--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: First, never underestimate the power of…" description: "\"“First, never underestimate the power of inertia. Second, that power can be harnessed.”\" — Richard H. Thaler" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e13/richard-h-thaler-8113_quote_first-never-underestimate-the-power-of-i_1179495.jpg" --- # First, never underestimate the power of inertia. Second… ![“First, never underestimate the power of inertia. Second, that power can be harnessed.” quote by Richard H. Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e13/richard-h-thaler-8113_quote_first-never-underestimate-the-power-of-i_1179495.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e13/richard-h-thaler-8113_quote_first-never-underestimate-the-power-of-i_1179495.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e13/richard-h-thaler-8113_quote_first-never-underestimate-the-power-of-i_1179495.jpg) > ““First, never underestimate the power of inertia. Second, that power can be harnessed.”” [Richard H. Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-h-thaler/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Inertia keeps things unchanged; it can be directed toward desired outcomes. **In simple terms:** Inertia can be used positively. Key Takeaway Leverage momentum for goals. Themes psychology economics behavior Mood practical insightful Type motivational strategic When to use this quote - personal finance - policy design - habit formation Key Concepts inertia motivation strategy Questions to Reflect On - How can you redirect existing habits? - What risks arise when forcing inertia? 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Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-h-thaler/) > [“We are also greatly influenced by consumption norms within the relevant group. A light eater eats much more in a group of heavy eaters.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-h-thaler/we-are-also-greatly-influenced-by-consumption-norms-within-the/) [Richard H. Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-h-thaler/) > [“People think about life in terms of changes, not levels.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-h-thaler/people-think-about-life-in-terms-of-changes-not-levels/) [Richard H. Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-h-thaler/) > [“predictions can’t vary more than the thing being forecast.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-h-thaler/predictions-can-t-vary-more-than-the-thing-being-forecast/) [Richard H. Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-h-thaler/) > [“When in a cold state, we do not appreciate how much our desires and our behavior will be altered when we are “under the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-h-thaler/when-in-a-cold-state-we-do-not-appreciate-how-much-our-desires-and/) [Richard H. Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-h-thaler/) > [“Bargains and Rip-Offs”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-h-thaler/bargains-and-rip-offs/) [Richard H. Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-h-thaler/) > [“you want to nudge people into socially desirable behavior, do not, by any means, let them know that their current actions are better than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-h-thaler/you-want-to-nudge-people-into-socially-desirable-behavior-do-not-by/) [Richard H. 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Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-h-thaler/) [Explore all 84 Richard H. Thaler quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-h-thaler/) ## More Inertia quotes > [Change is not overcoming inertia as much as it is redirecting, guiding, tweaking what already is and what has already happened. We must believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-mckeown/change-is-not-overcoming-inertia-as-much-as-it-is-redirecting-guiding/) [Max McKeown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-mckeown/) > [Sometimes you make up your mind about something without knowing why, and your decision persists by the power of inertia. Every year it gets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/sometimes-you-make-up-your-mind-about-something-without-knowing-why/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“We know how ninety-nine percent of the universe works," he told Carter shortly after they met, "and that's the clockworks, that's what we build…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-david-gold/we-know-how-ninety-nine-percent-of-the-universe-works-he-told-carter/) [Glen David Gold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-david-gold/) > [It takes forever if you go by inertia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-siberry/it-takes-forever-if-you-go-by-inertia/) [Jane Siberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-siberry/) > [“When describing me, Tracy often refers to a well-known concept of physics: 'inertia.' 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A famous piece of antique scripture representing a priest of that name and his two sons in the folds of two enormous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/laocoon-n-a-famous-piece-of-antique-scripture-representing-a-priest/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [Nothing happens until something moves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/nothing-happens-until-something-moves/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [Inertia accounts for two-thirds of marriages. But love accounts for the other third.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/inertia-accounts-for-two-thirds-of-marriages-but-love-accounts-for/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [I don't think America needs 28,000 men on Okinawa. I don't think we need an army in Germany. What's it for, to protect Germans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-gutzman/i-don-t-think-america-needs-28-000-men-on-okinawa-i-don-t-think-we/) [Kevin Gutzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-gutzman/) > [I know, that since life is our most precious gift, and as far as we can be absolutely certain, it's given to us to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/i-know-that-since-life-is-our-most-precious-gift-and-as-far-as-we-can/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [“In this world is not the creative act of the genius always a protest against the inertia of the mass?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/in-this-world-is-not-the-creative-act-of-the-genius-always-a-protest/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [The idea of salvation through some one or some thing outside of ourselves came from love of inertia. We want God or his Son…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-moore-hubbard/the-idea-of-salvation-through-some-one-or-some-thing-outside-of/) [Alice Moore Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-moore-hubbard/) > [Human inertia makes the everyday environment, the furniture, as it were, appear to be a given.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-gitlin/human-inertia-makes-the-everyday-environment-the-furniture-as-it-were/) [Todd Gitlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-gitlin/) [Browse all 237 Inertia quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inertia/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“First, never underestimate the power of inertia. Second, that power can be harnessed.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Richard H. 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