--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We humans seem to be extremely good at…" description: "\"We humans seem to be extremely good at generating ideas, theories, and explanations that have the ring of plausibility. We may be relatively deficient,..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/253/thomas-gilovich-10928_human-behavior_we-humans-seem-to-be-extremely-good-at-g_138089.jpg" --- # We humans seem to be extremely good at generating ideas… ![“We humans seem to be extremely good at generating ideas, theories, and explanations that have the ring of plausibility. We may be relatively deficient, however, in evaluating and testing our ideas once they are formed” quote by Thomas Gilovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/253/thomas-gilovich-10928_human-behavior_we-humans-seem-to-be-extremely-good-at-g_138089.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/253/thomas-gilovich-10928_human-behavior_we-humans-seem-to-be-extremely-good-at-g_138089.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/253/thomas-gilovich-10928_human-behavior_we-humans-seem-to-be-extremely-good-at-g_138089.jpg) > “We humans seem to be extremely good at generating ideas, theories, and explanations that have the ring of plausibility. We may be relatively deficient, however, in evaluating and testing our ideas once they are formed” [Thomas Gilovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-gilovich/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Humans generate plausible ideas easily but often fail to rigorously test them. **In simple terms:** People are good at making up theories but bad at checking them. Key Takeaway Prioritize critical evaluation over creative speculation. Themes cognition bias critical thinking Mood skeptical reflective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - research design - product development - policy analysis - personal decision making Key Concepts plausibility evaluation scientific method Questions to Reflect On - How do you verify the validity of your assumptions? - What mechanisms can reduce bias in idea testing? A Different Perspective Ideas may feel convincing without evidence, leading to overconfidence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Generating Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generating-ideas-407532/) [Human behavior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-behavior/) [Ideas Formed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas-formed-1566618/) [Ideas Theories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas-theories-425570/) [Logic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/logic/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Plausibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plausibility/) [Plausibility Relatively](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plausibility-relatively-1566617/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) ## Related quotes > [A people represents not so much an aggregate of ideas and theories as of obsessions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-m-cioran/a-people-represents-not-so-much-an-aggregate-of-ideas-and-theories-as/) [Emile M. Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-m-cioran/) > [In-depth studies have an influence on general ideas, whereas theories, in turn, in order to maintain themselves, push their spectators to search for new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-agassiz/in-depth-studies-have-an-influence-on-general-ideas-whereas-theories/) [Louis Agassiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-agassiz/) > [Although scientists can often be as resistant to new ideas as anyone, the process of science ensures that, over time, good ideas and theories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-ornish/although-scientists-can-often-be-as-resistant-to-new-ideas-as-anyone/) [Dean Ornish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-ornish/) > [The history of mankind is the history of ideas. For it is ideas, theories, and doctrines that guide human action, determine the ultimate ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/the-history-of-mankind-is-the-history-of-ideas-for-it-is-ideas/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [Generating ideas isn't some mystical talent that you have to be born with: it's a skill you can develop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stross/generating-ideas-isn-t-some-mystical-talent-that-you-have-to-be-born/) [Charles Stross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stross/) > [Brian Eno developed systems to keep himself on edge and to keep himself in a position where he's generating ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-brion/brian-eno-developed-systems-to-keep-himself-on-edge-and-to-keep/) [Jon Brion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-brion/) > [When you become sufficiently expert in the state of the art, you stop picking ideas at random. You are thoughtful in how to select…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-ng/when-you-become-sufficiently-expert-in-the-state-of-the-art-you-stop/) [Andrew Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-ng/) > [Most "original" ideas aren't completely original, but instead are the result of two basic methods for generating ideas: problems in search of solutions and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-nalebuff/most-original-ideas-aren-t-completely-original-but-instead-are-the/) [Barry Nalebuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-nalebuff/) > [A genius