--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's so simple to be wise. Just think of…" description: "\"It's so simple to be wise. Just think of something stupid to say and say the opposite.\" — Sam Levenson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a9/sam-levenson-10469_simple_it-s-so-simple-to-be-wise-just-think-of_183438.png" --- # It's so simple to be wise. Just think of something stupid… ![“It's so simple to be wise. Just think of something stupid to say and say the opposite.” quote by Sam Levenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a9/sam-levenson-10469_simple_it-s-so-simple-to-be-wise-just-think-of_183438.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a9/sam-levenson-10469_simple_it-s-so-simple-to-be-wise-just-think-of_183438.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a9/sam-levenson-10469_simple_it-s-so-simple-to-be-wise-just-think-of_183438.png) > “It's so simple to be wise. Just think of something stupid to say and say the opposite.” [Sam Levenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-levenson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Wisdom can be achieved by deliberately choosing the opposite of a foolish impulse, turning a mistake into insight. **In simple terms:** Think opposite of a stupid idea to be wise. Key Takeaway Pause before speaking, then choose wisely. Themes wisdom mindfulness communication Mood thoughtful playful Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - public speaking - conflict resolution - personal decision making Key Concepts cognitive bias critical thinking Questions to Reflect On - When does the opposite approach fail? - How to balance intuition with rationality? A Different Perspective Opposite thinking may oversimplify complex issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) [Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wise/) ## Related quotes > [Its so simple to be wise. Just think of something stupid to say and then dont say it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/its-so-simple-to-be-wise-just-think-of-something-stupid-to-say-and/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [It's so simple to be wise. Just think of something stupid to say and then don't say it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-so-simple-to-be-wise-just-think-of-something-stupid-to-say-and-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's so simple to be wise just think of something stupid and then don't say it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ace-kid/it-s-so-simple-to-be-wise-just-think-of-something-stupid-and-then-don/) [Ace Kid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ace-kid/) > [Often if you don't speak up, whatever you thought was stupid to say some man would say and then everyone would say 'as he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-albright/often-if-you-don-t-speak-up-whatever-you-thought-was-stupid-to-say/) [Madeleine Albright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-albright/) > [“keep simple and be wise!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eno/keep-simple-and-be-wise/) Eno > [I'm not Mr.wise, I just keep in mind how terrible life can be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniyal-butt/i-m-not-mr-wise-i-just-keep-in-mind-how-terrible-life-can-be/) [Daniyal Butt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniyal-butt/) > [You don't have to learn to be wise. If you just flow you can be successful. Mother Nature will carry you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harbhajan-singh-yogi/you-don-t-have-to-learn-to-be-wise-if-you-just-flow-you-can-be/) [Harbhajan Singh Yogi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harbhajan-singh-yogi/) > [That alone is wise which is just; that alone is enduring which is right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-george/that-alone-is-wise-which-is-just-that-alone-is-enduring-which-is-right/) [Henry George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-george/) > [See first that the design is wise and just: that ascertained, pursue it resolutely; do not for one repulse forego the purpose that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/see-first-that-the-design-is-wise-and-just-that-ascertained-pursue-it/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [No one knows anything. You're going to make mistakes and you're going to do things that people think are stupid. You can't sit there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hader/no-one-knows-anything-you-re-going-to-make-mistakes-and-you-re-going/) [Bill Hader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hader/) > [Sandy: Boy, you must really think I'm stupid or something. Jeff: Ahh, no one would call you stupid, to your face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teri-garr/sandy-boy-you-must-really-think-i-m-stupid-or-something-jeff-ahh-no/) [Teri Garr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teri-garr/) > [“If people fully understand you, they will think of you as a normal, if they half understand you, will think of you as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/if-people-fully-understand-you-they-will-think-of-you-as-a-normal-if/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [People are stupid, what can I say. They don't know who's a real fighter or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gegard-mousasi/people-are-stupid-what-can-i-say-they-don-t-know-who-s-a-real-fighter/) [Gegard Mousasi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gegard-mousasi/) > [I want a boyfriend who will be stupid with me and say stupid