--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Mockery is an important social tool for…" description: "\"Mockery is an important social tool for squelching stupidity. I’ve never seen anyone change his mind because of the power of a superior argument or the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee1/scott-adams-666_acquisition_mockery-is-an-important-social-tool-for_1980299.jpg" --- # Mockery is an important social tool for squelching… ![“Mockery is an important social tool for squelching stupidity. I’ve never seen anyone change his mind because of the power of a superior argument or the acquisition of new facts. But I’ve seen plenty of people change behavior to avoid being mocked.” quote by Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee1/scott-adams-666_acquisition_mockery-is-an-important-social-tool-for_1980299.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee1/scott-adams-666_acquisition_mockery-is-an-important-social-tool-for_1980299.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee1/scott-adams-666_acquisition_mockery-is-an-important-social-tool-for_1980299.jpg) > “Mockery is an important social tool for squelching stupidity. I’ve never seen anyone change his mind because of the power of a superior argument or the acquisition of new facts. But I’ve seen plenty of people change behavior to avoid being mocked.” [Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Mockery can be a powerful motivator for behavior change, even if it doesn’t alter beliefs directly. **In simple terms:** People often change actions to avoid ridicule, not because they’re convinced. Key Takeaway Use respectful dialogue over mockery. Themes social influence behavior change communication Mood critical analytical Type cautionary thought‑provoking When to use this quote - workplace - online debates - political discourse - education Key Concepts mockery social pressure argument effectiveness Questions to Reflect On - When is mockery effective versus harmful? - How can we encourage change without ridicule? A Different Perspective Mockery may damage relationships and stifle genuine learning. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acquisition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acquisition/) [Argument](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/argument/) [Avoid Mocked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/avoid-mocked-3376989/) [Behavior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behavior/) [Change Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change-mind/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Mocked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mocked/) [Mockery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mockery/) [Mockery Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mockery-important-3376988/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-change/) [Plenty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plenty/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) [Stupidity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stupidity/) [Superiors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/superiors/) [Tools](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tools/) ## Related quotes > [“Give yourself a pat on the back for getting mocked by those who have never tried their hands at anything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/give-yourself-a-pat-on-the-back-for-getting-mocked-by-those-who-have/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [They themselves mocked Africa, trading stories of absurdity, of stupidity, and they felt safe to mock, because it was a mockery born of longing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/they-themselves-mocked-africa-trading-stories-of-absurdity-of/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [There's a fine line between participation and mockery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/there-s-a-fine-line-between-participation-and-mockery/) [Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) > [One always imagines that the days that change one’s life must be marked with something extraordinary in nature—storms and lightning, darkness at noon, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-george/one-always-imagines-that-the-days-that-change-one-s-life-must-be/) [Margaret George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-george/) > [It’s humbling, to become the very thing you once mocked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/it-s-humbling-to-become-the-very-thing-you-once-mocked/) [Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/) > [Enthusiats are used to being mocked, maligned and misunderstood. We don't really mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/enthusiats-are-used-to-being-mocked-maligned-and-misunderstood-we-don/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [Time and I have quarrelled. All hours are midnight now. I had a clock and a watch, but I destroyed them both. I could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-clarke/time-and-i-have-quarrelled-all-hours-are-midnight-now-i-had-a-clock/) [Susanna Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-clarke/) > [The devil...the prowde spirite...cannot endure to be mocked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-moore/the-devil-the-prowde-spirite-cannot-endure-to-be-mocked/) [Thomas Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-moore/) > [“It was fine to be mocked or disliked on his own terms. But his sexual orientation was such a naked target, unfortified by nonchalance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-henry/it-was-fine-to-be-mocked-or-disliked-on-his-own-terms-but-his-sexual/) [Lisa Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-henry/) > [To be great, you have to be willing to be mocked, hated and misunderstood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-be-great-you-have-to-be-willing-to-be-mocked-hated-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When Mitt Romney talked about Putin expanding his sphere of influence, Obama mocked and said, 'The Cold War has been over 20 years, nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/when-mitt-romney-talked-about-putin-expanding-his-sphere-of-influence/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [God is only mocked by believers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-sexton/god-is-only-mocked-by-believers/) [Anne Sexton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-sexton/) > [I spent years doing 'Star Trek' bits and things, and a lot of people loved it, a lot of people mocked it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shatner/i-spent-years-doing-star-trek-bits-and-things-and-a-lot-of-people/) [William Shatner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shatner/) > [“Ain’t nothing wrong with a little crew love!” True mocked her.