--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When everyone is buying into a system and…" description: "\"When everyone is buying into a system and puts their ego to the side, that's when greatness happens.\" — Karl-Anthony Towns" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20b/karl-anthony-towns-6115_buying_when-everyone-is-buying-into-a-system-an_1023850.jpg" --- # When everyone is buying into a system and puts their ego… ![“When everyone is buying into a system and puts their ego to the side, that's when greatness happens.” quote by Karl-Anthony Towns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20b/karl-anthony-towns-6115_buying_when-everyone-is-buying-into-a-system-an_1023850.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20b/karl-anthony-towns-6115_buying_when-everyone-is-buying-into-a-system-an_1023850.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20b/karl-anthony-towns-6115_buying_when-everyone-is-buying-into-a-system-an_1023850.jpg) > “When everyone is buying into a system and puts their ego to the side, that's when greatness happens.” [Karl-Anthony Towns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-anthony-towns/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Greatness emerges when individuals suppress personal ego and collectively support a shared vision or system. **In simple terms:** Greatness comes from teamwork and humility. Key Takeaway Prioritize collective goals over personal ego. Themes teamwork humility excellence Mood inspirational motivational Type leadership team dynamics When to use this quote - sports teams - business projects - community initiatives - creative collaborations Key Concepts Collective success ego suppression Questions to Reflect On - What steps can you take to keep ego in check in group settings? - How does shared purpose enhance performance? A Different Perspective Ego can still surface, hindering true collaboration. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Buying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buying/) [Ego](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ego/) [Greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatness/) [System](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/system/) ## Related quotes > [You don't show up on game day and expect to be great. Greatness happens in practice. You have to expect things of yourself before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jordan/you-don-t-show-up-on-game-day-and-expect-to-be-great-greatness/) [Michael Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jordan/) > [He's no hero, he's a self-centered lout, who puts his own ego ahead of those that depend on him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shifu/he-s-no-hero-he-s-a-self-centered-lout-who-puts-his-own-ego-ahead-of/) [Shifu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shifu/) > [“a true leader never puts his ego ahead of his assets.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-shusterman/a-true-leader-never-puts-his-ego-ahead-of-his-assets/) [Neal Shusterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-shusterman/) > [If you want to keep your side dishes warmer than room temperature, consider buying a small steam table for the home, with the Sterno…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-want-to-keep-your-side-dishes-warmer-than-room-temperature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Housing, not buying, should be a right - and available and affordable for all. Right to buy is devastating our housing system, just as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dawn-foster/housing-not-buying-should-be-a-right-and-available-and-affordable-for/) [Dawn Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dawn-foster/) > [The system in Germany is different, as you sign up with a company for two or three years, and you work exclusively with them;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-wlaschiha/the-system-in-germany-is-different-as-you-sign-up-with-a-company-for/) [Tom Wlaschiha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-wlaschiha/) > [I think buying a home is the best investment that any individual can make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paulson/i-think-buying-a-home-is-the-best-investment-that-any-individual-can/) [John Paulson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paulson/) > [There's a whole generation of women who never really heard the word investment before, when it came to fashion. They've been buying things because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-kors/there-s-a-whole-generation-of-women-who-never-really-heard-the-word/) [Michael Kors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-kors/) > [Truth is, people like buying things for $0.99 and $1.99 for their digital devices. We know that from iTunes. We know that from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lee/truth-is-people-like-buying-things-for-0-99-and-1-99-for-their/) [Jennifer Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lee/) > [A hardback's harder at Christmas time because that's a good hardback buying time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/a-hardback-s-harder-at-christmas-time-because-that-s-a-good-hardback/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [Whether you are buying a car or casting a ballot, choosing a job or planning a family, follow your moral compass. Don't let others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-hayes/whether-you-are-buying-a-car-or-casting-a-ballot-choosing-a-job-or/) [Denis Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-hayes/) > [I'm being called in by all the great casting directors. It's no longer based on a headshot. I realize now what they're buying is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-gonzalez/i-m-being-called-in-by-all-the-great-casting-directors-it-s-no-longer/) [Nicholas Gonzalez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-gonzalez/) > [Corporations invest in sophisticated CRM, or Customer Relationship Management, programs to effectively oversee their relationship with their customers at every point during the buying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-ostrofsky/corporations-invest-in-sophisticated-crm-or-customer-relationship/) [Marc Ostrofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-ostrofsky/) > [Look at music for what it's worth around the world and not just America. In other countries, people are still buying CDs and going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/look-at-music-for-what-it-s-worth-around-the-world-and-not-just/) [Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/) > [To me, the beauty of a quilt or a dress lies within the stitches and the thought of the person who made them. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie/to-me-the-beauty-of-a-quilt-or-a-dress-lies-within-the-stitches-and/) [Natalie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie/) ## More by Karl-Anthony Towns > [We always have great practices, and the competition is high, and the intensity is high; it's just about doing that now in a game…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-anthony-towns/we-always-have-great-practices-and-the-competition-is-high-and-the/) [Karl-Anthony Towns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-anthony-towns/) > [If you want to be great, there are so many talented players who have come in and out the league. But only a few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-anthony-towns/if-you-want-to-be-great-there-are-so-many-talented-players-who-have/) [Karl-Anthony Towns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-anthony-towns/) > [I've been a dedicated 'NBA 2K' fan since I was young, and being selected as the face of 'MyNBA2K17' is an incredible milestone this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-anthony-towns/i-ve-been-a-dedicated-nba-2k-fan-since-i-was-young-and-being-selected/) [Karl-Anthony Towns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-anthony-towns/) > [Especially when you're a leader, you have to do the things that aren't the popular choice. But that's fine, you have to be able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-anthony-towns/especially-when-you-re-a-leader-you-have-to-do-the-things-that-aren-t/) [Karl-Anthony Towns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-anthony-towns/) > [I'm not too worried about points and all that stuff. It's about making the right play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-anthony-towns/i-m-not-too-worried-about-points-and-all-that-stuff-it-s-about-making/) [Karl-Anthony Towns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-anthony-towns/) > [It doesn't matter to me where I play. It matters what you do at the place you play at.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-anthony-towns/it-doesn-t-matter-to-me-where-i-play-it-matters-what-you-do-at-the/) [Karl-Anthony Towns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-anthony-towns/) > [We put pressure on ourselves because we want to be so great; we want to be the best team possible that we can be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-anthony-towns/we-put-pressure-on-ourselves-because-we-want-to-be-so-great-we-want/) [Karl-Anthony Towns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-anthony-towns/) > [I could care less about statistics. It's all about team success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-anthony-towns/i-could-care-less-about-statistics-it-s-all-about-team-success/) [Karl-Anthony Towns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-anthony-towns/) > [You dwell too much on the past, you forget that you've got to take care of the present.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-anthony-towns/you-dwell-too-much-on-the-past-you-forget-that-you-ve-got-to-take/) [Karl-Anthony Towns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-anthony-towns/) > [It's amazing what video games have obviously done for not only the industry and for entertainment but for the world and social interactions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-anthony-towns/it-s-amazing-what-video-games-have-obviously-done-for-not-only-the/) [Karl-Anthony Towns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-anthony-towns/) > [People who know me know I'm never satisfied.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-anthony-towns/people-who-know-me-know-i-m-never-satisfied/) [Karl-Anthony Towns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-anthony-towns/) > [These guys, just because we're NBA athletes, we're not superhumans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-anthony-towns/these-guys-just-because-we-re-nba-athletes-we-re-not-superhumans/) [Karl-Anthony Towns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-anthony-towns/) > [It's amazing, the things you learn, the experiences you go through, the feeling of being like a rock star that goes with being a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-anthony-towns/it-s-amazing-the-things-you-learn-the-experiences-you-go-through-the/) [Karl-Anthony Towns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-anthony-towns/) > [One of the things that has benefited me in my career is being part of the new age of technology: the ability growing up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-anthony-towns/one-of-the-things-that-has-benefited-me-in-my-career-is-being-part-of/) [Karl-Anthony Towns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-anthony-towns/) > [I do not know how it is to be a great player, to be a Hall of Famer. I want to learn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-anthony-towns/i-do-not-know-how-it-is-to-be-a-great-player-to-be-a-hall-of-famer-i/) [Karl-Anthony Towns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-anthony-towns/) [Explore all 100 Karl-Anthony Towns quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-anthony-towns/) ## More Buying quotes > [To me, the beauty of a quilt or a dress lies within the stitches and the thought of the person who made them. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie/to-me-the-beauty-of-a-quilt-or-a-dress-lies-within-the-stitches-and/) [Natalie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie/) > [Look at music for what it's worth around the world and not just America. In other countries, people are still buying CDs and going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/look-at-music-for-what-it-s-worth-around-the-world-and-not-just/) [Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/) > [Corporations invest in sophisticated CRM, or Customer Relationship Management, programs to effectively oversee their relationship with their customers at every point during the buying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-ostrofsky/corporations-invest-in-sophisticated-crm-or-customer-relationship/) [Marc Ostrofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-ostrofsky/) > [I'm being called in by all the great casting directors. It's no longer based on a headshot. I realize now what they're buying is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-gonzalez/i-m-being-called-in-by-all-the-great-casting-directors-it-s-no-longer/) [Nicholas Gonzalez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-gonzalez/) > [Whether you are buying a car or casting a ballot, choosing a job or planning a family, follow your moral compass. Don't let others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-hayes/whether-you-are-buying-a-car-or-casting-a-ballot-choosing-a-job-or/) [Denis Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-hayes/) > [A hardback's harder at Christmas time because that's a good hardback buying time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/a-hardback-s-harder-at-christmas-time-because-that-s-a-good-hardback/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [Truth is, people like buying things for $0.99 and $1.99 for their digital devices. We know that from iTunes. We know that from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lee/truth-is-people-like-buying-things-for-0-99-and-1-99-for-their/) [Jennifer Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lee/) > [There's a whole generation of women who never really heard the word investment before, when it came to fashion. They've been buying things because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-kors/there-s-a-whole-generation-of-women-who-never-really-heard-the-word/) [Michael Kors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-kors/) > [I think buying a home is the best investment that any individual can make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paulson/i-think-buying-a-home-is-the-best-investment-that-any-individual-can/) [John Paulson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paulson/) > [The more a prospective customer clicks on you and your stuff, the easier it is for them to make a buying decision in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-gitomer/the-more-a-prospective-customer-clicks-on-you-and-your-stuff-the/) [Jeffrey Gitomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-gitomer/) > [“If you have half a nothing - sell it for a double something, resell half at double-price, and buy another something and a half…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-advise/if-you-have-half-a-nothing-sell-it-for-a-double-something-resell-half/) Will Advise > [Every kid looks forward to buying their first JanSport backpack for school - you know my kids did!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-buteau/every-kid-looks-forward-to-buying-their-first-jansport-backpack-for/) [Michelle Buteau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-buteau/) > [What is the focus of the new image infrastructure? Attention. It's all designed for capturing, tracking, quantifying, manipulating, holding, buying, selling and controlling attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-mau/what-is-the-focus-of-the-new-image-infrastructure-attention-it-s-all/) [Bruce Mau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-mau/) > [It’s always going to be easy to live like others or other’s life, because creating or innovating something of own is always difficult in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anuj/it-s-always-going-to-be-easy-to-live-like-others-or-other-s-life/) [Anuj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anuj/) > [The truth is, if I was maybe better or funnier or prettier, wouldn't I have starred in a movie? I can see it objectively…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-greer/the-truth-is-if-i-was-maybe-better-or-funnier-or-prettier-wouldn-t-i/) [Judy Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-greer/) [Browse all 1,598 Buying quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buying/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When everyone is buying into a system and puts their ego to the side, that's when greatness happens.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Karl-Anthony Towns" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-anthony-towns/when-everyone-is-buying-into-a-system-and-puts-their-ego-to-the-side/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Buying" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-anthony-towns/when-everyone-is-buying-into-a-system-and-puts-their-ego-to-the-side/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20b/karl-anthony-towns-6115_buying_when-everyone-is-buying-into-a-system-an_1023850.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20b/karl-anthony-towns-6115_buying_when-everyone-is-buying-into-a-system-an_1023850.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20b/karl-anthony-towns-6115_buying_when-everyone-is-buying-into-a-system-an_1023850.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When everyone is buying into a system and puts their ego to the side, that's when greatness happens.” — Karl-Anthony Towns", "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": "Karl-Anthony Towns", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-anthony-towns/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When everyone is buying into a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-anthony-towns/when-everyone-is-buying-into-a-system-and-puts-their-ego-to-the-side/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-anthony-towns/when-everyone-is-buying-into-a-system-and-puts-their-ego-to-the-side/#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 } } ] } ```