--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sometimes the best, and only effective…" description: "\"Sometimes the best, and only effective, way to kill an idea is to put it into practice.\" — Sydney J. Harris" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a31/sydney-j-harris-1578_effective-way_sometimes-the-best-and-only-effective-wa_2357954.png" --- # Sometimes the best, and only effective, way to kill an… ![“Sometimes the best, and only effective, way to kill an idea is to put it into practice.” quote by Sydney J. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a31/sydney-j-harris-1578_effective-way_sometimes-the-best-and-only-effective-wa_2357954.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a31/sydney-j-harris-1578_effective-way_sometimes-the-best-and-only-effective-wa_2357954.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a31/sydney-j-harris-1578_effective-way_sometimes-the-best-and-only-effective-wa_2357954.png) > “Sometimes the best, and only effective, way to kill an idea is to put it into practice.” [Sydney J. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-j-harris/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Putting an idea into practice is the most effective way to eliminate it. **In simple terms:** Action kills ideas. Key Takeaway Test ideas by acting on them. Themes innovation action critical thinking Mood pragmatic inquisitive Type advisory philosophical When to use this quote - product development - policy making - personal habits - creative projects Key Concepts pragmatism experimentation Questions to Reflect On - What idea have you tested recently? - How did practice change your view? A Different Perspective Ideas may persist despite attempts; some need refinement. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Best Effective](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-effective-1903909/) [Effective way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effective-way/) [Idea Practice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idea-practice-2214300/) [Kill Idea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kill-idea-1098768/) [Practice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/practice/) [Sometimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sometimes/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [We all agree that forgiveness is a beautiful idea until we have to practice it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/we-all-agree-that-forgiveness-is-a-beautiful-idea-until-we-have-to/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [Here's a very simple, common sense idea - if you practice something more, you get better at it; if you can't complete everything you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-gabrieli/here-s-a-very-simple-common-sense-idea-if-you-practice-something-more/) [Chris Gabrieli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-gabrieli/) > [It is a very dangerous thing to have an idea that you will not practice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-bottome/it-is-a-very-dangerous-thing-to-have-an-idea-that-you-will-not/) [Phyllis Bottome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-bottome/) > [Gun control is not the answer. The best and most effective path forward, I believe, is one that safeguards our schools from becoming 'soft…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-meadows/gun-control-is-not-the-answer-the-best-and-most-effective-path/) [Mark Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-meadows/) > [Gratitude is best and most effective when it does not evaporate itself in empty phrases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-asimov/gratitude-is-best-and-most-effective-when-it-does-not-evaporate/) [Isaac Asimov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-asimov/) > [The Western Idea of practice is to acquire a skill. It is very much related to your work ethic, which enjoins us to endure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-nachmanovitch/the-western-idea-of-practice-is-to-acquire-a-skill-it-is-very-much/) [Stephen Nachmanovitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-nachmanovitch/) > [It is very a dangerous thing to have an idea that you will not practice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-bottome/it-is-very-a-dangerous-thing-to-have-an-idea-that-you-will-not/) [Phyllis Bottome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-bottome/) > [“Make sure you understand when best you are effective and then schedule your most important tasks within that time of the day.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/make-sure-you-understand-when-best-you-are-effective-and-then/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [“To disarm the people--that was the best and most effective way to enslave them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mason/to-disarm-the-people-that-was-the-best-and-most-effective-way-to/) [George Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mason/) > [The Left Elite only pretend to be concerned about what's best for everyone else because it is the most effective way to manipulate you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tammy-bruce/the-left-elite-only-pretend-to-be-concerned-about-what-s-best-for/) [Tammy Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tammy-bruce/) > [“There, did you think to kill me? There's no flesh or blood within this cloak to kill. There's only an idea. Ideas are bulletproof.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/there-did-you-think-to-kill-me-there-s-no-flesh-or-blood-within-this/) [Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/) > [If you want to kill any idea in the world, get a committee working on it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-kettering/if-you-want-to-kill-any-idea-in-the-world-get-a-committee-working-on/) [Charles Kettering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-kettering/) > [Kill the idea of the lone, suffering artist. Don't make it any harder on yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-goldberg/kill-the-idea-of-the-lone-suffering-artist-don-t-make-it-any-harder/) [Natalie Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-goldberg/) > [“If you have one of those impulses that are pulling you, if you don’t marry it with an action within 5 seconds, you pull…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-robbins/if-you-have-one-of-those-impulses-that-are-pulling-you-if-you-don-t/) [Mel Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-robbins/) > [“Nobody died. How can you kill an idea? How can you kill the personification of an action?"- Cain, The Sandman Vol. 10: The Wake”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/nobody-died-how-can-you-kill-an-idea-how-can-you-kill-the/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) ## More by Sydney J. Harris > [This is a lesson mankind has not yet learned. We identify, and stratify, and treat persons largely on the basis of their accidental (physical)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-j-harris/this-is-a-lesson-mankind-has-not-yet-learned-we-identify-and-stratify/) [Sydney J. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-j-harris/) > [Character is something you forge for yourself; temperament is something you are born with and can only slightly modify.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-j-harris/character-is-something-you-forge-for-yourself-temperament-is/) [Sydney J. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-j-harris/) > [Middle Age is that perplexing time of life when we hear two voices calling us, one saying, 'Why not?' and the other, 'Why bother?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-j-harris/middle-age-is-that-perplexing-time-of-life-when-we-hear-two-voices/) [Sydney J. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-j-harris/) > [The profound immoralities of our time are cruelty, indifference, injustice and the use of others as means rather than ends in themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-j-harris/the-profound-immoralities-of-our-time-are-cruelty-indifference/) [Sydney J. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-j-harris/) > [Marriages we regard as the happiest are those in which each of the partners believes he or she got the best of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-j-harris/marriages-we-regard-as-the-happiest-are-those-in-which-each-of-the/) [Sydney J. