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Only puny secrets need protection. Big discoveries are protected by public incredulity.
Marshall Mcluhan
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Lesser truths require secrecy, while significant breakthroughs are often met with skepticism.

Marshall McLuhan highlights the notion that major discoveries and innovative ideas tend to face skepticism and disbelief from the public rather than being shielded by secrecy. This suggests that profound truths or revolutionary concepts are inherently difficult for people to grasp, which protects them from being trivialized or misappropriated. In contrast, minor secrets can be easily kept hidden, but larger ideas become notable through their exposure to public scrutiny.

Themes

SecretsDiscoveriesPublicIncredulityProtection

In practice

Example use cases

In a presentation about innovation, one might use this quote to illustrate how groundbreaking ideas are often initially met with skepticism.

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The poet, the artist, the sleuth, whoever sharpens our perception tends to antisocial; rarely 'well adjusted,' he cannot go along with currents and trends.
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