--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Could the straggling thoughts of…" description: "\"Could the straggling thoughts of individuals be collected, they would frequently form materials for wise and able men to improve into useful matter.\" —..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d8/thomas-paine-267_able_could-the-straggling-thoughts-of-individ_1740118.png" --- # Could the straggling thoughts of individuals be collected… ![“Could the straggling thoughts of individuals be collected, they would frequently form materials for wise and able men to improve into useful matter.” quote by Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d8/thomas-paine-267_able_could-the-straggling-thoughts-of-individ_1740118.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d8/thomas-paine-267_able_could-the-straggling-thoughts-of-individ_1740118.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d8/thomas-paine-267_able_could-the-straggling-thoughts-of-individ_1740118.png) > “Could the straggling thoughts of individuals be collected, they would frequently form materials for wise and able men to improve into useful matter.” [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Collecting scattered ideas can create valuable knowledge for the wise. **In simple terms:** Gathering thoughts creates useful knowledge. Key Takeaway Seek diverse ideas to improve. Themes knowledge wisdom collaboration Mood reflective analytical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - brainstorming sessions - research projects - team meetings - public policy development Key Concepts epistemology collective intelligence Questions to Reflect On - How can you capture fleeting ideas? - What sources can you draw from? A Different Perspective Ideas may be fragmented and need synthesis. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Philosophy of Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-of-mind/) [Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wise/) ## Related quotes > [The mind is just like a crowd; thoughts are the individuals. And because thoughts are there continuously you think the process is substantial. 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But he that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/he-that-seeketh-to-be-eminent-amongst-able-men-hath-a-great-task-but/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [We are now embarked on another venture to put the American dream to work in meeting the new demands of a new day. Once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyndon-b-johnson/we-are-now-embarked-on-another-venture-to-put-the-american-dream-to/) [Lyndon B. 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I sometimes have the impression that the daily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro-almodovar/cinema-has-become-my-life-i-dont-mean-a-parallel-world-i-mean-my-life/) [Pedro Almodovar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pedro-almodovar/) > [Alec Wilkinson is a spare, clear, and lucid writer who works in stylistic simplicity with material that is not simple at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-matthiessen/alec-wilkinson-is-a-spare-clear-and-lucid-writer-who-works-in/) [Peter Matthiessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-matthiessen/) > [I'm currently trying to direct my own material.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-skerritt/i-m-currently-trying-to-direct-my-own-material/) [Tom Skerritt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-skerritt/) > [The history of mankind interests us only as it exhibits a steady gain of truth and right, in the incessant conflict which it records…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-history-of-mankind-interests-us-only-as-it-exhibits-a-steady-gain/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) ## More by Thomas Paine > [“No man is prejudiced in favour of a thing, knowing it to be wrong. He is attached to it on the belief of its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/no-man-is-prejudiced-in-favour-of-a-thing-knowing-it-to-be-wrong-he/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [“The laws of every country must be analogous to some common principle.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/the-laws-of-every-country-must-be-analogous-to-some-common-principle/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [The book called the Bible has been voted by men, and decreed by human laws to be the word of God; and the disbelief…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/the-book-called-the-bible-has-been-voted-by-men-and-decreed-by-human/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/to-argue-with-a-person-who-has-renounced-the-use-of-reason-is-like/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [One would think that a system loaded with such gross and vulgar absurdities as Scripture religion is could never have obtained credit; yet we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/one-would-think-that-a-system-loaded-with-such-gross-and-vulgar/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Commerce diminishes the spirit, both of patriotism and military defence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/commerce-diminishes-the-spirit-both-of-patriotism-and-military-defence/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [What is it the Bible teaches us? - raping, cruelty, and murder. 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Let him believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/what-more-does-man-want-to-know-than-that-the-hand-or-power-that-made/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) [Explore all 772 Thomas Paine quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) ## More Able quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. 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I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. 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