--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My problem with unions is they breed…" description: "\"My problem with unions is they breed mediocrity.\" — Kevin O'Leary" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df0/kevin-o-leary-4165_breed_my-problem-with-unions-is-they-breed-med_485772.png" --- # My problem with unions is they breed mediocrity. ![“My problem with unions is they breed mediocrity.” quote by Kevin O'Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df0/kevin-o-leary-4165_breed_my-problem-with-unions-is-they-breed-med_485772.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df0/kevin-o-leary-4165_breed_my-problem-with-unions-is-they-breed-med_485772.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df0/kevin-o-leary-4165_breed_my-problem-with-unions-is-they-breed-med_485772.png) > “My problem with unions is they breed mediocrity.” [Kevin O'Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-o-leary/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Unions can lower standards by protecting underperformers and discouraging excellence. **In simple terms:** Unions may cause mediocrity. Key Takeaway Question merit over seniority. Themes labor productivity leadership Mood critical analytical Type advice commentary When to use this quote - corporate management - policy making - team building Key Concepts human resources incentives Questions to Reflect On - How can organizations balance fairness with high performance? - What safeguards prevent mediocrity in collective settings? A Different Perspective Unions also protect workers’ rights and can improve morale. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Breed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breed/) [Breed Mediocrity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breed-mediocrity-4167609/) [Mediocrity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mediocrity/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Problem Unions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem-unions-4167607/) [Union](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/union/) [Unions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unions/) [Unions Breed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unions-breed-4167608/) ## Related quotes > [Unions are about the collective leverage, the power of numbers versus the power of capital.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-o-leary/unions-are-about-the-collective-leverage-the-power-of-numbers-versus/) [Kevin O'Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-o-leary/) > [If I were the president of the United States, I would make unions illegal. They no longer serve a functional purpose in democracy, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-o-leary/if-i-were-the-president-of-the-united-states-i-would-make-unions/) [Kevin O'Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-o-leary/) > [I used to breed poodles. I liked them because they were fluffy and so cute - and honestly, they make a lot of money…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raven-symone/i-used-to-breed-poodles-i-liked-them-because-they-were-fluffy-and-so/) [Raven-Symone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raven-symone/) > [In India, if you are from the elite, dogs are extremely important. The breed of the dog indicates your wealth, that you are westernized.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiran-desai/in-india-if-you-are-from-the-elite-dogs-are-extremely-important-the/) [Kiran Desai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiran-desai/) > [Breed is among the least important things about a dog. It's more important to find a dog with compatible energy and needs that will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-millan/breed-is-among-the-least-important-things-about-a-dog-it-s-more/) [Cesar Millan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-millan/) > [Breed is stronger than pasture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/breed-is-stronger-than-pasture/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [What I do is not for the faint of heart, but I'm a different breed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-gaethje/what-i-do-is-not-for-the-faint-of-heart-but-i-m-a-different-breed/) [Justin Gaethje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-gaethje/) > [For what can war, but endless war, still breed?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/for-what-can-war-but-endless-war-still-breed/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [In the 1970s, professional sports found a different breed of team owner in George Steinbrenner of the New York Yankees.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-yaeger/in-the-1970s-professional-sports-found-a-different-breed-of-team/) [Don Yaeger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-yaeger/) > [Most of all, I am struck by an irony central to the lot of a purebred dog: As it attains the hallmarks of its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-hanff-korelitz/most-of-all-i-am-struck-by-an-irony-central-to-the-lot-of-a-purebred/) [Jean Hanff Korelitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-hanff-korelitz/) > [Aggression is not a breed thing. Its a state of mind, and it comes from how the human is with the dog. There are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-millan/aggression-is-not-a-breed-thing-its-a-state-of-mind-and-it-comes-from/) [Cesar Millan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-millan/) > [Don't breed, don't buy, don't even accept giveaways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hoyt/don-t-breed-don-t-buy-don-t-even-accept-giveaways/) [John Hoyt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hoyt/) > [“No matter what we breed we are still made of greed”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imagine-dragons/no-matter-what-we-breed-we-are-still-made-of-greed/) [Imagine Dragons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/imagine-dragons/) > [Some pundits have proposed that the aliens have come here to breed with us. Apparently, too much bike riding or something similar has rendered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/some-pundits-have-proposed-that-the-aliens-have-come-here-to-breed/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) > [Too much familiarity breeds contempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/too-much-familiarity-breeds-contempt/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) ## More by Kevin O'Leary > [There are a lot of impractical things about owning a Porsche. But they're all offset by the driving experience. It really is unique. Lamborghinis…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-o-leary/there-are-a-lot-of-impractical-things-about-owning-a-porsche-but-they/) [Kevin O'Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-o-leary/) > [I'm not trying to make friends, I'm just trying to make money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-o-leary/i-m-not-trying-to-make-friends-i-m-just-trying-to-make-money/) [Kevin O'Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-o-leary/) > [I see negotiations as an honest attempt to reach a deal that's great for everyone at the table. But sometimes, for whatever reason, that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-o-leary/i-see-negotiations-as-an-honest-attempt-to-reach-a-deal-that-s-great/) [Kevin O'Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-o-leary/) > [I'm not planning on giving my kids any of my wealth. They know when their education is over, I'm pushing them out of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-o-leary/i-m-not-planning-on-giving-my-kids-any-of-my-wealth-they-know-when/) [Kevin O'Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-o-leary/) > [I'm not a tough guy. I'm just delivering the truth and only the truth and if you can't deal with it, too bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-o-leary/i-m-not-a-tough-guy-i-m-just-delivering-the-truth-and-only-the-truth/) [Kevin O'Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-o-leary/) > [Justin Trudeau is going to elect Kevin O'Leary. All he has to do is keep doing what he is doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-o-leary/justin-trudeau-is-going-to-elect-kevin-o-leary-all-he-has-to-do-is/) [Kevin O'Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-o-leary/) > [(On