--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Yesterday's dangerous idea is today's…" description: "\"Yesterday's dangerous idea is today's orthodoxy and tomorrow's cliché.\" — Richard Dawkins" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bc/richard-dawkins-115_dangerous_yesterday-s-dangerous-idea-is-today-s-or_720977.jpg" --- # Yesterday's dangerous idea is today's orthodoxy and… ![“Yesterday's dangerous idea is today's orthodoxy and tomorrow's cliché.” quote by Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bc/richard-dawkins-115_dangerous_yesterday-s-dangerous-idea-is-today-s-or_720977.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bc/richard-dawkins-115_dangerous_yesterday-s-dangerous-idea-is-today-s-or_720977.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bc/richard-dawkins-115_dangerous_yesterday-s-dangerous-idea-is-today-s-or_720977.jpg) > “Yesterday's dangerous idea is today's orthodoxy and tomorrow's cliché.” [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Ideas once radical become accepted, then become clichés, showing how cultural norms evolve over time. **In simple terms:** Ideas shift from radical to cliché. Key Takeaway Question current norms. Themes culture ideas change Mood critical inquisitive Type academic philosophical When to use this quote - education - media analysis - policy making Key Concepts Memetics Social evolution Questions to Reflect On - What today’s ideas will become tomorrow’s clichés? - How can we keep valuable ideas fresh? A Different Perspective New ideas may be dismissed too quickly. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dangerous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dangerous/) [Dangerous Idea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dangerous-idea-922234/) [Dangerous ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dangerous-ideas/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Orthodoxy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/orthodoxy/) [Orthodoxy Tomorrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/orthodoxy-tomorrow-5667293/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) [Today Orthodoxy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today-orthodoxy-5667291/) [Tomorrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tomorrow/) [Tomorrow Cliché](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tomorrow-clich-5667292/) [Yesterday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/yesterday/) [Yesterday Dangerous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/yesterday-dangerous-5667290/) ## Related quotes > [I have grown to believe that there is no dangerous idea, which does not become less dangerous when written out in sincere and careful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/i-have-grown-to-believe-that-there-is-no-dangerous-idea-which-does/) [William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/) > [For me, the key question is what's behind the dangerous idea. If it's simply to stir things up and appear radical, I'm not interested.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-livermore/for-me-the-key-question-is-what-s-behind-the-dangerous-idea-if-it-s/) [David Livermore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-livermore/) > [The only thing more dangerous than an idea is a belief. And by dangerous I don't mean thought-provoking. I mean: might get people killed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-vowell/the-only-thing-more-dangerous-than-an-idea-is-a-belief-and-by/) [Sarah Vowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-vowell/) > [“Nothing is more dangerous than an idea if it's the only one you have. • Emil-Auguste Chartier, Propos sur la religion, 1938”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-hunt/nothing-is-more-dangerous-than-an-idea-if-it-s-the-only-one-you-have-2/) [Andrew Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-hunt/) > [As a society, we pick words that are offensive based on what we're most afraid of. We associate sounds with some dangerous idea, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dooling/as-a-society-we-pick-words-that-are-offensive-based-on-what-we-re/) [Richard Dooling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dooling/) > [A man haunted by a fixed idea is insane. He is dangerous even if that idea is the idea of justice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramandeep-singh/a-man-haunted-by-a-fixed-idea-is-insane-he-is-dangerous-even-if-that/) [Ramandeep Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramandeep-singh/) > [Socialism is the antithesis of opportunity and it's time to reject this failed and dangerous idea once and for all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-campos-duffy/socialism-is-the-antithesis-of-opportunity-and-it-s-time-to-reject/) [Rachel Campos-Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-campos-duffy/) > [I think what's dangerous is the idea that someone can wash away your sins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/i-think-what-s-dangerous-is-the-idea-that-someone-can-wash-away-your/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [The notion that the species can be improved in some way, that everyone could live in harmony, is a really dangerous idea. Those who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/the-notion-that-the-species-can-be-improved-in-some-way-that-everyone/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“Nothing is more dangerous than an idea if it's the only one you have. • Emil-Auguste Chartier, Propos sur la religion, 1938 Engineers”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-hunt/nothing-is-more-dangerous-than-an-idea-if-it-s-the-only-one-you-have/) [Andrew Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-hunt/) > [Nothing is more dangerous than an idea when it is the only one you have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/nothing-is-more-dangerous-than-an-idea-when-it-is-the-only-one-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The only thing more dangerous than an idea is a belief.