---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To be nobody but yourself in a world…"
description: "\"To be nobody but yourself in a world doing its best to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle any human can ever fight and never sto..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/574/e-e-cummings-3-38889_being-unique_to-be-nobody-but-yourself-in-a-world-doi_2574775.jpg"
---

#  To be nobody but yourself in a world doing its best to…

![“To be nobody but yourself in a world doing its best to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle any human can ever fight and never stop fighting.” quote by E E Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/574/e-e-cummings-3-38889_being-unique_to-be-nobody-but-yourself-in-a-world-doi_2574775.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/574/e-e-cummings-3-38889_being-unique_to-be-nobody-but-yourself-in-a-world-doi_2574775.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/574/e-e-cummings-3-38889_being-unique_to-be-nobody-but-yourself-in-a-world-doi_2574775.jpg)

> “To be nobody but yourself in a world doing its best to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle any human can ever fight and never stop fighting.”

[E E Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-e-cummings-3/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Being authentic in a conformist world is a relentless struggle that must be continuously fought.

**In simple terms:** Stay true to yourself.

Key Takeaway

Never stop defending your identity.

Themes

individuality authenticity resistance

Mood

defiant inspirational

Type

poetic philosophical

When to use this quote

- personal relationships
- workplace culture
- creative expression
- social media presence
- political activism

Key Concepts

existentialism self-actualization social pressure

Questions to Reflect On

- What does authenticity cost you?
- How can you support others staying true?

A Different Perspective

Constant resistance can lead to isolation.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Being unique](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-unique/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/)

## Related quotes

> [To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else means to fight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-be-nobody-but-yourself-in-a-world-which-is-doing-its-best-night-2/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best day and night to make you like everybody else means to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-e-cummings-2/to-be-nobody-but-yourself-in-a-world-which-is-doing-its-best-day-and/)

[E.E. Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-e-cummings-2/)

> [“E.E Cummings wrote, "To be nobody-but-yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody but yourself -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/e-e-cummings-wrote-to-be-nobody-but-yourself-in-a-world-which-is/)

[Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/)

> [“To be nobody-but-yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody but yourself—means to fight the hardest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/to-be-nobody-but-yourself-in-a-world-which-is-doing-its-best-night-4/)

[Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/)

> [To be nobody but yourself, in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you like everybody else, means to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-be-nobody-but-yourself-in-a-world-which-is-doing-its-best-night-3/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, Night and day, to make you just like everybody else, Means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-swaffer/to-be-nobody-but-yourself-in-a-world-which-is-doing-its-best-night/)

Kate Swaffer

> [“E. E. Cummings wrote, “To be nobody-but-yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody but yourself—means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/e-e-cummings-wrote-to-be-nobody-but-yourself-in-a-world-which-is-2/)

[Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/)

> [Be nobody but yourself, in a world which is doing it's best, night and day, to make you everyone else. It means to fight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ee-cummings/be-nobody-but-yourself-in-a-world-which-is-doing-it-s-best-night-and/)

[EE Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ee-cummings/)

> [“Almost anybody can learn to think, or believe, or know, but not a single human being can be taught to feel. The moment you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-e-cummings-3/almost-anybody-can-learn-to-think-or-believe-or-know-but-not-a-single/)

[E E Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-e-cummings-3/)

> [To be nobody but yourself in a world that's doing its best to make you somebody else, is to fight the hardest battle you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-e-cummings-3/to-be-nobody-but-yourself-in-a-world-that-s-doing-its-best-to-make/)

[E E Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-e-cummings-3/)

> [“you want peace, prepare for war.” His expression is serious, and I wonder what his story is. “What does that mean?” “It means you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-b-salsbury/you-want-peace-prepare-for-war-his-expression-is-serious-and-i-wonder/)

[J.B. Salsbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-b-salsbury/)

> [Dont be a girl thats just like everybody else...being unique with drive a make everybody else wanna be like you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/dont-be-a-girl-thats-just-like-everybody-else-being-unique-with-drive/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Maybe you could just keep that in reserve. Maybe just take a shot at startin over. I dont mean start again. Everybody’s done that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/maybe-you-could-just-keep-that-in-reserve-maybe-just-take-a-shot-at/)

[Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/)

> [“I lied to you and it was easy, because you believe everybody means what they say. Everyone’s lying to you, Neverfell. Everyone. And you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/i-lied-to-you-and-it-was-easy-because-you-believe-everybody-means/)

[Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/)

> [“Everybody means by an open mind, a mind which contains their prejudices but not somebody else's.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oulton-wisdom/everybody-means-by-an-open-mind-a-mind-which-contains-their/)

John Oulton Wisdom

## More by E E Cummings

> [Love is the voice under all silences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-e-cummings-3/love-is-the-voice-under-all-silences/)

[E E Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-e-cummings-3/)

> [“The Symbol of all Art is the Prism. The goal is unrealism. The method is destructive. To break up the white light of objective…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-e-cummings-3/the-symbol-of-all-art-is-the-prism-the-goal-is-unrealism-the-method-2/)

[E E Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-e-cummings-3/)

> [The world is a giant puzzle that hasnt been put together yet, and were trying to find the other piece of this puzzle that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-e-cummings-3/the-world-is-a-giant-puzzle-that-hasnt-been-put-together-yet-and-were/)

[E E Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-e-cummings-3/)

> [“10 maggie and millie and molly and may went down to the beach (to play one day) and maggie discovered a shell that sang…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-e-cummings-3/10-maggie-and-millie-and-molly-and-may-went-down-to-the-beach-to-play/)

[E E Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-e-cummings-3/)

> [We fit together so well...it's like pieces of a puzzle, the way your hand fits the curve of my hip and the way my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-e-cummings-3/we-fit-together-so-well-it-s-like-pieces-of-a-puzzle-the-way-your/)