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-wan/ain-t-nothing-wrong-with-a-little-crew-love-true-mocked-her/) [K'wan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-wan/) > [You are still despised and mocked, A man too weak and infirm to be God, A God too much man to call forth adoration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil/you-are-still-despised-and-mocked-a-man-too-weak-and-infirm-to-be-god/) [Khalil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil/) ## More by Scott Adams > [The creator of the universe works in mysterious ways. But he uses a base ten counting system and likes round numbers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/the-creator-of-the-universe-works-in-mysterious-ways-but-he-uses-a/) [Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) > [“If you think your odds of solving your problem are bad, don’t rule out the possibility that what is really happening is that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/if-you-think-your-odds-of-solving-your-problem-are-bad-don-t-rule-out/) [Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) > [Frankly, I’m suspicious of anyone who has a strong opinion on a complicated issue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/frankly-i-m-suspicious-of-anyone-who-has-a-strong-opinion-on-a/) [Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) > [“If you want success, figure out the price, then pay it. It sounds trivial and obvious, but if you unpack the idea it has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/if-you-want-success-figure-out-the-price-then-pay-it-it-sounds/) [Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) > [Ideas are worthless, execution is everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/ideas-are-worthless-execution-is-everything/) [Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) > [For five hundred dollars, I'll name a subatomic particle after you. Some of my satisfied customers include Arthur C. Quark and George Meson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/for-five-hundred-dollars-i-ll-name-a-subatomic-particle-after-you/) [Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) > [“Failure always brings something valuable with it. I don’t let it leave until I extract that value.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/failure-always-brings-something-valuable-with-it-i-don-t-let-it-leave/) [Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) > [The longer you verk here, diverse it gets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/the-longer-you-verk-here-diverse-it-gets/) [Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) > [“On all the important stuff, we are emotional creatures who make decisions first and rationalize them after the fact.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/on-all-the-important-stuff-we-are-emotional-creatures-who-make/) [Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) > [“What you rarely see is a stillborn failure that transmogrifies into a stellar success. Small successes can grow into big ones, but failures rarely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/what-you-rarely-see-is-a-stillborn-failure-that-transmogrifies-into-a/) [Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) > [“Because everything you perceive is a metaphor for something your brain is not equipped to fully understand. God is as real as the clothes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/because-everything-you-perceive-is-a-metaphor-for-something-your/) [Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) > [“Capitalism is rotten at every level, and yet it adds up to something extraordinarily useful for society over time. The paradox of capitalism is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/capitalism-is-rotten-at-every-level-and-yet-it-adds-up-to-something/) [Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) > [The best part about being my age is in knowing how my life worked out. Sure, there's a lot more living to go, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/the-best-part-about-being-my-age-is-in-knowing-how-my-life-worked-out/) [Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) > [If you see voters as rational, you'll be a terrible politician. People are not wired to be rational. Our brains simply evolved to keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/if-you-see-voters-as-rational-you-ll-be-a-terrible-politician-people/) [Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) > [E-books are impervious to analogy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/e-books-are-impervious-to-analogy/) [Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) [Explore all 418 Scott Adams quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) ## More Acquisition quotes > [The Role of Deliberate Practice in the Acquisition of Expert Performance”: “The differences between expert performers and normal adults are not immutable, that is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-anders-ericsson/the-role-of-deliberate-practice-in-the-acquisition-of-expert/) [K. Anders Ericsson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-anders-ericsson/) > [ No one suffers so much as he \[the genius\] with the people, and, therefore, for the people, with whom he lives. For, in