--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Every university believes in…" description: "\"“Every university believes in “excellence,” and hundred-page course catalogs arranged alphabetically according to arbitrary departments of knowledge se..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/804/peter-thiel-1311_doesn-matter_every-university-believes-in-excellence_305331.jpg" --- # Every university believes in “excellence,” and… ![“Every university believes in “excellence,” and hundred-page course catalogs arranged alphabetically according to arbitrary departments of knowledge seem designed to reassure you that “it doesn’t matter what you do, as long as you do it well.” That is completely false. It does matter what you do…” quote by Peter Thiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/804/peter-thiel-1311_doesn-matter_every-university-believes-in-excellence_305331.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/804/peter-thiel-1311_doesn-matter_every-university-believes-in-excellence_305331.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/804/peter-thiel-1311_doesn-matter_every-university-believes-in-excellence_305331.jpg) > ““Every university believes in “excellence,” and hundred-page course catalogs arranged alphabetically according to arbitrary departments of knowledge seem designed to reassure you that “it doesn’t matter what you do, as long as you do it well.” That is completely false. It does matter what you do. You should focus relentlessly on something you’re good at doing, but before that you must think hard about whether it will be valuable in the future.”” [Peter Thiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Success comes from focusing on valuable, future‑relevant skills rather than generic excellence across any field. **In simple terms:** Focus on valuable, future‑relevant skills. Key Takeaway Identify and master a skill that will matter. Themes focus future relevance skill mastery Mood thoughtful determined Type advisory strategic When to use this quote - career planning - entrepreneurship - education choice - skill development Key Concepts human capital strategic specialization Questions to Reflect On - What skill will be valuable in ten years? - How can you test the future relevance of a passion? A Different Perspective Over‑specialization can limit adaptability to changing markets. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Believes Excellence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believes-excellence-2908468/) [Does Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/does-matter-368928/) [Doesn Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doesn-matter-233607/) [Excellence Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excellence-page-2908469/) [University Believes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/university-believes-410183/) ## Related quotes > [There is one thing a professor can be absolutely certain of: almost every student entering the university believes, or says he believes, that truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-bloom/there-is-one-thing-a-professor-can-be-absolutely-certain-of-almost/) [Allan Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-bloom/) > [ Every university…seem\[s\] to reassure you that ‘it doesn’t matter what you do, as long as you do it well.’ That is completely false. It… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thiel/every-university-seem-s-to-reassure-you-that-it-doesn-t-matter-what/) [Peter Thiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/) > [What others think of you doesn't matter, but what you think of yourself does matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/what-others-think-of-you-doesn-t-matter-but-what-you-think-of/) [SONYA PARKER](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/) > [“It does not matter if you are asking for health, for happiness, for financial wealth, or for all three. It doesn’t matter if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/it-does-not-matter-if-you-are-asking-for-health-for-happiness-for/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [“Departments of knowledge seem designed to reassure you that “it doesn’t matter what you do, as long as you do it well.” That is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thiel/departments-of-knowledge-seem-designed-to-reassure-you-that-it-doesn/) [Peter Thiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/) > [At the end of the day, if we don't win that game, we're going home, anyway, so what does it matter. I just wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-kershaw/at-the-end-of-the-day-if-we-don-t-win-that-game-we-re-going-home/) [Clayton Kershaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-kershaw/) > [What does it matter where my body happens to be?' he said. 'My mind goes on working all the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-carroll/what-does-it-matter-where-my-body-happens-to-be-he-said-my-mind-goes/) [Lewis Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-carroll/) > [“It does not matter what you write in English nobody has understood it anyway.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santosh-kalwar/it-does-not-matter-what-you-write-in-english-nobody-has-understood-it/) [Santosh Kalwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santosh-kalwar/) > [“If you step in a nest of snakes, does it matter who bites you first?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/if-you-step-in-a-nest-of-snakes-does-it-matter-who-bites-you-first/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [It does not matter if how much I love him, the issue here is... if he feel same way too?