--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Conventional wisdom is no wisdom at all…" description: "\"Conventional wisdom is no wisdom at all. Conventional wisdom is taking somebody else's word for the way things are It's the followers of this world who..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/563/richard-marcinko-29112_assumption_conventional-wisdom-is-no-wisdom-at-all_3002075.jpg" --- # Conventional wisdom is no wisdom at all. Conventional… ![“Conventional wisdom is no wisdom at all. Conventional wisdom is taking somebody else's word for the way things are It's the followers of this world who rely on assumption. Not the leaders.” quote by Richard Marcinko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/563/richard-marcinko-29112_assumption_conventional-wisdom-is-no-wisdom-at-all_3002075.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/563/richard-marcinko-29112_assumption_conventional-wisdom-is-no-wisdom-at-all_3002075.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/563/richard-marcinko-29112_assumption_conventional-wisdom-is-no-wisdom-at-all_3002075.jpg) > “Conventional wisdom is no wisdom at all. Conventional wisdom is taking somebody else's word for the way things are It's the followers of this world who rely on assumption. Not the leaders.” [Richard Marcinko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-marcinko/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Blindly following popular opinion is not true wisdom; true insight comes from independent thinking. **In simple terms:** Following the crowd isn’t wise. Key Takeaway Question assumptions and think independently. Themes critical thinking leadership independence Mood challenging inquisitive Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - business decisions - policy making - personal choices - team leadership Key Concepts wisdom conformity authority Questions to Reflect On - What assumptions do you accept without question? - How might dissent improve outcomes? A Different Perspective Independent thought can be isolating. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Assumption](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assumption/) [Conventional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conventional/) [Conventional wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conventional-wisdom/) [Followers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/followers/) [Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader/) [Rely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rely/) [This world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/this-world/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) [Wisdom Conventional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom-conventional-706350/) [Wisdom Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom-wisdom/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [Conventional Wisdom is certainly not wisdom, and only is conventional because foolishness is so common today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orrin-woodward/conventional-wisdom-is-certainly-not-wisdom-and-only-is-conventional/) [Orrin Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orrin-woodward/) > [All conventional wisdom has an element of truth to it, but good design requires more than an element of truth - it requires an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-petroski/all-conventional-wisdom-has-an-element-of-truth-to-it-but-good-design/) [Henry Petroski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-petroski/) > [The most important lesson of New Labour is this: Every time we made progress we did it by challenging the conventional wisdom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-miliband/the-most-important-lesson-of-new-labour-is-this-every-time-we-made/) [Ed Miliband](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-miliband/) > [Analysts may be correct that the presidential election won't primarily turn on entitlements reform, but by choosing Paul Ryan as his running mate, Mitt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-limbaugh/analysts-may-be-correct-that-the-presidential-election-won-t/) [David Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-limbaugh/) > [The world is always changed by people who don't listen to conventional wisdom. I think we often set our goals too small and try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/the-world-is-always-changed-by-people-who-don-t-listen-to/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [In a corporate context, companies have to try very hard to oppose the enticements of conventional wisdom. They must aim for the leaps, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kao/in-a-corporate-context-companies-have-to-try-very-hard-to-oppose-the/) [John Kao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kao/) > [When you're used to being prepared to reject conventional wisdom, it leaves you open to learn more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mayim-bialik/when-you-re-used-to-being-prepared-to-reject-conventional-wisdom-it/) [Mayim Bialik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mayim-bialik/) > [“Conventional wisdom is not always wrong—but it’s always suspect.