---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I had several different bosses during the…"
description: "\"I had several different bosses during the early years of 'Dilbert.' They were all pretty sure I was mocking someone else.\" — Scott Adams"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9e/scott-adams-666_boss_i-had-several-different-bosses-during-th_2464181.jpg"
---

#  I had several different bosses during the early years of…

![“I had several different bosses during the early years of 'Dilbert.' They were all pretty sure I was mocking someone else.” quote by Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9e/scott-adams-666_boss_i-had-several-different-bosses-during-th_2464181.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9e/scott-adams-666_boss_i-had-several-different-bosses-during-th_2464181.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9e/scott-adams-666_boss_i-had-several-different-bosses-during-th_2464181.jpg)

> “I had several different bosses during the early years of 'Dilbert.' They were all pretty sure I was mocking someone else.”

[Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/)

## About This Quote

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

Early career experiences often involve misunderstanding and misinterpretation of intentions.

**In simple terms:** People may misread your actions.

Key Takeaway

Clarify intentions early.

Themes

miscommunication leadership workplace

Mood

frustrated reflective

Type

anecdotal workplace

When to use this quote

- first job
- team meetings
- performance reviews

Key Concepts

perception intent authority

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you ensure others understand your motives?
- What signals can you give to avoid misinterpretation?

A Different Perspective

Assuming intent without clarification can damage relationships.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Boss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boss/) [Bosses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bosses/) [Bosses Early](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bosses-early-690455/) [Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different/) [Different Bosses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-bosses-690452/) [Dilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dilbert/) [Dilbert Pretty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dilbert-pretty-690454/) [Early](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/early/) [Mocking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mocking/) [Pretty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pretty/) [Several](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/several/) [Someone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/someone/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) [Years Dilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years-dilbert-690453/)

## Related quotes

> [Human beings were not meant to sit in little cubicles staring at computer screens all day, filling out useless forms and listening to eight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-livingston/human-beings-were-not-meant-to-sit-in-little-cubicles-staring-at/)

[Ron Livingston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-livingston/)

> [The best part about being my age is in knowing how my life worked out. Sure, there's a lot more living to go, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/the-best-part-about-being-my-age-is-in-knowing-how-my-life-worked-out/)

[Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/)

> [“Free will is an illusion. Humans are nothing but moist robots.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/free-will-is-an-illusion-humans-are-nothing-but-moist-robots/)

[Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/)

> [Dilbert: It took weeks but I've calculated a new theory about the origin of the universe. According to my calculations it didn't start with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/dilbert-it-took-weeks-but-i-ve-calculated-a-new-theory-about-the/)

[Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/)

> [The Dilbert Principle: People are idiots.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/the-dilbert-principle-people-are-idiots/)

[Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/)

> [One Dilbert Blog reader noted that current research shows that happiness causes success more than success causes happiness. That makes sense to me. There's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/one-dilbert-blog-reader-noted-that-current-research-shows-that/)

[Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/)

> [Dilbert: I'm obsessed with inventing a perpetual motion machine. Most scientists think it's impossible, but I have something they don't. Dogbert: A lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/dilbert-i-m-obsessed-with-inventing-a-perpetual-motion-machine-most/)

[Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/)

> [Your shower is ready - I turned it on last night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/your-shower-is-ready-i-turned-it-on-last-night/)

[Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/)

> [Dilbert: Evolution must be true because it is a logical conclusion of the scientific method. Dogbert: But science is based on the irrational belief…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/dilbert-evolution-must-be-true-because-it-is-a-logical-conclusion-of/)

[Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/)

> [Dogbert: So, Since Columbus is dead, you have no evidence that the earth is round. Dilbert: Look. You can Ask Senator John Glenn. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/dogbert-so-since-columbus-is-dead-you-have-no-evidence-that-the-earth/)

[Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/)

> [On the keyboard of life, always keep one finger on the escape key.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/on-the-keyboard-of-life-always-keep-one-finger-on-the-escape-key/)

[Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/)

