--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You cannot really be too concerned with…" description: "\"You cannot really be too concerned with what people think of you. You're on your own adventure of growth and discovery. So it's not always good to be w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efa/tom-waits-916_adventure_you-cannot-really-be-too-concerned-with_2137258.jpg" --- # You cannot really be too concerned with what people think… ![“You cannot really be too concerned with what people think of you. You're on your own adventure of growth and discovery. So it's not always good to be who people think you are, especially if you subscribe to it as well ... which is easily done, because then you don't have to figure out who you are…” quote by Tom Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efa/tom-waits-916_adventure_you-cannot-really-be-too-concerned-with_2137258.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efa/tom-waits-916_adventure_you-cannot-really-be-too-concerned-with_2137258.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efa/tom-waits-916_adventure_you-cannot-really-be-too-concerned-with_2137258.jpg) > “You cannot really be too concerned with what people think of you. You're on your own adventure of growth and discovery. So it's not always good to be who people think you are, especially if you subscribe to it as well ... which is easily done, because then you don't have to figure out who you are, you just ask somebody else.” [Tom Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-waits/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote urges personal authenticity over caring about others' opinions, emphasizing self‑discovery and independent growth. **In simple terms:** Be true to yourself, not others' expectations. Key Takeaway Prioritize self‑knowledge over external validation. Themes authenticity self‑growth individualism Mood reflective determined Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - personal development - career choices - relationships - creative projects Key Concepts identity self‑discovery social pressure Questions to Reflect On - What aspects of your life are most influenced by others' views? - How can you cultivate inner confidence? A Different Perspective Relying solely on internal validation can lead to isolation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adventure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adventure/) [Asks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asks/) [Concerned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concerned/) [Concerned People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concerned-people/) [Discovery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discovery/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Figures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/figures/) [Growth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growth/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-think/) [Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think/) [Think Especially](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-especially-4433498/) [Think of you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-of-you/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) [Who you are](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/who-you-are/) ## Related quotes > [“You can't really be too concerned with what people think of you. You're on your own adventure of growth and discovery. Like Charles Bukowski…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barney-hoskyns/you-can-t-really-be-too-concerned-with-what-people-think-of-you-you/) [Barney Hoskyns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barney-hoskyns/) > [I think so often, especially if the work is perceived of as being drawn from life, the woman, not her book, is reviewed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-zambreno/i-think-so-often-especially-if-the-work-is-perceived-of-as-being/) [Kate Zambreno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-zambreno/) > [I'm not concerned with what people think of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-lemon/i-m-not-concerned-with-what-people-think-of-me/) [Don Lemon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-lemon/) > [I think you can find yourself on one of these shows for a long period of time and think that all you'll ever be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-petersen/i-think-you-can-find-yourself-on-one-of-these-shows-for-a-long-period/) [William Petersen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-petersen/) > [You spend so much of your life basing yourself on what you think other people think of you. Then you realise that maybe one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/you-spend-so-much-of-your-life-basing-yourself-on-what-you-think/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) > [Thoughts are like bullets. You should be aware when you walk into a building what energy is there, whose thoughts are there. People should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-van-praagh/thoughts-are-like-bullets-you-should-be-aware-when-you-walk-into-a/) [James Van Praagh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-van-praagh/) > [Just a reminder, what other people think of you is none of your business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ze-frank/just-a-reminder-what-other-people-think-of-you-is-none-of-your/) [Ze Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ze-frank/) > [You can't control how other people see you or think of you. But you have to be comfortable with that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-mirren/you-can-t-control-how-other-people-see-you-or-think-of-you-but-you/) [Helen