[E E Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-e-cummings-3/)

> [I don't know what it is about you that closes and opens;only something in me knows the voice of your eyes is deeper than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-e-cummings-3/i-don-t-know-what-it-is-about-you-that-closes-and-opens-only/)

[E E Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-e-cummings-3/)

> [“let’s live suddenly without thinking under honest trees, a stream does.the brain of cleverly-crinkling -water pursues the angry dream of the shore. By midnight,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-e-cummings-3/let-s-live-suddenly-without-thinking-under-honest-trees-a-stream-does/)

[e e cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-e-cummings-3/)

> [To be nobody but yourself in a world that's doing its best to make you somebody else, is to fight the hardest battle you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-e-cummings-3/to-be-nobody-but-yourself-in-a-world-that-s-doing-its-best-to-make/)

[E E Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-e-cummings-3/)

> [“Almost anybody can learn to think, or believe, or know, but not a single human being can be taught to feel. The moment you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-e-cummings-3/almost-anybody-can-learn-to-think-or-believe-or-know-but-not-a-single/)

[E E Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-e-cummings-3/)

> [The most wasted day of all is the one without laughter. Most people like to think that their day was productive. however, some days…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-e-cummings-3/the-most-wasted-day-of-all-is-the-one-without-laughter-most-people/)

[E E Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-e-cummings-3/)

[Explore all 11 E E Cummings quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-e-cummings-3/)

## More Being unique quotes

> [If we are lucky enough to have something that makes us different from everybody else, dont change. Uniqueness is priceless. In this crazy world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-we-are-lucky-enough-to-have-something-that-makes-us-different-from/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Being unique is what's cool. Normal? What's normal? A setting on a washing machine. No one wants to be that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-purdy/being-unique-is-what-s-cool-normal-what-s-normal-a-setting-on-a/)

[Ashley Purdy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-purdy/)

> [We are all born originals, why is it so many of us die copies?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-young/we-are-all-born-originals-why-is-it-so-many-of-us-die-copies/)

[Edward Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-young/)

> [Do something remarkable or accept being the mere statistic that you have always been awarded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tsepiso-makhubedu/do-something-remarkable-or-accept-being-the-mere-statistic-that-you/)

[Tsepiso Makhubedu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tsepiso-makhubedu/)

> [Girls have unique powers; they get wet without water, bleed without injury and make boneless things hard ..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/girls-have-unique-powers-they-get-wet-without-water-bleed-without/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [If you walk in the footprints of others, you wont make any of your own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gusso-montanna/if-you-walk-in-the-footprints-of-others-you-wont-make-any-of-your-own/)

[Gusso Montanna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gusso-montanna/)

> [Never change your originality for the sake of others because no one can play your role better than you. so be yourself you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-24/never-change-your-originality-for-the-sake-of-others-because-no-one/)

Tina\_24

> [There's NOTHING wrong with standing out and being different.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaylon-hillsman/there-s-nothing-wrong-with-standing-out-and-being-different/)

[Jaylon Hillsman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaylon-hillsman/)

> [Be yourself. If everyone is the same, what's the use? Being unique is great. One in a million is better than a million the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/be-yourself-if-everyone-is-the-same-what-s-the-use-being-unique-is/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [What you find is what you seek, everyone's different everyone's unique.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-bell/what-you-find-is-what-you-seek-everyone-s-different-everyone-s-unique/)

[Ashley Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-bell/)

> [Be unique, because you are different. Just don't be different for the sake of being unique...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/be-unique-because-you-are-different-just-don-t-be-different-for-the/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [No one's fingerprints are exactly the same as anyone else's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-satir/no-one-s-fingerprints-are-exactly-the-same-as-anyone-else-s/)

[Virginia Satir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-satir/)

> [Do not be afraid to be different. Every man is born to do something unique and something distinctive, and if we do not do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-mamerto/do-not-be-afraid-to-be-different-every-man-is-born-to-do-something/)

[Edwin Mamerto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-mamerto/)

> [I'm one of a kind, and so are you, so don't judge me, until you've walked in my shoes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glyz/i-m-one-of-a-kind-and-so-are-you-so-don-t-judge-me-until-you-ve/)

Glyz

> [Never be afraid to be loud, be afraid to have no voice. Never be afraid of the thoughts of others, be afraid of not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasmina-siderovski/never-be-afraid-to-be-loud-be-afraid-to-have-no-voice-never-be-afraid/)

[Jasmina Siderovski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasmina-siderovski/)

[Browse all 222 Being unique quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-unique/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "To be nobody but yourself in a world doing its best to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle any human can ever fight and never stop fighting.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "E E Cummings"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-e-cummings-3/to-be-nobody-but-yourself-in-a-world-doing-its-best-to-make-you/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Being unique"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-e-cummings-3/to-be-nobody-but-yourself-in-a-world-doing-its-best-to-make-you/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/574/e-e-cummings-3-38889_being-unique_to-be-nobody-but-yourself-in-a-world-doi_2574775.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/574/e-e-cummings-3-38889_being-unique_to-be-nobody-but-yourself-in-a-world-doi_2574775.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/574/e-e-cummings-3-38889_being-unique_to-be-nobody-but-yourself-in-a-world-doi_2574775.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“To be nobody but yourself in a world doing its best to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest…” — E E Cummings",
                "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": "E E Cummings",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-e-cummings-3/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "To be nobody but yourself in...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-e-cummings-3/to-be-nobody-but-yourself-in-a-world-doing-its-best-to-make-you/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-e-cummings-3/to-be-nobody-but-yourself-in-a-world-doing-its-best-to-make-you/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
