--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The opposite of every great idea is…" description: "\"The opposite of every great idea is another great idea.\" — Niels Bohr" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/404/niels-bohr-4542_great-idea_the-opposite-of-every-great-idea-is-anot_48313.png" --- # The opposite of every great idea is another great idea. ![“The opposite of every great idea is another great idea.” quote by Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/404/niels-bohr-4542_great-idea_the-opposite-of-every-great-idea-is-anot_48313.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/404/niels-bohr-4542_great-idea_the-opposite-of-every-great-idea-is-anot_48313.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/404/niels-bohr-4542_great-idea_the-opposite-of-every-great-idea-is-anot_48313.png) > “The opposite of every great idea is another great idea.” [Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Great ideas often exist in pairs, each offering a distinct, valuable perspective on a problem. **In simple terms:** Contrasting ideas can both be valuable. Key Takeaway Innovation thrives on opposing viewpoints. Themes creativity paradigm shift dualism problem solving innovation Mood inspired curious Type aphor maxim When to use this quote - brainstorming sessions - strategic planning - product design Key Concepts dialectic cognitive diversity Practical Applications - ideation workshops - conflict resolution Questions to Reflect On - How can opposing ideas be integrated? - What criteria decide which idea to pursue? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Great idea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-idea/) [Idea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idea/) [Idea Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idea-great-698641/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Opposite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opposite/) [Opposite Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opposite-great-698640/) [Opposites](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opposites/) ## Related quotes > [“The opposite of a great truth is another great truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/globe-and-mail-december-28-2012/the-opposite-of-a-great-truth-is-another-great-truth/) [Globe and Mail December 28 2012](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/globe-and-mail-december-28-2012/) > [Any idea's a great idea as long as it tastes great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homaro-cantu/any-idea-s-a-great-idea-as-long-as-it-tastes-great/) [Homaro Cantu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homaro-cantu/) > [I would love to have a part opposite a great actor - like, say, Pacino or De Niro or Hoffman. And to work with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovitz/i-would-love-to-have-a-part-opposite-a-great-actor-like-say-pacino-or/) [Jon Lovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovitz/) > [I love the idea of the Great Wall of Trump.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/i-love-the-idea-of-the-great-wall-of-trump/) [Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/) > [An idea becomes great when it becomes tangible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-capodagli/an-idea-becomes-great-when-it-becomes-tangible/) [Bill Capodagli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-capodagli/) > [Sometimes even hearing a bad idea is a great way to get to a good idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-day/sometimes-even-hearing-a-bad-idea-is-a-great-way-to-get-to-a-good-idea/) [Charlie Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-day/) > [People have this idea of me being some kind of monster, and that's the complete opposite of who I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pj-harvey/people-have-this-idea-of-me-being-some-kind-of-monster-and-that-s-the/) [PJ Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pj-harvey/) > [A sweater around your neck is always a great idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tinsley-mortimer/a-sweater-around-your-neck-is-always-a-great-idea/) [Tinsley Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tinsley-mortimer/) > [The beauty of a great idea lies in the art of using it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-edison/the-beauty-of-a-great-idea-lies-in-the-art-of-using-it/) [Thomas A. Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-edison/) > [Building out a professional profile on LinkedIn certainly makes sense, and bolstering that CV with intelligent pieces of writing is also a great idea.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/building-out-a-professional-profile-on-linkedin-certainly-makes-sense/) [John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) > [I have this belief that if you have an idea, and you have to write it down to remember it, then it can't be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tino-sehgal/i-have-this-belief-that-if-you-have-an-idea-and-you-have-to-write-it/) [Tino Sehgal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tino-sehgal/) > [A great idea solves multiple problems at the same time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shigeru-miyamoto/a-great-idea-solves-multiple-problems-at-the-same-time/) [Shigeru Miyamoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shigeru-miyamoto/) > [“Great idea," I said. "Call the police. Call the fucking police.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ava-gardner/great-idea-i-said-call-the-police-call-the-fucking-police/) [Ava Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ava-gardner/) > [Getting a great idea with song writing is a lot like love. You don't know why this one is different, but it is. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/getting-a-great-idea-with-song-writing-is-a-lot-like-love-you-don-t/) [Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/) > [I saw this DJ playing music and saying things to the kids. They would answer him back, and I say, 'That's a great idea.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-robinson/i-saw-this-dj-playing-music-and-saying-things-to-the-kids-they-would/) [Sylvia Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-robinson/) ## More by Niels Bohr > [An expert is a man who has made all the mistakes which can be made, in a narrow field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/an-expert-is-a-man-who-has-made-all-the-mistakes-which-can-be-made-in/) [Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/) > [“Stop telling God what to do with his dice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/stop-telling-god-what-to-do-with-his-dice/) [Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/) > [An expert is someone who knows some of the worst mistakes, which can be made, in a very narrow field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/an-expert-is-someone-who-knows-some-of-the-worst-mistakes-which-can/) [Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/) > [“Every great and deep difficulty bears in itself it’s own solution. It forces us to change our thinking in order to find it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/every-great-and-deep-difficulty-bears-in-itself-it-s-own-solution-it/) [Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/) > [It is a great pity that human beings cannot find all of their satisfaction in scientific contemplativeness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/it-is-a-great-pity-that-human-beings-cannot-find-all-of-their/) [Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/) > [Anyone not shocked by quantum mechanics has not yet understood it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/anyone-not-shocked-by-quantum-mechanics-has-not-yet-understood-it/) [Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/) > [The meaning of life consists in the fact that it makes no sense to say that life has no meaning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/the-meaning-of-life-consists-in-the-fact-that-it-makes-no-sense-to/) [Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/) > [Technology has advanced more in the last thirty years than in the previous two thousand. The exponential increase in advancement will only continue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/technology-has-advanced-more-in-the-last-thirty-years-than-in-the/) [Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/) > [ Anybody who is not shocked by this subject has failed to understand it. \[of quantum mechanics\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/anybody-who-is-not-shocked-by-this-subject-has-failed-to-understand/) [Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/) > [When it comes to atoms, language can be used only as in poetry. The poet, too, is not nearly so concerned with describing facts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/when-it-comes-to-atoms-language-can-be-used-only-as-in-poetry-the/) [Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/) > [Every description of natural processes must be based on ideas which have been introduced and defined by the classical theory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/every-description-of-natural-processes-must-be-based-on-ideas-which/) [Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/) > [It is, indeed, perhaps the greatest prospect of humanistic studies to contribute through an increasing knowledge of the history of cultural development to that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/it-is-indeed-perhaps-the-greatest-prospect-of-humanistic-studies-to/) [Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/) > [One thought spectra are marvellous, but it is not possible to make progress there. Just as if you have the wing of a butterfly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/one-thought-spectra-are-marvellous-but-it-is-not-possible-to-make/) [Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/) > [If you think you understand it, that only shows that you don't know the first thing about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/if-you-think-you-understand-it-that-only-shows-that-you-don-t-know/) [Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/) > [The very nature of the quantum theory ... forces us to regard the space-time coordination and the claim of causality, the union of which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/the-very-nature-of-the-quantum-theory-forces-us-to-regard-the-space/) [Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/) [Explore all 108 Niels Bohr quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/) ## More Great idea quotes > [ \[Photographer Julian Wasser\] had this great idea that I should play chess naked with Marcel Duchamp and it seem to be such a great… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-babitz/photographer-julian-wasser-had-this-great-idea-that-i-should-play/) [Eve Babitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-babitz/) > [Exhilaration is that feeling you get just after a great idea hits you, and just before you realize what's wrong with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rex-harrison/exhilaration-is-that-feeling-you-get-just-after-a-great-idea-hits-you/) [Rex Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rex-harrison/) > [I saw this DJ playing music and saying things to the kids. They would answer him back, and I say, 'That's a great idea.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-robinson/i-saw-this-dj-playing-music-and-saying-things-to-the-kids-they-would/) [Sylvia Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-robinson/) > [You need a great idea, but then you've got to carry it through. If you get it right, you're going to be a critical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-rankin/you-need-a-great-idea-but-then-you-ve-got-to-carry-it-through-if-you/) [Ian Rankin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-rankin/) > [The realization that my problem was one that concerned all men, a problem of living and thinking, suddenly swept over me and I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/the-realization-that-my-problem-was-one-that-concerned-all-men-a/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [...all members of Congress should be required wear NASCAR uniforms. You know, the kind with the patches? That way we'd know who is sponsoring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-thor/all-members-of-congress-should-be-required-wear-nascar-uniforms-you/) [Brad Thor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-thor/) > [Great ideas behave like the Sun. Even in the middle of nowhere, they find people and shine on them!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/great-ideas-behave-like-the-sun-even-in-the-middle-of-nowhere-they/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Getting a great idea with song writing is a lot like love. You don't know why this one is different, but it is. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/getting-a-great-idea-with-song-writing-is-a-lot-like-love-you-don-t/) [Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/) > [It was a great idea from my teammate Jamal Crawford. He kept telling me to jump over Spud, so we decided to call him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-robinson/it-was-a-great-idea-from-my-teammate-jamal-crawford-he-kept-telling/) [Nate Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-robinson/) > [I do value my work awfully; but in reality only consider this: all this world of ours is nothing but a speck of mildew,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/i-do-value-my-work-awfully-but-in-reality-only-consider-this-all-this/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [Most people who have kids are, "Hey, I want another me. I like me. I'm pretty cool, and I've got really great ideas, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cross/most-people-who-have-kids-are-hey-i-want-another-me-i-like-me-i-m/) [David Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cross/) > [“Great idea," I said. "Call the police. Call the fucking police.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ava-gardner/great-idea-i-said-call-the-police-call-the-fucking-police/) [Ava Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ava-gardner/) > [Being creative and playing with your content during the holidays is a great idea. But straying too far from your fundamental brand (from address,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-ford/being-creative-and-playing-with-your-content-during-the-holidays-is-a/) [Paul Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-ford/) > [A great idea solves multiple problems at the same time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shigeru-miyamoto/a-great-idea-solves-multiple-problems-at-the-same-time/) [Shigeru Miyamoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shigeru-miyamoto/) > [I think that it's a great idea to have honest conversations about children before getting married. I also think it's impossible to promise someone,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/i-think-that-it-s-a-great-idea-to-have-honest-conversations-about/) [Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) [Browse all 358 Great idea quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-idea/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The opposite of every great idea is another great idea.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Niels Bohr" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/the-opposite-of-every-great-idea-is-another-great-idea/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Great idea" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/the-opposite-of-every-great-idea-is-another-great-idea/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/404/niels-bohr-4542_great-idea_the-opposite-of-every-great-idea-is-anot_48313.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/404/niels-bohr-4542_great-idea_the-opposite-of-every-great-idea-is-anot_48313.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/404/niels-bohr-4542_great-idea_the-opposite-of-every-great-idea-is-anot_48313.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The opposite of every great idea is another great idea.” — Niels Bohr", "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": "Niels Bohr", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The opposite of every great idea...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/the-opposite-of-every-great-idea-is-another-great-idea/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/the-opposite-of-every-great-idea-is-another-great-idea/#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 } } ] } ```