--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you really want to break from the…" description: "\"If you really want to break from the pack, you have to risk being perceived to be as eccentric as these people. You have to think exceptionally-a LOT!\"..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5b/john-eliot-15291_achievement_if-you-really-want-to-break-from-the-pac_160571.png" --- # If you really want to break from the pack, you have to… ![“If you really want to break from the pack, you have to risk being perceived to be as eccentric as these people. You have to think exceptionally-a LOT!” quote by John Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5b/john-eliot-15291_achievement_if-you-really-want-to-break-from-the-pac_160571.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5b/john-eliot-15291_achievement_if-you-really-want-to-break-from-the-pac_160571.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5b/john-eliot-15291_achievement_if-you-really-want-to-break-from-the-pac_160571.png) > “If you really want to break from the pack, you have to risk being perceived to be as eccentric as these people. You have to think exceptionally-a LOT!” [John Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eliot/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Breaking away from the crowd requires embracing eccentricity and thinking far beyond the norm. **In simple terms:** To stand out, be willing to seem odd and think deeply. Key Takeaway Embrace bold, unconventional thinking. Themes individuality creativity risk nonconformity Mood determined inspired Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - career change - artistic pursuits - entrepreneurship - social activism Key Concepts eccentricity innovation critical thinking Questions to Reflect On - How far are you willing to go to be different? - What unconventional ideas could you explore? A Different Perspective Risk of alienation and misunderstanding from others. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Achievement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achievement/) [Break](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/break/) [Eccentric](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eccentric/) [Eccentric People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eccentric-people-1130623/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Packs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/packs/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-think/) [Perceived Eccentric](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perceived-eccentric-1761378/) [Risk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risk/) [Think Exceptionally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-exceptionally-1761379/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) ## Related quotes > [“If you have legs that work, walk in the right direction. If you have an audible voice, say constructive words. If you have functional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gift-gugu-mona/if-you-have-legs-that-work-walk-in-the-right-direction-if-you-have-an/) [Gift Gugu Mona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gift-gugu-mona/) > [I have always idolized eccentric people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-boyd/i-have-always-idolized-eccentric-people/) [Brandon Boyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-boyd/) > [The Paris slums are a gathering-place for eccentric people - people who have fallen into solitary, half-mad grooves of life and given up trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/the-paris-slums-are-a-gathering-place-for-eccentric-people-people-who-2/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [I've found that I seek out oddballs; I like strange and eccentric people a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-bradford/i-ve-found-that-i-seek-out-oddballs-i-like-strange-and-eccentric/) [Arthur Bradford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-bradford/) > [I didn't find this memoir of these two eccentric people so different from doing my memoirs of De Sade or Simone Weil. My parents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-du-plessix-gray/i-didn-t-find-this-memoir-of-these-two-eccentric-people-so-different/) [Francine du Plessix Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-du-plessix-gray/) > [The Midwest breeds funny, eccentric people, to varying degrees. You play shows not because you're expecting to get a record deal, but to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-carney/the-midwest-breeds-funny-eccentric-people-to-varying-degrees-you-play/) [Patrick Carney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-carney/) > [No matter how extreme I've had to be, no matter how eccentric people perceive me to be, because I'm outside the norms, demonstrating that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-johnson/no-matter-how-extreme-i-ve-had-to-be-no-matter-how-eccentric-people/) [Bryan Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-johnson/) > [“... unfools of unbeing ... means quite clearly people who are too stereotyped to be eccentric – people who are too dead spiritually to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-friedman/unfools-of-unbeing-means-quite-clearly-people-who-are-too-stereotyped/) [Norman Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-friedman/) > [New York was big enough and wide enough that it allowed for reasonably eccentric people like me to thrive. It was a perfect place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-benton/new-york-was-big-enough-and-wide-enough-that-it-allowed-for/) [Robert Benton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-benton/) > [I'm convinced England's overflowing with eccentric people, places, happenings. Indeed, you might say eccentricity's normal in England.