--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Change is not so much about being the…" description: "\"Change is not so much about being the first one to embrace a new idea, but being the first to forget an old one\" — Tom Peters" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d05/tom-peters-967_change_change-is-not-so-much-about-being-the-fi_1953632.png" --- # Change is not so much about being the first one to embrace… ![“Change is not so much about being the first one to embrace a new idea, but being the first to forget an old one” quote by Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d05/tom-peters-967_change_change-is-not-so-much-about-being-the-fi_1953632.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d05/tom-peters-967_change_change-is-not-so-much-about-being-the-fi_1953632.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d05/tom-peters-967_change_change-is-not-so-much-about-being-the-fi_1953632.png) > “Change is not so much about being the first one to embrace a new idea, but being the first to forget an old one” [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Innovation requires letting go of outdated habits before adopting new ones. **In simple terms:** Forget old ways to embrace new ideas. Key Takeaway Prioritize unlearning before learning. Themes innovation change learning leadership growth Mood motivational thoughtful Type inspirational practical When to use this quote - product development - career transitions - personal growth Key Concepts organizational behavior psychology adaptability Questions to Reflect On - What old habit holds you back? - How can you create space for new ideas? A Different Perspective Unlearning can be uncomfortable and met with resistance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [New idea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-idea/) [New ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-ideas/) ## Related quotes > [The greatest difficulty in the world is not for people to accept new ideas, but to make them forget old ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/the-greatest-difficulty-in-the-world-is-not-for-people-to-accept-new/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [The new idea either finds a champion or it dies. No ordinary involvement with a new idea provides the energy required to cope with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/the-new-idea-either-finds-a-champion-or-it-dies-no-ordinary/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [You can get in way more trouble with a good idea than a bad idea, because you forget that the good idea has limits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-graham/you-can-get-in-way-more-trouble-with-a-good-idea-than-a-bad-idea/) Ben Graham > [I know exactly how to leave you, but I have no idea how to forget you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-know-exactly-how-to-leave-you-but-i-have-no-idea-how-to-forget-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [One of the things that I learned about myself is that I can get involved in an idea and forget, in a really terrible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-wylie/one-of-the-things-that-i-learned-about-myself-is-that-i-can-get/) [Christopher Wylie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-wylie/) > [Prepare for the new; expect the new; embrace the new. Otherwise, you'll just repeat what's old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/prepare-for-the-new-expect-the-new-embrace-the-new-otherwise-you-ll/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [There is no such thing as a new idea. We simply take a lot of old ideas and put them into a sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-new-idea-we-simply-take-a-lot-of-old/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [A new idea is obsolete in seconds, right? I just said it and now it's obsolete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gehry/a-new-idea-is-obsolete-in-seconds-right-i-just-said-it-and-now-it-s/) [Frank Gehry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gehry/) > [Every time a man puts a new idea across, he faces a dozen men who thought of it before he did. But they only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oren-arnold/every-time-a-man-puts-a-new-idea-across-he-faces-a-dozen-men-who/) [Oren Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oren-arnold/) > [Creativity is a by-product of hard work. If I never have another really new idea, it won't matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-rooney/creativity-is-a-by-product-of-hard-work-if-i-never-have-another/) [Andy Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-rooney/) > [The World requires at least ten years to understand a new idea, however important or simple it may be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-ross/the-world-requires-at-least-ten-years-to-understand-a-new-idea/) [Ronald Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-ross/) > [The fact is that one new idea leads to another, that to a third and so on through a course of time, until someone,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/the-fact-is-that-one-new-idea-leads-to-another-that-to-a-third-and-so/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Sometimes an old idea gets relegated to the back of the line in the mad delight of a new idea, one you've never had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/sometimes-an-old-idea-gets-relegated-to-the-back-of-the-line-in-the/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [Most new discoveries are suddenly-seen things that were always there. A new idea is a light that illuminates presences which simply had no form…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanne-katherina-langer/most-new-discoveries-are-suddenly-seen-things-that-were-always-there/) [Susanne Katherina Langer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanne-katherina-langer/) > [If there's a new idea, a new invention, or a new gas, or a new whatever you know, It should be brought at least…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimi-hendrix/if-there-s-a-new-idea-a-new-invention-or-a-new-gas-or-a-new-whatever/) [Jimi Hendrix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimi-hendrix/) ## More by Tom Peters > [The market may never coalesce around one basic design, or even around two or three dominant devices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/the-market-may-never-coalesce-around-one-basic-design-or-even-around/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [If, as I anticipate, a wide array of personal, portable information/communication devices becomes increasingly important and widespread for information-intensive users, it will be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/if-as-i-anticipate-a-wide-array-of-personal-portable-information/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [Anybody who is an entrepreneur is a person who essentially has impaired judgment. The odds of success are zilch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/anybody-who-is-an-entrepreneur-is-a-person-who-essentially-has/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [Remember my mantra: distinct... or extinct.