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-webb/conventional-wisdom-is-not-always-wrong-but-it-s-always-suspect/) [Brandon Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-webb/) > [Conventional wisdom tells us we'll only be happier after a divorce if the marriage itself was a war zone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ariel-gore/conventional-wisdom-tells-us-we-ll-only-be-happier-after-a-divorce-if/) [Ariel Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ariel-gore/) > [The line that I am urging as today's conventional wisdom is not a denial of consciousness. It is often called, with more reason, arepudiation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willard-van-orman-quine/the-line-that-i-am-urging-as-today-s-conventional-wisdom-is-not-a/) [Willard Van Orman Quine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willard-van-orman-quine/) > [Conventional wisdom on government's role in inequality often has it backwards. Tax reforms have resulted in a more progressive federal income tax; government transfer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-ryan/conventional-wisdom-on-government-s-role-in-inequality-often-has-it/) [Paul Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-ryan/) > [Hurricane Katrina overwhelmed levees and exploded the conventional wisdom about a shared American prosperity, exposing a group of people so poor they didn't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/hurricane-katrina-overwhelmed-levees-and-exploded-the-conventional/) [Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/) > [What's different now is that while political leaders used to give talking points to talk radio, now talk-radio hosts are giving talking points to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-avlon/what-s-different-now-is-that-while-political-leaders-used-to-give/) [John Avlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-avlon/) > [Contrarian thinking at its best simply asks, Is this really true? It speaks up when the politically correct answer or the conventional wisdom doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-osborne/contrarian-thinking-at-its-best-simply-asks-is-this-really-true-it/) [Larry Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-osborne/) > [Whether you are buying a car or casting a ballot, choosing a job or planning a family, follow your moral compass. Don't let others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-hayes/whether-you-are-buying-a-car-or-casting-a-ballot-choosing-a-job-or/) [Denis Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-hayes/) ## More by Richard Marcinko > [“The more you sweat in training, the less you bleed in combat.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-marcinko/the-more-you-sweat-in-training-the-less-you-bleed-in-combat/) [Richard Marcinko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-marcinko/) > [For the past weeks I'd been reacting. That was no way to win. To win, you take the initiative. You instigate the action. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-marcinko/for-the-past-weeks-i-d-been-reacting-that-was-no-way-to-win-to-win/) [Richard Marcinko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-marcinko/) > [When you fight, you don't fight for abstract values like the flag, or the nation, or democracy. You fight for your buddy. You fight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-marcinko/when-you-fight-you-don-t-fight-for-abstract-values-like-the-flag-or/) [Richard Marcinko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-marcinko/) > [Have character, but don't be a character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-marcinko/have-character-but-don-t-be-a-character/) [Richard Marcinko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-marcinko/) > [Pain was their body's way of telling them that they'd pushed themselves to their limits - which was exactly where they were supposed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-marcinko/pain-was-their-body-s-way-of-telling-them-that-they-d-pushed/) [Richard Marcinko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-marcinko/) > [Knives are like credit cards; don't leave home without 'em and always carry several](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-marcinko/knives-are-like-credit-cards-don-t-leave-home-without-em-and-always/) [Richard Marcinko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-marcinko/) > [I don't follow the thought; "Winning is not important, playing the game is". If that is in fact true; then why do we keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-marcinko/i-don-t-follow-the-thought-winning-is-not-important-playing-the-game/) [Richard Marcinko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-marcinko/) > [There is only one kind of failure I cannot tolerate: the failure to risk failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-marcinko/there-is-only-one-kind-of-failure-i-cannot-tolerate-the-failure-to/) [Richard Marcinko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-marcinko/) > [The combat of WAR and an economic WAR have a lot of similarities. You do have to be skilled, aggressive, know your enemy and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-marcinko/the-combat-of-war-and-an-economic-war-have-a-lot-of-similarities-you/) [Richard Marcinko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-marcinko/) > [I ask my children (all of them) to be what they want to be; just be the best they can at what they choose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-marcinko/i-ask-my-children-all-of-them-to-be-what-they-want-to-be-just-be-the/) [Richard Marcinko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-marcinko/) > [What drives me? In every mission I'm on, the thing that drives me most is the desire to find my limits-and extend them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-marcinko/what-drives-me-in-every-mission-i-m-on-the-thing-that-drives-me-most/) [Richard Marcinko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-marcinko/) > [The rules of war and business are the same. Victory and success are the same. In one it's life and/or death in the other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-marcinko/the-rules-of-war-and-business-are-the-same-victory-and-success-are/) [Richard Marcinko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-marcinko/) > [Popularity is not leadership.