21 Revolutionary Ideas That Sound Dumb at First

If you’re ever not sure you should do something, try saying it out loud. If you can listen to yourself without pinching the bridge of your nose in frustration with your own stupidity, you’re probably clear for takeoff. If everyone within hearing distance turns to stare at you, expressionless except for their exaggerated blinking, maybe rethink that one.

Only maybe, though, because some of the most innovative ideas sound idiotic on paper. Gadgets that have changed the way we live our lives, medical treatments that have cured diseases and even some smash hit video games, if you just come out and describe them, sound completely ludicrous. That’s why user treny0000 asked r/AskReddit, “What’s an example of an idea that’s terrible on paper but worked brilliantly in reality?”