--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I was losing, they called me nuts…" description: "\"When I was losing, they called me nuts. When I was winning they called me eccentric.\" — Al McGuire" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a64/al-mcguire-11312_eccentric_when-i-was-losing-they-called-me-nuts-wh_1482029.png" --- # When I was losing, they called me nuts. When I was winning… ![“When I was losing, they called me nuts. When I was winning they called me eccentric.” quote by Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a64/al-mcguire-11312_eccentric_when-i-was-losing-they-called-me-nuts-wh_1482029.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a64/al-mcguire-11312_eccentric_when-i-was-losing-they-called-me-nuts-wh_1482029.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a64/al-mcguire-11312_eccentric_when-i-was-losing-they-called-me-nuts-wh_1482029.png) > “When I was losing, they called me nuts. When I was winning they called me eccentric.” [Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Perception of behavior changes with success; criticism turns to praise when results improve. **In simple terms:** Success changes how people view you. Key Takeaway Stay consistent regardless of praise or criticism. Themes success perception consistency Mood thoughtful analytical Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - team leadership - public speaking - career coaching Key Concepts social psychology reputation management Questions to Reflect On - Do you change your behavior when praised? - How does criticism affect motivation? A Different Perspective Success can mask underlying issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Eccentric](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eccentric/) [Winning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winning/) ## Related quotes > [When I'm losing, they call me nuts. When I'm winning, they call me eccentric.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/when-i-m-losing-they-call-me-nuts-when-i-m-winning-they-call-me/) [Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) > [Anybody talented in any way - they're called eccentric.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thelonious-monk/anybody-talented-in-any-way-they-re-called-eccentric/) [Thelonious Monk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thelonious-monk/) > [I shouldn't be called eccentric. I should be called a normal guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-eubank-sr/i-shouldn-t-be-called-eccentric-i-should-be-called-a-normal-guy/) [Chris Eubank Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-eubank-sr/) > [“Many kids who would have been called eccentric, different, were suddenly labeled autistic.” I”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-ronson/many-kids-who-would-have-been-called-eccentric-different-were/) [Jon Ronson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-ronson/) > [If you're poor and you do something stupid, you're nuts. If you're rich and do something stupid, you're eccentric.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-heenan/if-you-re-poor-and-you-do-something-stupid-you-re-nuts-if-you-re-rich/) [Bobby Heenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-heenan/) > [They call me eccentric. They used to call me nuts. I haven't changed. The only difference between being eccentric and being nuts is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/they-call-me-eccentric-they-used-to-call-me-nuts-i-haven-t-changed/) [Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) > [This twenty-year-old boy was distinguished from childhood by strange qualities, a dreamer and an eccentric. A girl fell in love with him, and he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-bulgakov/this-twenty-year-old-boy-was-distinguished-from-childhood-by-strange/) [Mikhail Bulgakov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-bulgakov/) > [Eccentric is a difficult word because it's come to mean crazy. Avant-garde would be better. Eccentric is not "centric" in terms of having a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-guinness/eccentric-is-a-difficult-word-because-it-s-come-to-mean-crazy-avant/) [Daphne Guinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-guinness/) > [May the state fence in the harmless mentally ill solely to save its citizens from exposure to those whose ways are different? One might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/potter-stewart/may-the-state-fence-in-the-harmless-mentally-ill-solely-to-save-its/) [Potter Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/potter-stewart/) > [I was watching Monster's Ball, which is a fabulous movie. It's just a little gem: beautifully shot, and shot in a way I never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-lyne/i-was-watching-monster-s-ball-which-is-a-fabulous-movie-it-s-just-a/) [Adrian Lyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-lyne/) > [I know I'm funny, because I'm eccentric, I'm odd. I'm not what you expect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-seldes/i-know-i-m-funny-because-i-m-eccentric-i-m-odd-i-m-not-what-you-expect/) [Marian Seldes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-seldes/) > [There is all the difference in the world between departure from recognised rules by one who has learned to obey them, and neglect of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-terry/there-is-all-the-difference-in-the-world-between-departure-from/) [Ellen Terry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-terry/) > [“You can drink your soup ice-cold, but it's no longer soup; you can do eccentric things in life, but if you haven't been able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/you-can-drink-your-soup-ice-cold-but-it-s-no-longer-soup-you-can-do/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [What am I in most people's eyes? A nonentity or an eccentric and disagreeable man... I should want my work to show what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/what-am-i-in-most-people-s-eyes-a-nonentity-or-an-eccentric-and/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [“This one’s mental.’ ‘Eccentric.’ ‘What’s the difference?’ ‘A bag of cash.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/this-one-s-mental-eccentric-what-s-the-difference-a-bag-of-cash/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) ## More by Al McGuire > [I just can't recruit where there's grass around. You gotta have a concrete lawn before I feel comfortable enough to go in and talk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/i-just-can-t-recruit-where-there-s-grass-around-you-gotta-have-a/) [Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) > [Live every day as if it were Saturday night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/live-every-day-as-if-it-were-saturday-night/) [Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) > [The best thing about freshmen is that they become sophomores.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/the-best-thing-about-freshmen-is-that-they-become-sophomores/) [Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) > [I let ballplayers yell back at me because I wasn't trying to prove I'm boss. I know I'm boss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/i-let-ballplayers-yell-back-at-me-because-i-wasn-t-trying-to-prove-i/) [Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) > [Help one kid at a time. He'll maybe go back and help a few more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/help-one-kid-at-a-time-he-ll-maybe-go-back-and-help-a-few-more/) [Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) > [I don't believe in looking past anybody - I wouldn't look past the Little Sisters of the Poor after they stayed up all night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/i-don-t-believe-in-looking-past-anybody-i-wouldn-t-look-past-the/) [Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) > [There's no one who's dropped on top of the mountain. You've got to work your way to the top.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/there-s-no-one-who-s-dropped-on-top-of-the-mountain-you-ve-got-to/) [Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) > [Remember, half the doctors in this country graduated in the bottom half of their class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/remember-half-the-doctors-in-this-country-graduated-in-the-bottom/) [Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) > [I don't think any decent human being enjoys recruiting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/i-don-t-think-any-decent-human-being-enjoys-recruiting/) [Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) > [God didn't miss any of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/god-didn-t-miss-any-of-us/) [Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) > [The nicest thing about coaching is that one day you feel like you can play handball against a curb, and on other days you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/the-nicest-thing-about-coaching-is-that-one-day-you-feel-like-you-can/) [Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) > [I want my team to have my personality: surly, obnoxious, and arrogant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/i-want-my-team-to-have-my-personality-surly-obnoxious-and-arrogant/) [Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) > [Don't call me son unless you're going to include me in your will. (When Adolph Rupp called him, "Son.")](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/don-t-call-me-son-unless-you-re-going-to-include-me-in-your-will-when/) [Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) > [Every obnoxious fan has a wife at home that dominates him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/every-obnoxious-fan-has-a-wife-at-home-that-dominates-him/) [Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) > [“13. “The only mystery in life is why the kamikaze pilots wore helmets”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/13-the-only-mystery-in-life-is-why-the-kamikaze-pilots-wore-helmets/) [Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) [Explore all 60 Al McGuire quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) ## More Eccentric quotes > [“This one’s mental.’ ‘Eccentric.’ ‘What’s the difference?’ ‘A bag of cash.