--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have never asked the crowd for their…" description: "\"I have never asked the crowd for their approval, and I will never start.\" — Chael Sonnen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd5/chael-sonnen-3003_approval_i-have-never-asked-the-crowd-for-their-a_2894858.jpg" --- # I have never asked the crowd for their approval, and I… ![“I have never asked the crowd for their approval, and I will never start.” quote by Chael Sonnen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd5/chael-sonnen-3003_approval_i-have-never-asked-the-crowd-for-their-a_2894858.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd5/chael-sonnen-3003_approval_i-have-never-asked-the-crowd-for-their-a_2894858.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd5/chael-sonnen-3003_approval_i-have-never-asked-the-crowd-for-their-a_2894858.jpg) > “I have never asked the crowd for their approval, and I will never start.” [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. Seeking crowd approval is unnecessary; self‑validation drives true confidence. **In simple terms:** Ignore audience approval; trust yourself. Key Takeaway Rely on inner confidence. Themes confidence self‑reliance performance individualism Mood determined focused Type sports motivational When to use this quote - competition - public speaking - personal branding Key Concepts sports psychology motivation Questions to Reflect On - What fuels your confidence? - When do you seek external feedback? A Different Perspective Crowd support can boost morale; sometimes needed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Approval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/approval/) ## Related quotes > [“I asked him who had put into the crowd’s head the idea of attacking the Jews. Salvatore could not remember. I believe that when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/i-asked-him-who-had-put-into-the-crowd-s-head-the-idea-of-attacking/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [It's a liberating experience when you realize that you don't need anyone's approval and you start doing things for yourself and not others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-a-liberating-experience-when-you-realize-that-you-don-t-need/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Your vision becomes powerful the moment you stop seeking approval and start creating impact.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jospin-nabonyimana/your-vision-becomes-powerful-the-moment-you-stop-seeking-approval-and/) Jospin Nabonyimana > [English audiences of working people are like an instrument that responds to the player. Thought ripples up and down them, and if in some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-heaton-vorse/english-audiences-of-working-people-are-like-an-instrument-that/) [Mary Heaton Vorse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-heaton-vorse/) > [If torture is going to be administered as a last resort in the ticking-bomb case, to save enormous numbers of lives, it ought to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/if-torture-is-going-to-be-administered-as-a-last-resort-in-the/) [Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/) > [My dad taught me swears when I was a toddler, and I saw, at a really early age, that if I shocked people, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roseanne-barr/my-dad-taught-me-swears-when-i-was-a-toddler-and-i-saw-at-a-really/) [Roseanne Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roseanne-barr/) > [I got this emptiness inside that got me fighting for approval because I missed out on my daddy saying, Way to Go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lecrae/i-got-this-emptiness-inside-that-got-me-fighting-for-approval-because/) [Lecrae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lecrae/) > [These days people are mean to people just because they don't like the way they look. No-one should be hated because of their flaws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/these-days-people-are-mean-to-people-just-because-they-don-t-like-the/) [Sonya Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/) > [Approval is a greater motivator than disapproval, but we have to disapprove on occasion when we correct. It’s necessary. I make corrections only after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/approval-is-a-greater-motivator-than-disapproval-but-we-have-to/) [John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/) > [A year ago, my approval rating was in the 30s, my nominee for the supreme court had just withdrawn, and my vice president had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/a-year-ago-my-approval-rating-was-in-the-30s-my-nominee-for-the/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [Growing up in that fashion is a breeding ground for insecurity and doubt; it also leaves you questioning motives. It took me a long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damon-runyon/growing-up-in-that-fashion-is-a-breeding-ground-for-insecurity-and/) [Damon Runyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damon-runyon/) > [But I always reassure them that as far as my contractual rights can go, I will protect them and make sure that they have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-roach/but-i-always-reassure-them-that-as-far-as-my-contractual-rights-can/) [Jay Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-roach/) > [Lean too much on the approval of people, and it becomes a bed of thorns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tehyi-hsieh/lean-too-much-on-the-approval-of-people-and-it-becomes-a-bed-of-thorns/) [Tehyi Hsieh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tehyi-hsieh/) > [we need not avoid our active lives, but simply bring to them a new vision and shift of gravity. for in the center we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-monk-kidd/we-need-not-avoid-our-active-lives-but-simply-bring-to-them-a-new/) [Sue Monk Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-monk-kidd/) > [Anyone who's read my 'Terror in the Skies' series knows that I have not been writing with an eye toward approval from any government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-jacobsen/anyone-who-s-read-my-terror-in-the-skies-series-knows-that-i-have-not/) [Annie Jacobsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-jacobsen/) ## 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 Approval quotes > [Anyone who's read my 'Terror in the Skies' series knows that I have not been writing with an eye toward approval from any government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-jacobsen/anyone-who-s-read-my-terror-in-the-skies-series-knows-that-i-have-not/) [Annie Jacobsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-jacobsen/) > [we need not avoid our active lives, but simply bring to them a new vision and shift of gravity. for in the center we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-monk-kidd/we-need-not-avoid-our-active-lives-but-simply-bring-to-them-a-new/) [Sue Monk Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-monk-kidd/) > [Lean too much on the approval of people, and it becomes a bed of thorns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tehyi-hsieh/lean-too-much-on-the-approval-of-people-and-it-becomes-a-bed-of-thorns/) [Tehyi Hsieh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tehyi-hsieh/) > [But I always reassure them that as far as my contractual rights can go, I will protect them and make sure that they have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-roach/but-i-always-reassure-them-that-as-far-as-my-contractual-rights-can/) [Jay Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-roach/) > [Growing up in that fashion is a breeding ground for insecurity and doubt; it also leaves you questioning motives. It took me a long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damon-runyon/growing-up-in-that-fashion-is-a-breeding-ground-for-insecurity-and/) [Damon Runyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damon-runyon/) > [A year ago, my approval rating was in the 30s, my nominee for the supreme court had just withdrawn, and my vice president had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/a-year-ago-my-approval-rating-was-in-the-30s-my-nominee-for-the/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [Approval is a greater motivator than disapproval, but we have to disapprove on occasion when we correct. It’s necessary. I make corrections only after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/approval-is-a-greater-motivator-than-disapproval-but-we-have-to/) [John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/) > [These days people are mean to people just because they don't like the way they look. No-one should be hated because of their flaws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/these-days-people-are-mean-to-people-just-because-they-don-t-like-the/) [Sonya Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/) > [I got this emptiness inside that got me fighting for approval because I missed out on my daddy saying, Way to Go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lecrae/i-got-this-emptiness-inside-that-got-me-fighting-for-approval-because/) [Lecrae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lecrae/) > [My dad taught me swears when I was a toddler, and I saw, at a really early age, that if I shocked people, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roseanne-barr/my-dad-taught-me-swears-when-i-was-a-toddler-and-i-saw-at-a-really/) [Roseanne Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roseanne-barr/) > [If torture is going to be administered as a last resort in the ticking-bomb case, to save enormous numbers of lives, it ought to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/if-torture-is-going-to-be-administered-as-a-last-resort-in-the/) [Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/) > [Comedy is a very approval-oriented field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-chappelle/comedy-is-a-very-approval-oriented-field/) [Dave Chappelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-chappelle/) > [Whenever you are too worried about someone else's approval, that person loses respect for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-argov/whenever-you-are-too-worried-about-someone-else-s-approval-that/) [Sherry Argov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-argov/) > [Pleasure is Nature's test, her sign of approval.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/pleasure-is-nature-s-test-her-sign-of-approval/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Do you really mean the only reason you try to be good is to gain God's approval and reward? That's not morality, that's just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/do-you-really-mean-the-only-reason-you-try-to-be-good-is-to-gain-god/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) [Browse all 904 Approval quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/approval/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I have never asked the crowd for their approval, and I will never start.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Chael Sonnen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chael-sonnen/i-have-never-asked-the-crowd-for-their-approval-and-i-will-never-start/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Approval" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chael-sonnen/i-have-never-asked-the-crowd-for-their-approval-and-i-will-never-start/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd5/chael-sonnen-3003_approval_i-have-never-asked-the-crowd-for-their-a_2894858.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd5/chael-sonnen-3003_approval_i-have-never-asked-the-crowd-for-their-a_2894858.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd5/chael-sonnen-3003_approval_i-have-never-asked-the-crowd-for-their-a_2894858.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I have never asked the crowd for their approval, and I will never start.” — Chael Sonnen", "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": "Chael Sonnen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chael-sonnen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I have never asked the crowd...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chael-sonnen/i-have-never-asked-the-crowd-for-their-approval-and-i-will-never-start/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chael-sonnen/i-have-never-asked-the-crowd-for-their-approval-and-i-will-never-start/#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 } } ] } ```