--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't want to be an also-ran." description: "\"I don't want to be an also-ran.\" — Chael Sonnen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48a/chael-sonnen-3003_want_i-don-t-want-to-be-an-also-ran-1307271_1307271.jpg" --- # I don't want to be an also-ran. ![“I don't want to be an also-ran.” quote by Chael Sonnen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48a/chael-sonnen-3003_want_i-don-t-want-to-be-an-also-ran-1307271_1307271.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48a/chael-sonnen-3003_want_i-don-t-want-to-be-an-also-ran-1307271_1307271.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48a/chael-sonnen-3003_want_i-don-t-want-to-be-an-also-ran-1307271_1307271.jpg) > “I don't want to be an also-ran.” [Chael Sonnen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chael-sonnen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He rejects mediocrity, aiming to stand out rather than blend in with the crowd. **In simple terms:** He wants to be exceptional, not average. Key Takeaway Strive to be distinct. Themes ambition individualism competition Mood determined defiant Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - sports career - business leadership - personal branding Key Concepts Self‑actualization nonconformity Questions to Reflect On - What unique value do you offer? - How do you balance individuality with teamwork? A Different Perspective Being different can isolate you from support networks. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [I had all the fame anyone could want, and I ran away from it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/macaulay-culkin/i-had-all-the-fame-anyone-could-want-and-i-ran-away-from-it/) [Macaulay Culkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/macaulay-culkin/) > [I don't want easy success. It's boring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sudeep/i-don-t-want-easy-success-it-s-boring/) [Sudeep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sudeep/) > [I don't want to be singing my diary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norah-jones/i-don-t-want-to-be-singing-my-diary/) [Norah Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norah-jones/) > [I don't want any freebie fights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-j-penn/i-don-t-want-any-freebie-fights/) [B. J. Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-j-penn/) > [The main thing about money is that it makes you do things you don't want to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-holbrook/the-main-thing-about-money-is-that-it-makes-you-do-things-you-don-t/) [Hal Holbrook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-holbrook/) > [An ex is an ex for a reason, they are an EXample of what you don't want in your future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexia/an-ex-is-an-ex-for-a-reason-they-are-an-example-of-what-you-don-t/) [Alexia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexia/) > [I don't do anything I don't want to do. There are so many opportunities that come my way, but if there's something out there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-strahan/i-don-t-do-anything-i-don-t-want-to-do-there-are-so-many/) [Michael Strahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-strahan/) > [But sometimes you gotta do stuff you don’t want to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/but-sometimes-you-gotta-do-stuff-you-don-t-want-to-do/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [No one makes me do anything I don't want to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-houston/no-one-makes-me-do-anything-i-don-t-want-to-do/) [Whitney Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-houston/) > [“If that was dying, I don't want to do it again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fay-weldon/if-that-was-dying-i-don-t-want-to-do-it-again/) [Fay Weldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fay-weldon/) > [I just want the money and the fame and the adoration, and I don't want any of the other stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-broderick/i-just-want-the-money-and-the-fame-and-the-adoration-and-i-don-t-want/) [Matthew Broderick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-broderick/) > [I don't want to do something that I've done before; I can't see the point of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sheen/i-don-t-want-to-do-something-that-i-ve-done-before-i-can-t-see-the/) [Michael Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sheen/) > [I don't want to be part of a band unless it's fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-caffey/i-don-t-want-to-be-part-of-a-band-unless-it-s-fun/) [Charlotte Caffey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-caffey/) > [“If you don't want a man to lie, don't force him to reply.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/volodymyr-knyr/if-you-don-t-want-a-man-to-lie-don-t-force-him-to-reply/) Volodymyr Knyr > [I don't want to repeat myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-seymour-hoffman/i-don-t-want-to-repeat-myself/) [Philip Seymour Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-seymour-hoffman/) ## More by Chael Sonnen > [I don't walk around looking into cameras and telling people I'm the best fighter in the world just to hear myself talk. I say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chael-sonnen/i-don-t-walk-around-looking-into-cameras-and-telling-people-i-m-the/) [Chael Sonnen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chael-sonnen/) > [My phone rings, they call me up and say, 'Chael, your testosterone level is too high.' I say, 'Well, how high was it?' They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chael-sonnen/my-phone-rings-they-call-me-up-and-say-chael-your-testosterone-level/) [Chael Sonnen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chael-sonnen/) > [I'm a God-fearing man, go to church every Sunday, and have since I was a boy. But if I ever found out that God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chael-sonnen/i-m-a-god-fearing-man-go-to-church-every-sunday-and-have-since-i-was/) [Chael