--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Always listen to yourself... It is better…" description: "\"Always listen to yourself... It is better to be wrong than simply to follow convention.\" — Bryce Courtenay" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/619/bryce-courtenay-7125_conventions_always-listen-to-yourself-it-is-better-t_236627.jpg" --- # Always listen to yourself... It is better to be wrong than… ![“Always listen to yourself... It is better to be wrong than simply to follow convention.” quote by Bryce Courtenay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/619/bryce-courtenay-7125_conventions_always-listen-to-yourself-it-is-better-t_236627.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/619/bryce-courtenay-7125_conventions_always-listen-to-yourself-it-is-better-t_236627.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/619/bryce-courtenay-7125_conventions_always-listen-to-yourself-it-is-better-t_236627.jpg) > “Always listen to yourself... It is better to be wrong than simply to follow convention.” [Bryce Courtenay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-courtenay/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He urges trusting inner voice over blind conformity, valuing personal insight. **In simple terms:** Trust yourself over following the crowd. Key Takeaway Prioritize personal judgment over convention. Themes individuality intuition conformity Mood reflective cautious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - career decisions - creative projects - social movements Key Concepts self‑awareness critical thinking Questions to Reflect On - When have you chosen intuition over tradition? - What costs arise from defying norms? A Different Perspective Societal pressure can make dissent risky. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Self determination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-determination/) ## Related quotes > [Always listen to yourself. It is better to be wrong than to simply follow convention. If you are wrong, no matter, you have learned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-courtenay/always-listen-to-yourself-it-is-better-to-be-wrong-than-to-simply/) [Bryce Courtenay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-courtenay/) > [“Always in life an idea starts small, it is only a sapling idea, but the vines will come and they will try to choke…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-courtenay/always-in-life-an-idea-starts-small-it-is-only-a-sapling-idea-but-the/) [Bryce Courtenay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-courtenay/) > [The sense of wrong is simply failure to see where something fits into a pattern, to be confused as to the hierarchical level upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/the-sense-of-wrong-is-simply-failure-to-see-where-something-fits-into/) [Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/) > [When there are no consequences, being wrong is simply a diversion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/when-there-are-no-consequences-being-wrong-is-simply-a-diversion/) [Ian Mcewan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) > [“But what if, either by choice or by reluctant necessity, you end up not participating in this comforting cycle of family and continuity? What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/but-what-if-either-by-choice-or-by-reluctant-necessity-you-end-up-not/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [I've had the basic courage and confidence to never follow convention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeenat-aman/i-ve-had-the-basic-courage-and-confidence-to-never-follow-convention/) [Zeenat Aman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zeenat-aman/) > [There's nothing "wrong" with anything. "Wrong" is a relative term, indicating the opposite of that which you call "right." Yet, what is "right"? Can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/there-s-nothing-wrong-with-anything-wrong-is-a-relative-term/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [“When they find out what I do for a living, many people tell me they love music listening, but their music lessons 'didn't take.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-j-levitin/when-they-find-out-what-i-do-for-a-living-many-people-tell-me-they/) [Daniel J. Levitin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-j-levitin/) > [“I listen better with earplugs in, so I can see what your body is really saying.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-listen-better-with-earplugs-in-so-i-can-see-what-your-body-is/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [I listen much better when I'm acting than I do in real life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-okonedo/i-listen-much-better-when-i-m-acting-than-i-do-in-real-life/) [Sophie Okonedo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-okonedo/) > [“Ears of corn can listen better than me when they’re still in the ground.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/ears-of-corn-can-listen-better-than-me-when-they-re-still-in-the/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [It is better to make a piece of music than to perform one, better to perform one than to listen to one, better to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cage/it-is-better-to-make-a-piece-of-music-than-to-perform-one-better-to/) [John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cage/) > [If we listen to the better angels of our nature, there are creative and good solutions to serious problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-damon/if-we-listen-to-the-better-angels-of-our-nature-there-are-creative/) [Matt Damon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-damon/) > [You hear but you dont listen you better start pay attention to get the part you've been missin'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author-name/you-hear-but-you-dont-listen-you-better-start-pay-attention-to-get/) Author Name > [I learned from growing a business that it's important to listen to everyone how we can do better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-braun/i-learned-from-growing-a-business-that-it-s-important-to-listen-to/) [Mike Braun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-braun/) ## More by Bryce Courtenay > [“It's who you is when folks knocks at the door of your heart what counts. Hide the past and it gives them what's jealous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-courtenay/it-s-who-you-is-when-folks-knocks-at-the-door-of-your-heart-what/) [Bryce Courtenay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-courtenay/) > [I watch people get older and lose their intellectual acuity; you lose that sharpness, that cleanness, that brain that you worked so hard on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-courtenay/i-watch-people-get-older-and-lose-their-intellectual-acuity-you-lose/) [Bryce Courtenay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-courtenay/) > [“every man is an island and at the same time also robinson crusoe.