---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is nothing that an intellectual…"
description: "\"There is nothing that an intellectual less likes to change than his mind, or a politician his policy.\" — Theodore Dalrymple"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e8/theodore-dalrymple-7084_intellectual_there-is-nothing-that-an-intellectual-le_1651908.png"
---

#  There is nothing that an intellectual less likes to change…

![“There is nothing that an intellectual less likes to change than his mind, or a politician his policy.” quote by Theodore Dalrymple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e8/theodore-dalrymple-7084_intellectual_there-is-nothing-that-an-intellectual-le_1651908.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e8/theodore-dalrymple-7084_intellectual_there-is-nothing-that-an-intellectual-le_1651908.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e8/theodore-dalrymple-7084_intellectual_there-is-nothing-that-an-intellectual-le_1651908.png)

> “There is nothing that an intellectual less likes to change than his mind, or a politician his policy.”

[Theodore Dalrymple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-dalrymple/)

## About This Quote

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

Intellectuals resist changing their minds; politicians resist altering policies.

**In simple terms:** Intellectuals and politicians avoid change.

Key Takeaway

Stay open to revising beliefs and policies.

Themes

change stubbornness politics

Mood

analytical skeptical

Type

critical explanatory

When to use this quote

- debates
- legislation
- personal growth

Key Concepts

cognitive bias policy inertia intellectual rigidity

Questions to Reflect On

- Why do we cling to existing views?
- What benefits arise from flexibility?

A Different Perspective

Change can be seen as weakness.

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[Intellectual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellectual/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Politician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politician/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/)

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