--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Nothing imaginative ever happens to five…" description: "\"“Nothing imaginative ever happens to five people at once, because each is up to only one-fifth of his personal intelligence and perception. A crowd is ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c00/walter-van-tilburg-clark-42123_groups_nothing-imaginative-ever-happens-to-five_1918853.jpg" --- # Nothing imaginative ever happens to five people at once… ![“Nothing imaginative ever happens to five people at once, because each is up to only one-fifth of his personal intelligence and perception. A crowd is never equal to the intelligence of any one of its members.” quote by Walter Van Tilburg Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c00/walter-van-tilburg-clark-42123_groups_nothing-imaginative-ever-happens-to-five_1918853.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c00/walter-van-tilburg-clark-42123_groups_nothing-imaginative-ever-happens-to-five_1918853.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c00/walter-van-tilburg-clark-42123_groups_nothing-imaginative-ever-happens-to-five_1918853.jpg) > ““Nothing imaginative ever happens to five people at once, because each is up to only one-fifth of his personal intelligence and perception. A crowd is never equal to the intelligence of any one of its members.”” [Walter Van Tilburg Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-van-tilburg-clark/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A crowd’s collective intelligence never exceeds that of its most capable individual; group thinking dilutes personal insight. **In simple terms:** Crowds lack combined intelligence. Key Takeaway Value individual insight over group assumptions. Themes intelligence group dynamics perception Mood critical analytical Type sociological philosophical When to use this quote - brainstorming sessions - team meetings - public debates Key Concepts collective intelligence cognitive limits Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance individual and group ideas? - When does a crowd outperform an individual? A Different Perspective Groups can generate synergy despite individual limits. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Intelligence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligence/) ## Related quotes > [“So I imagine that the soul is in one aspect a pervasive, transformable matter and in another a particular, personal intelligence; it is envelopingly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-brann/so-i-imagine-that-the-soul-is-in-one-aspect-a-pervasive-transformable/) [Eva Brann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-brann/) > [Our personal intelligence is everlasting and divine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-m-nelson/our-personal-intelligence-is-everlasting-and-divine/) [Russell M. Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-m-nelson/) > [The crowd, especially at Anfield, want us to win so much that it transmits itself down on to the pitch at times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-carragher/the-crowd-especially-at-anfield-want-us-to-win-so-much-that-it/) [Jamie Carragher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-carragher/) > [“The crowd wants a hero,not just someone cutting up meat”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dewey-gram/the-crowd-wants-a-hero-not-just-someone-cutting-up-meat/) Dewey Gram > [“On Broadway it was still bright afternoon and the gassy air was almost motionless under the leaden spokes of sunlight, and sawdust footprints lay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/on-broadway-it-was-still-bright-afternoon-and-the-gassy-air-was/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [You can have the best production, the best stage in the world, but without a crowd, the festival is nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hardwell/you-can-have-the-best-production-the-best-stage-in-the-world-but/) [Hardwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hardwell/) > [Yeah, we might have a video on 'TRL,' but when you go to the Warped Tour you're going to see us walking around in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-gilbert/yeah-we-might-have-a-video-on-trl-but-when-you-go-to-the-warped-tour/) [Chad Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-gilbert/) > [It's fun, and a laugh for you... you can boo me and feel happy about yourself because you're part of the crowd that did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-goodes/it-s-fun-and-a-laugh-for-you-you-can-boo-me-and-feel-happy-about/) [Adam Goodes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-goodes/) > [I always tried to be different from everyone else. Then I found out about boxing. That was the way I could be different from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riddick-bowe/i-always-tried-to-be-different-from-everyone-else-then-i-found-out/) [Riddick Bowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/riddick-bowe/) > [Chicago, to me, is the best wrestling crowd on the planet. They are the best. 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But Wham! are more of a businessman's band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curt-smith/i-guess-because-we-re-essentially-a-two-man-band-we-re-attracting/) [Curt Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curt-smith/) > [I want to make myself and the crowd happy by way of something different, and that makes things difficult. I'm never playing something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiesto/i-want-to-make-myself-and-the-crowd-happy-by-way-of-something/) [Tiesto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiesto/) > [“Every select man strives instinctively for a citadel and a privacy, where he is FREE from the crowd, the many, the majority-- where he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/every-select-man-strives-instinctively-for-a-citadel-and-a-privacy/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) ## More by Walter Van Tilburg Clark > [“Yet the great “Why?” always at the center of the little “whats” and “hows” that makes religions into mythologies is often stronger in dead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-van-tilburg-clark/yet-the-great-why-always-at-the-center-of-the-little-whats-and-hows/) [Walter Van Tilburg Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-van-tilburg-clark/) > [“We desire justice, and justice has never been obtained in haste and strong feeling.