--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Have you ever thought that radical ideas…" description: "\"Have you ever thought that radical ideas threaten institutions, then become institutions, and in turn reject radical ideas which threaten institutions?..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c91/saul-bass-9764_ideas_have-you-ever-thought-that-radical-ideas_3161832.png" --- # Have you ever thought that radical ideas threaten… ![“Have you ever thought that radical ideas threaten institutions, then become institutions, and in turn reject radical ideas which threaten institutions?” quote by Saul Bass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c91/saul-bass-9764_ideas_have-you-ever-thought-that-radical-ideas_3161832.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c91/saul-bass-9764_ideas_have-you-ever-thought-that-radical-ideas_3161832.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c91/saul-bass-9764_ideas_have-you-ever-thought-that-radical-ideas_3161832.png) > “Have you ever thought that radical ideas threaten institutions, then become institutions, and in turn reject radical ideas which threaten institutions?” [Saul Bass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bass/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Radical ideas often challenge existing structures, later become part of those structures, and then oppose new radicals. **In simple terms:** Ideas can become the system they once opposed. Key Takeaway Beware of ideas becoming the new status quo. Themes change power institution ideas Mood critical thoughtful Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - political reform - technological innovation - cultural movements - organizational change Key Concepts radicalism institutionalization feedback loop Questions to Reflect On - How do you keep radical ideas fresh? - When does an institution become too rigid? A Different Perspective New ideas may be co-opted and lose their edge. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Institutions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/institutions/) [Radical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/radical/) [Radical ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/radical-ideas/) ## Related quotes > [Over the years, I've fought a number of polemical battles against ideas that threaten the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/over-the-years-i-ve-fought-a-number-of-polemical-battles-against/) [John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/) > [“We also need a way to regulate the way some companies and individuals buy up patents of promising ideas that would threaten their sources…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/we-also-need-a-way-to-regulate-the-way-some-companies-and-individuals/) [Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/) > [Acquire the courage to believe in yourself. Many of the things that you have been taught were at one time the radical ideas of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chin-ning-chu/acquire-the-courage-to-believe-in-yourself-many-of-the-things-that/) [Chin-Ning Chu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chin-ning-chu/) > [“The fractured self is not something that needs to be rectified fixed and made whole; by freeing thought of the blinkers of representation, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ria-banerjee/the-fractured-self-is-not-something-that-needs-to-be-rectified-fixed/) Ria Banerjee > [We can have paid family and medical leave. We can make public colleges and universities tuition-free. These are not revolutionary, radical ideas. They're kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/we-can-have-paid-family-and-medical-leave-we-can-make-public-colleges/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [I had this radical idea that the police should obey the law. My view was that any human system without adequate checks and balances…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/i-had-this-radical-idea-that-the-police-should-obey-the-law-my-view/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [Two radical ideas have been introduced into human thought. One of them is that energy and matter are pretty much the same sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/two-radical-ideas-have-been-introduced-into-human-thought-one-of-them/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [The idea of the Overton Window of using people on the political fringe to change the terms of acceptable debate, that's an idea that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/the-idea-of-the-overton-window-of-using-people-on-the-political/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [What does impress both the unsaved and saved alike are those rare individuals who have learned to control their lifestyles and use the abundance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-burkett/what-does-impress-both-the-unsaved-and-saved-alike-are-those-rare/) [Larry Burkett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-burkett/) > [Brexit and Trump's election are forcing countries to come up with new radical ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariana-mazzucato/brexit-and-trump-s-election-are-forcing-countries-to-come-up-with-new/) [Mariana Mazzucato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariana-mazzucato/) > [“Radical innovation is what many people seek, for it is the big, spectacular form of change. But most radical ideas fail, and even those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/radical-innovation-is-what-many-people-seek-for-it-is-the-big/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) > [Because having your story told as a woman, as a person of color, as a lesbian, as a trans person, or as any member…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-washington/because-having-your-story-told-as-a-woman-as-a-person-of-color-as-a/) [Kerry Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-washington/) > [The revolution that's required isn't a revolution of radical ideas, but the implementation of ideas we already have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-brand/the-revolution-that-s-required-isn-t-a-revolution-of-radical-ideas/) [Russell Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-brand/) > [Is there an idea more radical in the history of the human race than turning your children over to total strangers whom you know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-taylor-gatto/is-there-an-idea-more-radical-in-the-history-of-the-human-race-than/) [John Taylor Gatto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-taylor-gatto/) > [If we are to depression-proof our economy we may need to pay more attention to the radical ideas and policies of those who witnessed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcdonnell/if-we-are-to-depression-proof-our-economy-we-may-need-to-pay-more/) [John McDonnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcdonnell/) ## More by Saul Bass > [There is nothing glamorous in what I do. I'm a working man. Perhaps I’m luckier than most in that I receive considerable satisfaction from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bass/there-is-nothing-glamorous-in-what-i-do-i-m-a-working-man-perhaps-i-m/) [Saul Bass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bass/) > [The average individual lives in a high impact, complex, visual environment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bass/the-average-individual-lives-in-a-high-impact-complex-visual/) [Saul Bass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bass/) > [When a well-known creative person such as me is perceived to have created a knockoff of my own previous work, such a perception is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bass/when-a-well-known-creative-person-such-as-me-is-perceived-to-have/) [Saul Bass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bass/) > [I began as a graphic designer. As part of my work, I created film symbols for ad campaigns. I happened to be working on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bass/i-began-as-a-graphic-designer-as-part-of-my-work-i-created-film/) [Saul Bass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bass/) > [Dishonesty in trailers is more than a moral issue, it's a practical one. If you don't deliver in the film what you offered in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bass/dishonesty-in-trailers-is-more-than-a-moral-issue-it-s-a-practical/) [Saul Bass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bass/) > [The products people like best start with function and wind up with look.