a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-weininger/no-one-suffers-so-much-as-he-the-genius-with-the-people-and-therefore/) [Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/) > [Personal happiness lies in knowing that life is not a checklist of acquisition. Your qualifications are not your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/personal-happiness-lies-in-knowing-that-life-is-not-a-checklist-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We may... affirm that the balance of power in a society accompanies the balance of property in land. The only possible way, then, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/we-may-affirm-that-the-balance-of-power-in-a-society-accompanies-the/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [Learning to play the guitar is a combination of mental and motor skill acquisition. And to develop motor skill, repetition is essential... Whenever musicians…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-roberts/learning-to-play-the-guitar-is-a-combination-of-mental-and-motor/) [Howard Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-roberts/) > [All worldly pursuits have but one unavoidable and inevitable end, which is sorrow; acquisitions end in dispersion; buildings in destruction; meetings in separation; births…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milarepa/all-worldly-pursuits-have-but-one-unavoidable-and-inevitable-end/) [Milarepa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milarepa/) > [When ice appears out of doors, and boys seize it up while it is solid, at first they experience new pleasures. But in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/when-ice-appears-out-of-doors-and-boys-seize-it-up-while-it-is-solid/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [Accounting consequences do not influence our operating or capital-allocation decisions. When acquisition costs are similar, we much prefer to purchase $2 of earnings that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/accounting-consequences-do-not-influence-our-operating-or-capital/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [A sustainable economy represents nothing less than a higher social order one as concerned with future generations as with our own, and more focused…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-r-brown/a-sustainable-economy-represents-nothing-less-than-a-higher-social/) [Lester R. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-r-brown/) > [One industrial age belief is that GDP or GNP is a measure of progress. I don't care if you're the President of China or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/one-industrial-age-belief-is-that-gdp-or-gnp-is-a-measure-of-progress/) [Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) > [I ended up doing four or five plays in college and being an English major with my thesis in language acquisition, which I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-coon/i-ended-up-doing-four-or-five-plays-in-college-and-being-an-english/) [Carrie Coon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-coon/) > [But most automotive dealerships are set up for customer acquisition - which is crazy when you consider the average cost of customer acquisition is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-hughes/but-most-automotive-dealerships-are-set-up-for-customer-acquisition/) [Arthur Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-hughes/) > [As priestcraft was always the enemy of knowledge, because priestcraft supports itself by keeping people in delusion and ignorance, it was consistent with its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/as-priestcraft-was-always-the-enemy-of-knowledge-because-priestcraft/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Even as the unborn babe is in the womb of his mother, these five are fixed as his life destiny: his life span, his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/even-as-the-unborn-babe-is-in-the-womb-of-his-mother-these-five-are/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [What becomes of a man who acquires a beautiful woman, with her "beauty" his sole target? He sabotages himself. He has gained no friend,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/what-becomes-of-a-man-who-acquires-a-beautiful-woman-with-her-beauty/) [Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/) [Browse all 395 Acquisition quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acquisition/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Mockery is an important social tool for squelching stupidity. I’ve never seen anyone change his mind because of the power of a superior argument or the acquisition of new facts. But I’ve seen plenty of people change behavior to avoid being mocked.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Scott Adams" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/mockery-is-an-important-social-tool-for-squelching-stupidity-i-ve/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Acquisition" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/mockery-is-an-important-social-tool-for-squelching-stupidity-i-ve/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee1/scott-adams-666_acquisition_mockery-is-an-important-social-tool-for_1980299.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee1/scott-adams-666_acquisition_mockery-is-an-important-social-tool-for_1980299.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee1/scott-adams-666_acquisition_mockery-is-an-important-social-tool-for_1980299.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Mockery is an important social tool for squelching stupidity. I’ve never seen anyone change his mind because…” — Scott Adams", "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": "Scott Adams", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Mockery is an important social tool...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/mockery-is-an-important-social-tool-for-squelching-stupidity-i-ve/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/mockery-is-an-important-social-tool-for-squelching-stupidity-i-ve/#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 } } ] } ```