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-vine/it-does-not-matter-if-how-much-i-love-him-the-issue-here-is-if-he/) [Grace\_vine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-vine/) > [What does it matter that we take different roads so long as we reach the same goal?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/what-does-it-matter-that-we-take-different-roads-so-long-as-we-reach/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“Good work does not matter, because a man is judged by his worst output and another man takes all the credit of his best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/good-work-does-not-matter-because-a-man-is-judged-by-his-worst-output/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [Sir, what does it matter whom I serve, so long as I am right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-corneille/sir-what-does-it-matter-whom-i-serve-so-long-as-i-am-right/) [Pierre Corneille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-corneille/) > [If you are an idealist, it does not matter what you do or what goes on around you because it isn't real anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-penn-warren/if-you-are-an-idealist-it-does-not-matter-what-you-do-or-what-goes-on/) [Robert Penn Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-penn-warren/) > [Beauty is vanishing from our world because we live as though it does not matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/beauty-is-vanishing-from-our-world-because-we-live-as-though-it-does/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) ## More by Peter Thiel > [People don't want to believe that technology is broken. Pharmaceuticals, robotics, artificial intelligence, nanotechnology - all these areas where the progress has been a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thiel/people-don-t-want-to-believe-that-technology-is-broken/) [Peter Thiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/) > [If you think about basic science or coming up with new theories of mathematics, these are not the kinds of things which are necessarily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thiel/if-you-think-about-basic-science-or-coming-up-with-new-theories-of/) [Peter Thiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/) > [I think we have a bubble in the US in government bonds, because of the quantitative easing and the negative real interest rates, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thiel/i-think-we-have-a-bubble-in-the-us-in-government-bonds-because-of-the/) [Peter Thiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/) > [“Time and decision-making themselves follow a power law, and some moments matter far more than others”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thiel/time-and-decision-making-themselves-follow-a-power-law-and-some/) [Peter Thiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/) > [“Today, we exaggerate the differences between left-liberal egalitarianism and libertarian individualism because almost everyone shares their common indefinite attitude. In philosophy, politics, and business,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thiel/today-we-exaggerate-the-differences-between-left-liberal/) [Peter Thiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/) > [When you already have $150 billion a year in revenues from the iPhone, it's very hard to come up with any new vertical that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thiel/when-you-already-have-150-billion-a-year-in-revenues-from-the-iphone/) [Peter Thiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/) > [“CREATIVE MONOPOLY means new products that benefit everybody and sustainable profits for the creator. Competition means no profits for anybody, no meaningful differentiation, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thiel/creative-monopoly-means-new-products-that-benefit-everybody-and/) [Peter Thiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/) > [“we have given up our sense of wonder at secrets left to be discovered.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thiel/we-have-given-up-our-sense-of-wonder-at-secrets-left-to-be-discovered/) [Peter Thiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/) > [“Today our society is permeated by the twin ideas that death is both inevitable and random.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thiel/today-our-society-is-permeated-by-the-twin-ideas-that-death-is-both/) [Peter Thiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/) > [“if your company can be summed up by its opposition to already existing firms, it can’t be completely new and it’s probably not going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thiel/if-your-company-can-be-summed-up-by-its-opposition-to-already/) [Peter Thiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/) > [“Is a lukewarm attitude to one’s work a sign of mental health? Is a merely professional attitude the only sane approach?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thiel/is-a-lukewarm-attitude-to-one-s-work-a-sign-of-mental-health-is-a/) [Peter Thiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/) > [“If you’ve invented something new but you haven’t invented an effective way to sell it, you have a bad business—no matter how good the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thiel/if-you-ve-invented-something-new-but-you-haven-t-invented-an/) [Peter Thiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/) > [The business model piece is we're always talking about competing more effectively. If you're starting a company or career you don't want to compete.