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-vowell/the-only-thing-more-dangerous-than-an-idea-is-a-belief/) [Sarah Vowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-vowell/) > [The Contessa was surely way ahead of her time, too, in believing that men were not only usless and idiotic, but downright dangerous. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/the-contessa-was-surely-way-ahead-of-her-time-too-in-believing-that/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [As a rule, the most dangerous ideas are not the ones that divide people but those on which they agree.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-vizinczey/as-a-rule-the-most-dangerous-ideas-are-not-the-ones-that-divide/) [Stephen Vizinczey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-vizinczey/) > [“At the apex of Prince's career, I listened almost exclusively to metal. My sister actually purchased 'Purple Rain' on cassette, which I write about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/at-the-apex-of-prince-s-career-i-listened-almost-exclusively-to-metal/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) ## More by Richard Dawkins > [At the deepest level, all living things that have ever been looked at have the same DNA code. And many of the same genes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/at-the-deepest-level-all-living-things-that-have-ever-been-looked-at/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [The word 'mundane' has come to mean 'boring' and 'dull', and it really shouldn't - it should mean the opposite. Because it comes from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-word-mundane-has-come-to-mean-boring-and-dull-and-it-really/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [We animals are the most complicated things in the known universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/we-animals-are-the-most-complicated-things-in-the-known-universe/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“The fundamentalist Kurt Wise proclaims that all the evidence in the universe would not change his mind. The true scientist, however passionately he may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-fundamentalist-kurt-wise-proclaims-that-all-the-evidence-in-the/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“I have found it an amusing strategy, when asked whether I am an atheist, to point out that the questioner is also an atheist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/i-have-found-it-an-amusing-strategy-when-asked-whether-i-am-an/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Religions do make claims about the universe--the same kinds of claims that scientists make, except they're usually false.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/religions-do-make-claims-about-the-universe-the-same-kinds-of-claims/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“much of the Bible is not systematically evil but just plain weird, as you would expect of a chaotically cobbled-together anthology of disjointed documents,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/much-of-the-bible-is-not-systematically-evil-but-just-plain-weird-as/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [The recurrent laryngeal nerve - which runs from the head to the voice box - goes all the way down into the chest, loops…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-recurrent-laryngeal-nerve-which-runs-from-the-head-to-the-voice/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [The Roman Catholic Church is an institution for whose gains the phrase "ill-gotten" might have been specially invented. And of all its money-making rip-offs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-roman-catholic-church-is-an-institution-for-whose-gains-the/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Let us understand what our own selfish genes are up to because we may then at least have the chance to upset their designs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/let-us-understand-what-our-own-selfish-genes-are-up-to-because-we-may/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [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/) > [Or why it is acceptable to train fast runners and high jumpers but not to breed them. I can think of some answers, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/or-why-it-is-acceptable-to-train-fast-runners-and-high-jumpers-but/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [We have seen that living things are too improbable and too beautifully 'designed' to have come into existence by chance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/we-have-seen-that-living-things-are-too-improbable-and-too/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“We will not go quietly away. If in the future that requires violence”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/we-will-not-go-quietly-away-if-in-the-future-that-requires-violence/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [It's a truly disgusting idea that the creator of the universe - capable of inventing the laws of physics and designing the evolutionary process…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/it-s-a-truly-disgusting-idea-that-the-creator-of-the-universe-capable/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) [Explore all 1,239 Richard Dawkins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) ## More Dangerous quotes > [So the fool, as distinct from the scoundrel, is completely self- satisfied; in fact, he can easily become dangerous, as it does not take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/so-the-fool-as-distinct-from-the-scoundrel-is-completely-self/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [Every