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dodie-smith/i-m-convinced-england-s-overflowing-with-eccentric-people-places/) [Dodie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dodie-smith/) > [“The Paris slums are a gathering-place for eccentric people–people who have fallen into solitary, half-mad grooves of life and given up trying to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/the-paris-slums-are-a-gathering-place-for-eccentric-people-people-who/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [If you hide, you won't find the eccentric people who will be your best friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jinkx-monsoon/if-you-hide-you-won-t-find-the-eccentric-people-who-will-be-your-best/) [Jinkx Monsoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jinkx-monsoon/) > [“There were eccentric characters in the hotel. The Paris slums are a gathering-place for eccentric people — people who have fallen into solitary, half-mad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-were-eccentric-characters-in-the-hotel-the-paris-slums-are-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [What if all those strange and unexplainable bends in history were the result of supernatural interference? At which point I asked myself, what's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-carriger/what-if-all-those-strange-and-unexplainable-bends-in-history-were-the/) [Gail Carriger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-carriger/) > [Great performers are, by definition, abnormal; they strive throughout their entire careers to separate themselves from the pack.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eliot/great-performers-are-by-definition-abnormal-they-strive-throughout/) [John Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eliot/) ## More by John Eliot > [To be a top performer you have to be passionately committed to what you're doing and insanely confident about your ability to pull it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eliot/to-be-a-top-performer-you-have-to-be-passionately-committed-to-what/) [John Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eliot/) > [Great performers welcome pressure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eliot/great-performers-welcome-pressure/) [John Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eliot/) > [Confidence is consistency of thinking about what is possible and how to make it possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eliot/confidence-is-consistency-of-thinking-about-what-is-possible-and-how/) [John Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eliot/) > [cross that person off your invitation list.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eliot/cross-that-person-off-your-invitation-list/) [John Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eliot/) > [Stick with your own perception of yourself-living in your own world-and letting your reality, not the reality presented by other people or particular situations,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eliot/stick-with-your-own-perception-of-yourself-living-in-your-own-world/) [John Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eliot/) > [Superstars think like superstars long before the fans or the press anoint them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eliot/superstars-think-like-superstars-long-before-the-fans-or-the-press/) [John Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eliot/) > [Great performers are, by definition, abnormal; they strive throughout their entire careers to separate themselves from the pack.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eliot/great-performers-are-by-definition-abnormal-they-strive-throughout/) [John Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eliot/) > [“Musicians, like golfers, have to put their minds in the right place – trusting, confident, enjoying the pressure, being in present. And so forth.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eliot/musicians-like-golfers-have-to-put-their-minds-in-the-right-place/) [John Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eliot/) > [Overachievers don't think reasonably, sensibly, or rationally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eliot/overachievers-don-t-think-reasonably-sensibly-or-rationally/) [John Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eliot/) > [Perfectionism is simply putting a limit on your future. When you have an idea of perfect in your mind, you open the door to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eliot/perfectionism-is-simply-putting-a-limit-on-your-future-when-you-have/) [John Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eliot/) > [I have discovered that I cannot enhance anybody's performance without getting them not only to live with the butterflies that come with high-pressure jobs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eliot/i-have-discovered-that-i-cannot-enhance-anybody-s-performance-without/) [John Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eliot/) > [The idea of perfect closes your mind to new standards. When you drive hard toward one ideal, you miss opportunities and paths, not to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eliot/the-idea-of-perfect-closes-your-mind-to-new-standards-when-you-drive/) [John Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eliot/) > [Elevated levels of confidence are omnipresent among history's greatest overachievers. Benjamin Franklin, one of the most famous men in the world even before he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eliot/elevated-levels-of-confidence-are-omnipresent-among-history-s/) [John Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eliot/) > [Anyone who strays too far from the majority view or the conventional wisdom is bound to be labeled "arrogant," "a maverick," "a Wildman," "weird,"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eliot/anyone-who-strays-too-far-from-the-majority-view-or-the-conventional/) [John Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eliot/) > [As soon as anyone starts telling you to be "realistic," cross that person off your invitation list.