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thiel/the-business-model-piece-is-we-re-always-talking-about-competing-more/) [Peter Thiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/) > [If you invest in Microsoft or Oracle, or a number of other companies for that matter, you're fundamentally making a bet that there's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thiel/if-you-invest-in-microsoft-or-oracle-or-a-number-of-other-companies/) [Peter Thiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/) > [Our economy is broken. I'm not a politician, but neither is Donald Trump. He is a builder, and it's time to rebuild America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thiel/our-economy-is-broken-i-m-not-a-politician-but-neither-is-donald/) [Peter Thiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/) [Explore all 257 Peter Thiel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/) ## More Doesn Matter quotes > [“You put together two things that have not been put together before. And the world is changed. People may not notice at the time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/you-put-together-two-things-that-have-not-been-put-together-before/) [Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/) > [I think everyone will agree that it doesn't matter how we get to an international tournament. We are going to do whatever it takes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcginn/i-think-everyone-will-agree-that-it-doesn-t-matter-how-we-get-to-an/) [John McGinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcginn/) > [I wonder what disgusts you more, the fact that I’m a demon, or the fact that when I touch you, it doesn’t matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larissa-ione/i-wonder-what-disgusts-you-more-the-fact-that-i-m-a-demon-or-the-fact/) [Larissa Ione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larissa-ione/) > [“It doesn't matter where you start but how you finish that matters!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-irick-rainford/it-doesn-t-matter-where-you-start-but-how-you-finish-that-matters/) [Valerie Irick Rainford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-irick-rainford/) > [Yes, I love playing football, so it doesn't matter where I play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-luiz/yes-i-love-playing-football-so-it-doesn-t-matter-where-i-play/) [David Luiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-luiz/) > [“It doesn’t matter what or why it is. When it’s good, …it’s beautiful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-mcguire/it-doesn-t-matter-what-or-why-it-is-when-it-s-good-it-s-beautiful/) [Jamie McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-mcguire/) > [“In the end, it doesn't even matter.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linkin-park/in-the-end-it-doesn-t-even-matter/) [Linkin Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linkin-park/) > [I guess on one hand I believe it doesn't matter if there is life after death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-morton/i-guess-on-one-hand-i-believe-it-doesn-t-matter-if-there-is-life/) [Joe Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-morton/) > [Every pitcher can beat you, it doesn't matter how good you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-bonds/every-pitcher-can-beat-you-it-doesn-t-matter-how-good-you-are/) [Barry Bonds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-bonds/) > [It doesn't matter where you go in life, what you do or how much you have. It's who you have beside you... I'm so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-doesn-t-matter-where-you-go-in-life-what-you-do-or-how-much-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [All the questions, all the speculation, No. 2 driver and so on, it doesn't get to me. It doesn't matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valtteri-bottas/all-the-questions-all-the-speculation-no-2-driver-and-so-on-it-doesn/) [Valtteri Bottas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valtteri-bottas/) > [It doesn't matter to me if it has a surprise ending or not. I usually go for the material or the project.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donnie-wahlberg/it-doesn-t-matter-to-me-if-it-has-a-surprise-ending-or-not-i-usually/) [Donnie Wahlberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnie-wahlberg/) > [It doesn't matter how good your film is; if people don't know about it, they won't go and see it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kane-pappas/it-doesn-t-matter-how-good-your-film-is-if-people-don-t-know-about-it/) [Robert Kane Pappas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kane-pappas/) > [“Fall several times doesn't matter, how many times you stand up matters”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myra-yadav/fall-several-times-doesn-t-matter-how-many-times-you-stand-up-matters/) [Myra Yadav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myra-yadav/) > [Because it doesn't matter anymore, and because I'm so desperately lonely I can't stand it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/because-it-doesn-t-matter-anymore-and-because-i-m-so-desperately/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) [Browse all 1,465 Doesn Matter quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doesn-matter-233607/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Every university believes in “excellence,” and hundred-page course catalogs arranged alphabetically according to arbitrary departments of knowledge seem designed to reassure you that “it doesn’t matter what you do, as long as you do it well.” That is completely false. 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