--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Mediocrity is the best camouflage known…" description: "\"“Mediocrity is the best camouflage known to man.”\" — Bryce Courtenay" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db1/bryce-courtenay-7125_camouflage_mediocrity-is-the-best-camouflage-known_3200563.jpg" --- # Mediocrity is the best camouflage known to man. ![“Mediocrity is the best camouflage known to man.” quote by Bryce Courtenay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db1/bryce-courtenay-7125_camouflage_mediocrity-is-the-best-camouflage-known_3200563.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db1/bryce-courtenay-7125_camouflage_mediocrity-is-the-best-camouflage-known_3200563.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db1/bryce-courtenay-7125_camouflage_mediocrity-is-the-best-camouflage-known_3200563.jpg) > ““Mediocrity is the best camouflage known to man.”” [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. Mediocrity hides people because it blends into the background, making it hard to spot or challenge. **In simple terms:** Being average is a safe disguise. Key Takeaway Strive for excellence to stand out. Themes mediocrity camouflage excellence Mood thoughtful inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - workplace performance - academic settings - personal development - creative pursuits Key Concepts psychology of conformity social perception Questions to Reflect On - What does mediocrity protect you from? - How can you balance humility and ambition? A Different Perspective Excellence can attract unwanted scrutiny or pressure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Best Camouflage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-camouflage-1588496/) [Camouflage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/camouflage/) [Camouflage Known](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/camouflage-known-5941021/) [Known Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/known-man-430273/) [Known To Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/known-to-man/) [Mediocrity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mediocrity/) [Mediocrity Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mediocrity-best-5941022/) ## Related quotes > [When you hunt predators, the best camouflage is weakness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-vachss/when-you-hunt-predators-the-best-camouflage-is-weakness/) [Andrew Vachss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-vachss/) > [Remember, God provides the best camouflage several hours out of every 24.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-m-shoup/remember-god-provides-the-best-camouflage-several-hours-out-of-every/) [David M. Shoup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-m-shoup/) > [This is the law of God by which He makes His way known to man and is paramount to all human control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rufus-king/this-is-the-law-of-god-by-which-he-makes-his-way-known-to-man-and-is/) [Rufus King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rufus-king/) > [A God made by man undoubtedly has need of man to make himself known to man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-bysshe-shelley/a-god-made-by-man-undoubtedly-has-need-of-man-to-make-himself-known/) [Percy Bysshe Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-bysshe-shelley/) > [I got every Dan Shaughnessy book known to man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-fallon/i-got-every-dan-shaughnessy-book-known-to-man/) [Jimmy Fallon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-fallon/) > [“I want to have you in every way known to man, and then invent a dozen more.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-dare/i-want-to-have-you-in-every-way-known-to-man-and-then-invent-a-dozen/) [Tessa Dare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-dare/) > [“All my life, I've been scared of men standing over me... It makes me understand that the best standover man I've ever known is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/all-my-life-i-ve-been-scared-of-men-standing-over-me-it-makes-me/) [Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/) > [“I had never known any man to die while speaking in terza-rima”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/i-had-never-known-any-man-to-die-while-speaking-in-terza-rima/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“This is that old well known man, for who I understood that one morning he puts the pistol in his mouth and put the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandar-tomov/this-is-that-old-well-known-man-for-who-i-understood-that-one-morning/) [Alexandar Tomov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandar-tomov/) > [“I have never yet known a man admit that he was either rich or asleep.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-o-brian/i-have-never-yet-known-a-man-admit-that-he-was-either-rich-or-asleep/) [Patrick O'Brian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-o-brian/) > [I have known no man of genius who had not to pay, in some affliction or defect, either physical or spiritual, for what the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-beerbohm/i-have-known-no-man-of-genius-who-had-not-to-pay-in-some-affliction/) [Max Beerbohm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-beerbohm/) > [“This sense of absence had been growing ... It was wearing into him. Last night he had woken besides his sleeping wife and had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/this-sense-of-absence-had-been-growing-it-was-wearing-into-him-last/) [Ian McEwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) > [“Even if she’d known what to do with a man, how did one tempt another woman?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-carriger/even-if-she-d-known-what-to-do-with-a-man-how-did-one-tempt-another/) [Gail Carriger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-carriger/) > [“I wondered if perhaps I'd gone mad. I had known this man less than twenty-four hours and already I wanted to raise his children.