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“But the fact that some geniuses were laughed at does not imply that all who are laughed at are geniuses. They laughed at Columbus, they laughed at Fulton, they laughed at the Wright brothers. But they also laughed at Bozo the Clown.”

Carl Sagan

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Simplified Meaning:

People often make fun of new ideas or unusual behavior, but that doesn't always mean those ideas are great or that the person is a genius. Christopher Columbus, Robert Fulton, and the Wright brothers had ideas that seemed crazy at the time, but they ended up changing the world with their discoveries in exploration, steam engines, and flight. On the other hand, they also laugh at silly, entertaining things like Bozo the Clown, who is just meant to be funny. This means we shouldn't assume that just because someone is laughed at, they are necessarily onto something brilliant. It's important to look more closely at what they're doing or saying before we decide. In life, this means we should keep an open mind about new ideas but also use good judgment to figure out which ones have real potential.

Related tags
Bozo the clown Genius History Innovation Laughter Misunderstanding Perception Wright brothers
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