one knows that the exercise of military power is forever dangerous to civil rights; and we have had recent instances of violences that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-adams/every-one-knows-that-the-exercise-of-military-power-is-forever/) [Samuel Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-adams/) > [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three \[great teachers\] did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-the-arts-since-the-medium-is/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [We're not very dangerous animals; we don't have a horn like a rhino or quills like a porcupine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fisher/we-re-not-very-dangerous-animals-we-don-t-have-a-horn-like-a-rhino-or/) [Helen Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fisher/) > [“It is dangerous to lock oneself away and lose track of what is happening outside.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/it-is-dangerous-to-lock-oneself-away-and-lose-track-of-what-is/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [Its extremely dangerous to compare anyone else to Shakespeare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-spacey/its-extremely-dangerous-to-compare-anyone-else-to-shakespeare/) [Kevin Spacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-spacey/) > [In my youth-team days, I was always a left-winger who would stay close to the byline and put crosses in the box, so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arjen-robben/in-my-youth-team-days-i-was-always-a-left-winger-who-would-stay-close/) [Arjen Robben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arjen-robben/) > [The temptations of God were always more dangerous for mankind than those of Satan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/the-temptations-of-god-were-always-more-dangerous-for-mankind-than/) [Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/) > [When you start talking about elections being rigged, you're pushing people beyond democratic governance. And it's a very, very dangerous thing to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/when-you-start-talking-about-elections-being-rigged-you-re-pushing/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [The Patriot Act is certainly a concern; all of those things are dangerous. I think more important than me preaching is that we as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clooney/the-patriot-act-is-certainly-a-concern-all-of-those-things-are/) [George Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clooney/) > [Die gefährlichste Weltanschauung ist die Weltanschauung derer, die die Welt nie angeschaut haben. (The most dangerous worldview is the worldview of those who have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-von-humboldt/die-gef-hrlichste-weltanschauung-ist-die-weltanschauung-derer-die-die/) [Alexander von Humboldt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-von-humboldt/) > [The most dangerous creature here would have to be me. So maybe I'm just scared of my own shadow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/the-most-dangerous-creature-here-would-have-to-be-me-so-maybe-i-m/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [The more people that learn about you, even if you're an underdog, then you can come under fire a lot and the more attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-way/the-more-people-that-learn-about-you-even-if-you-re-an-underdog-then/) [Gerard Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-way/) > [Anyone who maintains absolute standards of good and evil is dangerous. As dangerous as a maniac with a loaded revolver.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/anyone-who-maintains-absolute-standards-of-good-and-evil-is-dangerous/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [The proliferation of right-to-carry laws throughout the states has drawn plaintive complaints from the criminal element. They feel that it makes their profession too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-cooper/the-proliferation-of-right-to-carry-laws-throughout-the-states-has/) [Jeff Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-cooper/) [Browse all 6,450 Dangerous quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dangerous/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Yesterday's dangerous idea is today's orthodoxy and tomorrow's cliché.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Richard Dawkins" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/yesterday-s-dangerous-idea-is-today-s-orthodoxy-and-tomorrow-s-clich/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dangerous" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/yesterday-s-dangerous-idea-is-today-s-orthodoxy-and-tomorrow-s-clich/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bc/richard-dawkins-115_dangerous_yesterday-s-dangerous-idea-is-today-s-or_720977.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bc/richard-dawkins-115_dangerous_yesterday-s-dangerous-idea-is-today-s-or_720977.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bc/richard-dawkins-115_dangerous_yesterday-s-dangerous-idea-is-today-s-or_720977.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Yesterday's dangerous idea is today's orthodoxy and tomorrow's cliché.” — Richard Dawkins", "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": "Richard Dawkins", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Yesterday's dangerous idea is today's orthodoxy...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/yesterday-s-dangerous-idea-is-today-s-orthodoxy-and-tomorrow-s-clich/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/yesterday-s-dangerous-idea-is-today-s-orthodoxy-and-tomorrow-s-clich/#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 } } ] } ```