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-courtenay/every-man-is-an-island-and-at-the-same-time-also-robinson-crusoe/) [Bryce Courtenay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-courtenay/) > [“First with the head and then with the heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-courtenay/first-with-the-head-and-then-with-the-heart/) [Bryce Courtenay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-courtenay/) > [Good conversational debate is an end in itself, and talking for the love of conversation is what makes us human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-courtenay/good-conversational-debate-is-an-end-in-itself-and-talking-for-the/) [Bryce Courtenay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-courtenay/) > [“I wish to cup knowledge in my hand and drink it as one drinks water by the side of the stream.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-courtenay/i-wish-to-cup-knowledge-in-my-hand-and-drink-it-as-one-drinks-water/) [Bryce Courtenay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-courtenay/) > [You've got to be quick on your feet in this world if you want to survive. 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Inside was the real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-courtenay/i-knew-then-that-the-person-on-the-outside-was-only-a-shell-a/) [Bryce Courtenay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-courtenay/) > [The only thing I can say that is wonderful about my mother is she forced me to learn three verses of the Bible every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-courtenay/the-only-thing-i-can-say-that-is-wonderful-about-my-mother-is-she/) [Bryce Courtenay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-courtenay/) > [I have found in life that everything, no matter how bad, comes to an end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-courtenay/i-have-found-in-life-that-everything-no-matter-how-bad-comes-to-an-end/) [Bryce Courtenay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-courtenay/) > [I guess my use-by date is just about up but if I could come back as a storyteller now, I would be jumping over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-courtenay/i-guess-my-use-by-date-is-just-about-up-but-if-i-could-come-back-as-a/) [Bryce Courtenay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-courtenay/) > [Inside all people there is love, also the need to take care of the other man who is his brother. Inside everyone is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-courtenay/inside-all-people-there-is-love-also-the-need-to-take-care-of-the/) [Bryce Courtenay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-courtenay/) > [“In teaching me independence of thought, they had given me the greatest gift an adult can give to a child besides love, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-courtenay/in-teaching-me-independence-of-thought-they-had-given-me-the-greatest/) [Bryce Courtenay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-courtenay/) > [. . . besides love, independence of thought is the greatest gift an adult can give a child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-courtenay/besides-love-independence-of-thought-is-the-greatest-gift-an-adult/) [Bryce Courtenay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-courtenay/) > [My job is essentially that of an entertainer, no different to that of a musician, no different to that of an actor. I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-courtenay/my-job-is-essentially-that-of-an-entertainer-no-different-to-that-of/) [Bryce Courtenay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-courtenay/) [Explore all 92 Bryce Courtenay quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-courtenay/) ## More Conventions quotes > [All progress in literary style lies in the heroic resolve to cast aside accretions and exuberances, all the conventions of a past age that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/havelock-ellis/all-progress-in-literary-style-lies-in-the-heroic-resolve-to-cast/) [Havelock Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/havelock-ellis/) > [ \[James\] Madison pointed out in the discussion of the constitutional debates - the constitutional convention - that democracy would be a danger. He used… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/james-madison-pointed-out-in-the-discussion-of-the-constitutional/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [ \[The Massachusetts constitution\] resembles the federal Constitution of 1787 more closely than any of the other revolutionary state constitutions. It was also drawn up… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-s-wood/the-massachusetts-constitution-resembles-the-federal-constitution-of/) [Gordon S. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-s-wood/) > [Nobody can live in society without conventions. 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Could it be, perhaps, the sitting two-term incumbent of the same party holding its convention?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fallows/the-president-hmmm-i-wonder-who-that-might-be-could-it-be-perhaps-the/) [James Fallows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fallows/) > [The sophists were as a rule men who had traveled widely and seen different forms of government. Both conventions and local laws in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/the-sophists-were-as-a-rule-men-who-had-traveled-widely-and-seen/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) > [As so often, a political event involving Donald Trump looks like swinging wildly between melodrama and farce. 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