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-marcinko/popularity-is-not-leadership/) [Richard Marcinko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-marcinko/) > [“The Navy’s caste system has the reputation of being about as rigid as any in the world. The first thing most Navy officer do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-marcinko/the-navy-s-caste-system-has-the-reputation-of-being-about-as-rigid-as/) [Richard Marcinko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-marcinko/) > [The more thou sweateth in training, the less thou bleedeth in combat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-marcinko/the-more-thou-sweateth-in-training-the-less-thou-bleedeth-in-combat/) [Richard Marcinko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-marcinko/) [Explore all 18 Richard Marcinko quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-marcinko/) ## More Assumption quotes > [Next to the assumption of power was the responsibility of relinquishing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-disraeli/next-to-the-assumption-of-power-was-the-responsibility-of/) [Benjamin Disraeli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-disraeli/) > [It's difficult for people to come to the understanding that only a small minority of the people ever really get the word about life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-nightingale/it-s-difficult-for-people-to-come-to-the-understanding-that-only-a/) [Earl Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-nightingale/) > [Much like teaching art to young art students age 10 to 15 or so on, you have to break it down into bite-sized pieces,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehinde-wiley/much-like-teaching-art-to-young-art-students-age-10-to-15-or-so-on/) [Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/) > [Neither novels or their readers benefit from any attempts to divine whether any facts hide inside a story. Such efforts attack the very idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/neither-novels-or-their-readers-benefit-from-any-attempts-to-divine/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [The risk of developing carcinoma of the lung increases steadily as the amount smoked increases. If the risk among non-smokers is taken as unity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-doll/the-risk-of-developing-carcinoma-of-the-lung-increases-steadily-as/) [Richard Doll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-doll/) > [Fortunately, the mind is restless; when it uncovers a layer of its own deception, gives up an illusion, exposes a lie, it does not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-chernin/fortunately-the-mind-is-restless-when-it-uncovers-a-layer-of-its-own/) [Kim Chernin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-chernin/) > [The possibility of saying anything about a thing rests on the assumption that it preserves its identity, or continues to be the same thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-knight/the-possibility-of-saying-anything-about-a-thing-rests-on-the/) [Frank Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-knight/) > [She spent hours drawing on her own, trying to perfect her craft. And when she got into music, she had that same diligence in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-joplin/she-spent-hours-drawing-on-her-own-trying-to-perfect-her-craft-and/) [Laura Joplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-joplin/) > [If they are, then the only ultimate truths are the particulars of concrete experience, and no postulate or general assumption is inherent in science…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chauncey-wright/if-they-are-then-the-only-ultimate-truths-are-the-particulars-of/) [Chauncey Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chauncey-wright/) > [If he's - the inference is that somehow he thinks slavery is a - is a noble institution I would - I would strongly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/if-he-s-the-inference-is-that-somehow-he-thinks-slavery-is-a-is-a/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [Leadership, pure and simple, is the assumption of responsibility for the pursuit of excellence in group life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-selznick/leadership-pure-and-simple-is-the-assumption-of-responsibility-for/) [Philip Selznick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-selznick/) > [Humans suffer from self-centred notions as to the nature of life. Humans assume that alien life forms should conform to standards that match our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-perry/humans-suffer-from-self-centred-notions-as-to-the-nature-of-life/) [Steve Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-perry/) > [When I see a fan coming over, I can't help but make an assumption about what they want to talk about. A middle-aged American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-dormer/when-i-see-a-fan-coming-over-i-can-t-help-but-make-an-assumption/) [Natalie Dormer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-dormer/) > [The Bell curve is a fact of life. The blacks on average score 85 per cent on IQ and it is accurate, nothing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-kuan-yew/the-bell-curve-is-a-fact-of-life-the-blacks-on-average-score-85-per/) [Lee Kuan Yew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-kuan-yew/) > [Pussy Riot have certainly changed some people's assumptions about the role of political art and the relationship between the intelligentsia and the church. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/pussy-riot-have-certainly-changed-some-people-s-assumptions-about-the/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) [Browse all 1,277 Assumption quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assumption/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Conventional wisdom is no wisdom at all. Conventional wisdom is taking somebody else's word for the way things are It's the followers of this world who rely on assumption. 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