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/this-one-s-mental-eccentric-what-s-the-difference-a-bag-of-cash/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [What am I in most people's eyes? A nonentity or an eccentric and disagreeable man... I should want my work to show what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/what-am-i-in-most-people-s-eyes-a-nonentity-or-an-eccentric-and/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [“You can drink your soup ice-cold, but it's no longer soup; you can do eccentric things in life, but if you haven't been able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/you-can-drink-your-soup-ice-cold-but-it-s-no-longer-soup-you-can-do/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [There is all the difference in the world between departure from recognised rules by one who has learned to obey them, and neglect of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-terry/there-is-all-the-difference-in-the-world-between-departure-from/) [Ellen Terry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-terry/) > [I know I'm funny, because I'm eccentric, I'm odd. I'm not what you expect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-seldes/i-know-i-m-funny-because-i-m-eccentric-i-m-odd-i-m-not-what-you-expect/) [Marian Seldes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-seldes/) > [I was watching Monster's Ball, which is a fabulous movie. It's just a little gem: beautifully shot, and shot in a way I never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-lyne/i-was-watching-monster-s-ball-which-is-a-fabulous-movie-it-s-just-a/) [Adrian Lyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-lyne/) > [May the state fence in the harmless mentally ill solely to save its citizens from exposure to those whose ways are different? One might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/potter-stewart/may-the-state-fence-in-the-harmless-mentally-ill-solely-to-save-its/) [Potter Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/potter-stewart/) > [Eccentric is a difficult word because it's come to mean crazy. Avant-garde would be better. Eccentric is not "centric" in terms of having a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-guinness/eccentric-is-a-difficult-word-because-it-s-come-to-mean-crazy-avant/) [Daphne Guinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-guinness/) > [This twenty-year-old boy was distinguished from childhood by strange qualities, a dreamer and an eccentric. A girl fell in love with him, and he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-bulgakov/this-twenty-year-old-boy-was-distinguished-from-childhood-by-strange/) [Mikhail Bulgakov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-bulgakov/) > [Dean's California--wild, sweaty, important, the land of lonely and exiled and eccentric lovers come to forgather like birds, and the land where everybody somehow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/dean-s-california-wild-sweaty-important-the-land-of-lonely-and-exiled/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [It's thought of as an eccentric thing for an actor to really try to maintain quality control through the whole career. Most people think,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-reilly/it-s-thought-of-as-an-eccentric-thing-for-an-actor-to-really-try-to/) [John C. Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-reilly/) > [“Weirdism is definitely the cornerstone of many an artist's career.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/weirdism-is-definitely-the-cornerstone-of-many-an-artist-s-career/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't listen to the news. I don't read the newspaper unless it's eccentric information - and the obituaries, of course.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maira-kalman/i-don-t-listen-to-the-news-i-don-t-read-the-newspaper-unless-it-s/) [Maira Kalman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maira-kalman/) > [He insists on a version of you that is funnier, stranger, more eccentric and prfound thatn you suspect yourself to be--capable of doing more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cunningham/he-insists-on-a-version-of-you-that-is-funnier-stranger-more/) [Michael Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cunningham/) > [The man that found the 726-carat diamond in Africa, received $350,000 for it and wants to buy a farm and silk hat. Well, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/the-man-that-found-the-726-carat-diamond-in-africa-received-350-000/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) [Browse all 427 Eccentric quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eccentric/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I was losing, they called me nuts. When I was winning they called me eccentric.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Al McGuire" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/when-i-was-losing-they-called-me-nuts-when-i-was-winning-they-called/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Eccentric" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/when-i-was-losing-they-called-me-nuts-when-i-was-winning-they-called/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a64/al-mcguire-11312_eccentric_when-i-was-losing-they-called-me-nuts-wh_1482029.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a64/al-mcguire-11312_eccentric_when-i-was-losing-they-called-me-nuts-wh_1482029.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a64/al-mcguire-11312_eccentric_when-i-was-losing-they-called-me-nuts-wh_1482029.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When I was losing, they called me nuts. When I was winning they called me eccentric.” — Al McGuire", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Al McGuire", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When I was losing, they called...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/when-i-was-losing-they-called-me-nuts-when-i-was-winning-they-called/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/when-i-was-losing-they-called-me-nuts-when-i-was-winning-they-called/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```