--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Be the first to not do what nobody has…" description: "\"Be the first to not do what nobody has ever thought of not doing before.\" — Brian Eno" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/000/brian-eno-776_doing_be-the-first-to-not-do-what-nobody-has-e_706727.jpg" --- # Be the first to not do what nobody has ever thought of not… ![“Be the first to not do what nobody has ever thought of not doing before.” quote by Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/000/brian-eno-776_doing_be-the-first-to-not-do-what-nobody-has-e_706727.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/000/brian-eno-776_doing_be-the-first-to-not-do-what-nobody-has-e_706727.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/000/brian-eno-776_doing_be-the-first-to-not-do-what-nobody-has-e_706727.jpg) > “Be the first to not do what nobody has ever thought of not doing before.” [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Encourages pioneering actions that defy conventional expectations, even when others think it impossible. **In simple terms:** Do something nobody has dared to avoid. Key Takeaway Challenge norms by doing the unexpected. Themes innovation risk‑taking creativity Mood adventurous determined Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - product development - art installations - startup ventures - social experiments Key Concepts design thinking psychology of conformity leadership Questions to Reflect On - What bold step can you take today? - How will you handle potential criticism? A Different Perspective Unconventional actions may face resistance or failure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Doing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought/) [Thought Doing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought-doing-505596/) ## Related quotes > [I'm always interested in what you can do with technology that people haven't thought of doing yet. I think that's sort of a characteristic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/i-m-always-interested-in-what-you-can-do-with-technology-that-people-2/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [I'm always interested in what you can do with technology that people haven't thought of doing yet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/i-m-always-interested-in-what-you-can-do-with-technology-that-people/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [Everything I've ever thought about doing has been, in some sense, about helping people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacinda-ardern/everything-i-ve-ever-thought-about-doing-has-been-in-some-sense-about/) [Jacinda Ardern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacinda-ardern/) > [It is really hard for me to invest time into a relationship because I get kind of freaked out by the thought of doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reese-roper/it-is-really-hard-for-me-to-invest-time-into-a-relationship-because-i/) [Reese Roper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reese-roper/) > [I had not thought that I was doing wrong; I had never taken so many things into consideration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-veronese/i-had-not-thought-that-i-was-doing-wrong-i-had-never-taken-so-many/) [Paolo Veronese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-veronese/) > [I just kind of thought about doing this my whole life. I never doubted myself once. I've always been singing, and I've always wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bert-mccracken/i-just-kind-of-thought-about-doing-this-my-whole-life-i-never-doubted/) [Bert McCracken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bert-mccracken/) > [“Panic at the thought of doing a thing is a challenge to do it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-s-haskins/panic-at-the-thought-of-doing-a-thing-is-a-challenge-to-do-it/) [Henry S. Haskins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-s-haskins/) > [I just thought to myself, 'What am I doing? Is this how I'm going to live my adult life, banging my head, especially with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-borland/i-just-thought-to-myself-what-am-i-doing-is-this-how-i-m-going-to/) [Chris Borland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-borland/) > [I try not to take people who haven't really thought out what they're doing too seriously. I try not to let them get in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gil-scott-heron/i-try-not-to-take-people-who-haven-t-really-thought-out-what-they-re/) [Gil Scott-Heron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gil-scott-heron/) > [I thought about doing '36 Chambers' on Broadway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rza/i-thought-about-doing-36-chambers-on-broadway/) [Rza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rza/) > [It’s always been in between the things I thought I was doing that the real work has happened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kentridge/it-s-always-been-in-between-the-things-i-thought-i-was-doing-that-the/) [William Kentridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kentridge/) > [I never thought about doing men. Never.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-reynolds/i-never-thought-about-doing-men-never/) [Debbie Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-reynolds/) > [There were a lot of things I thought of doing as I was growing up, from becoming a singer to a priest to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lammy/there-were-a-lot-of-things-i-thought-of-doing-as-i-was-growing-up/) [David Lammy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lammy/) > [Thinking is generally thought of as doing nothing in a production-oriented society, and doing nothing is hard to do. It's best done by disguising…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/thinking-is-generally-thought-of-as-doing-nothing-in-a-production/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [“Was there ever a time you thought - I am doing this on purpose, I am fucking up and I don't know why.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-m-homes-2/was-there-ever-a-time-you-thought-i-am-doing-this-on-purpose-i-am/) [A. M. Homes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-m-homes-2/) ## More by Brian Eno > [I have lived in countries that were coming out of conflict: Ireland, South Africa, the Czech republic. People there are overflowing with energy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/i-have-lived-in-countries-that-were-coming-out-of-conflict-ireland/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [The lyrics are constructed as empirically as the music. I don't set out to say anything very important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/the-lyrics-are-constructed-as-empirically-as-the-music-i-don-t-set/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [Admirers can be a tremendous force for conservatism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/admirers-can-be-a-tremendous-force-for-conservatism/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [The whole history of pop music had rested on the first person singular, with occasional intrusions of the second person singular.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/the-whole-history-of-pop-music-had-rested-on-the-first-person/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [You can't really imagine music without technology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/you-can-t-really-imagine-music-without-technology/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [Robert Fripp and I will be recording another LP very soon. It should be even more monotonous than the first one!