--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you are going to do something truly…" description: "\"If you are going to do something truly innovative, you have to be someone who does not value social approval. You can't need social approval to go forw..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20d/malcolm-gladwell-348_approval_if-you-are-going-to-do-something-truly-i_586423.jpg" --- # If you are going to do something truly innovative, you… ![“If you are going to do something truly innovative, you have to be someone who does not value social approval. You can't need social approval to go forward. Otherwise, how would you ever do the thing that you are doing?” quote by Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20d/malcolm-gladwell-348_approval_if-you-are-going-to-do-something-truly-i_586423.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20d/malcolm-gladwell-348_approval_if-you-are-going-to-do-something-truly-i_586423.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20d/malcolm-gladwell-348_approval_if-you-are-going-to-do-something-truly-i_586423.jpg) > “If you are going to do something truly innovative, you have to be someone who does not value social approval. You can't need social approval to go forward. Otherwise, how would you ever do the thing that you are doing?” [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True innovation requires independence from social validation; reliance on approval hinders breakthrough ideas. **In simple terms:** Innovation needs independence from approval. Key Takeaway Cultivate self-reliance in creativity. Themes innovation independence social pressure Mood thoughtful inspired Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - startup development - artistic projects - research labs - personal ventures Key Concepts Creative risk-taking authenticity Questions to Reflect On - How will you balance feedback with independence? - What risks are you willing to take? A Different Perspective Total isolation can limit useful feedback. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Approval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/approval/) [Innovation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/innovation/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) [Value](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/value/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/) ## Related quotes > [While one is in the process of coming up with a truly innovative solution, it is essential to keep an open mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritesh-agarwal/while-one-is-in-the-process-of-coming-up-with-a-truly-innovative/) [Ritesh Agarwal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritesh-agarwal/) > [“Something Really New: Three Simple Steps to Creating Truly Innovative Products”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nir-eyal/something-really-new-three-simple-steps-to-creating-truly-innovative/) [Nir Eyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nir-eyal/) > [“If you focus on your competition, you will never deliver anything truly innovative.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-schmidt/if-you-focus-on-your-competition-you-will-never-deliver-anything/) [Eric Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-schmidt/) > [We try to effectively free ourselves up to be creative, to think about what might be possible, to come up with truly innovative ways…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-c-gentile/we-try-to-effectively-free-ourselves-up-to-be-creative-to-think-about/) [Mary C. Gentile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-c-gentile/) > [People are forgiving of v 1.0 of a product if it's truly innovative and useful. Then you can get away with a lot. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-kawasaki/people-are-forgiving-of-v-1-0-of-a-product-if-it-s-truly-innovative/) [Guy Kawasaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-kawasaki/) > [Euphemisms, like fashions, have their day and pass, perhaps to return at another time. Like the guests at a masquerade ball, they enjoy social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freda-adler/euphemisms-like-fashions-have-their-day-and-pass-perhaps-to-return-at/) [Freda Adler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freda-adler/) > [The Age of Reason has turned out to be the Age of Structure; a time when, in the absence of purpose, the drive for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/the-age-of-reason-has-turned-out-to-be-the-age-of-structure-a-time/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [We're all vulnerable to social approval. The need to belong, to be approved or appreciated by our peers is among the highest human motivations.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tristan-harris/we-re-all-vulnerable-to-social-approval-the-need-to-belong-to-be/) [Tristan Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tristan-harris/) > [Self respect beats social approval, every time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sharma/self-respect-beats-social-approval-every-time/) [Robin Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sharma/) > [“Social approval never undermines self approval.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sravani-saha-nakhro/social-approval-never-undermines-self-approval/) [Sravani Saha Nakhro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sravani-saha-nakhro/) > [“Takers have a knack for generating creative ideas and championing them in the face of opposition. Because they have supreme confidence in their own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-m-grant/takers-have-a-knack-for-generating-creative-ideas-and-championing/) [Adam M. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-m-grant/) > [The bubble hasn't popped yet and there's tremendous value in social media. ... But it's wishful thinking to believe that others on the 'me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-fader/the-bubble-hasn-t-popped-yet-and-there-s-tremendous-value-in-social/) Peter Fader > [Businesses must reconnect company success with social progress. Shared value is not social responsibility, philanthropy, or even sustainability, but a new way to achieve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-porter/businesses-must-reconnect-company-success-with-social-progress-shared/) [Michael Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-porter/) > [The value of a social network is defined not only by who's on it, but by who's excluded,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-saffo/the-value-of-a-social-network-is-defined-not-only-by-who-s-on-it-but/) [Paul Saffo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-saffo/) > [People take things at face value on social media. Earnestness is the assumption.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mindy-kaling/people-take-things-at-face-value-on-social-media-earnestness-is-the/) [Mindy Kaling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mindy-kaling/) ## More by Malcolm Gladwell > [When I go to my health club, and it's in the basement, you have to take the elevator down. And this drives me crazy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/when-i-go-to-my-health-club-and-it-s-in-the-basement-you-have-to-take/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-tipping-point-is-that-magic-moment-when-an-idea-trend-or-social/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [“The scholars who research happiness suggest that more money stops making people happier at a family income of around seventy-five thousand dollars a year.