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-j-harris/) > [“...it calls for deciding things on their own merit, not because you read it or were told it or grew up believing it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-j-harris/it-calls-for-deciding-things-on-their-own-merit-not-because-you-read/) [Sydney J. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-j-harris/) > [Ignorance per se is not nearly as dangerous as ignorance of ignorance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-j-harris/ignorance-per-se-is-not-nearly-as-dangerous-as-ignorance-of-ignorance/) [Sydney J. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-j-harris/) > [Patriotism is proud of a country's virtues and eager to correct its deficiencies; it also acknowledges the legitimate patriotism of other countries, with their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-j-harris/patriotism-is-proud-of-a-country-s-virtues-and-eager-to-correct-its/) [Sydney J. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-j-harris/) > [A cynic is not merely one who reads bitter lessons from the past, his is also one who is permanently disappointed in the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-j-harris/a-cynic-is-not-merely-one-who-reads-bitter-lessons-from-the-past-his/) [Sydney J. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-j-harris/) > [Time is love, above all else. It is the most precious commodity in the world and should be lavished on those we care most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-j-harris/time-is-love-above-all-else-it-is-the-most-precious-commodity-in-the/) [Sydney J. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-j-harris/) > [Just about the only interruption we don't object to is applause.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-j-harris/just-about-the-only-interruption-we-don-t-object-to-is-applause/) [Sydney J. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-j-harris/) > [“The cynic is goodhearted beneath his facade, whereas the sentimentalist is flint-hearted beneath his.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-j-harris/the-cynic-is-goodhearted-beneath-his-facade-whereas-the/) [Sydney J. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-j-harris/) > [Any philosophy that can be put in a nutshell belongs there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-j-harris/any-philosophy-that-can-be-put-in-a-nutshell-belongs-there/) [Sydney J. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-j-harris/) > [“Like all persecuted minority groups, they strike back by forming cabals, by “taking over” certain spheres of activity (in the arts, for instance), and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-j-harris/like-all-persecuted-minority-groups-they-strike-back-by-forming/) [Sydney J. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-j-harris/) > [Intolerance is the most socially acceptable form of egotism, for it permits us to assume superiority without personal boasting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-j-harris/intolerance-is-the-most-socially-acceptable-form-of-egotism-for-it/) [Sydney J. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-j-harris/) [Explore all 226 Sydney J. Harris quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-j-harris/) ## More Effective way quotes > [The most effective way to win people to Jesus is to treat them the way Jesus would day in and day out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-peterson/the-most-effective-way-to-win-people-to-jesus-is-to-treat-them-the/) [Jacob Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-peterson/) > [Developing our capacity for compassion makes it possible for us to help others in a more skillful and effective way. And compassion helps us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-halifax/developing-our-capacity-for-compassion-makes-it-possible-for-us-to/) [Joan Halifax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-halifax/) > [The most effective way to manage change is to create it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-drucker/the-most-effective-way-to-manage-change-is-to-create-it/) [Peter Drucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-drucker/) > [When I'm talking about depression, I'm talking about the more severe forms of depression, and I think that conceptualising as a form of grief…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-redfield-jamison/when-i-m-talking-about-depression-i-m-talking-about-the-more-severe/) [Kay Redfield Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-redfield-jamison/) > [The most effective way to do it, is to just do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amelia-earhart/the-most-effective-way-to-do-it-is-to-just-do-it/) [Amelia Earhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amelia-earhart/) > [Not think of death as an end, but think of it more as a very effective way of cutting down on your expenses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/not-think-of-death-as-an-end-but-think-of-it-more-as-a-very-effective/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [I decided this early on at Justice: if the traditional way was the most effective way of doing something, then we'd maintain it. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/i-decided-this-early-on-at-justice-if-the-traditional-way-was-the/) [John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/) > [The most effective way to piss someone off is to completely ignore them when they're obviously trying to get your attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-most-effective-way-to-piss-someone-off-is-to-completely-ignore/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [An individual's refusal to carry out the criminal acts of his government sets the stage, in the most effective way possible, for the attempt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/an-individual-s-refusal-to-carry-out-the-criminal-acts-of-his/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [The most effective way to build a brand is not by spending millions in advertising, but by finding a clever way to keep your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-corcoran/the-most-effective-way-to-build-a-brand-is-not-by-spending-millions/) [Barbara Corcoran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-corcoran/) > [ Visualizing how you want to be is \[an\] effective way to move toward your goal. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-bass/visualizing-how-you-want-to-be-is-an-effective-way-to-move-toward/) [Ellen Bass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-bass/) > [The cheapest, most effective way to connect with others is to look them in the eye.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-boothman/the-cheapest-most-effective-way-to-connect-with-others-is-to-look/) [Nicholas Boothman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-boothman/) > [All the research shows that being married, with all its ups and downs, is by far the most effective way of making young men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-mount/all-the-research-shows-that-being-married-with-all-its-ups-and-downs/) [Ferdinand Mount](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-mount/) > [“Conditioning is the most effective way of control”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thabiso-monkoe/conditioning-is-the-most-effective-way-of-control/) [Thabiso Monkoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thabiso-monkoe/) > [I felt the most effective way to change people's perception was through the power of images.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alix-smith/i-felt-the-most-effective-way-to-change-people-s-perception-was/) [Alix Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alix-smith/) [Browse all 59 Effective way quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effective-way/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Sometimes the best, and only effective, way to kill an idea is to put it into practice.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sydney J. 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