--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: First you have to know who you are. That…" description: "\"First you have to know who you are. That is the most important thing, as if you don't know who you are you will either get swallowed up or you follow s..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/549/iris-apfel-2319_firsts_first-you-have-to-know-who-you-are-that_135283.png" --- # First you have to know who you are. That is the most… ![“First you have to know who you are. That is the most important thing, as if you don't know who you are you will either get swallowed up or you follow some unsuitable trends and just become a nonentity.” quote by Iris Apfel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/549/iris-apfel-2319_firsts_first-you-have-to-know-who-you-are-that_135283.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/549/iris-apfel-2319_firsts_first-you-have-to-know-who-you-are-that_135283.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/549/iris-apfel-2319_firsts_first-you-have-to-know-who-you-are-that_135283.png) > “First you have to know who you are. That is the most important thing, as if you don't know who you are you will either get swallowed up or you follow some unsuitable trends and just become a nonentity.” [Iris Apfel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-apfel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Self‑knowledge is foundational; without it, one drifts into conformity or insignificance **In simple terms:** Know yourself to avoid being lost or trend‑driven Key Takeaway Cultivate self‑awareness before following trends Themes identity authenticity self‑discovery Mood introspective practical Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - career planning - fashion choices - relationship building Key Concepts psychology of self social conformity personal branding Questions to Reflect On - How do you discover your core values? - When might following trends be beneficial? A Different Perspective Self‑knowledge can be fluid; over‑identification may limit growth ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Important things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important-things/) [Nonentity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nonentity/) [Trends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trends/) ## Related quotes > [It's not important to know who you are. It's important to know what you do, and then to do it like hercules!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stella-adler/it-s-not-important-to-know-who-you-are-it-s-important-to-know-what/) [Stella Adler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stella-adler/) > [What am I in most people's eyes? A nonentity or an eccentric and disagreeable man... I should want my work to show what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/what-am-i-in-most-people-s-eyes-a-nonentity-or-an-eccentric-and/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [“That is, I could either see myself as a nonentity, or I could see myself as whatever I wished to be, like a star,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-aaron-goodman/that-is-i-could-either-see-myself-as-a-nonentity-or-i-could-see/) [Matthew Aaron Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-aaron-goodman/) > [Nine out of ten Americans are actually monarchists at bottom. The fact is proved by their high suseptibility to political claims by president's sons…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/nine-out-of-ten-americans-are-actually-monarchists-at-bottom-the-fact/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [Because of media hype and woefully inadequate information, too many people nowadays are deathly afraid of their food, and what does fear of food…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-child/because-of-media-hype-and-woefully-inadequate-information-too-many/) [Julia Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-child/) > [A government at bottom is nothing more than a group of men, and as a practical matter most of them are inferior men. ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/a-government-at-bottom-is-nothing-more-than-a-group-of-men-and-as-a/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [“...I am such a nonentity by the standards of our culture that People magazine not only will never feature a piece about me but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/i-am-such-a-nonentity-by-the-standards-of-our-culture-that-people/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [What is opportunity to the man who cant use it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/what-is-opportunity-to-the-man-who-cant-use-it/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [Right now it is a terrible thing to be a rugged individualist; but we don't know what else to be except a feeble nonentity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-paterson/right-now-it-is-a-terrible-thing-to-be-a-rugged-individualist-but-we/) [Isabel Paterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-paterson/) > [“What does it profit man if he allows a nonentity to make him look irrelevant just because he wants to indirectly have him become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bayode-ojo/what-does-it-profit-man-if-he-allows-a-nonentity-to-make-him-look/) [Bayode Ojo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bayode-ojo/) > [I had always been considered such a nonentity where human relations were concerned that the idea that I might have an influence, even a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-auchincloss/i-had-always-been-considered-such-a-nonentity-where-human-relations/) [Louis Auchincloss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-auchincloss/) > [There are only two kinds of people in the modern world who know what they are after. One, quite frankly, is the Communist. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-fisher/there-are-only-two-kinds-of-people-in-the-modern-world-who-know-what/) [Geoffrey Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-fisher/) > [Such is life, my fellow-mummers-just like a poor player that bluffs and feints his hour upon the stage, and then cheapens down to mere…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-furphy/such-is-life-my-fellow-mummers-just-like-a-poor-player-that-bluffs/) Joseph Furphy > [What is opportunity to the man who can't use it? An unfecundated egg, which the waves of time wash away into nonentity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/what-is-opportunity-to-the-man-who-can-t-use-it-an-unfecundated-egg/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [A purely disembodied human emotion is a nonentity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/a-purely-disembodied-human-emotion-is-a-nonentity/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) ## More by Iris Apfel > [I think dressing up or down should be a creative experience. Exciting. Fun. For me the key to personal style lies in accessories. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-apfel/i-think-dressing-up-or-down-should-be-a-creative-experience-exciting/) [Iris Apfel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-apfel/) > [I don't spend my life getting dressed! I have to put clothes on during the day; I don't get dressed up at all when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-apfel/i-don-t-spend-my-life-getting-dressed-i-have-to-put-clothes-on-during/) [Iris Apfel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-apfel/) > [I think some people like me because I'm different. I don't think like everybody else. People are so tied up in the worst parts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-apfel/i-think-some-people-like-me-because-i-m-different-i-don-t-think-like/) [Iris Apfel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-apfel/) > [Throughout history, clothes represented who you were; they are a great vehicle for explaining who you are. During the Ching dynasty, for example, what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-apfel/throughout-history-clothes-represented-who-you-were-they-are-a-great/) [Iris Apfel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-apfel/) > [If you don't have any individuality and you're happy just being one of the girls (or boys) be my guest. I'm not the fashion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-apfel/if-you-don-t-have-any-individuality-and-you-re-happy-just-being-one/) [Iris Apfel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-apfel/) > [I think jewelry can change an outfit more than anything else. Transformation, punch, individuality: One or all of the above are why you should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-apfel/i-think-jewelry-can-change-an-outfit-more-than-anything-else/) [Iris Apfel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-apfel/) > [When you go to a nice restaurant, you want to be relaxed and have a drink and everything, you want to look at people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-apfel/when-you-go-to-a-nice-restaurant-you-want-to-be-relaxed-and-have-a/) [Iris Apfel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-apfel/) > [I'm happy. I give thanks every morning that I can get up, that I still have my husband with me. I'm extremely grateful. After…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-apfel/i-m-happy-i-give-thanks-every-morning-that-i-can-get-up-that-i-still/) [Iris Apfel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-apfel/) > [It's not easy to know who you are and it's very painful and takes a lot of time and that is why a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-apfel/it-s-not-easy-to-know-who-you-are-and-it-s-very-painful-and-takes-a/) [Iris Apfel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-apfel/) > [If you put something together and it doesn't look so good, the fashion police are not going to come and take you away. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-apfel/if-you-put-something-together-and-it-doesn-t-look-so-good-the-fashion/) [Iris Apfel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-apfel/) > [The world is always full of promise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-apfel/the-world-is-always-full-of-promise/) [Iris Apfel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-apfel/) > [The fun of getting dressed is it's a creative experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-apfel/the-fun-of-getting-dressed-is-it-s-a-creative-experience/) [Iris Apfel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-apfel/) > [In America, it has been proven that the bulk of spending money is in the hands of women between 60 and 80, so it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-apfel/in-america-it-has-been-proven-that-the-bulk-of-spending-money-is-in/) [Iris Apfel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-apfel/) > [I don't believe in rules. It's different for everybody. Everyone has to make their own decision and find out what's comfortable for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-apfel/i-don-t-believe-in-rules-it-s-different-for-everybody-everyone-has-to/) [Iris Apfel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-apfel/) > [You have to be interested. If you're not interested, you can't be interesting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-apfel/you-have-to-be-interested-if-you-re-not-interested-you-can-t-be/) [Iris Apfel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-apfel/) [Explore all 171 Iris Apfel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-apfel/) ## More Firsts 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/) > [My first ever job after college was as a flight attendant. I wanted to travel and could not afford it, so I decided to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-winspear/my-first-ever-job-after-college-was-as-a-flight-attendant-i-wanted-to/) [Jacqueline Winspear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-winspear/) > [Since I worked with Danny Boyle before on Slumdog Millionaire, we have great success and everything. So, when I first got the script and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-r-rahman/since-i-worked-with-danny-boyle-before-on-slumdog-millionaire-we-have/) [A. R. Rahman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-r-rahman/) > [You sort of can't talk about the post production unless you talk about what comes first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-greengrass/you-sort-of-can-t-talk-about-the-post-production-unless-you-talk/) [Paul Greengrass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-greengrass/) > [I'm a business first and foremost so whatever my business is, it's separate from my personal. It's like whatever I do business wise, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/i-m-a-business-first-and-foremost-so-whatever-my-business-is-it-s/) [Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/) > [A man walks down the street. It's a street in a strange world. Maybe it's the third world. Maybe it's his first time around.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/a-man-walks-down-the-street-it-s-a-street-in-a-strange-world-maybe-it/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [I did not know that the planning for biological and chemical warfare was so widespread in England, and even in France before France fell.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholson-baker/i-did-not-know-that-the-planning-for-biological-and-chemical-warfare/) [Nicholson Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholson-baker/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [When I first started, my message was about joy, but I didn't really have the vocabulary and life experience to fully deliver it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-mraz/when-i-first-started-my-message-was-about-joy-but-i-didn-t-really/) [Jason Mraz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-mraz/) > [I'm very used to working with first time actors - you can just look back at 'E.T.' with Drew Barrymore, and Christian Bale from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/i-m-very-used-to-working-with-first-time-actors-you-can-just-look/) [Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/) > [I have lifted my plane . . . for perhaps a thousand flights and I have never felt her wheels glide from the Earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beryl-markham/i-have-lifted-my-plane-for-perhaps-a-thousand-flights-and-i-have/) [Beryl Markham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beryl-markham/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [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. Anzaldúa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-e-anzald-a/) > [Meanwhile someone is shining my head to get it dry to attach my top-hat to my head with toupee tape. I get into microphone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tituss-burgess/meanwhile-someone-is-shining-my-head-to-get-it-dry-to-attach-my-top/) [Tituss Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tituss-burgess/) > [Peace is the first thing the angels sang. Peace is the mark of the children of God. Peace is the nurse of love. Peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-leo-i/peace-is-the-first-thing-the-angels-sang-peace-is-the-mark-of-the/) [Pope Leo I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-leo-i/) Browse all 32,432 Firsts quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "First you have to know who you are. 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