--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you work with new people, I think…" description: "\"When you work with new people, I think that it throws all of the matters into relief, because you have to explain yourself every time. It's like crossi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e9/elvis-costello-1931_borders_when-you-work-with-new-people-i-think-th_2102660.jpg" --- # When you work with new people, I think that it throws all… ![“When you work with new people, I think that it throws all of the matters into relief, because you have to explain yourself every time. It's like crossing a new border. They want to see your documents.” quote by Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e9/elvis-costello-1931_borders_when-you-work-with-new-people-i-think-th_2102660.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e9/elvis-costello-1931_borders_when-you-work-with-new-people-i-think-th_2102660.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e9/elvis-costello-1931_borders_when-you-work-with-new-people-i-think-th_2102660.jpg) > “When you work with new people, I think that it throws all of the matters into relief, because you have to explain yourself every time. It's like crossing a new border. They want to see your documents.” [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Working with unfamiliar colleagues forces you to clarify your ideas, revealing hidden assumptions and creating a sense of vulnerability. **In simple terms:** New teammates expose your thinking, requiring clear explanation. Key Takeaway Embrace clarity and openness when collaborating. Themes communication vulnerability collaboration Mood reflective anxious Type advice observational When to use this quote - team meetings - networking events - project kickoffs - cross‑functional workshops Key Concepts self-awareness exposure trust-building Questions to Reflect On - How does explaining yourself change your self‑perception? - What strategies help maintain authenticity under scrutiny? A Different Perspective It can feel exhausting to constantly justify yourself, especially if you value privacy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Borders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/borders/) [Crossings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crossings/) [Documents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/documents/) [Explain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/explain/) [Explain yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/explain-yourself/) [Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter/) [New people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-people/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-think-239179/) [Relief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relief/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Want Documents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want-documents-4208002/) [Work New](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-new-1011188/) ## Related quotes > [I give my work to my wife first to read. Then, I try to find new people who haven't read my work before, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-king/i-give-my-work-to-my-wife-first-to-read-then-i-try-to-find-new-people/) [Owen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-king/) > [When you work with new people, they see something in you that you might not see yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zayed-khan/when-you-work-with-new-people-they-see-something-in-you-that-you/) [Zayed Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zayed-khan/) > [It's really fun to work with new people who you've never met before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peyton-list/it-s-really-fun-to-work-with-new-people-who-you-ve-never-met-before/) [Peyton List](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peyton-list/) > [I love to just work with new people in general. It's always really fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-roberts/i-love-to-just-work-with-new-people-in-general-it-s-always-really-fun/) [Emma Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-roberts/) > [Did you ever have a conversation with someone who misunderstood everything you had to say? It's exhausting, and the ironic part is that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-mauriac/did-you-ever-have-a-conversation-with-someone-who-misunderstood/) [Francois Mauriac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-mauriac/) > [You need a place where you can explain yourself. You can write as much or as little as you would like, but the words…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-cuban/you-need-a-place-where-you-can-explain-yourself-you-can-write-as-much/) [Mark Cuban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cuban/) > [How is faith to endure, O God, when you allow all this scraping and tearing on us? You have allowed rivers of blood to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-wolterstorff/how-is-faith-to-endure-o-god-when-you-allow-all-this-scraping-and/) [Nicholas Wolterstorff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-wolterstorff/) > [You don't have to explain yourself. Let your weakness be yours. Let your strength be everybody's. You understand the principle?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harbhajan-singh-yogi/you-don-t-have-to-explain-yourself-let-your-weakness-be-yours-let/) [Harbhajan Singh Yogi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harbhajan-singh-yogi/) > [Dealing with all the questions once the book is out and unchangeable, forces you to permanently give opinions about - in this case -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sa-a-stani-i/dealing-with-all-the-questions-once-the-book-is-out-and-unchangeable/) [Sasa Stanisic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sa-a-stani-i/) > [The allure of love is to have someone who knows you so well that you don't have to explain yourself. It is the promise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-tannen/the-allure-of-love-is-to-have-someone-who-knows-you-so-well-that-you/) [Deborah Tannen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-tannen/) > [If you prepare, and you've got wonderful, bright people who get it, who accept and appreciate your preparation, then you don't have to explain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israel-horovitz/if-you-prepare-and-you-ve-got-wonderful-bright-people-who-get-it-who/) [Israel Horovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israel-horovitz/) > [It is so much easier to deal with the dead than with the living. The dead are out of the way, merely characters from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandar-hemon/it-is-so-much-easier-to-deal-with-the-dead-than-with-the-living-the/) [Aleksandar Hemon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandar-hemon/) > [He thought: How difficult it is to explain yourself to yourself. Sometimes there only is, and no knowing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aidan-chambers/he-thought-how-difficult-it-is-to-explain-yourself-to-yourself/) [Aidan Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aidan-chambers/) > [JACE WAYLAND," she said. "Explain yourself." Jace was glaring at the cat. "I told you to bring me to Alec! Backstabing Judas." Church rolled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/jace-wayland-she-said-explain-yourself-jace-was-glaring-at-the-cat-i/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [It's hard to discipline yourself not to explain yourself or apologize.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-stein/it-s-hard-to-discipline-yourself-not-to-explain-yourself-or-apologize/) [Joel Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-stein/) ## More by Elvis Costello > [Good manners and bad breath will get you nowhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/good-manners-and-bad-breath-will-get-you-nowhere/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [History repeats the old conceits, the glib replies, the same defeats.