--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A person's willingness to conform to…" description: "\"A person's willingness to conform to arbitrary parameters is not a good criterion for selecting talent or allocating rewards.\" — Bruce Tulgan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfb/bruce-tulgan-61014_arbitrary_a-person-s-willingness-to-conform-to-arb_234138.jpg" --- # A person's willingness to conform to arbitrary parameters… ![“A person's willingness to conform to arbitrary parameters is not a good criterion for selecting talent or allocating rewards.” quote by Bruce Tulgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfb/bruce-tulgan-61014_arbitrary_a-person-s-willingness-to-conform-to-arb_234138.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfb/bruce-tulgan-61014_arbitrary_a-person-s-willingness-to-conform-to-arb_234138.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfb/bruce-tulgan-61014_arbitrary_a-person-s-willingness-to-conform-to-arb_234138.jpg) > “A person's willingness to conform to arbitrary parameters is not a good criterion for selecting talent or allocating rewards.” [Bruce Tulgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-tulgan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Conformity to arbitrary rules should not dictate talent or reward decisions. **In simple terms:** Avoid using conformity as a talent metric. Key Takeaway Assess merit beyond compliance. Themes leadership fairness talent Mood critical analytical Type philosophical practical When to use this quote - hiring - performance reviews - team building Key Concepts organizational behavior bias reward systems Questions to Reflect On - How can you evaluate true potential? - What criteria reflect genuine skill? A Different Perspective Rigid metrics may overlook unconventional talent. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Conformity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conformity/) [Rewards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rewards/) [Talent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talent/) [Willingness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/willingness/) ## Related quotes > [We can help a person to be himself by our own willingness to steep ourselves temporarily in his world, in his private feelings and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clark-moustakas/we-can-help-a-person-to-be-himself-by-our-own-willingness-to-steep/) [Clark Moustakas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clark-moustakas/) > [I happen to have a talent for allocating capital. But my ability to use that talent is completely dependent on the society I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/i-happen-to-have-a-talent-for-allocating-capital-but-my-ability-to/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [Take me as an example. I happen to have a talent for allocating capital. But my ability to use that talent is completely dependent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/take-me-as-an-example-i-happen-to-have-a-talent-for-allocating/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [Today this is what we are confronted with, I mean what is pure ideology, which takes no account of the human context. In economics…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-camus/today-this-is-what-we-are-confronted-with-i-mean-what-is-pure/) [Catherine Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-camus/) > [Reason should investigate its own parameters before declaring its omniscience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/reason-should-investigate-its-own-parameters-before-declaring-its/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [Shareholders have the right and obligation to set the parameters of corporate behavior within which management pursues profit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliot-spitzer/shareholders-have-the-right-and-obligation-to-set-the-parameters-of/) [Eliot Spitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliot-spitzer/) > [The SF genre, of course, is really an organically evolved, marketplace-determined, idiosyncratic grab bag of themes and signifiers and characters and icons and gadgets,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-di-filippo/the-sf-genre-of-course-is-really-an-organically-evolved-marketplace/) [Paul Di Filippo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-di-filippo/) > [Travel, I was coming to realize, was a metaphor not only for the countless options life offers but also for the fact that choosing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rolf-potts/travel-i-was-coming-to-realize-was-a-metaphor-not-only-for-the/) [Rolf Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rolf-potts/) > [Never let anyone define what you are capable of by using parameters that don’t apply to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-close/never-let-anyone-define-what-you-are-capable-of-by-using-parameters/) [Chuck Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-close/) > [The usefulness of the models in constructing a testable theory of the process is severely limited by the quickly increasing number of parameters which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatol-rapoport/the-usefulness-of-the-models-in-constructing-a-testable-theory-of-the/) [Anatol Rapoport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatol-rapoport/) > [I revised the parameters of my promise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-revised-the-parameters-of-my-promise/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Petrol price is a deregulated commodity, price of which is decided by our oil marketing companies based on input cost and other parameters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veerappa-moily/petrol-price-is-a-deregulated-commodity-price-of-which-is-decided-by/) [Veerappa Moily](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veerappa-moily/) > [I wanted to have a career in sports when I was young, but I had to give up the idea. I'm only six feet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/i-wanted-to-have-a-career-in-sports-when-i-was-young-but-i-had-to/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [I like to always wash the slate clean, and reinvigorate my spirit to be connected to the characters that I am doing. I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giancarlo-esposito/i-like-to-always-wash-the-slate-clean-and-reinvigorate-my-spirit-to/) [Giancarlo Esposito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giancarlo-esposito/) > [I remember my friend Johnny von Neumann used to say, 'with four parameters I can fit an elephant and with five I can make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enrico-fermi/i-remember-my-friend-johnny-von-neumann-used-to-say-with-four/) [Enrico Fermi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enrico-fermi/) ## More by Bruce Tulgan > [We are living through the most profound changes in the economy since the Industrial Revolution. Technology, globalization, and the accelerating pace of change have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-tulgan/we-are-living-through-the-most-profound-changes-in-the-economy-since/) [Bruce Tulgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-tulgan/) > [Leverage your uniqueness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-tulgan/leverage-your-uniqueness/) [Bruce Tulgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-tulgan/) > [Scheduling flexibility is the single greatest non-financial tool -- and the number-one dream-job factor -- at your disposal for winning battles in the talent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-tulgan/scheduling-flexibility-is-the-single-greatest-non-financial-tool-and/) [Bruce Tulgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-tulgan/) > [“Gen Zers were small children on 9/11/01. They graduated from high school and (maybe) went through college or university during the deepest and most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-tulgan/gen-zers-were-small-children-on-9-11-01-they-graduated-from-high/) [Bruce Tulgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-tulgan/) [Explore all 5 Bruce Tulgan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-tulgan/) ## More Arbitrary quotes > [It is irresponsible to set an arbitrary cap on how much therapy a Medicare beneficiary can receive. It ignores the health needs of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ensign/it-is-irresponsible-to-set-an-arbitrary-cap-on-how-much-therapy-a/) [John Ensign](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ensign/) > [I do think that theater is a great venue for science fiction, and not just adaptations but also original work. I also think some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-einhorn/i-do-think-that-theater-is-a-great-venue-for-science-fiction-and-not/) Edward Einhorn > [To divide one's life by years is of course to tumble into a trap set by our own arithmetic. The calendar consents to carry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifton-fadiman/to-divide-one-s-life-by-years-is-of-course-to-tumble-into-a-trap-set/) [Clifton Fadiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clifton-fadiman/) > [Not to be offensive, not to be capricious, not to be arbitrary, not to be neurotic, not to be an actor outer, you're just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hurt/not-to-be-offensive-not-to-be-capricious-not-to-be-arbitrary-not-to/) [William Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hurt/) > [I don't concern myself with thinking ahead to the finished product. I focus more specifically on what the character is experiencing. Once you relieve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-eisenberg/i-don-t-concern-myself-with-thinking-ahead-to-the-finished-product-i/) [Jesse Eisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-eisenberg/) > [Habit is altogether too arbitrary a master for me to submit to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-kaspar-lavater/habit-is-altogether-too-arbitrary-a-master-for-me-to-submit-to/) [Johann Kaspar Lavater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-kaspar-lavater/) > [I look back, now, and I know that the naming moment, which seemed so insignificant then, which seemed to demand no more than an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-david-roberts/i-look-back-now-and-i-know-that-the-naming-moment-which-seemed-so/) [Gregory David Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-david-roberts/) > [Police in China can do whatever they want; after 81 days in arbitrary detention you clearly realise that they don't have to obey their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/police-in-china-can-do-whatever-they-want-after-81-days-in-arbitrary/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [Contrary to what certain governments say, human rights are universal. Arbitrary detention, torture and discrimination hurt the human dignity of anybody, whatever his or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirin-ebadi/contrary-to-what-certain-governments-say-human-rights-are-universal/) [Shirin Ebadi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirin-ebadi/) > [What causes adolescents to rebel is not the assertion of authority but the arbitrary use of power, with little explanation of the rules and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-steinberg/what-causes-adolescents-to-rebel-is-not-the-assertion-of-authority/) [Laurence Steinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-steinberg/) > [There is something on earth greater than arbitrary or despotic power. The lightning has its power, and the whirlwind has its power, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-webster/there-is-something-on-earth-greater-than-arbitrary-or-despotic-power/) [Daniel Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-webster/) > [“nothing is arbitrary in this whole world, there is a good reason behind each and everything…”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-kumar/nothing-is-arbitrary-in-this-whole-world-there-is-a-good-reason/) Nikhil Kumar > [Fundamentally, adopting rules without any estimate of the impact is the height of arbitrary decision-making.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-o-rielly/fundamentally-adopting-rules-without-any-estimate-of-the-impact-is/) [Michael O'Rielly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-o-rielly/) > [No arbitrary regulation, no act of the legislature, can add anything to the capital of the country; it can only force it into artificial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ramsay-mcculloch/no-arbitrary-regulation-no-act-of-the-legislature-can-add-anything-to/) John Ramsay McCulloch > [But the desire of obtaining the advantages, and of escaping the burthens, of political society, is a perpetual and inexhaustible source of discord; nor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/but-the-desire-of-obtaining-the-advantages-and-of-escaping-the/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) Browse all 529 Arbitrary quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A person's willingness to conform to arbitrary parameters is not a good criterion for selecting talent or allocating rewards.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bruce Tulgan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-tulgan/a-person-s-willingness-to-conform-to-arbitrary-parameters-is-not-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Arbitrary" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-tulgan/a-person-s-willingness-to-conform-to-arbitrary-parameters-is-not-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfb/bruce-tulgan-61014_arbitrary_a-person-s-willingness-to-conform-to-arb_234138.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfb/bruce-tulgan-61014_arbitrary_a-person-s-willingness-to-conform-to-arb_234138.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfb/bruce-tulgan-61014_arbitrary_a-person-s-willingness-to-conform-to-arb_234138.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A person's willingness to conform to arbitrary parameters is not a good criterion for selecting talent or…” — Bruce Tulgan", "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": "Bruce Tulgan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-tulgan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A person's willingness to conform to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-tulgan/a-person-s-willingness-to-conform-to-arbitrary-parameters-is-not-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-tulgan/a-person-s-willingness-to-conform-to-arbitrary-parameters-is-not-a/#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 } } ] } ```