A mind is like a parachute. It doesn’t work if it isn’t open.

The line uses a simple mechanical analogy to argue for intellectual openness. A parachute’s purpose—preventing a fall from becoming fatal—depends on being deployed; likewise, a mind’s purpose—learning, judging, imagining, revising beliefs—depends on receptivity to new information and perspectives. The quip also carries an implicit warning: closed-mindedness is not merely a harmless preference but a functional failure that can have real consequences, from poor decisions to moral or political rigidity. Attributed to Frank Zappa, it fits his public persona as a contrarian critic of conformity and censorship, though the sentiment is broadly proverbial and not uniquely tied to his oeuvre.

A mind is like a parachute—it doesn’t work unless it’s open.
The mind is like a parachute; it works best when it’s open.
A mind is like a parachute: it only works when it’s open.