---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I prefer open minds over like minds. Its…"
description: "\"I prefer open minds over like minds. Its part of that whole think for yourself thingy that I try to subscribe to.\" — Rock Cowles"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d6/rock-cowles-2590_conformity_i-prefer-open-minds-over-like-minds-its_1267835.jpg"
---

#  I prefer open minds over like minds. Its part of that…

![“I prefer open minds over like minds. Its part of that whole think for yourself thingy that I try to subscribe to.” quote by Rock Cowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d6/rock-cowles-2590_conformity_i-prefer-open-minds-over-like-minds-its_1267835.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d6/rock-cowles-2590_conformity_i-prefer-open-minds-over-like-minds-its_1267835.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d6/rock-cowles-2590_conformity_i-prefer-open-minds-over-like-minds-its_1267835.jpg)

> “I prefer open minds over like minds. Its part of that whole think for yourself thingy that I try to subscribe to.”

[Rock Cowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rock-cowles/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Encourages independent thinking and valuing open-mindedness over conformity.

**In simple terms:** Value open minds over conformity.

Key Takeaway

Embrace curiosity and think for yourself.

Themes

independence open-mindedness individuality

Mood

thoughtful reflective

Type

philosophical motivational

When to use this quote

- personal growth
- debates
- learning
- friendships

Key Concepts

critical thinking self-reliance

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you practice open-mindedness?
- When does openness become indecision?

A Different Perspective

May lead to conflict when ideas clash.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Conformity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conformity/) [Free thinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-thinker/) [Independence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/independence/) [Like Minds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-minds-1932500/) [Minds Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/minds-like-724726/) [Minds Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/minds-think/) [Open mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/open-mind/) [Open minds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/open-minds/) [Prefer Open](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prefer-open-4052910/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Skeptic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skeptic/)

## Related quotes

> [My first film, 'Like Minds,' was with Toni Colette, who was extraordinary. I mean it was basically a mini-masterclass for acting on film at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-redmayne/my-first-film-like-minds-was-with-toni-colette-who-was-extraordinary/)

[Eddie Redmayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-redmayne/)

> [“Actually, I am asking myself if conversations with friends always feel like this--two minds bound together by their focus on the same subject.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francisco-x-stork/actually-i-am-asking-myself-if-conversations-with-friends-always-feel/)

[Francisco X. Stork](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francisco-x-stork/)

> [It takes two like minds to understand each other properly. Unlike minds will work profusely to achieve this simple understanding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/it-takes-two-like-minds-to-understand-each-other-properly-unlike/)

[Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/)

> [I'm convinced women actually think they can read minds. Like when a woman goes, "I can tell you don't want to hang out with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-zahn/i-m-convinced-women-actually-think-they-can-read-minds-like-when-a/)

[Steve Zahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-zahn/)

> [Old minds are like old horses; you must exercise them if you wish to keep them in working order.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/old-minds-are-like-old-horses-you-must-exercise-them-if-you-wish-to/)

[John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/)

> [Minds are like parachutes - they only function when open.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/minds-are-like-parachutes-they-only-function-when-open/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Minds are like parachutes, they don't function unless they are open.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-c-baridon/minds-are-like-parachutes-they-don-t-function-unless-they-are-open/)

[Philip C. Baridon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-c-baridon/)

> [Every man in the back of their minds would like to own a bar or a racehorse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graydon-carter/every-man-in-the-back-of-their-minds-would-like-to-own-a-bar-or-a/)

[Graydon Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graydon-carter/)

> [Adults have pretty much made up their minds - they like you to the extent that you confirm what they already believe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-kurlansky/adults-have-pretty-much-made-up-their-minds-they-like-you-to-the/)

[Mark Kurlansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-kurlansky/)

> [Minds, like parachutes, work only when open.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-dewar/minds-like-parachutes-work-only-when-open/)

[James Dewar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-dewar/)

> [“Great minds like a think -The Economist-”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-gompers/great-minds-like-a-think-the-economist/)

[Samuel Gompers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-gompers/)

> [“Minds are like parachutes, they don't work unless you open them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-landreth/minds-are-like-parachutes-they-don-t-work-unless-you-open-them/)

[Carla Landreth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-landreth/)

> [Minds are like flowers. If you let it sit there without soaking anything up, it will dry up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-hill/minds-are-like-flowers-if-you-let-it-sit-there-without-soaking/)

