F. J. Smolka: Two for One Idea

Posted by admin on Monday, March 2, 2015

F. J. Smolka Money Quotation saying ideas can be more valuable than dollars and also increase in value when combined with other ideas. F. J. Smolka said:
 

 

“If I have a dollar and you have a dollar and we exchange we will be even, but if I have an idea and you have an idea and we exchange you will have two ideas and I will have two ideas” — F. J. Smolka

 

 

F. J. Smolka seems to be suggesting that ideas can be shared and multiplied in a way that financial resources cannot. Specifically, the quote contrasts exchanging a dollar (where each person ends up with the same single dollar they started with) versus exchanging ideas (where each person ends up with two ideas, effectively doubling the total number of ideas).

Smolka’s point appears to be that ideas are non-rivalrous goods – sharing or discussing an idea does not diminish the original idea, but rather builds upon it by creating new perspectives or combinations. Overall, the quote indicates that Smolka views the spread and proliferation of ideas as highly beneficial, unlike the zero-sum exchange of finite monetary assets, because ideas can exponentially grow in number and value through open exchange between open and creative minds.