> [I should have written that down. - Dilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/i-should-have-written-that-down-dilbert/)

[Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/)

> ['Dilbert' became popular during the downsizing of the '90s, and job security was a major theme of the strip.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/dilbert-became-popular-during-the-downsizing-of-the-90s-and-job/)

[Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/)

> [Dogbert gazing at night sky No matter how bad the day is, the stars are always there. Dilbert Actually, many of them burned out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/dogbert-gazing-at-night-sky-no-matter-how-bad-the-day-is-the-stars/)

[Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/)

> [I think 'Dilbert' will remain popular as long as employees are frustrated and they fear the consequences of complaining too loudly. 'Dilbert' is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/i-think-dilbert-will-remain-popular-as-long-as-employees-are/)

[Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/)

## More by Scott Adams

> [The creator of the universe works in mysterious ways. But he uses a base ten counting system and likes round numbers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/the-creator-of-the-universe-works-in-mysterious-ways-but-he-uses-a/)

[Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/)

> [“If you think your odds of solving your problem are bad, don’t rule out the possibility that what is really happening is that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/if-you-think-your-odds-of-solving-your-problem-are-bad-don-t-rule-out/)

[Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/)

> [Frankly, I’m suspicious of anyone who has a strong opinion on a complicated issue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/frankly-i-m-suspicious-of-anyone-who-has-a-strong-opinion-on-a/)

[Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/)

> [“If you want success, figure out the price, then pay it. It sounds trivial and obvious, but if you unpack the idea it has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/if-you-want-success-figure-out-the-price-then-pay-it-it-sounds/)

[Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/)

> [Ideas are worthless, execution is everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/ideas-are-worthless-execution-is-everything/)

[Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/)

> [For five hundred dollars, I'll name a subatomic particle after you. Some of my satisfied customers include Arthur C. Quark and George Meson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/for-five-hundred-dollars-i-ll-name-a-subatomic-particle-after-you/)

[Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/)

> [“Failure always brings something valuable with it. I don’t let it leave until I extract that value.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/failure-always-brings-something-valuable-with-it-i-don-t-let-it-leave/)

[Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/)

> [The longer you verk here, diverse it gets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/the-longer-you-verk-here-diverse-it-gets/)

[Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/)

> [“On all the important stuff, we are emotional creatures who make decisions first and rationalize them after the fact.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/on-all-the-important-stuff-we-are-emotional-creatures-who-make/)

[Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/)

> [“What you rarely see is a stillborn failure that transmogrifies into a stellar success. Small successes can grow into big ones, but failures rarely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/what-you-rarely-see-is-a-stillborn-failure-that-transmogrifies-into-a/)

[Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/)

> [“Because everything you perceive is a metaphor for something your brain is not equipped to fully understand. God is as real as the clothes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/because-everything-you-perceive-is-a-metaphor-for-something-your/)

[Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/)

> [“Capitalism is rotten at every level, and yet it adds up to something extraordinarily useful for society over time. The paradox of capitalism is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/capitalism-is-rotten-at-every-level-and-yet-it-adds-up-to-something/)

[Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/)

> [The best part about being my age is in knowing how my life worked out. Sure, there's a lot more living to go, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/the-best-part-about-being-my-age-is-in-knowing-how-my-life-worked-out/)

[Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/)

> [If you see voters as rational, you'll be a terrible politician. People are not wired to be rational. Our brains simply evolved to keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/if-you-see-voters-as-rational-you-ll-be-a-terrible-politician-people/)

[Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/)

> [E-books are impervious to analogy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/e-books-are-impervious-to-analogy/)

[Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/)

[Explore all 418 Scott Adams quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/)

## More Boss quotes

> [ME AND SUMMER GUNNA BE MOVING IN TOGETHER HELL YA ITS GUNNA BE BOSS!!!!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-hawes/me-and-summer-gunna-be-moving-in-together-hell-ya-its-gunna-be-boss/)

[Jon Hawes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-hawes/)

> [“having sex with her boss.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-henning/having-sex-with-her-boss/)

