Scott Adams Quotes

Powerful Scott Adams for Daily Growth

About Scott Adams

Scott Adams, born on June 8, 1957, in Windham, New Hampshire, is an American cartoonist, author, and entrepreneur best known as the creator of Dilbert, a popular syndicated newspaper strip about office life. Raised in a military family, Adams moved frequently during his childhood, eventually settling in Arizona. He attended high school in Casa Grande, Arizona, where he developed an interest in cartooning and political satire. After graduating from high school, he pursued higher education at Harvey Mudd College, but dropped out after two years to work as a computer programmer. Adams's career took a turn when he started creating cartoons as a hobby. In 1984, his life changed when United Feature Syndicate began syndicating Dilbert, and it quickly became one of the most popular comic strips in the world. The comic, which satirically portrays the absurdities of corporate life, resonated with millions of readers globally. Beyond Dilbert, Adams has authored several books, including "The Dilbert Principle" (1995), a humorous look at office culture, and "God's Debris" (2002), a science fiction novel that explores the nature of reality. In addition to his creative endeavors, Adams is also an advocate for liberty and free will, often sharing his political views through his blog and social media platforms. His unique blend of humor, satire, and insight has made him a significant figure in contemporary American culture. Despite facing numerous challenges throughout his career, including rejection from numerous publishers before the success of Dilbert, Adams continues to push boundaries with his work.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"I'd rather have a big office and a small salary than a small office and no salary."

This quote suggests that the speaker values having a professional workspace more than earning a higher salary, even if it means receiving a smaller income. It implies a preference for physical work environment and the associated prestige over monetary compensation alone, demonstrating a unique perspective on success and ambition.


"Everyday I feel more like Wiley Coyote, running off a cliff and realizing I've forgotten to grow wings."

This quote by Scott Adams expresses the feeling of being in a situation where one has embarked on an action or endeavor without fully considering its consequences, much like Wiley Coyote who runs off a cliff, unaware of the lack of solid ground beneath him until it's too late. It suggests a sense of unease and uncertainty as we realize that we have overstepped our current abilities or resources, hoping for a solution to materialize before reaching an unfavorable outcome. Essentially, it encapsulates the human tendency to engage in ambitious projects without thoroughly planning, making us vulnerable to unexpected challenges and difficulties.


"The secret of life is to marry a man who makes a million dollars a year and then divorce him."

This quote by Scott Adams is a witty commentary on societal norms and the pursuit of financial security, often tied to the idea of "the American Dream." The statement humorously suggests that one can achieve a certain level of financial independence through marriage, but also implies the importance of self-determination. By divorcing the millionaire husband, Adams' character is able to maintain the financial benefits while also achieving personal freedom and autonomy, which can be interpreted as a metaphor for seeking personal growth and happiness in life. However, it's essential to remember that this quote is satirical in nature and does not advocate for actual divorce or materialistic pursuits above other aspects of a fulfilling life.


"Ideas are like monkeys. You open the cage and eventually they'll all come out."

This quote by Scott Adams signifies that ideas, much like wild monkeys in a cage, are plentiful and eager to express themselves once given the opportunity. The more we brainstorm or ponder, the more ideas we generate. It's a reminder that creativity is boundless and that ideas, once unleashed, can overflow abundantly.


"If at first you don't succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried."

This quote by Scott Adams is a sarcastic commentary on individuals who avoid accountability for their failures by erasing any trace of their attempts. The humor lies in the absurdity of such an action as it does not address the root cause of the failure or provide an opportunity to learn and grow from the experience. Instead, it creates a cycle where people do not improve but rather hide their shortcomings. It is essential for personal growth and development to acknowledge and learn from failures, rather than attempting to conceal them.


Engineers like to solve problems. If there are no problems handily available, they will create their own problems.

- Scott Adams

Own, Will, Like, Available

Technology will definitely solve all our problems, but in the process it will create brand new ones. But that's O.K. because the most you can expect from life is to get to solve better and better problems.

- Scott Adams

Process, New, Will, Brand New

You can never underestimate the stupidity of the general public.

- Scott Adams

Underestimate, Never, Stupidity

If you drill down on any success story, you always discover that luck was a huge part of it. You can't control luck, but you can move from a game with bad odds to one with better odds. You can make it easier for luck to find you. The most useful thing you can do is stay in the game.

- Scott Adams

Luck, Game, Bad, Success Story

I respectfully decline the invitation to join your hallucination.

- Scott Adams

Invitation, Decline, Join, Hallucination

Rotten bosses don't get better. Any strategy that assumes they can is doomed.

