---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think people are scared, and dumb, and…"
description: "\"“I think people are scared, and dumb, and selfish on their own, but put enough of them together and they'll be half-decent”\" — Sylvain Neuvel"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f3/sylvain-neuvel-42275_humanity_i-think-people-are-scared-and-dumb-and-s_1527637.jpg"
---

#  I think people are scared, and dumb, and selfish on their…

![“I think people are scared, and dumb, and selfish on their own, but put enough of them together and they'll be half-decent” quote by Sylvain Neuvel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f3/sylvain-neuvel-42275_humanity_i-think-people-are-scared-and-dumb-and-s_1527637.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f3/sylvain-neuvel-42275_humanity_i-think-people-are-scared-and-dumb-and-s_1527637.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f3/sylvain-neuvel-42275_humanity_i-think-people-are-scared-and-dumb-and-s_1527637.jpg)

> ““I think people are scared, and dumb, and selfish on their own, but put enough of them together and they'll be half-decent””

[Sylvain Neuvel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvain-neuvel/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

People are flawed individually, but collective effort can yield decent outcomes.

**In simple terms:** Individuals are selfish, but groups can be decent.

Key Takeaway

Value teamwork despite personal flaws.

Themes

cooperation human nature collective behavior

Mood

cautious reflective

Type

observational philosophical

When to use this quote

- community projects
- team sports
- workplace collaborations
- political movements

Key Concepts

social psychology emergent ethics

Questions to Reflect On

- How can we foster genuine cooperation?
- What limits collective decency?

A Different Perspective

Group dynamics can still produce conflict or mediocrity.

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[Humanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanity/)

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