Quotes about Individuality

Here's the next section of quotes from my book 1000 Great Quotations for Business, Management & Training.


An updated version of the book is newly available as part of my Almost Free Kindle titles both in the UK and in the USA.

Be Daring

Be First

Be Different.

Anita Roddick, British retail executive, founder of The Body Shop (1942-2007)

Man’s main task in life is to give birth to himself, to become what he potentially is. The most important product of his effort is his own personality.

Erich Fromm, US psychologist, philosopher (1900-1980)

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world. The unreasonable man persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.

George Bernard Shaw, Irish playwright, essayist (1856-1950)

Follow the path of the unsafe, independent thinker. Expose your ideas to the dangers of controversy. Speak your mind and fear less the label of ‘crackpot’ than the stigma of conformity.

Thomas J Watson, US businessman, founder of IBM (1874-1956)

I used to think anyone doing anything weird was weird. Now I know that it is the people that call others weird that are weird.

Paul McCartney, British musician, co-founder of The Beatles (b. 1942)

No one can possibly achieve any real and lasting success or get rich in business by being a conformist.

J Paul Getty, US industrialist (1892-1976)

Few great players make the transition into management. The reason is that great players are normally like soloists in an orchestra. They perform alone and tend to look down at team-mates with lesser ability.

Bob Paisley, British football manager (1919-1996)

Never play a thing the same way twice.

Louis Armstrong, US jazz musician (1900-1971)

In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different.

Gabrielle Bonheur ‘Coco’ Chanel, French fashion designer (1883-1971)

You cannot step twice into the same river, for other waters are always flowing on to you.

Heraclitis, Greek philosopher (c. 535 – c. 475 BC)

I can’t stand to sing the same song the same way two nights in succession. Let alone two years or ten years. If you can, then it ain’t music, it’s close-order drill or exercise or yodelling or something, not music.

Eleanora Fagan, known as Billie Holiday, US jazz singer (1915-1959)