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/remember-my-mantra-distinct-or-extinct/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [A good collection is more than just the sum of its parts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/a-good-collection-is-more-than-just-the-sum-of-its-parts/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [Leaders' careers will usually be determined by their handling of one or two critical events that no one could possibly anticipate or plan for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/leaders-careers-will-usually-be-determined-by-their-handling-of-one/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [I don't know what it means to manage the human imagination, but I do know that imagination is the main source of value in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/i-don-t-know-what-it-means-to-manage-the-human-imagination-but-i-do/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [Hire disrespectful people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/hire-disrespectful-people/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [Hire for attitude. Train for skill... More](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/hire-for-attitude-train-for-skill-more/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [If there is a single tragic flaw that mars our biggest enterprises, it is conservatism - the failure to fail, and fail big, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/if-there-is-a-single-tragic-flaw-that-mars-our-biggest-enterprises-it/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [Think about the market, think about the design, and think about who is going to design for that market. Hit the mark.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/think-about-the-market-think-about-the-design-and-think-about-who-is/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [“The “Excellence Standard” is not about Grand Outcomes. In Zenlike terms, all we have is today. If the day’s work cannot be assessed as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/the-excellence-standard-is-not-about-grand-outcomes-in-zenlike-terms/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [The day firing becomes easy is the day to fire yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/the-day-firing-becomes-easy-is-the-day-to-fire-yourself/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [Only pissed-off people change the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/only-pissed-off-people-change-the-world/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [What you decide not to do is probably more important that what you decide to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/what-you-decide-not-to-do-is-probably-more-important-that-what-you/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) [Explore all 316 Tom Peters quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) ## More Change quotes > [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [“…progress isn't necessarily about change but about things turning out as we want them to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hogan/progress-isn-t-necessarily-about-change-but-about-things-turning-out/) Phil Hogan > [Nobody can tell me that no changes are necessary in Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/nobody-can-tell-me-that-no-changes-are-necessary-in-washington/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [When you walk down the street of Kabul your values for life changes, they do change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-pierre-white/when-you-walk-down-the-street-of-kabul-your-values-for-life-changes/) [Marco Pierre White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-pierre-white/) > [Your world will change whether or not you choose to change, but you have the power to choose it's direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/your-world-will-change-whether-or-not-you-choose-to-change-but-you/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [I hope I continue to evolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-flair/i-hope-i-continue-to-evolve/) [Charlotte Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-flair/) > [“Stay focused on bringing people together and more on positive messaging so that you can be the change you wish to see in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/stay-focused-on-bringing-people-together-and-more-on-positive/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [“After the funeral, my life changed. I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, as you practice mindfulness and live a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-practice-mindfulness-on-the-one-hand-to-be-calm-and-peaceful-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Irish research will contribute to global progress and have the potential to help all countries realise the potential of their land sectors in addressing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enda-kenny/irish-research-will-contribute-to-global-progress-and-have-the/) [Enda Kenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enda-kenny/) > [No man can change himself into anything from sheer reason; he can only change into what he potentially is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/no-man-can-change-himself-into-anything-from-sheer-reason-he-can-only/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) [Browse all 33,920 Change quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Change is not so much about being the first one to embrace a new idea, but being the first to forget an old one", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tom Peters" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/change-is-not-so-much-about-being-the-first-one-to-embrace-a-new-idea/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Change" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/change-is-not-so-much-about-being-the-first-one-to-embrace-a-new-idea/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d05/tom-peters-967_change_change-is-not-so-much-about-being-the-fi_1953632.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d05/tom-peters-967_change_change-is-not-so-much-about-being-the-fi_1953632.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d05/tom-peters-967_change_change-is-not-so-much-about-being-the-fi_1953632.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Change is not so much about being the first one to embrace a new idea, but being the first to forget an old…” — Tom Peters", "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": "Tom Peters", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Change is not so much about...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/change-is-not-so-much-about-being-the-first-one-to-embrace-a-new-idea/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/change-is-not-so-much-about-being-the-first-one-to-embrace-a-new-idea/#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 } } ] } ```