a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds

proverb

Consistency may not be the key to success; changes, even minor ones, must be introduced.

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Meanings

proverb
  1. Consistency may not be the key to success; changes, even minor ones, must be introduced.

Origin

A quotation from Self-Reliance, an essay by Ralph Waldo Emerson, published in 1841.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/a%20foolish%20consistency%20is%20the%20hobgoblin%20of%20little%20minds

MLA

“a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/a%20foolish%20consistency%20is%20the%20hobgoblin%20of%20little%20minds. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/a%20foolish%20consistency%20is%20the%20hobgoblin%20of%20little%20minds.

Source: a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.