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bass/the-products-people-like-best-start-with-function-and-wind-up-with/) [Saul Bass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bass/) > [All fliers have some concern about flying. Some handle it by 'flying' the plane. They're 'raising' the wheels, 'making' the turns and so on.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bass/all-fliers-have-some-concern-about-flying-some-handle-it-by-flying/) [Saul Bass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bass/) > [A product is often a consumer's only window to a corporation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bass/a-product-is-often-a-consumer-s-only-window-to-a-corporation/) [Saul Bass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bass/) > [Sometimes when an idea flashes, you distrust it because it seems too easy. You qualify it with all kinds of evasive phrases because you’re…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bass/sometimes-when-an-idea-flashes-you-distrust-it-because-it-seems-too/) [Saul Bass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bass/) > [I've watched Spike Lee's career with interest, and he seemed to be striving for an original and moral point of view.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bass/i-ve-watched-spike-lee-s-career-with-interest-and-he-seemed-to-be/) [Saul Bass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bass/) > [There's nothing more damaging than an irate moviegoer who hasn't seen what the film trailer promised.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bass/there-s-nothing-more-damaging-than-an-irate-moviegoer-who-hasn-t-seen/) [Saul Bass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bass/) > [The very first pieces of film that I did were really graphic designs translated to film. Graphic designs that moved. That was a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bass/the-very-first-pieces-of-film-that-i-did-were-really-graphic-designs/) [Saul Bass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bass/) > [My position was that the film begins with the first frame and that the film should be doing a job at that point.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bass/my-position-was-that-the-film-begins-with-the-first-frame-and-that/) [Saul Bass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bass/) > [Sometimes clients have a sophisticated view of their design problem, sometimes they do not. I often spend time with the client redefining the problem,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bass/sometimes-clients-have-a-sophisticated-view-of-their-design-problem/) [Saul Bass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bass/) > [I want to make beautiful things, even if nobody cares, as opposed to ugly things. That's my intent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bass/i-want-to-make-beautiful-things-even-if-nobody-cares-as-opposed-to/) [Saul Bass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bass/) [Explore all 70 Saul Bass quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bass/) ## More Ideas quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [Companies with cultures that celebrate diverse opinions and encourage the exchange of ideas have an advantage when solving difficult problems. A company that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-mcmillon/companies-with-cultures-that-celebrate-diverse-opinions-and-encourage/) [Doug McMillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-mcmillon/) > [You'd be surprised how hard it can often be to translate an action into an idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/you-d-be-surprised-how-hard-it-can-often-be-to-translate-an-action/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [I know for my wife and I, we always loved the idea of being young parents. It is an incredibly inspiring and challenging job…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-hanson/i-know-for-my-wife-and-i-we-always-loved-the-idea-of-being-young/) [Taylor Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-hanson/) > [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [I've always been fascinated by the idea that there's no such thing as evil; it's all in your point of view. To one group…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-roth/i-ve-always-been-fascinated-by-the-idea-that-there-s-no-such-thing-as/) [Eli Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-roth/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [It revealed a cruelty that really made one wonder if the universe was such a good idea after all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-lindsay/it-revealed-a-cruelty-that-really-made-one-wonder-if-the-universe-was/) [Jeff Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-lindsay/) > [Sometimes it's just enough for me to have the idea. I don't need to see it through to the end. When it actually happens,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-sedaris/sometimes-it-s-just-enough-for-me-to-have-the-idea-i-don-t-need-to/) [Amy Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-sedaris/) > [Love is like that, fragile and light. No wonder it rests upon our hearts in intangible moments, bids us follow fleeting thoughts and ideas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-like-that-fragile-and-light-no-wonder-it-rests-upon-our/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [But I already saw no great difference between the psyche and spirituality. To amass knowledge without becoming wise is not my idea of progress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/but-i-already-saw-no-great-difference-between-the-psyche-and/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [Making movies seemed so impossible as far as getting my ideas funded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boots-riley/making-movies-seemed-so-impossible-as-far-as-getting-my-ideas-funded/) [Boots Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boots-riley/) > [I am not the avant-garde. I am the artist who comes after the advancing guard. I am more concerned with continuity of ideas and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-oliveira/i-am-not-the-avant-garde-i-am-the-artist-who-comes-after-the/) [Nathan Oliveira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-oliveira/) > [What is music? Music is language. A human being wants to express ideas in this language, but not ideas that can be translated into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-webern/what-is-music-music-is-language-a-human-being-wants-to-express-ideas/) [Anton Webern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-webern/) > [“What does it mean to be a self-conscious animal? The idea is ludicrous, if it is not monstrous. It means to know that one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-becker/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-self-conscious-animal-the-idea-is-ludicrous/) [Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/) [Browse all 24,908 Ideas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Have you ever thought that radical ideas threaten institutions, then become institutions, and in turn reject radical ideas which threaten institutions?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Saul Bass" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bass/have-you-ever-thought-that-radical-ideas-threaten-institutions-then/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ideas" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bass/have-you-ever-thought-that-radical-ideas-threaten-institutions-then/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c91/saul-bass-9764_ideas_have-you-ever-thought-that-radical-ideas_3161832.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c91/saul-bass-9764_ideas_have-you-ever-thought-that-radical-ideas_3161832.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c91/saul-bass-9764_ideas_have-you-ever-thought-that-radical-ideas_3161832.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Have you ever thought that radical ideas threaten institutions, then become institutions, and in turn reject…” — Saul Bass", "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": "Saul Bass", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bass/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Have you ever thought that radical...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bass/have-you-ever-thought-that-radical-ideas-threaten-institutions-then/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bass/have-you-ever-thought-that-radical-ideas-threaten-institutions-then/#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 } } ] } ```