--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We are so busy measuring public opinion…" description: "\"We are so busy measuring public opinion that we forget we can mold it. We are so busy listening to statistics we forget we can create them.\" — William ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/191/william-bernbach-11456_busy_we-are-so-busy-measuring-public-opinion_820005.png" --- # We are so busy measuring public opinion that we forget we… ![“We are so busy measuring public opinion that we forget we can mold it. We are so busy listening to statistics we forget we can create them.” quote by William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/191/william-bernbach-11456_busy_we-are-so-busy-measuring-public-opinion_820005.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/191/william-bernbach-11456_busy_we-are-so-busy-measuring-public-opinion_820005.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/191/william-bernbach-11456_busy_we-are-so-busy-measuring-public-opinion_820005.png) > “We are so busy measuring public opinion that we forget we can mold it. We are so busy listening to statistics we forget we can create them.” [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We focus on measuring public opinion instead of shaping it, and on interpreting data rather than creating narratives. **In simple terms:** We often measure instead of influencing, and listen instead of creating. Key Takeaway Shift from passive analysis to active creation. Themes advertising media influence Mood critical inspirational Type strategic thought‑provoking When to use this quote - marketing campaigns - policy making - media production Key Concepts public opinion data analysis creative strategy Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance listening and creating? - What risks arise from ignoring data? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on measurement can stifle innovation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Busy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/busy/) [Busy Measuring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/busy-measuring-464991/) [Data](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/data/) [Forget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forget/) [Listening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/listening/) [Measuring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/measuring/) [Measuring Public](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/measuring-public-464989/) [Mold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mold/) [Opinion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opinion/) [Opinion Forget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opinion-forget-464990/) [Public opinion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-opinion/) [Statistics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/statistics/) [Statistics Forget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/statistics-forget-464988/) ## Related quotes > [Measurement is fabulous. Unless you're busy measuring what's easy to measure as opposed to what's important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/measurement-is-fabulous-unless-you-re-busy-measuring-what-s-easy-to/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [All too often when liberals cite statistics, they forget the statisticians' warning that correlation is not causation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/all-too-often-when-liberals-cite-statistics-they-forget-the/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [People can say what they want. It's their opinion. We forget what we don't need to take with us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-bardsley/people-can-say-what-they-want-it-s-their-opinion-we-forget-what-we/) [Karen Bardsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-bardsley/) > [The great majority of men use their own short-sighted ideas as a yardstick for measuring the divine omnipotence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/therese-of-lisieux/the-great-majority-of-men-use-their-own-short-sighted-ideas-as-a/) [Therese of Lisieux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/therese-of-lisieux/) > [Perhaps measuring animal intelligence by comparing it to human intelligence isn't the best litmus test.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ingrid-newkirk/perhaps-measuring-animal-intelligence-by-comparing-it-to-human/) [Ingrid Newkirk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ingrid-newkirk/) > [Time is a measure of space, just as a range-finder is a measure of space, but measuring locks us into the place we measure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/time-is-a-measure-of-space-just-as-a-range-finder-is-a-measure-of/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [The science of the church is neglected for the study of geometry, and they lose sight of Heaven while they are employed in measuring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/the-science-of-the-church-is-neglected-for-the-study-of-geometry-and/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [In my eyes, baking and pastry-making is like a science - all the measuring of quantities and temperatures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-stein/in-my-eyes-baking-and-pastry-making-is-like-a-science-all-the/) [Rick Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-stein/) > [Measuring life by what others do for us may disappoint us...But Measuring life by what we do for others will add more meaning to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/measuring-life-by-what-others-do-for-us-may-disappoint-us-but/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Morality without religion is only a kind of dead reckoning - an endeavor to find our place on a cloudy sea by measuring the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/morality-without-religion-is-only-a-kind-of-dead-reckoning-an/) [Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/) > [Learning to decipher words had only added to the pleasures of holding spines and turning pages, measuring the journey to the end with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-crowley/learning-to-decipher-words-had-only-added-to-the-pleasures-of-holding/) [John Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-crowley/) > [There's always the tendency to transform the Church into an ethical agency, and of measuring the Church by the yardstick of social and cultural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-lehmann/there-s-always-the-tendency-to-transform-the-church-into-an-ethical/) [Karl Lehmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-lehmann/) > [It is much easier to make measurements than to know exactly what you are measuring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-w-n-sullivan/it-is-much-easier-to-make-measurements-than-to-know-exactly-what-you/) [J. W. N. Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-w-n-sullivan/) > [By measuring the proportion of children living with the same parents from birth and whether their parents report a good quality relationship we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-duncan-smith/by-measuring-the-proportion-of-children-living-with-the-same-parents/) [Iain Duncan Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-duncan-smith/) > [I, measuring his affections by my own, Which then most sought where most might not be found, Being one too many by my weary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-measuring-his-affections-by-my-own-which-then-most-sought-where/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) ## More by William Bernbach > [Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action. If you know these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/nothing-is-so-powerful-as-an-insight-into-human-nature-what/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) > [Forget words like 'hard sell' and 'soft sell.' That will only confuse you. Just be sure your advertising is saying something with substance, something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/forget-words-like-hard-sell-and-soft-sell-that-will-only-confuse-you/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) > [All of us who professionally use the mass media are the shapers of society. We can vulgarise that society. We can brutalise it. Or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/all-of-us-who-professionally-use-the-mass-media-are-the-shapers-of/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) > [Just because your ad looks good is no insurance that it will get looked at. 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The more you analyse it, the more it disappears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/logic-and-over-analysis-can-immobilise-and-sterilize-an-idea-it-s/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) > [Today's smartest advertising style is tomorrow's corn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/today-s-smartest-advertising-style-is-tomorrow-s-corn/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) > [In advertising, not to be different is virtually suicidal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/in-advertising-not-to-be-different-is-virtually-suicidal/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) > [No matter how skillful you are, you can't invent a product advantage that doesn't exist. And if you do, and it's just a gimmick,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/no-matter-how-skillful-you-are-you-can-t-invent-a-product-advantage/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) > [There is no such thing as a good or bad ad in isolation. What is good at one moment is bad at another. 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At the same time it is a very busy schedule.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reece-james/we-all-have-time-away-from-football-to-get-our-head-down-at-the-same/) [Reece James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reece-james/) > [I am on sabbatical as of right now, been too busy to think of about my OWN needs as of late.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-diamond/i-am-on-sabbatical-as-of-right-now-been-too-busy-to-think-of-about-my/) [Jim Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-diamond/) > [“I don't envy "busy." Busy means having a schedule, not living life. What I really covet is leisure and peace of mind. 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It can be pretty busy, but I'm not out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-sinise/i-do-spend-a-lot-of-weekends-on-the-road-i-have-to-pace-myself-it-can/) [Gary Sinise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-sinise/) > [Our civilization, bequeathed to us by fierce adventurers, eaters of meat and hunters, is so full of hurry and combat, so busy about many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/our-civilization-bequeathed-to-us-by-fierce-adventurers-eaters-of/) [James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) > [I have no social life. There is no time for one. 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