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-scholars-who-research-happiness-suggest-that-more-money-stops/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [We need to be clear when we venerate entrepreneurs what we are venerating.They are not moral leaders. If they were moral leaders, they wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/we-need-to-be-clear-when-we-venerate-entrepreneurs-what-we-are/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [“Some people look like they sound better than they actually sound, because they look confident and have good posture," once musician, a veteran of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/some-people-look-like-they-sound-better-than-they-actually-sound/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [A handicap is like trying to race and you have a ten pound weight stuck to your waist. That is a handicap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/a-handicap-is-like-trying-to-race-and-you-have-a-ten-pound-weight/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [“neighborhood was filled with engineers from Hewlett-Packard, then as now one of”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/neighborhood-was-filled-with-engineers-from-hewlett-packard-then-as/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [“People are ruined by challenged economic lives. But they are ruined by wealth as well because they lose their ambition and they lose their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/people-are-ruined-by-challenged-economic-lives-but-they-are-ruined-by/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [The single most important thing a city can do is provide a community where interesting, smart people want to live with their families.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-single-most-important-thing-a-city-can-do-is-provide-a-community/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [ \[Norden\] said, with the Mark 15 Norden bombsight, he could drop a bomb into a pickle barrel at 20,000 feet. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/norden-said-with-the-mark-15-norden-bombsight-he-could-drop-a-bomb/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [The willingness to be self-critical in England is much greater than the willingness to be self-critical in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-willingness-to-be-self-critical-in-england-is-much-greater-than/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [The conventional explanation for Jewish success, of course, is that Jews come from a literate, intellectual culture. They are famously "the people of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-conventional-explanation-for-jewish-success-of-course-is-that/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [“An archway to one side leads to a church, the Madonna del Carmine—Our Lady of Mount Carmine. Narrow”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/an-archway-to-one-side-leads-to-a-church-the-madonna-del-carmine-our/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [People are experience-rich and theory-poor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/people-are-experience-rich-and-theory-poor/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [“Most psychologists believe that nature—genetics—accounts for about half of the reason why we tend to act the way we do. His point is simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/most-psychologists-believe-that-nature-genetics-accounts-for-about/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) [Explore all 647 Malcolm Gladwell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) ## More Approval quotes > [Anyone who's read my 'Terror in the Skies' series knows that I have not been writing with an eye toward approval from any government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-jacobsen/anyone-who-s-read-my-terror-in-the-skies-series-knows-that-i-have-not/) [Annie Jacobsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-jacobsen/) > [we need not avoid our active lives, but simply bring to them a new vision and shift of gravity. for in the center we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-monk-kidd/we-need-not-avoid-our-active-lives-but-simply-bring-to-them-a-new/) [Sue Monk Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-monk-kidd/) > [Lean too much on the approval of people, and it becomes a bed of thorns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tehyi-hsieh/lean-too-much-on-the-approval-of-people-and-it-becomes-a-bed-of-thorns/) [Tehyi Hsieh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tehyi-hsieh/) > [But I always reassure them that as far as my contractual rights can go, I will protect them and make sure that they have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-roach/but-i-always-reassure-them-that-as-far-as-my-contractual-rights-can/) [Jay Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-roach/) > [Growing up in that fashion is a breeding ground for insecurity and doubt; it also leaves you questioning motives. It took me a long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damon-runyon/growing-up-in-that-fashion-is-a-breeding-ground-for-insecurity-and/) [Damon Runyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damon-runyon/) > [A year ago, my approval rating was in the 30s, my nominee for the supreme court had just withdrawn, and my vice president had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/a-year-ago-my-approval-rating-was-in-the-30s-my-nominee-for-the/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [Approval is a greater motivator than disapproval, but we have to disapprove on occasion when we correct. It’s necessary. I make corrections only after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/approval-is-a-greater-motivator-than-disapproval-but-we-have-to/) [John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/) > [These days people are mean to people just because they don't like the way they look. No-one should be hated because of their flaws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/these-days-people-are-mean-to-people-just-because-they-don-t-like-the/) [Sonya Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/) > [I got this emptiness inside that got me fighting for approval because I missed out on my daddy saying, Way to Go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lecrae/i-got-this-emptiness-inside-that-got-me-fighting-for-approval-because/) [Lecrae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lecrae/) > [My dad taught me swears when I was a toddler, and I saw, at a really early age, that if I shocked people, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roseanne-barr/my-dad-taught-me-swears-when-i-was-a-toddler-and-i-saw-at-a-really/) [Roseanne Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roseanne-barr/) > [If torture is going to be administered as a last resort in the ticking-bomb case, to save enormous numbers of lives, it ought to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/if-torture-is-going-to-be-administered-as-a-last-resort-in-the/) [Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/) > [Comedy is a very approval-oriented field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-chappelle/comedy-is-a-very-approval-oriented-field/) [Dave Chappelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-chappelle/) > [Whenever you are too worried about someone else's approval, that person loses respect for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-argov/whenever-you-are-too-worried-about-someone-else-s-approval-that/) [Sherry Argov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-argov/) > [Pleasure is Nature's test, her sign of approval.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/pleasure-is-nature-s-test-her-sign-of-approval/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Do you really mean the only reason you try to be good is to gain God's approval and reward? That's not morality, that's just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/do-you-really-mean-the-only-reason-you-try-to-be-good-is-to-gain-god/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) [Browse all 904 Approval quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/approval/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you are going to do something truly innovative, you have to be someone who does not value social approval. You can't need social approval to go forward. 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