[Stephen Henning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-henning/)

> [Once in a while there's wisdom in recognizing that the Boss is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/once-in-a-while-there-s-wisdom-in-recognizing-that-the-boss-is/)

[Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/)

> [I understand the formula that producers hire directors and directors are hired to direct and actors are hired to act. I don't have any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-trejo/i-understand-the-formula-that-producers-hire-directors-and-directors/)

[Danny Trejo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-trejo/)

> [It is reassuring for people to feel they have a boss, someone who knows the answers and has charted the course.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-cukor/it-is-reassuring-for-people-to-feel-they-have-a-boss-someone-who/)

[George Cukor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-cukor/)

> [I don't have a boss or PR person, so I'm accountable to no one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-sacca/i-don-t-have-a-boss-or-pr-person-so-i-m-accountable-to-no-one/)

[Chris Sacca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-sacca/)

> [ I remember Robin \[Williams\] walked up to me after the last take and said, "Thanks boss! We nailed it!" That will probably be one… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-aguire/i-remember-robin-williams-walked-up-to-me-after-the-last-take-and/)

[Roberto Aguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-aguire/)

> [For many of us, work is the one place where we feel appreciated. The things that we long to experience at home - pride…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlie-russell-hochschild/for-many-of-us-work-is-the-one-place-where-we-feel-appreciated-the/)

[Arlie Russell Hochschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlie-russell-hochschild/)

> [Your manager is your boss and tells you what to do, what to wear and who to be, so our relationship changed. I loved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mcdonald/your-manager-is-your-boss-and-tells-you-what-to-do-what-to-wear-and/)

[Jane McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mcdonald/)

> [When I get home, I'm not the boss like I am at work - I slip into a more feminine role. I take everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-kerr/when-i-get-home-i-m-not-the-boss-like-i-am-at-work-i-slip-into-a-more/)

[Miranda Kerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-kerr/)

> [I can't say it was challenging for me to shake the image of Frasier. I've been fortunate to have had a very interesting career…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsey-grammer/i-can-t-say-it-was-challenging-for-me-to-shake-the-image-of-frasier-i/)

[Kelsey Grammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsey-grammer/)

> [You will be at your best forever, Even now you have good moments. Occasional glimpses of your heavenly self. When you change your baby's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/you-will-be-at-your-best-forever-even-now-you-have-good-moments/)

[Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/)

> [Take lack of candor. ... I'm not talking about boldface lying, but a tendency to withhold information. That behavior is far more common, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-welch/take-lack-of-candor-i-m-not-talking-about-boldface-lying-but-a/)

[Jack Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-welch/)

> [“Pizza as a reward at work, gotta love it. Personally, I'd rather have that than a raise. Give me a pizza, boss, and let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/pizza-as-a-reward-at-work-gotta-love-it-personally-i-d-rather-have/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [Let me spell it out: with the psychotic boss, nothing you do is ever quite right. They set traps, asking you to do things,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/let-me-spell-it-out-with-the-psychotic-boss-nothing-you-do-is-ever/)

[Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/)

[Browse all 1,833 Boss quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boss/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I had several different bosses during the early years of 'Dilbert.' They were all pretty sure I was mocking someone else.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Scott Adams"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/i-had-several-different-bosses-during-the-early-years-of-dilbert-they/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Boss"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/i-had-several-different-bosses-during-the-early-years-of-dilbert-they/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9e/scott-adams-666_boss_i-had-several-different-bosses-during-th_2464181.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9e/scott-adams-666_boss_i-had-several-different-bosses-during-th_2464181.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9e/scott-adams-666_boss_i-had-several-different-bosses-during-th_2464181.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I had several different bosses during the early years of 'Dilbert.' They were all pretty sure I was mocking…” — Scott Adams",
                "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": "Scott Adams",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I had several different bosses during...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/i-had-several-different-bosses-during-the-early-years-of-dilbert-they/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/i-had-several-different-bosses-during-the-early-years-of-dilbert-they/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