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-robinson/i-wondered-if-perhaps-i-d-gone-mad-i-had-known-this-man-less-than/) [Lucy Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-robinson/) > [Whatever I'd say would be an understatement. I can only say my life was made much better by knowing him. He was one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-coltrane/whatever-i-d-say-would-be-an-understatement-i-can-only-say-my-life/) [John Coltrane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-coltrane/) ## 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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It is better to be wrong than simply to follow convention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-courtenay/always-listen-to-yourself-it-is-better-to-be-wrong-than-simply-to/) [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/) [Explore all 92 Bryce Courtenay quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-courtenay/) ## More Camouflage quotes > [The shark is the apex predator in the sea. Sharks have molded evolution for 450 million years. All fish species that are prey to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-watson/the-shark-is-the-apex-predator-in-the-sea-sharks-have-molded/) [Paul Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-watson/) > [Camouflage is about much more than concealment and going unnoticed. There's a whole game involved between revealing and hiding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raf-simons/camouflage-is-about-much-more-than-concealment-and-going-unnoticed/) [Raf Simons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raf-simons/) > [My philosophy is this: Do not tamper with the anatomy of a woman's body; do not camouflage it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oleg-cassini/my-philosophy-is-this-do-not-tamper-with-the-anatomy-of-a-woman-s/) [Oleg Cassini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oleg-cassini/) > [The ego camouflages itself like a fox born and raised in a hen house. Its only worry is that you fail to notice its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-cavanagh/the-ego-camouflages-itself-like-a-fox-born-and-raised-in-a-hen-house/) [Dean Cavanagh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-cavanagh/) > [When you hunt predators, the best camouflage is weakness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-vachss/when-you-hunt-predators-the-best-camouflage-is-weakness/) [Andrew Vachss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-vachss/) > [Like all other lonely or hungry things, ego loves the light. It sees light, and the possibility of being close to the soul, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarissa-pinkola-estes/like-all-other-lonely-or-hungry-things-ego-loves-the-light-it-sees/) [Clarissa Pinkola Estes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarissa-pinkola-estes/) > [In the battle that is philosophy all the techniques of war, including looting and camouflage, are permissible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-althusser/in-the-battle-that-is-philosophy-all-the-techniques-of-war-including/) [Louis Althusser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-althusser/) > [“I plant the “flag” in camouflage, though you couldn’t see by looking at it. (I hide behind my patriotism, and I hide my patriotism…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-plant-the-flag-in-camouflage-though-you-couldn-t-see-by-looking-at/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [Who listens to golfers? They're boring. If I want to wear camouflage on the golf course during a tournament, I will. And I have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bubba-watson/who-listens-to-golfers-they-re-boring-if-i-want-to-wear-camouflage-on/) [Bubba Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bubba-watson/) > [I don't like talking about which bits I like or don't like about my body. Everybody has something they're not happy with, and my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twiggy/i-don-t-like-talking-about-which-bits-i-like-or-don-t-like-about-my/) [Twiggy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twiggy/) > [Humor is not an unconditional virtue; its moral character depends on its object. To laugh at the contemptible, is a virtue; to laugh at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/humor-is-not-an-unconditional-virtue-its-moral-character-depends-on/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [“Troops are everywhere in their modern, digital camouflage, designed to blend in anywhere at any time. Yet at night we wear bright yellow reflective…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-dean/troops-are-everywhere-in-their-modern-digital-camouflage-designed-to/) [Glenn Dean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-dean/) > [The beauty of the character is that it's like camouflage. It's the best costume ever. I rarely get recognized as Pornstache when I'm out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-schreiber/the-beauty-of-the-character-is-that-it-s-like-camouflage-it-s-the/) [Pablo Schreiber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-schreiber/) > [ \[Democrats\] in their frustration at having lost, they've thrown away the camouflage now. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/democrats-in-their-frustration-at-having-lost-they-ve-thrown-away-the/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [The morphlings from District 6 are in the camouflage station, painting each other's faces with bright pink swirls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/the-morphlings-from-district-6-are-in-the-camouflage-station-painting/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) [Browse all 116 Camouflage quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/camouflage/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Mediocrity is the best camouflage known to man.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bryce Courtenay" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-courtenay/mediocrity-is-the-best-camouflage-known-to-man/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Camouflage" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-courtenay/mediocrity-is-the-best-camouflage-known-to-man/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db1/bryce-courtenay-7125_camouflage_mediocrity-is-the-best-camouflage-known_3200563.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db1/bryce-courtenay-7125_camouflage_mediocrity-is-the-best-camouflage-known_3200563.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db1/bryce-courtenay-7125_camouflage_mediocrity-is-the-best-camouflage-known_3200563.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Mediocrity is the best camouflage known to man.” — Bryce Courtenay", "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": "Bryce Courtenay", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-courtenay/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Mediocrity is the best camouflage known...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-courtenay/mediocrity-is-the-best-camouflage-known-to-man/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-courtenay/mediocrity-is-the-best-camouflage-known-to-man/#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 } } ] } ```