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-van-tilburg-clark/we-desire-justice-and-justice-has-never-been-obtained-in-haste-and/) [Walter Van Tilburg Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-van-tilburg-clark/) > [“It is possible to insult Americans?” “They are automatically insulted and enraged,” said the young composer. “They form splenetic organizations by the hundreds, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-van-tilburg-clark/it-is-possible-to-insult-americans-they-are-automatically-insulted/) [Walter Van Tilburg Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-van-tilburg-clark/) > [“He proved that it was equally true if the disregard was by a ruler or by a people. 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Ours would weaken the law.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-van-tilburg-clark/then-our-crime-s-worse-than-a-murderer-s-his-act-puts-him-outside-the/) [Walter Van Tilburg Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-van-tilburg-clark/) > [Is it really so important to be different?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-van-tilburg-clark/is-it-really-so-important-to-be-different/) [Walter Van Tilburg Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-van-tilburg-clark/) > [“Just being is the main thing. Anything else is extra.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-van-tilburg-clark/just-being-is-the-main-thing-anything-else-is-extra/) [Walter Van Tilburg Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-van-tilburg-clark/) > [“True law, the code of justice, the essence of our sensations of right and wrong, is the conscience of society. 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But Wham! are more of a businessman's band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curt-smith/i-guess-because-we-re-essentially-a-two-man-band-we-re-attracting/) [Curt Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curt-smith/) > [Regardless of what I do, whether I write a book or whether I act or whether I host, I'll always do stand-up comedy because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howie-mandel/regardless-of-what-i-do-whether-i-write-a-book-or-whether-i-act-or/) [Howie Mandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howie-mandel/) > [“An applause is not just the recognition of good performance, but its proof of being different than the crowd.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/an-applause-is-not-just-the-recognition-of-good-performance-but-its/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [Chicago, to me, is the best wrestling crowd on the planet. They are the best. They are loud, they are ruthless, and they will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goldust/chicago-to-me-is-the-best-wrestling-crowd-on-the-planet-they-are-the/) [Goldust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/goldust/) > [I always tried to be different from everyone else. Then I found out about boxing. That was the way I could be different from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riddick-bowe/i-always-tried-to-be-different-from-everyone-else-then-i-found-out/) [Riddick Bowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/riddick-bowe/) > [It's fun, and a laugh for you... you can boo me and feel happy about yourself because you're part of the crowd that did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-goodes/it-s-fun-and-a-laugh-for-you-you-can-boo-me-and-feel-happy-about/) [Adam Goodes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-goodes/) > [Yeah, we might have a video on 'TRL,' but when you go to the Warped Tour you're going to see us walking around in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-gilbert/yeah-we-might-have-a-video-on-trl-but-when-you-go-to-the-warped-tour/) [Chad Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-gilbert/) > [You can have the best production, the best stage in the world, but without a crowd, the festival is nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hardwell/you-can-have-the-best-production-the-best-stage-in-the-world-but/) [Hardwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hardwell/) > [“On Broadway it was still bright afternoon and the gassy air was almost motionless under the leaden spokes of sunlight, and sawdust footprints lay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/on-broadway-it-was-still-bright-afternoon-and-the-gassy-air-was/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [“The crowd wants a hero,not just someone cutting up meat”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dewey-gram/the-crowd-wants-a-hero-not-just-someone-cutting-up-meat/) Dewey Gram > [The crowd, especially at Anfield, want us to win so much that it transmits itself down on to the pitch at times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-carragher/the-crowd-especially-at-anfield-want-us-to-win-so-much-that-it/) [Jamie Carragher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-carragher/) > [I like playing with a good crowd.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergio-garcia/i-like-playing-with-a-good-crowd/) [Sergio Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergio-garcia/) > [I was DJing for this party promotion called 1st Flight Entertainment, having to DJ on the weekends and then also going to school in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tay-keith/i-was-djing-for-this-party-promotion-called-1st-flight-entertainment/) [Tay Keith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tay-keith/) Browse all 1,548 Crowd quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Nothing imaginative ever happens to five people at once, because each is up to only one-fifth of his personal intelligence and perception. 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