--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: [T]here seems to have been an actual…" description: "\"[T]here seems to have been an actual decline in rational thinking. The United States had become a place where entertainers and professional athletes we..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/555/robert-a-heinlein-209_affair_t-here-seems-to-have-been-an-actual-decl_1568190.jpg" --- # \[T\]here seems to have been an actual decline in rational… ![“[T]here seems to have been an actual decline in rational thinking. The United States had become a place where entertainers and professional athletes were mistaken for people of importance. They were idolized and treated as leaders; their opinions were sought on everything and they took themselves…” quote by Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/555/robert-a-heinlein-209_affair_t-here-seems-to-have-been-an-actual-decl_1568190.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/555/robert-a-heinlein-209_affair_t-here-seems-to-have-been-an-actual-decl_1568190.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/555/robert-a-heinlein-209_affair_t-here-seems-to-have-been-an-actual-decl_1568190.jpg) > “\[T\]here seems to have been an actual decline in rational thinking. The United States had become a place where entertainers and professional athletes were mistaken for people of importance. They were idolized and treated as leaders; their opinions were sought on everything and they took themselves just as seriously-after all, if an athlete is paid a million or more a year, he knows he is important ... so his opinions of foreign affairs and domestic policies must be important, too, even though he proves himself to be ignorant and subliterate every time he opens his mouth.” [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Society elevates fame over expertise, leading to poor decision‑making and misplaced authority. **In simple terms:** Fame replaces knowledge in public influence. Key Takeaway Question expertise, not popularity. Themes culture media politics education authority Mood cautious critical reflective Type observational analytical When to use this quote - voting - policy discussion - media consumption - leadership selection Key Concepts celebrity worship information hierarchy critical thinking Questions to Reflect On - How do we balance entertainment value with informed leadership? - What mechanisms can protect public discourse from celebrity bias? A Different Perspective Popularity can mask incompetence, but expertise may be ignored. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Affair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affair/) [Athlete](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athlete/) [Decline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decline/) [Domestic policy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/domestic-policy/) [Entertainers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entertainers/) [Foreign affairs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foreign-affairs/) [Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader/) [Media](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/media/) [Opinion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opinion/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Professional athlete](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/professional-athlete/) [Rational thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rational-thinking/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [United states](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united-states/) ## Related quotes > [The United States has become a place where entertainers and professional athletes are mistaken for people of importance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/the-united-states-has-become-a-place-where-entertainers-and/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Trump's opinions on the Iraq War have been as erratic as his opinions on other foreign policy matters - such as his careless position…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brock/trump-s-opinions-on-the-iraq-war-have-been-as-erratic-as-his-opinions/) [David Brock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brock/) > [The most important opinions to me are those that belong to the guys in the changing room.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-cook/the-most-important-opinions-to-me-are-those-that-belong-to-the-guys/) [Alastair Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-cook/) > [I think it is terribly important to have opinions, and to think. We live in a world of action without thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-westwood/i-think-it-is-terribly-important-to-have-opinions-and-to-think-we/) [Vivienne Westwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-westwood/) > [I think most people are more important than their opinions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/i-think-most-people-are-more-important-than-their-opinions/) [Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/) > [Life is too short to waste any amount of time on wondering what other people think about you. In the first place, if they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-joybell-c-2/life-is-too-short-to-waste-any-amount-of-time-on-wondering-what-other/) [C JoyBell C](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-joybell-c-2/) > [The Internet is a bastion of negativity, and we get to sit there and voice our cute, little, important opinions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-craig-smith/the-internet-is-a-bastion-of-negativity-and-we-get-to-sit-there-and/) [Roger Craig Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-craig-smith/) > [I couldn't help but be struck that this guy I had thought was the embodiment of everything wrong with American politics, a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/i-couldn-t-help-but-be-struck-that-this-guy-i-had-thought-was-the/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) > [On domestic policy, one of the major stories in American politics has been the growing ideological and political self-confidence of the Democratic Party, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-beinart/on-domestic-policy-one-of-the-major-stories-in-american-politics-has/) [Peter Beinart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-beinart/) > [Foreign policy is inseparable from domestic policy now. Is terrorism foreign policy or domestic policy? It's both. It's the same with crime, with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-miliband/foreign-policy-is-inseparable-from-domestic-policy-now-is-terrorism/) [David Miliband](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-miliband/) > [The domestic policy of any president, U.S. or otherwise, is his or her own concern, as long as democratic norms are followed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toomas-hendrik-ilves/the-domestic-policy-of-any-president-u-s-or-otherwise-is-his-or-her/) [Toomas Hendrik Ilves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toomas-hendrik-ilves/) > [He's the president of the United States. He's got to work 14 to 16 hours a day, run foreign and domestic policy. If he's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-salinger/he-s-the-president-of-the-united-states-he-s-got-to-work-14-to-16/) [Pierre Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-salinger/) > [Domestic policy can only defeat us; foreign policy can kill us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/domestic-policy-can-only-defeat-us-foreign-policy-can-kill-us/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [Foreign policy is really domestic policy with its hat on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-h-humphrey/foreign-policy-is-really-domestic-policy-with-its-hat-on/) [Hubert H. Humphrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-h-humphrey/) > [Do not allow Democrats anywhere near foreign policy. Not even to keep them away from domestic policy. It's a mistake to ask those who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/do-not-allow-democrats-anywhere-near-foreign-policy-not-even-to-keep/) [Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/) ## More by Robert A. Heinlein > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [My folks tried to make a preacher of me and missed by a narrow margin… I would have made a good one if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/my-folks-tried-to-make-a-preacher-of-me-and-missed-by-a-narrow-margin/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Ninety percent of all human wisdom is the ability to mind your own business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/ninety-percent-of-all-human-wisdom-is-the-ability-to-mind-your-own/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [If we blow ourselves up we will do it by misapplication of science; if we manage to keep from blowing ourselves up, it will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/if-we-blow-ourselves-up-we-will-do-it-by-misapplication-of-science-if/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Nor would anybody suspect. If was one thing all people took for granted, was conviction that if you feed honest figures into a computer,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/nor-would-anybody-suspect-if-was-one-thing-all-people-took-for/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Women will forgive anything. Otherwise, the race would have died out long ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/women-will-forgive-anything-otherwise-the-race-would-have-died-out/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Most neuroses and some psychoses can be traced to the unnecessary and unhealthy habit of daily wallowing in the troubles and sins of five…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/most-neuroses-and-some-psychoses-can-be-traced-to-the-unnecessary-and/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [No statement should be believed because it is made by an authority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/no-statement-should-be-believed-because-it-is-made-by-an-authority/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“Some people are ants by nature; they have to work, even when it’s useless. Few people have a talent for constructive laziness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/some-people-are-ants-by-nature-they-have-to-work-even-when-it-s/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“The instinct to survive is human nature itself, and every aspect of our personalities derives from it. Anything that conflicts with the survival instinct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/the-instinct-to-survive-is-human-nature-itself-and-every-aspect-of/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“I tried to dig out of the computer a call directory for Luna. But it was still sulking. I could not get it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/i-tried-to-dig-out-of-the-computer-a-call-directory-for-luna-but-it/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“this has more aspects than a cat has hair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/this-has-more-aspects-than-a-cat-has-hair/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Never own more than you can carry in both hands at a dead run.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/never-own-more-than-you-can-carry-in-both-hands-at-a-dead-run/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“In Wilson's scale of evaluations breakfast rated just after life itself and ahead of the chance of immortality." ~ By His Bootstraps / Robert A. Heinlein”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/in-wilson-s-scale-of-evaluations-breakfast-rated-just-after-life/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Ignorance is curable, stupid is forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/ignorance-is-curable-stupid-is-forever/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) [Explore all 888 Robert A. Heinlein quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) ## More Affair quotes > [Histories never conclude; they just pause their prose. Their stories are, if they are truthful, untidy affairs, resistant to windings-up and sortings-out. They beat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-schama/histories-never-conclude-they-just-pause-their-prose-their-stories/) [Simon Schama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-schama/) > [Islam never differentiates between men and women as regards political rights and puts them on an equal footing. However, even if a woman is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yusuf-al-qaradawi/islam-never-differentiates-between-men-and-women-as-regards-political/) [Yusuf al-Qaradawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yusuf-al-qaradawi/) > [Our guiding principle was that design is neither an intellectual nor a material affair, but simply an integral part of the stuff of life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-gropius/our-guiding-principle-was-that-design-is-neither-an-intellectual-nor/) [Walter Gropius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-gropius/) > [I wonder if it's possible to have a love affair that lasts forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-warhol/i-wonder-if-it-s-possible-to-have-a-love-affair-that-lasts-forever/) [Andy Warhol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-warhol/) > [For a young man to start his career with a love affair with an older woman was quite de rigueur ... Of course, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vita-sackville-west/for-a-young-man-to-start-his-career-with-a-love-affair-with-an-older/) [Vita Sackville-West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vita-sackville-west/) > [As long as the state permits itself to interfere in the affairs of literature, literature has the right to interfere with the affairs of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-brodsky/as-long-as-the-state-permits-itself-to-interfere-in-the-affairs-of/) [Joseph Brodsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-brodsky/) > [Love is mainly an affair of short spasms. If these spasms disappoint us, love dies. It is very seldom that it weathers the experience…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-cocteau/love-is-mainly-an-affair-of-short-spasms-if-these-spasms-disappoint/) [Jean Cocteau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-cocteau/) > [The Fundamental Principle that governs - or ought to govern -human affairs if we wish to avoid misunderstandings, conflicts, or pointless utopias, is negotiation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/the-fundamental-principle-that-governs-or-ought-to-govern-human/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [My hope does not rest in the affairs of this world. It rests in Christ who is coming again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/my-hope-does-not-rest-in-the-affairs-of-this-world-it-rests-in-christ/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [In 1953, the United States played a significant role in orchestrating the overthrow of Iran's popular prime minister, Mohammed Mossadegh. 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"And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-jensen/i-ripped-the-sketch-from-the-wall-liar-edward-looked-more-ravaged/) [Melissa Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-jensen/) > [For some people, a one-night stand doesn't make any difference in a seven-year love affair. 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