Mirren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-mirren/) > [If you worry less about what people think of you, you can pick up an astonishing amount of information about them. You no longer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-druckerman/if-you-worry-less-about-what-people-think-of-you-you-can-pick-up-an/) [Pamela Druckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-druckerman/) > [You can get pigeonholed in Hollywood and people think of you in a certain way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-wilson/you-can-get-pigeonholed-in-hollywood-and-people-think-of-you-in-a/) [Luke Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-wilson/) > [When we are overly concerned with what people think we will be controlled by the thoughts and opinions of other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/when-we-are-overly-concerned-with-what-people-think-we-will-be/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) > [I think everyone should be concerned about people's sensitivities and feelings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naveen-patnaik/i-think-everyone-should-be-concerned-about-people-s-sensitivities-and/) [Naveen Patnaik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naveen-patnaik/) > [In order to maintain that fire for acting and capture its essence, you can't let yourself be concerned with what people have to say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-winslet/in-order-to-maintain-that-fire-for-acting-and-capture-its-essence-you/) [Kate Winslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-winslet/) > [You will have found Christ when you are concerned with other people’s sufferings and not your own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flannery-o-connor/you-will-have-found-christ-when-you-are-concerned-with-other-people-s/) [Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/) > [Gay or straight? So what? It doesn't matter to me. We have to be concerned about other people regardless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-nelson/gay-or-straight-so-what-it-doesn-t-matter-to-me-we-have-to-be/) [Willie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-nelson/) ## More by Tom Waits > [Most of us have the residue of thousands of songs in our ears, that if you end up songwriting, I think you're mostly smoking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-waits/most-of-us-have-the-residue-of-thousands-of-songs-in-our-ears-that-if/) [Tom Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-waits/) > [Bill Hicks - blowtorch, excavator, truthsayer, and brain specialist. He will correct your vision. Others will drive on the road he built.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-waits/bill-hicks-blowtorch-excavator-truthsayer-and-brain-specialist-he/) [Tom Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-waits/) > [Don't plant your days they turn into weeds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-waits/don-t-plant-your-days-they-turn-into-weeds/) [Tom Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-waits/) > [“T’ain’t no sin to take off your skin, and dance around in your bones.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-waits/t-ain-t-no-sin-to-take-off-your-skin-and-dance-around-in-your-bones/) [Tom Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-waits/) > [“an all time favorite: "The large print giveth, the small print taketh away.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-waits/an-all-time-favorite-the-large-print-giveth-the-small-print-taketh/) [Tom Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-waits/) > [I'll tell you all my secrets but I lie about my past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-waits/i-ll-tell-you-all-my-secrets-but-i-lie-about-my-past/) [Tom Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-waits/) > [For a songwriter, you don't really go to songwriting school; you learn by listening to tunes. And you try to understand them and take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-waits/for-a-songwriter-you-don-t-really-go-to-songwriting-school-you-learn/) [Tom Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-waits/) > [I'm trying to learn how to write faster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-waits/i-m-trying-to-learn-how-to-write-faster/) [Tom Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-waits/) > [The world is a hellish place, and bad writing is destroying the quality of our suffering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-waits/the-world-is-a-hellish-place-and-bad-writing-is-destroying-the/) [Tom Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-waits/) > [I'm always looking for sounds that are pleasing at the time. The sound of a helicopter is really annoying until you're drowning, and it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-waits/i-m-always-looking-for-sounds-that-are-pleasing-at-the-time-the-sound/) [Tom Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-waits/) > [I was born in the back seat of a Yellow Cab in a hospital loading zone and with the meter still running. I emerged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-waits/i-was-born-in-the-back-seat-of-a-yellow-cab-in-a-hospital-loading/) [Tom Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-waits/) > [There's not much difference between what I appear to be on stage and what I am. I think people like that, that I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-waits/there-s-not-much-difference-between-what-i-appear-to-be-on-stage-and/) [Tom Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-waits/) > [Most of the things you absorb you will ultimately