soft launches) It allows you to test your assumptions and see which ones you got right, and more, importantly, which ones you got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-o-leary/on-soft-launches-it-allows-you-to-test-your-assumptions-and-see-which/) [Kevin O'Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-o-leary/) > [Don't cry about money, it never cries for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-o-leary/don-t-cry-about-money-it-never-cries-for-you/) [Kevin O'Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-o-leary/) > [Working 24 hours a day isn't enough anymore. You have to be willing to sacrifice everything to be successful, including your personal life, your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-o-leary/working-24-hours-a-day-isn-t-enough-anymore-you-have-to-be-willing-to/) [Kevin O'Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-o-leary/) > [I remember failing reading in school at a young age, and you just kinda get left behind and I felt helpless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-o-leary/i-remember-failing-reading-in-school-at-a-young-age-and-you-just/) [Kevin O'Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-o-leary/) > [You either make it illegal, in which case you support a huge underground economy or you tax it within the limits people can afford.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-o-leary/you-either-make-it-illegal-in-which-case-you-support-a-huge/) [Kevin O'Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-o-leary/) > [Many blue-collar families struggling to pay rent would be happy to skip paying optional union dues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-o-leary/many-blue-collar-families-struggling-to-pay-rent-would-be-happy-to/) [Kevin O'Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-o-leary/) > [You can't regulate a soul into a business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-o-leary/you-can-t-regulate-a-soul-into-a-business/) [Kevin O'Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-o-leary/) > [When you're an investor, you can look at the quantitative and qualitative elements of an investment, but there's a third aspect: What you feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-o-leary/when-you-re-an-investor-you-can-look-at-the-quantitative-and/) [Kevin O'Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-o-leary/) > [There's something very visceral about watching people beg for money. It's powerful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-o-leary/there-s-something-very-visceral-about-watching-people-beg-for-money/) [Kevin O'Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-o-leary/) [Explore all 115 Kevin O'Leary quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-o-leary/) ## More Breed quotes > [Too much familiarity breeds contempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/too-much-familiarity-breeds-contempt/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Some pundits have proposed that the aliens have come here to breed with us. Apparently, too much bike riding or something similar has rendered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/some-pundits-have-proposed-that-the-aliens-have-come-here-to-breed/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) > [“No matter what we breed we are still made of greed”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imagine-dragons/no-matter-what-we-breed-we-are-still-made-of-greed/) [Imagine Dragons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/imagine-dragons/) > [Don't breed, don't buy, don't even accept giveaways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hoyt/don-t-breed-don-t-buy-don-t-even-accept-giveaways/) [John Hoyt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hoyt/) > [Aggression is not a breed thing. Its a state of mind, and it comes from how the human is with the dog. There are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-millan/aggression-is-not-a-breed-thing-its-a-state-of-mind-and-it-comes-from/) [Cesar Millan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-millan/) > [Most of all, I am struck by an irony central to the lot of a purebred dog: As it attains the hallmarks of its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-hanff-korelitz/most-of-all-i-am-struck-by-an-irony-central-to-the-lot-of-a-purebred/) [Jean Hanff Korelitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-hanff-korelitz/) > [In the 1970s, professional sports found a different breed of team owner in George Steinbrenner of the New York Yankees.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-yaeger/in-the-1970s-professional-sports-found-a-different-breed-of-team/) [Don Yaeger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-yaeger/) > [For what can war, but endless war, still breed?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/for-what-can-war-but-endless-war-still-breed/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [What I do is not for the faint of heart, but I'm a different breed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-gaethje/what-i-do-is-not-for-the-faint-of-heart-but-i-m-a-different-breed/) [Justin Gaethje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-gaethje/) > [Breed is stronger than pasture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/breed-is-stronger-than-pasture/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [Breed is among the least important things about a dog. It's more important to find a dog with compatible energy and needs that will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-millan/breed-is-among-the-least-important-things-about-a-dog-it-s-more/) [Cesar Millan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-millan/) > [In India, if you are from the elite, dogs are extremely important. The breed of the dog indicates your wealth, that you are westernized.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiran-desai/in-india-if-you-are-from-the-elite-dogs-are-extremely-important-the/) [Kiran Desai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiran-desai/) > [I used to breed poodles. I liked them because they were fluffy and so cute - and honestly, they make a lot of money…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raven-symone/i-used-to-breed-poodles-i-liked-them-because-they-were-fluffy-and-so/) [Raven-Symone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raven-symone/) > [Familiarity seems to breed contempt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/familiarity-seems-to-breed-contempt/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [I have a good friend who's a Texas girl; Texas girls are a whole different breed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cusack/i-have-a-good-friend-who-s-a-texas-girl-texas-girls-are-a-whole/) [John Cusack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cusack/) [Browse all 103 Breed quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breed/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My problem with unions is they breed mediocrity.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kevin O'Leary" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-o-leary/my-problem-with-unions-is-they-breed-mediocrity/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Breed" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-o-leary/my-problem-with-unions-is-they-breed-mediocrity/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df0/kevin-o-leary-4165_breed_my-problem-with-unions-is-they-breed-med_485772.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df0/kevin-o-leary-4165_breed_my-problem-with-unions-is-they-breed-med_485772.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df0/kevin-o-leary-4165_breed_my-problem-with-unions-is-they-breed-med_485772.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“My problem with unions is they breed mediocrity.” — Kevin O'Leary", "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": "Kevin O'Leary", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-o-leary/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "My problem with unions is they...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-o-leary/my-problem-with-unions-is-they-breed-mediocrity/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-o-leary/my-problem-with-unions-is-they-breed-mediocrity/#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 } } ] } ```