

[Mitch Kapor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-kapor/)

> [In my case, having knocked around at different jobs helped me get a sense of what the world is actually like and also helped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-kapor/in-my-case-having-knocked-around-at-different-jobs-helped-me-get-a/)

[Mitch Kapor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-kapor/)

> [I'm like George Lucas, bringing together a creative team that will come up with a unique, well-crafted product.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-kapor/i-m-like-george-lucas-bringing-together-a-creative-team-that-will/)

[Mitch Kapor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-kapor/)

> [You can't be in the tech community... without realizing there's a big shortage of talent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-kapor/you-can-t-be-in-the-tech-community-without-realizing-there-s-a-big/)

[Mitch Kapor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-kapor/)

> [Everyone has a subconscious and automatic preference of this over that. Once you're aware of that, you can take steps to change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-kapor/everyone-has-a-subconscious-and-automatic-preference-of-this-over/)

[Mitch Kapor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-kapor/)

> [If information wants to be free, then that's true everywhere, not just in information technology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-kapor/if-information-wants-to-be-free-then-that-s-true-everywhere-not-just/)

[Mitch Kapor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-kapor/)

> [I soon realized that the best thing I could do for the profession of human services was to get out of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-kapor/i-soon-realized-that-the-best-thing-i-could-do-for-the-profession-of/)

[Mitch Kapor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-kapor/)

> [Diversifying our tech talent pool is an imperative for the tech sector. More diverse engineers and entrepreneurs will bring about a new type of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-kapor/diversifying-our-tech-talent-pool-is-an-imperative-for-the-tech/)

[Mitch Kapor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-kapor/)

> [StumbleUpon has humanized the Web and mastered a way for people to discover online content by incorporating an individual's personal preferences and recommendations of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-kapor/stumbleupon-has-humanized-the-web-and-mastered-a-way-for-people-to/)

[Mitch Kapor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-kapor/)

> [I'm fascinated by management and organizations: how organizations get things done and how successful organizations are built and maintained, how they evolve as they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-kapor/i-m-fascinated-by-management-and-organizations-how-organizations-get/)

[Mitch Kapor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-kapor/)

[Explore all 92 Mitch Kapor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-kapor/)

## More Die quotes

> [Die Antwoord is super pop. It's a pop music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/watkin-tudor-jones/die-antwoord-is-super-pop-it-s-a-pop-music/)

[Watkin Tudor Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/watkin-tudor-jones/)

> [We never think that our mothers will die. It was like suddenly an abyss opened at my feet - I was standing on nothing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-okri/we-never-think-that-our-mothers-will-die-it-was-like-suddenly-an/)

[Ben Okri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-okri/)

> [“You go into extinction by being obsessed about becoming something else and then travelling in the wrong car while your real self keeps waiting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/you-go-into-extinction-by-being-obsessed-about-becoming-something/)

[Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/)

> [I can't leave the house without earrings. I think I'd rather die. I think I'd rather die than leave the house without a pair…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cmat/i-can-t-leave-the-house-without-earrings-i-think-i-d-rather-die-i/)

[CMAT](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cmat/)

> [I turned to my mom and said, 'I'm going to be a martial arts movie star.' She didn't believe me, and neither did my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adkins/i-turned-to-my-mom-and-said-i-m-going-to-be-a-martial-arts-movie-star/)

[Scott Adkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adkins/)

> ['Misery' left a lasting mark on me. When I die, it will be 'Kathy 'Misery' Bates Is Dead.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-bates/misery-left-a-lasting-mark-on-me-when-i-die-it-will-be-kathy-misery/)

[Kathy Bates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-bates/)

> [It turns out that the God whose word will stand forever does not exist to insure our fantasies that we will not have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-hauerwas/it-turns-out-that-the-god-whose-word-will-stand-forever-does-not/)

[Stanley Hauerwas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-hauerwas/)

> [“There's such an intimate kind of beauty in the act of listening to music being created right in front of your eyes, watching the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-c-frank/there-s-such-an-intimate-kind-of-beauty-in-the-act-of-listening-to/)

[M.C. Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-c-frank/)

> [What's going to happen when I die? I may be buried, or I may be cremated, I may give my body to science. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/what-s-going-to-happen-when-i-die-i-may-be-buried-or-i-may-be/)

[Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/)

> [“It’s better to die for what’s right than live for what’s wrong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/it-s-better-to-die-for-what-s-right-than-live-for-what-s-wrong/)

[Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/)

> [To die in battle would be my greatest joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramzan-kadyrov/to-die-in-battle-would-be-my-greatest-joy/)

[Ramzan Kadyrov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramzan-kadyrov/)

> [I remember the early 1980s, when I first got one of these fabulous film critic jobs. The downside was sitting through 'Splatteria III: The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hunter/i-remember-the-early-1980s-when-i-first-got-one-of-these-fabulous/)

[Stephen Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hunter/)

> [“Until you find a cause you can die for, you are not worthy to live.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ifeanyi-enoch-onuoha/until-you-find-a-cause-you-can-die-for-you-are-not-worthy-to-live/)

[Ifeanyi Enoch Onuoha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ifeanyi-enoch-onuoha/)

> [Waking up every day and loving someone who may or may not love us back, whose safety we can't ensure, who may stay in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/waking-up-every-day-and-loving-someone-who-may-or-may-not-love-us/)

[Brene Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/)

> [When I eat cilantro, it's like someone sprayed perfume down my throat. It closes up my throat, even if there's only a little piece.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-rose/when-i-eat-cilantro-it-s-like-someone-sprayed-perfume-down-my-throat/)

[Amber Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-rose/)

[Browse all 1,308 Die quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/die/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Old ways of thinking die hard, particularly when they were weaned by legally enforced monopolies.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Mitch Kapor"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-kapor/old-ways-of-thinking-die-hard-particularly-when-they-were-weaned-by/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Die"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-kapor/old-ways-of-thinking-die-hard-particularly-when-they-were-weaned-by/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad6/mitch-kapor-7363_die_old-ways-of-thinking-die-hard-particular_2755225.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad6/mitch-kapor-7363_die_old-ways-of-thinking-die-hard-particular_2755225.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad6/mitch-kapor-7363_die_old-ways-of-thinking-die-hard-particular_2755225.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Old ways of thinking die hard, particularly when they were weaned by legally enforced monopolies.” — Mitch Kapor",
                "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": "Mitch Kapor",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-kapor/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Old ways of thinking die hard,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-kapor/old-ways-of-thinking-die-hard-particularly-when-they-were-weaned-by/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-kapor/old-ways-of-thinking-die-hard-particularly-when-they-were-weaned-by/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