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/history-repeats-the-old-conceits-the-glib-replies-the-same-defeats/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [People think it is all about country music, and I know a lot of country music has come out of there, but like Blonde…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/people-think-it-is-all-about-country-music-and-i-know-a-lot-of/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [I get very frustrated by this term 'genre exercise.' I mean, what exactly is that? Genre is not really relevant when you are writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/i-get-very-frustrated-by-this-term-genre-exercise-i-mean-what-exactly/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [Even in a perfect world where everyone was equal. I'd still own the film rights and be working on the sequel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/even-in-a-perfect-world-where-everyone-was-equal-i-d-still-own-the/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [Somebody should clip Sting around the head and tell him to stop using that ridiculous Jamaican accent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/somebody-should-clip-sting-around-the-head-and-tell-him-to-stop-using/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [There is something wrong with you if you don't get angry about something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/there-is-something-wrong-with-you-if-you-don-t-get-angry-about/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [“Was it a millionaire who said "imagine no possessions?" A poor little schoolboy who said "we don't need no lessons?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/was-it-a-millionaire-who-said-imagine-no-possessions-a-poor-little/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [Though the passion still flutters and flickers, it never got into our knickers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/though-the-passion-still-flutters-and-flickers-it-never-got-into-our/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [My dad's father was a White Star Line trumpet player in the '20s. It shaped the way that I think about music. My grandfather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/my-dad-s-father-was-a-white-star-line-trumpet-player-in-the-20s-it/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [Life for me is about movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/life-for-me-is-about-movement/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [Maybe I just never learned my harmony part, because what everybody says sounds odd to them sounds perfectly natural to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/maybe-i-just-never-learned-my-harmony-part-because-what-everybody/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [There are a lot of things that you can like at a distance without spending a huge amount of time pondering. It's not so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/there-are-a-lot-of-things-that-you-can-like-at-a-distance-without/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [Don't wear your heart on your sleeve when your remarks are off the cuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/don-t-wear-your-heart-on-your-sleeve-when-your-remarks-are-off-the/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [I'm just the mere shadow of my former selfishness. I crave the silhouette of your kiss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/i-m-just-the-mere-shadow-of-my-former-selfishness-i-crave-the/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) [Explore all 197 Elvis Costello quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) ## More Borders quotes > [We have to get control of our borders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-coffman/we-have-to-get-control-of-our-borders/) [Mike Coffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-coffman/) > [The U.S.-Mexican border es un herida abierta where the Third World grates against the first and bleeds. And before a scab forms it hemorrhages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-e-anzald-a/the-u-s-mexican-border-es-un-herida-abierta-where-the-third-world/) [Gloria E. 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As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-day-o-connor/when-i-went-to-law-school-which-after-all-was-back-in-the-dark-ages/) [Sandra Day O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-day-o-connor/) > [Schengen cannot survive without the most dramatic reform, and the external borders of Europe must be rapidly strengthened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-soames/schengen-cannot-survive-without-the-most-dramatic-reform-and-the/) [Nicholas Soames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-soames/) > [The troops were occasionally occupied in pursuing scattered bands going north or south, and on three occasions the large camp of Sitting Bull ventured…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-a-miles/the-troops-were-occasionally-occupied-in-pursuing-scattered-bands/) [Nelson A. Miles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-a-miles/) > [The characters in my novels are my own unrealized possibilities. That is why I am equally fond of them all and equally horrified by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-characters-in-my-novels-are-my-own-unrealized-possibilities-that/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [When we talk about contemporary art and contemporary artists, we usually imagine artists who are alive. But I feel very uncomfortable about placing a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasumasa-morimura/when-we-talk-about-contemporary-art-and-contemporary-artists-we/) [Yasumasa Morimura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasumasa-morimura/) > [Photography... unites the obvious and the unconscious at the level of the limimal - the border between what we see and what we suspect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-lorca-dicorcia/photography-unites-the-obvious-and-the-unconscious-at-the-level-of/) [Philip-Lorca diCorcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-lorca-dicorcia/) > [When you have the Chief of Staff of the Republican National Committee and the political director of the Romney campaign, and their two companies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-caddell/when-you-have-the-chief-of-staff-of-the-republican-national-committee/) [Patrick Caddell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-caddell/) > [Fifty thousand people in Mexico have been murdered. Puerto Penasco, 60 miles south of our border, just had five people and a police officer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-brewer/fifty-thousand-people-in-mexico-have-been-murdered-puerto-penasco-60/) [Jan Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-brewer/) > [The unpleasant truth is that some borders are untenable and preserving them causes conflict, not peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mearsheimer/the-unpleasant-truth-is-that-some-borders-are-untenable-and/) [John Mearsheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mearsheimer/) > [Interesting things happen along borders - transitions - not in the middle where everything is the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/interesting-things-happen-along-borders-transitions-not-in-the-middle/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [At no other time (than autumn) does the earth let itself be inhaled in one smell, the ripe earth; in a smell that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-maria-rilke/at-no-other-time-than-autumn-does-the-earth-let-itself-be-inhaled-in/) [Rainer Maria Rilke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-maria-rilke/) > [House Republicans want to pass a strong border security, illegal immigration bill. We want a bill. There is no ifs, ands or buts about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boehner/house-republicans-want-to-pass-a-strong-border-security-illegal/) [John Boehner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boehner/) [Browse all 1,650 Borders quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/borders/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When you work with new people, I think that it throws all of the matters into relief, because you have to explain yourself every time. It's like crossing a new border. 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