--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Never mind being first. If you want to…" description: "\"“Never mind being first. If you want to count for something, be the last of your kind.”\" — Jan Strnad" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b9/jan-strnad-40766_count_never-mind-being-first-if-you-want-to-co_801490.jpg" --- # Never mind being first. If you want to count for… ![“Never mind being first. If you want to count for something, be the last of your kind.” quote by Jan Strnad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b9/jan-strnad-40766_count_never-mind-being-first-if-you-want-to-co_801490.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b9/jan-strnad-40766_count_never-mind-being-first-if-you-want-to-co_801490.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b9/jan-strnad-40766_count_never-mind-being-first-if-you-want-to-co_801490.jpg) > ““Never mind being first. If you want to count for something, be the last of your kind.”” [Jan Strnad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-strnad/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote urges focusing on lasting impact rather than being first, emphasizing depth over novelty. **In simple terms:** Aim for lasting impact, not just being first. Key Takeaway Prioritize lasting influence. Themes legacy impact humility Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career - creative pursuits - leadership - social movements Key Concepts existentialism meaning Questions to Reflect On - How can you ensure your work endures? - What does being 'the last of your kind' mean to you? A Different Perspective Being first can be fleeting; lasting influence often requires patience. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Count](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/count/) [Count Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/count-kind-6136459/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Want Count](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want-count-3904308/) ## Related quotes > [I'm sick of being alone. I want someone I can count on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-sick-of-being-alone-i-want-someone-i-can-count-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“We do not want to count; we want to think the count.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-badiou/we-do-not-want-to-count-we-want-to-think-the-count/) [Alain Badiou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-badiou/) > [“Count the things you want more of. Count the laughs, not calories.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grady-miller/count-the-things-you-want-more-of-count-the-laughs-not-calories/) [Grady Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grady-miller/) > [I can't count the number of times I've sat in a meeting where it's been 20 men and me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-dubuc/i-can-t-count-the-number-of-times-i-ve-sat-in-a-meeting-where-it-s/) [Nancy Dubuc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-dubuc/) > [Do you count your birthdays with gratitude?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/do-you-count-your-birthdays-with-gratitude/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [You count a man's U.S. Amateur titles after he starts winning professional majors. That's something any intelligent golf writer with a sense of history…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-jenkins/you-count-a-man-s-u-s-amateur-titles-after-he-starts-winning/) [Dan Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-jenkins/) > [Time means a great deal to every runner. It means everything to me, because most days miles don't count; only minutes do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-henderson/time-means-a-great-deal-to-every-runner-it-means-everything-to-me/) [Joe Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-henderson/) > [If you can't count, they can cheat you. If you can't read, they can beat you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/if-you-can-t-count-they-can-cheat-you-if-you-can-t-read-they-can-beat/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [I count something as successful if it pleases the audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/poonam-dhillon/i-count-something-as-successful-if-it-pleases-the-audience/) [Poonam Dhillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/poonam-dhillon/) > [U only live once, so make ever second count!!!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bridgett/u-only-live-once-so-make-ever-second-count/) [Bridgett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bridgett/) > [Don't count how many times you talk to God, just TALK!!!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-cowell/don-t-count-how-many-times-you-talk-to-god-just-talk/) [Larry Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-cowell/) > [You don't count the dead, when god's on your side.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/you-don-t-count-the-dead-when-god-s-on-your-side/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [If you do what you're supposed to do, it will come to you - it will happen on its own. I don't count numbers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-chubb/if-you-do-what-you-re-supposed-to-do-it-will-come-to-you-it-will/) [Nick Chubb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-chubb/) > [I really can't live without my In-N-Out burgers. Honestly, I can't. Even when I'm doing the whole no-carb thing occasionally, I make an exception…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-berkus/i-really-can-t-live-without-my-in-n-out-burgers-honestly-i-can-t-even/) [Nate Berkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-berkus/) > [Yes yes you can count on me - Fingers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/yes-yes-you-can-count-on-me-fingers/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) ## More by Jan Strnad > [“Things aren't what they seem. What a truth to learn at such a tender age! More discouraging was the way in which everyone around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-strnad/things-aren-t-what-they-seem-what-a-truth-to-learn-at-such-a-tender/) [Jan Strnad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-strnad/) > [“Aunt Flo's love is not a soft thing, I think, but something hard and unyielding, which can be good or bad.