“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
Simplified Meaning:
Just because smart people were made fun of doesn't mean everyone who gets laughed at is a genius. Some famous inventors like Columbus, Fulton, and the Wright brothers were ridiculed before their ideas were proven right, but not everyone who faces ridicule is guaranteed to succeed. For instance, a skilled comedian, like Bozo the Clown, might be laughed at, but his goal is to entertain, not to invent or discover something new. It's important to recognize the difference between being laughed at because your ideas seem outlandish but eventually work out and being laughed at because what you're doing is genuinely funny or nonsensical. Imagine you're in school and you share an idea for a science project that sounds strange to your classmates. At first, they might laugh because it sounds odd, but if you keep believing in it and work hard, you might actually have a brilliant project in the end. However, not every project that gets laughed at will turn out brilliant; some may just be silly ideas. The takeaway here is to carefully assess the feedback you receive and determine whether the laughter comes from a lack of understanding or because the idea might really be flawed. This can help you decide whether to persist with your idea or reconsider your approach.