Some Stupid Statements

Here are some things said by people, both famous and not-so-famous, that when looked at in retrospect, seem extremely stupid.


1. "Peace for our time"

Neville Chamberlain , Prime Minister of England, 1938, made this extremely ironic statement in defence of the Munich Agreement that was designed to pacify Hitler's European ambitions. A year later, Hitler invaded Poland and started World War II.


2. "It is my opinion that guitar groups are on their way out"

An employee of Dacca Records said this to the manager of a four-member band at an audition as an excuse for not signing the group on. A few years later, The Beatles became a household name in the west.

3. "It will be over before Christmas"

A popular statement that circulated in 1914 regarding the new war that had just begun. Instead, World War I would drag on for four long years resulting in thousands of deaths.

4. "You will never understand mathematics. You're hopeless."

A German schoolmaster made this caustic comment to a young boy in his class. In 1905, that same young boy would formulate the Special Theory of Relativity (along with other pioneering works) under the name of Albert Einstein.

5. "You're addled."

The Reverend Engle said this to another young boy. This boy would go on to become one of history's greatest inventors. His name was Thomas Alva Edison.

6. "64 KB of RAM is enough for everyone."

Bill Gates made this statement. In a world where computers are quickly exceeding this limit and people still want more.

7. "Spam will be gone in two years."

Bill Gates again, in 2004. Spam only seems to have increased in the last three years.

8. "Hindi-Chini Bhai Bhai"

A statement that went around after the signing of the Panchsheel between India and China in the late 1950's. A few years later, the countries were at war with each other and Nehru died a disillusioned man. The statement instead became "Hindi-Chini Bye Bye"

9. "The English are a nation of shopkeepers."

Though it's not certain if Napolean Bonaparte ever made this statement, it certainly reflected his attitude towards England. A shopkeeper named Nelson however defeated his forces at sea while another shopkeeper addressed as the Duke of Wellington saw him fall at Waterloo. Never underestimate market forces.

10. "The Second Five Year Plan will be a Great Leap Forward"

Chairman Mao of the People's Republic of China advocating massive industrialization in 1958 in order to convert China into an industrial powerhouse. The Great Leap Forward (as the plan came to be known) is now acknowledged by many as an economic disaster. China's current industrial dominance came into being only decades later due to different economic plans.

There are several other statements that escape my memory. However, these ten statements show how careful one must be while making predictions about the future. Often, we underestimate an opponent's greed (as Chamberlain did with Hitler) or have too much confidence in our own evaluations (as the German schoolmaster regarding Einstein). Often, we would just be victims of fate but many times, we have the opportunity to set things right.