is someone who can tolerate the discomfort of uncertainty while generating as many ideas as possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-neumeier/a-genius-is-someone-who-can-tolerate-the-discomfort-of-uncertainty/) [Marty Neumeier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-neumeier/) > [Generating ideas is not a problem. Incubation is. Acceleration is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-gunther-mcgrath/generating-ideas-is-not-a-problem-incubation-is-acceleration-is/) [Rita Gunther McGrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-gunther-mcgrath/) > [When I went to Paris, I had a lot of ideas about it that were formed in the sort of ether that flows about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosecrans-baldwin/when-i-went-to-paris-i-had-a-lot-of-ideas-about-it-that-were-formed/) [Rosecrans Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosecrans-baldwin/) > [After me, the Revolution - or, rather the ideas which formed it - will resume their course. It will be like a book from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/after-me-the-revolution-or-rather-the-ideas-which-formed-it-will/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [Being able to chuck ideas around and bounce ideas off each other with anyone I'm working with is just something I love to do,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benee/being-able-to-chuck-ideas-around-and-bounce-ideas-off-each-other-with/) [Benee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benee/) > [“Even the simple act which we describe as 'seeing someone we know' is, to some extent, an intellectual process. We pack the physical outline…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/even-the-simple-act-which-we-describe-as-seeing-someone-we-know-is-to/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [Thinking is a social process. I talk to everyone from children to anthropologists and philosophers. I try my ideas out on people and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-piccinini/thinking-is-a-social-process-i-talk-to-everyone-from-children-to/) [Patricia Piccinini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-piccinini/) ## More by Thomas Gilovich > [“Chapter 7 takes a psychological truism, “we tend to believe what we think others believe” and turns it around: We tend to think others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-gilovich/chapter-7-takes-a-psychological-truism-we-tend-to-believe-what-we/) [Thomas Gilovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-gilovich/) > [“As part of this research, one group of participants was asked which two countries are more similar to one another, East Germany and West…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-gilovich/as-part-of-this-research-one-group-of-participants-was-asked-which/) [Thomas Gilovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-gilovich/) > [“Finally, it has been shown that the tendency for people to think of themselves as above average is reduced—even for ambiguous traits—when people are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-gilovich/finally-it-has-been-shown-that-the-tendency-for-people-to-think-of/) [Thomas Gilovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-gilovich/) > [“It appears that the probabilistic sciences of psychology and medicine teach their students to apply statistical and methodological rules to both scientific and everyday-life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-gilovich/it-appears-that-the-probabilistic-sciences-of-psychology-and-medicine/) [Thomas Gilovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-gilovich/) > [“To live, it seems, is to explain, to justify, and to find coherence among diverse outcomes, characteristics, and causes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-gilovich/to-live-it-seems-is-to-explain-to-justify-and-to-find-coherence-among/) [Thomas Gilovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-gilovich/) > [“social psychologist Ziva Kunda, who argues that people are indeed more likely to believe things they want to believe, but that their capacity to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-gilovich/social-psychologist-ziva-kunda-who-argues-that-people-are-indeed-more/) [Thomas Gilovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-gilovich/) > [“our difficulty in accurately recognizing random arrangements of events can lead us to believe things that are not true—to believe something is systematic, ordered,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-gilovich/our-difficulty-in-accurately-recognizing-random-arrangements-of/) [Thomas Gilovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-gilovich/) > [“We therefore should be more skeptical than we seem to be about evidence presented to us secondhand. We should become accustomed to asking ourselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-gilovich/we-therefore-should-be-more-skeptical-than-we-seem-to-be-about/) [Thomas Gilovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-gilovich/) > [“In other words, when testing a hypothesis of similarity, people look for evidence of similarity rather than dissimilarity, and when testing a hypothesis of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-gilovich/in-other-words-when-testing-a-hypothesis-of-similarity-people-look/) [Thomas Gilovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-gilovich/) > [What we believe is heavily influenced by what we think others believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-gilovich/what-we-believe-is-heavily-influenced-by-what-we-think-others-believe/) [Thomas Gilovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-gilovich/) > [“develop the habit of employing one of several “consider the opposite” strategies. We can learn to ask ourselves, for example, “Suppose the exact opposite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-gilovich/develop-the-habit-of-employing-one-of-several-consider-the-opposite/) [Thomas Gilovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-gilovich/) > [“Unfortunately, psychology has not adequately come to grips with the difficult subject of entertainment (or with its opposite, boredom). Despite a few initial efforts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-gilovich/unfortunately-psychology-has-not-adequately-come-to-grips-with-the/) [Thomas Gilovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-gilovich/) > [“confirmatory events are in fact much more memorable than non-confirmatory events.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-gilovich/confirmatory-events-are-in-fact-much-more-memorable-than-non/) [Thomas Gilovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-gilovich/) > [“Perhaps the most general and most important mental habit to instill is an appreciation of the folly of trying to draw conclusions from incomplete…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-gilovich/perhaps-the-most-general-and-most-important-mental-habit-to-instill/) [Thomas Gilovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-gilovich/) > [“As a consequence, very tall parents tend to have tall children, but not as tall (on average) as they are themselves;”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-gilovich/as-a-consequence-very-tall-parents-tend-to-have-tall-children-but-not/) [Thomas Gilovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-gilovich/) [Explore all 62 Thomas Gilovich quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-gilovich/) ## More Human behavior quotes > [I think we've told a lot of lies about human behavior through film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-arquette/i-think-we-ve-told-a-lot-of-lies-about-human-behavior-through-film/) [Patricia Arquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-arquette/) > [“It is important you understand how fear affects you and how it drives human behavior so you can start to see situations and people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-giles/it-is-important-you-understand-how-fear-affects-you-and-how-it-drives/) [Kimberly Giles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-giles/) > [I'm obsessed with people, I'm obsessed with human behavior. I just watch people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoya-akhtar/i-m-obsessed-with-people-i-m-obsessed-with-human-behavior-i-just/) [Zoya Akhtar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoya-akhtar/) > [If we studied human beings which can include human genes, human blood samples, and human behavior, then you can leave the animals out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-barnard/if-we-studied-human-beings-which-can-include-human-genes-human-blood/) [Neal Barnard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-barnard/) > [“Sometimes I think, were I just a little rougher made, I would go altogether to the woods—to my work entirely, and solitude, a few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-oliver/sometimes-i-think-were-i-just-a-little-rougher-made-i-would-go/) [Mary Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-oliver/) > [“Sometimes, humanity surprises me with all its lack of control over the primordial urges. These innate urges are the biological traits that make us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/sometimes-humanity-surprises-me-with-all-its-lack-of-control-over-the/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [I want you to know, at this very moment, I am simulating normal human behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-newmark/i-want-you-to-know-at-this-very-moment-i-am-simulating-normal-human/) [Craig Newmark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-newmark/) > [Zoocentrism is the primary fallacy of human sociobiology, for this view of human behavior rests on the argument that if the actions of "lower"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/zoocentrism-is-the-primary-fallacy-of-human-sociobiology-for-this/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [That one never need to look beyond the love of money for explanation of human behavior is one of the most jealously guarded simplification…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/that-one-never-need-to-look-beyond-the-love-of-money-for-explanation/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [For me, filmmaking is not about making statements but about exposing human behavior so people are eager enough to start thinking on their own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yorgos-lanthimos/for-me-filmmaking-is-not-about-making-statements-but-about-exposing/) [Yorgos Lanthimos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yorgos-lanthimos/) > [I've never been pigeonholed and I've experienced so many different kinds of skin - what man will do and won't do, what you should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-perlman/i-ve-never-been-pigeonholed-and-i-ve-experienced-so-many-different/) [Ron Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-perlman/) > [I like grit, I like love and death, I'm tired of irony. ... 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