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/robert-fripp-and-i-will-be-recording-another-lp-very-soon-it-should/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [I despise computers in many ways. I think they’re hopelessly underevolved and overrated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/i-despise-computers-in-many-ways-i-think-they-re-hopelessly/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [I think very often producers are really trying to repeat things. When they hear something in the new songs that they recognize as being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/i-think-very-often-producers-are-really-trying-to-repeat-things-when/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [I think that's very significant that we're so attached to the idea now of - it was something I advocated for years, that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/i-think-that-s-very-significant-that-we-re-so-attached-to-the-idea/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [If you watch any good player, they're using different parts of their body and working with instruments that respond to those movements. They're moving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/if-you-watch-any-good-player-they-re-using-different-parts-of-their/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [Songs that don't depend on composition depend instead on performance - so the fire has to be there in the playing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/songs-that-don-t-depend-on-composition-depend-instead-on-performance/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [I can see the use and value of religion, just as I can see the use of mud wrestling, yoga, astronomy and sadomasochism. but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/i-can-see-the-use-and-value-of-religion-just-as-i-can-see-the-use-of/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [I wanted to get rid of the element that had been considered essential in pop music: the voice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/i-wanted-to-get-rid-of-the-element-that-had-been-considered-essential/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [At the beginning of the 20th century, the ambition of the great painters was to make paintings that were like music, which was then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/at-the-beginning-of-the-20th-century-the-ambition-of-the-great/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [I had an interesting day. I was in the studio with a group of musicians, who shall remain nameless, and I said to them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/i-had-an-interesting-day-i-was-in-the-studio-with-a-group-of/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) [Explore all 373 Brian Eno quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) ## More Doing quotes > [I don't know what I'm doing, but I'm damn well gonna do it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geri-halliwell/i-don-t-know-what-i-m-doing-but-i-m-damn-well-gonna-do-it/) [Geri Halliwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geri-halliwell/) > [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/) [David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/) > [If you think you're doing everything right, then you have a tendency to stand pat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stockton/if-you-think-you-re-doing-everything-right-then-you-have-a-tendency/) [John Stockton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stockton/) > [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [Focus on becoming more to achieve more while doing less](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-elrod/focus-on-becoming-more-to-achieve-more-while-doing-less/) [Hal Elrod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-elrod/) > [Doing the right things is more important than doing things right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ko-wen-je/doing-the-right-things-is-more-important-than-doing-things-right/) [Ko Wen-je](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ko-wen-je/) > [I was in high school and I had an independent album out, and we kept sending that out, and I was doing shows. No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-hilton/i-was-in-high-school-and-i-had-an-independent-album-out-and-we-kept/) [Tyler Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-hilton/) > [If I'm not thinking about you then I am texting you , if I am not texting you then I am on the phone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-i-m-not-thinking-about-you-then-i-am-texting-you-if-i-am-not/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [.\*. why u hate me..Bitches be doing the most](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kitty/why-u-hate-me-bitches-be-doing-the-most/) [Kitty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kitty/) > [“dances with mine as if we’ve been doing this our whole”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corinne-michaels/dances-with-mine-as-if-we-ve-been-doing-this-our-whole/) [Corinne Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corinne-michaels/) > [“I take my actions because of my passion not because of compulsion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/i-take-my-actions-because-of-my-passion-not-because-of-compulsion/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [When the dollar collapses, it's not doing it in a vacuum. If the dollar loses value, it's doing so relative to some other currency.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/when-the-dollar-collapses-it-s-not-doing-it-in-a-vacuum-if-the-dollar/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) > [When I made it, I still didn't wave the flag and say, Yeah go Asian people. I do want people to know that about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-hugo/when-i-made-it-i-still-didn-t-wave-the-flag-and-say-yeah-go-asian/) [Chad Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-hugo/) > [I really can't live without my In-N-Out burgers. Honestly, I can't. Even when I'm doing the whole no-carb thing occasionally, I make an exception…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-berkus/i-really-can-t-live-without-my-in-n-out-burgers-honestly-i-can-t-even/) [Nate Berkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-berkus/) > [You can't drain the swamp, as President Trump has touted doing, without getting rid of Mitch McConnell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-mcgrath/you-can-t-drain-the-swamp-as-president-trump-has-touted-doing-without/) [Amy McGrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-mcgrath/) [Browse all 10,133 Doing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Be the first to not do what nobody has ever thought of not doing before.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Brian Eno" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/be-the-first-to-not-do-what-nobody-has-ever-thought-of-not-doing/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Doing" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/be-the-first-to-not-do-what-nobody-has-ever-thought-of-not-doing/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/000/brian-eno-776_doing_be-the-first-to-not-do-what-nobody-has-e_706727.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/000/brian-eno-776_doing_be-the-first-to-not-do-what-nobody-has-e_706727.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/000/brian-eno-776_doing_be-the-first-to-not-do-what-nobody-has-e_706727.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Be the first to not do what nobody has ever thought of not doing before.” — Brian Eno", "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": "Brian Eno", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Be the first to not do...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/be-the-first-to-not-do-what-nobody-has-ever-thought-of-not-doing/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/be-the-first-to-not-do-what-nobody-has-ever-thought-of-not-doing/#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 } } ] } ```