Sonnen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chael-sonnen/) > [Because of both hipster culture and Facebook culture, the human race is starting to resemble a school of hairy piranhas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chael-sonnen/because-of-both-hipster-culture-and-facebook-culture-the-human-race/) [Chael Sonnen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chael-sonnen/) > [I didn't get to go to school functions growing up. I didn't get to go to dances. I was never invited to a party…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chael-sonnen/i-didn-t-get-to-go-to-school-functions-growing-up-i-didn-t-get-to-go/) [Chael Sonnen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chael-sonnen/) > [I go to practice every day. I really don't have a training camp. In the boxing world, and that's where that came from, almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chael-sonnen/i-go-to-practice-every-day-i-really-don-t-have-a-training-camp-in-the/) [Chael Sonnen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chael-sonnen/) > [I had dreams in 2000 of being an Olympian for boxing. I never talk about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chael-sonnen/i-had-dreams-in-2000-of-being-an-olympian-for-boxing-i-never-talk/) [Chael Sonnen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chael-sonnen/) > [Every time you have a huge fight in wrestling, in boxing, in MMA, both guys are sure they're going to win. They really believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chael-sonnen/every-time-you-have-a-huge-fight-in-wrestling-in-boxing-in-mma-both/) [Chael Sonnen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chael-sonnen/) > [There's a camaraderie that comes with this sport, but fighting Anderson Silva is a lot like eating Chinese food: twenty minutes after I do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chael-sonnen/there-s-a-camaraderie-that-comes-with-this-sport-but-fighting/) [Chael Sonnen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chael-sonnen/) > [I was in Las Vegas when the Nogueira brothers first touched down in America. There was a bus, this is a true story. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chael-sonnen/i-was-in-las-vegas-when-the-nogueira-brothers-first-touched-down-in/) [Chael Sonnen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chael-sonnen/) > [One element of wrestling that I know what I grew up with we put a lot of emphasis towards was the takedown. But, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chael-sonnen/one-element-of-wrestling-that-i-know-what-i-grew-up-with-we-put-a-lot/) [Chael Sonnen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chael-sonnen/) > [I go to practice each and every day, but my intensity is not the same. If I get tired, I'll go sit down. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chael-sonnen/i-go-to-practice-each-and-every-day-but-my-intensity-is-not-the-same/) [Chael Sonnen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chael-sonnen/) > [If I was mentoring a young fighter, I'd tell him to spend more time on boxing. That doesn't mean I would ignore kickboxing -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chael-sonnen/if-i-was-mentoring-a-young-fighter-i-d-tell-him-to-spend-more-time-on/) [Chael Sonnen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chael-sonnen/) > [Somebody is going to win & somebody is not, and that's fine... But we will never refuse to participate because we're scared to fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chael-sonnen/somebody-is-going-to-win-somebody-is-not-and-that-s-fine-but-we-will/) [Chael Sonnen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chael-sonnen/) > [I want to make the UFC money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chael-sonnen/i-want-to-make-the-ufc-money/) [Chael Sonnen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chael-sonnen/) [Explore all 142 Chael Sonnen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chael-sonnen/) ## More Want quotes > [I always say there are two things to be successful. The first is decide exactly what you want - set your goals - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/i-always-say-there-are-two-things-to-be-successful-the-first-is/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [Women still, when they have breast cancer, go to work; they still lead their lives. They have to. 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That's one reason why I don't work as much as I used to \[when I started my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-powell/i-don-t-like-being-away-from-home-that-s-one-reason-why-i-don-t-work/) [Jane Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-powell/) > [I do not want to live at the cost of the life even of a snake. I should let him bite me to death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-do-not-want-to-live-at-the-cost-of-the-life-even-of-a-snake-i/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [I live life without limits and I will go after anything I want with no hesitation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liv-morgan/i-live-life-without-limits-and-i-will-go-after-anything-i-want-with/) [Liv Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liv-morgan/) > [Do you think that God would separate me from my husband if I killed myself? I feel as though I am going out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-you-think-that-god-would-separate-me-from-my-husband-if-i-killed/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When you go to a club it's not about being black or white or heavy or thick. I'm shaking my ass because I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miley-cyrus/when-you-go-to-a-club-it-s-not-about-being-black-or-white-or-heavy-or/) [Miley Cyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miley-cyrus/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) > [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) > [I received a beautiful welcome to the world of music. 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