[Ken Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-hill/)

> [Minds are like parachutes, they only function when they are open.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-dewar/minds-are-like-parachutes-they-only-function-when-they-are-open/)

[James Dewar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-dewar/)

> [Ways of Life : Minds are like parachutes...they function only when open.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/ways-of-life-minds-are-like-parachutes-they-function-only-when-open/)

[Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/)

## More by Rock Cowles

> [A real education is not just eclectic, it defines it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rock-cowles/a-real-education-is-not-just-eclectic-it-defines-it/)

[Rock Cowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rock-cowles/)

> [I've never belonged to any group that didn't have at least one member who wasn't a total dick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rock-cowles/i-ve-never-belonged-to-any-group-that-didn-t-have-at-least-one-member/)

[Rock Cowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rock-cowles/)

> [No greater invention was ever devised for creating the delusion of productivity than the personal computer, except for religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rock-cowles/no-greater-invention-was-ever-devised-for-creating-the-delusion-of/)

[Rock Cowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rock-cowles/)

> [Banning guns, drugs, alcohol, premarital sex, political incorrectness, and gay marriage hasn't worked. We should ban Life. So long as even one of us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rock-cowles/banning-guns-drugs-alcohol-premarital-sex-political-incorrectness-and/)

[Rock Cowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rock-cowles/)

> [Money may talk, but Debt screams like a horde of syphilitic banshees!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rock-cowles/money-may-talk-but-debt-screams-like-a-horde-of-syphilitic-banshees/)

[Rock Cowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rock-cowles/)

> [If it shuffles like a zombie, stinks like a zombie, and moans like a zombie, make sure it isn't your mom, then shoot it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rock-cowles/if-it-shuffles-like-a-zombie-stinks-like-a-zombie-and-moans-like-a/)

[Rock Cowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rock-cowles/)

> [The first part of preparedness is awareness. Without it, you are toast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rock-cowles/the-first-part-of-preparedness-is-awareness-without-it-you-are-toast/)

[Rock Cowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rock-cowles/)

> [How come nobody ever talks about getting the long end of the stick? How can you even tell which end is which?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rock-cowles/how-come-nobody-ever-talks-about-getting-the-long-end-of-the-stick/)

[Rock Cowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rock-cowles/)

> [I am grateful for the friends in my life and the life in my friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rock-cowles/i-am-grateful-for-the-friends-in-my-life-and-the-life-in-my-friends/)

[Rock Cowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rock-cowles/)

> [Music is the timeline of my life. It reminds me of where I have been, who I was with, what I was doing, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rock-cowles/music-is-the-timeline-of-my-life-it-reminds-me-of-where-i-have-been/)

[Rock Cowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rock-cowles/)

> [Character matters most. It will outlast physical beauty, athleticism, intelligence, and since you can't take it with you, prosperity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rock-cowles/character-matters-most-it-will-outlast-physical-beauty-athleticism/)

[Rock Cowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rock-cowles/)

> [I have no more fear of death than I do of going to sleep. I have no psychotic, PMSing, invisible tyrant in the sky…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rock-cowles/i-have-no-more-fear-of-death-than-i-do-of-going-to-sleep-i-have-no/)

[Rock Cowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rock-cowles/)

> [If you can't afford to give something away, you don't own it, it owns you. If you can't afford to sell it, its probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rock-cowles/if-you-can-t-afford-to-give-something-away-you-don-t-own-it-it-owns/)

[Rock Cowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rock-cowles/)

> [There is more evidence to support the possibility that there could be a crack smoking Velociraptor in a pink tutu playing the ukelele in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rock-cowles/there-is-more-evidence-to-support-the-possibility-that-there-could-be/)

[Rock Cowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rock-cowles/)

> [I know the rules and have a clear conscience. I'm an atheist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rock-cowles/i-know-the-rules-and-have-a-clear-conscience-i-m-an-atheist/)

[Rock Cowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rock-cowles/)

[Explore all 159 Rock Cowles quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rock-cowles/)

## More Conformity quotes

> [“So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned by a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-supertramp-chris-mccandless/so-many-people-live-within-unhappy-circumstances-and-yet-will-not/)