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-strnad/aunt-flo-s-love-is-not-a-soft-thing-i-think-but-something-hard-and/) [Jan Strnad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-strnad/) > [“You were a child, you didn't mean to hurt my feelings. Children are ignorant. It takes an adult to choose to be cruel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-strnad/you-were-a-child-you-didn-t-mean-to-hurt-my-feelings-children-are/) [Jan Strnad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-strnad/) > [“I see the life draining out of her and something else taking its place, but I don't know what. Maybe that's the problem. Maybe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-strnad/i-see-the-life-draining-out-of-her-and-something-else-taking-its/) [Jan Strnad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-strnad/) > [“Alice likes to swing as high as she can. At the schoolyard on the big swings there, I think maybe she's going to go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-strnad/alice-likes-to-swing-as-high-as-she-can-at-the-schoolyard-on-the-big/) [Jan Strnad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-strnad/) > [“The evening air smelled like secrets. The breeze that stirred his hair had been places Matt could only imagine. It had twined through trees…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-strnad/the-evening-air-smelled-like-secrets-the-breeze-that-stirred-his-hair/) [Jan Strnad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-strnad/) > [“She couldn't see the mathematical beauty in a leaf, the miracle in a seed that becomes a seedling, the absolute wonder that is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-strnad/she-couldn-t-see-the-mathematical-beauty-in-a-leaf-the-miracle-in-a/) [Jan Strnad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-strnad/) > [“Alice twists a lock of her hair as she sucks on her straw and swivels back and forth on her seat. The shush of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-strnad/alice-twists-a-lock-of-her-hair-as-she-sucks-on-her-straw-and-swivels/) [Jan Strnad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-strnad/) > [“Now I understand. Alice is afraid. The whole town is afraid because the world doesn't make sense to them anymore. Two kids go missing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-strnad/now-i-understand-alice-is-afraid-the-whole-town-is-afraid-because-the/) [Jan Strnad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-strnad/) [Explore all 10 Jan Strnad quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-strnad/) ## More Count quotes > [Yes yes you can count on me - Fingers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/yes-yes-you-can-count-on-me-fingers/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [I really can't live without my In-N-Out burgers. Honestly, I can't. Even when I'm doing the whole no-carb thing occasionally, I make an exception…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-berkus/i-really-can-t-live-without-my-in-n-out-burgers-honestly-i-can-t-even/) [Nate Berkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-berkus/) > [If you do what you're supposed to do, it will come to you - it will happen on its own. I don't count numbers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-chubb/if-you-do-what-you-re-supposed-to-do-it-will-come-to-you-it-will/) [Nick Chubb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-chubb/) > [You don't count the dead, when god's on your side.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/you-don-t-count-the-dead-when-god-s-on-your-side/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [Don't count how many times you talk to God, just TALK!!!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-cowell/don-t-count-how-many-times-you-talk-to-god-just-talk/) [Larry Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-cowell/) > [U only live once, so make ever second count!!!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bridgett/u-only-live-once-so-make-ever-second-count/) [Bridgett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bridgett/) > [I count something as successful if it pleases the audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/poonam-dhillon/i-count-something-as-successful-if-it-pleases-the-audience/) [Poonam Dhillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/poonam-dhillon/) > [If you can't count, they can cheat you. If you can't read, they can beat you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/if-you-can-t-count-they-can-cheat-you-if-you-can-t-read-they-can-beat/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [Time means a great deal to every runner. It means everything to me, because most days miles don't count; only minutes do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-henderson/time-means-a-great-deal-to-every-runner-it-means-everything-to-me/) [Joe Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-henderson/) > [You count a man's U.S. Amateur titles after he starts winning professional majors. That's something any intelligent golf writer with a sense of history…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-jenkins/you-count-a-man-s-u-s-amateur-titles-after-he-starts-winning/) [Dan Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-jenkins/) > [Do you count your birthdays with gratitude?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/do-you-count-your-birthdays-with-gratitude/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [I can't count the number of times I've sat in a meeting where it's been 20 men and me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-dubuc/i-can-t-count-the-number-of-times-i-ve-sat-in-a-meeting-where-it-s/) [Nancy Dubuc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-dubuc/) > [Lula is off the charts. You cannot reproduce Lula; and you will always have to count him in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-haddad/lula-is-off-the-charts-you-cannot-reproduce-lula-and-you-will-always/) [Fernando Haddad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-haddad/) > [You can count on Errol Flynn, he'll always let you down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-niven/you-can-count-on-errol-flynn-he-ll-always-let-you-down/) [David Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-niven/) > [I count myself one of the number of those who write as they learn and learn as they write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-augustine/i-count-myself-one-of-the-number-of-those-who-write-as-they-learn-and/) [Saint Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-augustine/) [Browse all 619 Count quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/count/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Never mind being first. 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