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eliot/as-soon-as-anyone-starts-telling-you-to-be-realistic-cross-that/) [John Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eliot/) [Explore all 43 John Eliot quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eliot/) ## More Achievement quotes > [You, of Canada, are building a magnificent record of achievement. My country rejoices in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/you-of-canada-are-building-a-magnificent-record-of-achievement-my/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [“If attempting to make the world a civilized one, makes you a bad woman in the eyes of the dumb patriarchal society, then, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/if-attempting-to-make-the-world-a-civilized-one-makes-you-a-bad-woman/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [One achieves true human dignity only when one serves. Only he is great who subjects himself to taking part in the achievement of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-antonio-primo-de-rivera/one-achieves-true-human-dignity-only-when-one-serves-only-he-is-great/) [Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-antonio-primo-de-rivera/) > [Needs cause motivation. Deep-rooted desires for esteem, affection, belonging, achievement, self-actualization, power, and control motivate us to push for what we want and need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorii-myers/needs-cause-motivation-deep-rooted-desires-for-esteem-affection/) [Lorii Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorii-myers/) > [Each man is capable of doing one thing well. If he attempts several, he will fail to achieve distinction in any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/each-man-is-capable-of-doing-one-thing-well-if-he-attempts-several-he/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [It's tragic what America has become because there is a great segment of society that now resents luxury and success and achievement by others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-leach/it-s-tragic-what-america-has-become-because-there-is-a-great-segment/) [Robin Leach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-leach/) > [To preserve an unclouded capacity for the enjoyment of life is an unusual moral and psychological achievement. Contrary to popular belief, it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/to-preserve-an-unclouded-capacity-for-the-enjoyment-of-life-is-an/) [Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/) > [Joel Lane documents a life we don’t quite live, in a city we can’t quite find: half glimpsed and half imagined, we know it’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaz-brenchley/joel-lane-documents-a-life-we-don-t-quite-live-in-a-city-we-can-t/) [Chaz Brenchley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaz-brenchley/) > [The main substantive achievement of neoliberalism has been to redistribute rather than to generate wealth and income.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harvey/the-main-substantive-achievement-of-neoliberalism-has-been-to/) [David Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harvey/) > [Every profession has an ideology and a drive for power that goes far beyond its achievements and it is the task of democracy to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feyerabend/every-profession-has-an-ideology-and-a-drive-for-power-that-goes-far/) [Paul Feyerabend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feyerabend/) > [We have Internet now and people are not stupid. But it seems that some people are trying to push the same agenda of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bassem-youssef/we-have-internet-now-and-people-are-not-stupid-but-it-seems-that-some/) [Bassem Youssef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bassem-youssef/) > [“If you find a way where there seems to be no way, that’s what we call miracle, not personal achievement.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nkwachukwu-ogbuagu/if-you-find-a-way-where-there-seems-to-be-no-way-that-s-what-we-call/) [Nkwachukwu Ogbuagu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nkwachukwu-ogbuagu/) > [The Baseball Hall of Fame is something every player dreams about, but being a member of God's Hall of Fame is the greatest achievement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-carter/the-baseball-hall-of-fame-is-something-every-player-dreams-about-but/) [Gary Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-carter/) > [Cease speaking of enemies when an achievement can kindle a great light. Solitude will transmit the message better than the murmurs of crowds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-roerich/cease-speaking-of-enemies-when-an-achievement-can-kindle-a-great/) [Nicholas Roerich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-roerich/) > [Every scene is a challenge. There are technical challenges, but often it's the simplest challenge where you feel a sense of achievement when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-deakins/every-scene-is-a-challenge-there-are-technical-challenges-but-often/) [Roger Deakins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-deakins/) [Browse all 3,867 Achievement quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achievement/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you really want to break from the pack, you have to risk being perceived to be as eccentric as these people. You have to think exceptionally-a LOT!", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Eliot" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eliot/if-you-really-want-to-break-from-the-pack-you-have-to-risk-being/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Achievement" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eliot/if-you-really-want-to-break-from-the-pack-you-have-to-risk-being/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5b/john-eliot-15291_achievement_if-you-really-want-to-break-from-the-pac_160571.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5b/john-eliot-15291_achievement_if-you-really-want-to-break-from-the-pac_160571.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5b/john-eliot-15291_achievement_if-you-really-want-to-break-from-the-pac_160571.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you really want to break from the pack, you have to risk being perceived to be as eccentric as these…” — John Eliot", "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": "John Eliot", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eliot/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If you really want to break...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eliot/if-you-really-want-to-break-from-the-pack-you-have-to-risk-being/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eliot/if-you-really-want-to-break-from-the-pack-you-have-to-risk-being/#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 } } ] } ```