[Alexander Supertramp Chris McCandless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-supertramp-chris-mccandless/)

> [“All to often, on the long road up, young leaders become servants of what is rather than shapers of what might be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gardner/all-to-often-on-the-long-road-up-young-leaders-become-servants-of/)

[John Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gardner/)

> [The Chains of conformity click in tiresomely monotonous unison.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-sweet/the-chains-of-conformity-click-in-tiresomely-monotonous-unison/)

[Leonard Sweet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-sweet/)

> [No shepherd and one herd! Everybody wants the same, everybody is the same: whoever feels different goes voluntarily into a madhouse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/no-shepherd-and-one-herd-everybody-wants-the-same-everybody-is-the/)

[Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/)

> [A self is a frightening thing to waste, it's the lens through which one's whole life is viewed, and few people are willing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/a-self-is-a-frightening-thing-to-waste-it-s-the-lens-through-which/)

[Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/)

> [Ideation is not a synonym for innovation, conformity is not its simple antonym, and innovation is not the automatic consequence of "creative thinking.".](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-levitt/ideation-is-not-a-synonym-for-innovation-conformity-is-not-its-simple/)

[Theodore Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-levitt/)

> [“I lead with the knowingness that my reality conforms to my wishes and desires instantly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-s-baker/i-lead-with-the-knowingness-that-my-reality-conforms-to-my-wishes-and/)

[Robin S. Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-s-baker/)

> [Alas, everything that men say to one another is alike; the ideas they exchange are almost always the same, in their conversation. But inside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-de-musset/alas-everything-that-men-say-to-one-another-is-alike-the-ideas-they/)

[Alfred de Musset](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-de-musset/)

> [The search for truth is a cooperative, unending endeavor. We can, and should, engage in it to the extent we can and encourage others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-search-for-truth-is-a-cooperative-unending-endeavor-we-can-and/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [Seeds have the power to preserve species, to enhance cultural as well as genetic diversity, to counter economic monopoly and to check the advance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/seeds-have-the-power-to-preserve-species-to-enhance-cultural-as-well/)

[Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/)

> [“Brontë was attempting to depict a character that adheres to the unchanging principles of her faith though she refused conformity to the particular practices…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-swallow-prior/bront-was-attempting-to-depict-a-character-that-adheres-to-the/)

[Karen Swallow Prior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-swallow-prior/)

> [Officers conditioned to conformity in peacetime cannot be expected to behave boldly and flexibly in combat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-yingling/officers-conditioned-to-conformity-in-peacetime-cannot-be-expected-to/)

[Paul Yingling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-yingling/)

> [The more civilized a nation, the more conformed its population, until that civilization's last age arrives, when multiplicity wages war with conformity. The former…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-erikson/the-more-civilized-a-nation-the-more-conformed-its-population-until/)

[Steven Erikson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-erikson/)

> [Society everywhere is in conspiracy against the manhood of every one of its members. The virtue in most request is conformity. Self-reliance is its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/society-everywhere-is-in-conspiracy-against-the-manhood-of-every-one/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

> [Deaths, births, and marriages, considering how much they are separately dependent on the freedom of the human will, should seem to be subject to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/deaths-births-and-marriages-considering-how-much-they-are-separately/)

[Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/)

[Browse all 937 Conformity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conformity/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I prefer open minds over like minds. Its part of that whole think for yourself thingy that I try to subscribe to.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Rock Cowles"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rock-cowles/i-prefer-open-minds-over-like-minds-its-part-of-that-whole-think-for/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Conformity"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rock-cowles/i-prefer-open-minds-over-like-minds-its-part-of-that-whole-think-for/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d6/rock-cowles-2590_conformity_i-prefer-open-minds-over-like-minds-its_1267835.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d6/rock-cowles-2590_conformity_i-prefer-open-minds-over-like-minds-its_1267835.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d6/rock-cowles-2590_conformity_i-prefer-open-minds-over-like-minds-its_1267835.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I prefer open minds over like minds. Its part of that whole think for yourself thingy that I try to…” — Rock Cowles",
                "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": "Rock Cowles",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rock-cowles/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I prefer open minds over like...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rock-cowles/i-prefer-open-minds-over-like-minds-its-part-of-that-whole-think-for/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rock-cowles/i-prefer-open-minds-over-like-minds-its-part-of-that-whole-think-for/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