- Scott Adams

Better, Bosses, Get, Assumes

Consultants have credibility because they are not dumb enough to work at your company.

- Scott Adams

Work, Dumb, Credibility, Consultants

Free will is an illusion. People always choose the perceived path of greatest pleasure.

- Scott Adams

Path, Will, Always, Perceived

Nothing defines humans better than their willingness to do irrational things in the pursuit of phenomenally unlikely payoffs. This is the principle behind lotteries, dating, and religion.

- Scott Adams

Dating, Behind, Phenomenally, Unlikely

When you hire that first person, then you're a boss. You've got performance reviews. You've got complaints about not making enough money. You've got people who are just going to sell your story to the tabloids.

- Scott Adams

Boss, Hire, Tabloids, Reviews

I'm predicting that we'll finally have a computer will search my e-mail automatically and delete every message that begins with 'thought you'd be interested,' and then give an electrical shock to the sender to remind him or her to stop send that kind of message.

- Scott Adams

Thought, Him, Delete, Automatically

Scientists will eventually stop flailing around with solar power and focus their efforts on harnessing the only truly unlimited source of energy on the planet: stupidity. I predict that in the future, scientists will learn how to convert stupidity into clean fuel.

- Scott Adams

Focus, Solar, Fuel, Convert

The computer cuts my production time in half. I love it.

- Scott Adams

Love, Computer, I Love, Cuts

If your goal is to lose 10 pounds, you may wake up each day with failure in mind because the goal is hard to reach, and you are progressing only by small amounts. It takes up all your willpower. I recommend that instead of a goal, you have a system.

- Scott Adams

Small, Reach, Small Amounts, Progressing

I have a perverse attraction to risk. Not physical risk but emotional, financial risk - anything than can't kill you immediately.

- Scott Adams

Financial, Emotional, Attraction

Informed decision-making comes from a long tradition of guessing and then blaming others for inadequate results.

- Scott Adams

Business, Informed, Then, Blaming

I think 'Dilbert' will remain popular as long as employees are frustrated and they fear the consequences of complaining too loudly. 'Dilbert' is the designated voice of discontent for the workplace. I never planned it that way. It just happened.

- Scott Adams

Voice, I Think, Loudly, Discontent

Normal people... believe that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Engineers believe that if it ain't broke, it doesn't have enough features yet.

- Scott Adams

Normal, Broke, Normal People, Engineers

I try to manage my day by my circadian rhythms because the creativity is such an elusive thing, and I could easily just stomp over it doing my administrative stuff.

- Scott Adams

Doing, Over, Rhythms, Stomp

I had several different bosses during the early years of 'Dilbert.' They were all pretty sure I was mocking someone else.

- Scott Adams

Pretty, Sure, Several, Early

The most important thing when you study hypnosis is that you learn that humans are irrational. Until you understand that, hypnosis is hard to do... For me, it was this great awakening to understand that humans are deeply irrational, and it's probably the greatest influence on me in terms of my writing.

- Scott Adams

Study, Important Thing, Awakening

If there are no stupid questions, then what kind of questions do stupid people ask? Do they get smart just in time to ask questions?

- Scott Adams

Intelligence, Stupid, Kind, Stupid People

You give anybody a billion dollars, and of course they are passionate. Passion is one of those things like willpower in that there's 'magical thinking' about it. You've got to be careful about 'magical thinking.'

- Scott Adams

Passionate, Give, Be Careful, Billion Dollars

Remind people that profit is the difference between revenue and expense. This makes you look smart.

- Scott Adams

Business, Revenue, Makes, Profit

Every skill you acquire doubles your odds of success.

- Scott Adams

Success, Skill, Doubles, Odds

Many, if not most, career opportunities come to you through people you know. So the more people you know, the more opportunities you have. Improving your social network is a great example of a system for moving from lower odds to better odds without having a specific goal.

- Scott Adams

Career, Through, Your, Odds

Home is pretty utopian.

- Scott Adams

Home, Pretty, Utopian

Some of my best friends are Venture Capitalists, but let's face it, a hamster with Alzheimer's could make those kind of numbers. It's great work if you can get it.

- Scott Adams

Alzheimer, Some, Could, Capitalists

When times are bad, the gloves come off and employers are less nice. People become disposable.

- Scott Adams

Bad, Come, Employers, Nice People

Beware of advice about successful people and their methods. For starters, no two situations are alike. Your dreams of creating a dry-cleaning empire won't be helped by knowing that Thomas Edison liked to take naps.

- Scott Adams

Advice, Beware, Naps, None

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