things, someone to call my best friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-want-a-boyfriend-who-will-be-stupid-with-me-and-say-stupid-things/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If a girl says, I'm cold, don't be stupid and say, me too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-a-girl-says-i-m-cold-don-t-be-stupid-and-say-me-too/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Sam Levenson > [The Puritans came to America to worship in their way and to force everybody else to do the same thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-levenson/the-puritans-came-to-america-to-worship-in-their-way-and-to-force/) [Sam Levenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-levenson/) > [If you want to kill time, try working it to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-levenson/if-you-want-to-kill-time-try-working-it-to-death/) [Sam Levenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-levenson/) > [You must learn from the mistakes of others. You can't possibly live long enough to make them all yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-levenson/you-must-learn-from-the-mistakes-of-others-you-can-t-possibly-live/) [Sam Levenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-levenson/) > [How wise are thy commandments, Lord. Each of them applies to somebody I know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-levenson/how-wise-are-thy-commandments-lord-each-of-them-applies-to-somebody-i/) [Sam Levenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-levenson/) > [You don't have to be in "Who's Who" to know what's what.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-levenson/you-don-t-have-to-be-in-who-s-who-to-know-what-s-what/) [Sam Levenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-levenson/) > [I'm going to stop putting things off, starting tomorrow!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-levenson/i-m-going-to-stop-putting-things-off-starting-tomorrow/) [Sam Levenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-levenson/) > [A woman's place is in the home. Why should she go out and take away a workingman's pay instead of staying home and stealing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-levenson/a-woman-s-place-is-in-the-home-why-should-she-go-out-and-take-away-a/) [Sam Levenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-levenson/) > [Any kid who has two parents who are interested in him and has a houseful of books isn't poor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-levenson/any-kid-who-has-two-parents-who-are-interested-in-him-and-has-a/) [Sam Levenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-levenson/) > [“For attractive lips, speak words of kindness. For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people. For a slim figure, share your food with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-levenson/for-attractive-lips-speak-words-of-kindness-for-lovely-eyes-seek-out/) [Sam Levenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-levenson/) > [At the U.N., any nation that fights back is censored as an "aggressor."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-levenson/at-the-u-n-any-nation-that-fights-back-is-censored-as-an-aggressor/) [Sam Levenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-levenson/) > [The American success formula is first to get a home of your own, then to get a car of your own so you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-levenson/the-american-success-formula-is-first-to-get-a-home-of-your-own-then/) [Sam Levenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-levenson/) > [Never lend money to a friend. It's dangerous. It could damage his memory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-levenson/never-lend-money-to-a-friend-it-s-dangerous-it-could-damage-his-memory/) [Sam Levenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-levenson/) > [How wise are Thy commandments O Lord. Each one of them applies to somebody or other I know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-levenson/how-wise-are-thy-commandments-o-lord-each-one-of-them-applies-to/) [Sam Levenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-levenson/) > [Siblings: children of the same parents, each of whom is perfectly normal until they get together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-levenson/siblings-children-of-the-same-parents-each-of-whom-is-perfectly/) [Sam Levenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-levenson/) > [More and more Congressmen now stay in Washington all year-round because they can't stay at home under the laws they've passed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-levenson/more-and-more-congressmen-now-stay-in-washington-all-year-round/) [Sam Levenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-levenson/) [Explore all 65 Sam Levenson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-levenson/) ## More Simple quotes > [I believe in taxation and health care that is outside the usual libertarian mandate, because I don't want people to have to suffer. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-peart/i-believe-in-taxation-and-health-care-that-is-outside-the-usual/) [Neil Peart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-peart/) > [Many early-stage entrepreneurs make one simple mistake: Describing this 'big picture' in vague concepts and words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunil-nagaraj/many-early-stage-entrepreneurs-make-one-simple-mistake-describing/) [Sunil Nagaraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunil-nagaraj/) > [Faith is the avenue to salvation. Not intellectual understanding. Not money. Not your works. Just simple faith. How much faith? The faith of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/faith-is-the-avenue-to-salvation-not-intellectual-understanding-not/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [ \[States and the Federal government are\] coordinate departments of one simple and integral whole... The one is the domestic, the other the foreign branch… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/states-and-the-federal-government-are-coordinate-departments-of-one/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [One of the things I regret about not putting in that book or I think it's there but I didn't really elaborate on it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-warner/one-of-the-things-i-regret-about-not-putting-in-that-book-or-i-think/) [Brad Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-warner/) > [Someone else who liked what I did might turn around and say, "She's reworking and rethinking everything. She could just be making blankets now,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracey-emin/someone-else-who-liked-what-i-did-might-turn-around-and-say-she-s/) [Tracey Emin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracey-emin/) > [I don't think I've ever bench-pressed anything in my life. Until about two years ago I swam a mile almost every day. Then I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-antosca/i-don-t-think-i-ve-ever-bench-pressed-anything-in-my-life-until-about/) [Nick Antosca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-antosca/) > [I take the seashell from my jeans pocket and rub my fingers across its silken, indented surface, shallow as my own open hand. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katrina-kenison/i-take-the-seashell-from-my-jeans-pocket-and-rub-my-fingers-across/) [Katrina Kenison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katrina-kenison/) > [It's something he used to say when he was happy. It could be a very, very simple day. We might be sitting out on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-grant/it-s-something-he-used-to-say-when-he-was-happy-it-could-be-a-very/) [Jennifer Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-grant/) > [Alec Wilkinson is a spare, clear, and lucid writer who works in stylistic simplicity with material that is not simple at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-matthiessen/alec-wilkinson-is-a-spare-clear-and-lucid-writer-who-works-in/) [Peter Matthiessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-matthiessen/) > [I believe that simple, consistent shifts in our thinking and actions can lead to the miraculous in all aspects of our daily lives, including…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-bernstein/i-believe-that-simple-consistent-shifts-in-our-thinking-and-actions/) [Gabrielle Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-bernstein/) > [Like in nature, I like things which are based on a few simple principles, even though their manifestation can be very rich.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fabiola-gianotti/like-in-nature-i-like-things-which-are-based-on-a-few-simple/) [Fabiola Gianotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fabiola-gianotti/) > [I don't have any particular method, my approach is very simple. I try to understand the emotional graph of the character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pratik-gandhi/i-don-t-have-any-particular-method-my-approach-is-very-simple-i-try/) [Pratik Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pratik-gandhi/) > [How strange that something so simple could have been instrumental in my decision to ruin one of my most relationships and friendships, and damage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/how-strange-that-something-so-simple-could-have-been-instrumental-in/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [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 Browse all 10,010 Simple quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's so simple to be wise. Just think of something stupid to say and say the opposite.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sam Levenson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-levenson/it-s-so-simple-to-be-wise-just-think-of-something-stupid-to-say-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Simple" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-levenson/it-s-so-simple-to-be-wise-just-think-of-something-stupid-to-say-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a9/sam-levenson-10469_simple_it-s-so-simple-to-be-wise-just-think-of_183438.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a9/sam-levenson-10469_simple_it-s-so-simple-to-be-wise-just-think-of_183438.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a9/sam-levenson-10469_simple_it-s-so-simple-to-be-wise-just-think-of_183438.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It's so simple to be wise. Just think of something stupid to say and say the opposite.” — Sam Levenson", "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": "Sam Levenson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-levenson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It's so simple to be wise....", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-levenson/it-s-so-simple-to-be-wise-just-think-of-something-stupid-to-say-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-levenson/it-s-so-simple-to-be-wise-just-think-of-something-stupid-to-say-and/#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 } } ] } ```