secrete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-waits/most-of-the-things-you-absorb-you-will-ultimately-secrete/) [Tom Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-waits/) > [The devil knows the Bible like the back of his hand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-waits/the-devil-knows-the-bible-like-the-back-of-his-hand/) [Tom Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-waits/) > [I bark my voice out through a closed throat, pretty much. It's more, perhaps, like a dog in some ways. It does have its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-waits/i-bark-my-voice-out-through-a-closed-throat-pretty-much-it-s-more/) [Tom Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-waits/) [Explore all 328 Tom Waits quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-waits/) ## More Adventure quotes > [I'm trying to write a film with my friend. I'd love to get the thrill of speaking actors making my work even funnier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-howard/i-m-trying-to-write-a-film-with-my-friend-i-d-love-to-get-the-thrill/) [Russell Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-howard/) > [I painted the words "GREAT ADVENTURE" in Beijing, Dallas, San Francisco, Copenhagen, and Japan. What it means to me is completely different to everybody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-eine/i-painted-the-words-great-adventure-in-beijing-dallas-san-francisco/) [Ben Eine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-eine/) > [I've used the Phoenix Centrifuge to replicate what the body's going to go through on the flight up. I've also done some gravity tests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/i-ve-used-the-phoenix-centrifuge-to-replicate-what-the-body-s-going/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [I have lifted my plane . . . for perhaps a thousand flights and I have never felt her wheels glide from the Earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beryl-markham/i-have-lifted-my-plane-for-perhaps-a-thousand-flights-and-i-have/) [Beryl Markham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beryl-markham/) > [I am attracted to looking at the different things language can mean even in one sometimes quite ordinary utterance. Writing is partly about listening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rae-armantrout/i-am-attracted-to-looking-at-the-different-things-language-can-mean/) [Rae Armantrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rae-armantrout/) > [What a thrill. You know you've entered new territory when you realise that your outfit cost more than your film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-yu/what-a-thrill-you-know-you-ve-entered-new-territory-when-you-realise/) [Jessica Yu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-yu/) > [“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/) > [A common fallacy in much of the adverse criticism to which science is subjected today is that it claims certainty, infallibility and complete emotional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/a-common-fallacy-in-much-of-the-adverse-criticism-to-which-science-is/) [Cyril Norman Hinshelwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/) > [“Exactly. I think the original tantric Buddhists took notice of was some very wise old people who never studied in their youth, but took…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-niemczura/exactly-i-think-the-original-tantric-buddhists-took-notice-of-was/) [Joe Niemczura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-niemczura/) > [As an adventurer...I try to protect against the downside. I make sure I have covered as many eventualities as I can. In the end,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/as-an-adventurer-i-try-to-protect-against-the-downside-i-make-sure-i/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [“Love can give you such happiness, then can break the very heart it filled, leaving a hole that can never be fixed or protected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mcleod/love-can-give-you-such-happiness-then-can-break-the-very-heart-it/) [Kevin McLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mcleod/) > [“It always gave Wolf a peculiar thrill thus to tighten his grip upon his stick, thus to wrap himself more closely in his faded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cowper-powys/it-always-gave-wolf-a-peculiar-thrill-thus-to-tighten-his-grip-upon/) [John Cowper Powys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cowper-powys/) > [“It all had to be squeezed and squeezed again, to provide a thrill, to provide enjoyment. What did people mean, with their simply determined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-h-lawrence-2/it-all-had-to-be-squeezed-and-squeezed-again-to-provide-a-thrill-to/) [D.H. Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-h-lawrence-2/) > [I am not an adventurous person but I am gutsy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rahul-vaidya/i-am-not-an-adventurous-person-but-i-am-gutsy/) [Rahul Vaidya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rahul-vaidya/) > [Our civilization, bequeathed to us by fierce adventurers, eaters of meat and hunters, is so full of hurry and combat, so busy about many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/our-civilization-bequeathed-to-us-by-fierce-adventurers-eaters-of/) [James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) [Browse all 7,690 Adventure quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adventure/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You cannot really be too concerned with what people think of you. 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