Original Quotes

“When I lamented the sale of the gold bars, GERI said it wasn’t a problem because there was a more than enough of the metal below the floor of the barn where I was sitting.”
― C.A. Knutsen, Tom and G.E.R.I.

“I didn’t know what question to ask first. GERI’s announcement surprised me. My friend from outer space had become a property developer.”
― C.A. Knutsen, Tom and G.E.R.I.

“Psychologists discovered that there are two routes to achievement: conformity and originality. Conformity means following the crowd down conventional paths and maintaining the status quo. Originality is taking the road less traveled, championing a set of novel ideas that go against the grain but ultimately make things better.”
― Adam Grant, Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World

“Try not to drive yourself crazy attempting to be completely original. People need at least a portion of familiarity in order to relate.”
― Aegelis, Specks of Shadows, Flecks of Light

“Why do you think everything you think is everything everybody else thinks?”
― George Saunders, Pastoralia

“Correcting the correction is back to square one.”
― Martin Uzochukwu Ugwu

“Instead of trying to be original, try being you.”
― Aegelis, Specks of Shadows, Flecks of Light

“I'm just a puppet on a burning stage
No health and safety
'Cause if I can't be me in this society
I'll hallucinate my own autonomy”
― Hot Milk

“Into your eyes
Hopeless and taken
We stole our new lives
Through blood and name
In defense of our dreams
In defense of our dreams

We were the kings and queens of promise
We were the victims of ourselves
Maybe the children of a lesser God
Between Heaven and Hell,
Heaven and Hell.

The age of man is over
A darkness comes at dawn
These lessons that we've learned here
Have only just begun”
― 30 Seconds to Mars

“To be an original one must not only come up with new ideas but also Sherpa those ideas into the wider world, battling skepticism, incomprehension, and outright hostility in the process. . . .”
― Adam Grant, Originals

“Originals is a fascinating, eye-opening read that will help you not just recognize your own unique gifts, but find the strength to challenge conventional wisdom to bring them to life.”
― Adam Grant, Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World

“Originality is what everybody wants, but there’s a sweet spot,” Rob Minkoff explains. “If it’s not original enough, it’s boring or trite. If it’s too original, it may be hard for the audience to understand. The goal is to push the envelope, not tear the envelope.”
― Adam Grant, Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World

“I identify more with native Americans than I do with modern USA culture.”
― Steven Magee

“Jesus was the original George Floyd.”
― Steven Magee

“The more influential the original, the more copies it has.”
― Tamerlan Kuzgov

“Satan's gift is a mirage. He gives the counterfeit and takes the original.”
― Vincent Okay Nwachukwu

“I'm shocked by how many people think they're original and say the same thing.”
― Jennette McCurdy, I'm Glad My Mom Died

“Every standardized institution, by definition and design, is focused on efficiency above all else, and generic motives and universal motives are efficient ways of moving the needle—on average, at least. But they’re horrible for your own fulfillment. Not only do standardized views of motivation ignore everything that is important about who you are, but by incessantly focusing all of our attention on a small set of institutionally ordained motives, the Standardization Covenant constrains our thinking about what a personal motive can even be.
Fortunately, dark horses reveal the hidden truth about motivation. ... The lives of dark horses demonstrate the remarkable specificity of micro-motives.”
― Todd Rose, Dark Horse: Achieving Success Through the Pursuit of Fulfillment

“Kids who grew up in Naperville remember trading them in the first half of 1995, close to a year before the rest of the country had heard of them, and a few teachers had banned Beanies from their classrooms because they'd become a distraction.”
― Zac Bissonnette, The Great Beanie Baby Bubble: Mass Delusion and the Dark Side of Cute

“In a world that rewards
second-hand existence,
Stand alone and original,
as a first-hand sapiens.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Visvavictor: Kanima Akiyor Kainat

“I only have one advice for you, own your life, from head to toe - unapologetically alive and original, not a carbon copy, with second hand woe.”
― Abhijit Naskar, World War Human: 100 New Earthling Sonnets

“You're not just a pleasant sight; you're a masterpiece, complete with freckles, quirks, and all! Embrace your unique beauty, and let those freckles shine like constellations in the night sky. After all, it's the imperfections that make you perfectly you. So, flaunt those freckles, embrace your flaws, and rock your individuality like the star you are! Remember, it's not about being flawless; it's about being flawlessly authentic. Keep shining.”
― Life is Positive

“Renewal generally refers to extending the life, validity, or effectiveness of something beyond its original term.”
― Nkahloleng Eric Mohlala

“Breaking the mold is easy when you don't know what the mold is.”
― Aegelis

“If we look at some of the most celebrated or prolific story originators of all time, we find among them a surprising number of eccentric bachelors and unmarried women. People who travelled widely, made strange friends and lived unusual and transient lifestyles.”
― Sacha Coward, Queer as Folklore: The Hidden Queer History of Myths and Monsters

“The language of the hands and the language of the page are the same to me—they both bring silence to life. Reading gives me worlds, and Sign Language gives me connection. Both are necessary forms of light”
― Abdiwahab Yussuf

“God in heart and time in mind." – Preyal Nilesh Patel”
― Preyal Nilesh Patel

“Here there is no doubt that timidity and a total lack of personal initiative have always been regarded among us as the chiefest and best sign of the practical man—and are so regarded even now. But why blame only ourselves—if this opinion can be considered an accusation? Lack of originality, everywhere, all over the world, from time immemorial, has always been considered the foremost quality and the best recommendation of the active, efficient and practical man.”
― Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Idiot

“We need more Jamaican taxis”
― Cayden Fontaine

“CopyCats are Conformists — both conventional and predictable. They follow traditions and typically do what’s expected of them. Creatives are Contrarians — they’re not rude by default; they just know all traditions were once original; so why not make new ones?”
― Jen Fraser, CopyCat: How to Escape Status Quo Thinking and Lead the Field