Quote of the day by John Maynard Keynes: “The difficulty lies not so much in developing new ideas…”

“The difficulty lies not so much in developing new ideas as in escaping from old ones.”

Explanation: Progress is not just about creating new ideas, but also about letting go of the ones we are already attached to. This is the idea behind economist John Maynard Keynes’s popular quote.

New ideas, in many ways, are easier to generate. What makes change difficult is the hold that existing beliefs, habits, and assumptions have on our thinking. These older frameworks shape how we interpret information, often without us realising it.

Because of this, even when new ideas are available, they may be resisted or dismissed simply because they conflict with what is already familiar. The real effort, then, lies in questioning what we take for granted and being willing to move beyond it.

The quote highlights that intellectual growth is not only about learning something new  but also about unlearning what no longer holds true. It is this process of re-examining and updating our thinking that makes genuine progress possible.

About the author: John Maynard Keynes (1883–1946) was a British economist whose ideas fundamentally reshaped modern economic theory and policy. He is best known for his work on macroeconomics, particularly during the Great Depression, where his theories influenced government intervention in economies.

His book ‘The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money’ remains one of the most influential works in economics, challenging established ideas of his time, much like the insight reflected in this quote.