---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He has a way of walking through…"
description: "\"“He has a way of walking through conventions of that kind as if they did not exist, and being so much himself that pretty soon people begin adapting th..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cfd/wallace-stegner-1352_adapting_he-has-a-way-of-walking-through-conventi_986667.png"
---

#  He has a way of walking through conventions of that kind…

![“He has a way of walking through conventions of that kind as if they did not exist, and being so much himself that pretty soon people begin adapting themselves to him.” quote by Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cfd/wallace-stegner-1352_adapting_he-has-a-way-of-walking-through-conventi_986667.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cfd/wallace-stegner-1352_adapting_he-has-a-way-of-walking-through-conventi_986667.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cfd/wallace-stegner-1352_adapting_he-has-a-way-of-walking-through-conventi_986667.png)

> ““He has a way of walking through conventions of that kind as if they did not exist, and being so much himself that pretty soon people begin adapting themselves to him.””

[Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/)

## About This Quote

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

A person who defies norms confidently influences others to adjust to them.

**In simple terms:** Defying norms reshapes others.

Key Takeaway

Embrace authentic confidence.

Themes

individualism norms influence

Mood

reflective inspirational

Type

philosophical leadership

When to use this quote

- entrepreneurship
- social movements
- personal branding

Key Concepts

social dynamics leadership

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you balance authenticity and teamwork?
- When does defying norms become disruptive?

A Different Perspective

Authenticity may clash with collaboration.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Adapting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adapting/) [Begin Adapting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/begin-adapting-1993702/) [Conventions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conventions/) [Conventions Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conventions-kind-1993701/) [Greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatness/) [Walking Conventions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/walking-conventions-1993700/)

## Related quotes

> [Touch. It is touch that is the deadliest enemy of chastity, loyalty, monogamy, gentility with its codes and conventions and restraints. By touch we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/touch-it-is-touch-that-is-the-deadliest-enemy-of-chastity-loyalty/)

[Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/)

> [Man is a shrewd inventor, and is ever taking the hint of a new machine from his own structure, adapting some secret of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/man-is-a-shrewd-inventor-and-is-ever-taking-the-hint-of-a-new-machine/)

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

> [“(T)his is precisely the importance of the world-view described in the Book of Changes: there is no situation without a way out. All situations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-and-hellmut-wilhelm/t-his-is-precisely-the-importance-of-the-world-view-described-in-the/)

[Richard and Hellmut Wilhelm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-and-hellmut-wilhelm/)

> [One of the most difficult things for people who have been successful in sports is adapting to the daily world where you can't get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-spitz/one-of-the-most-difficult-things-for-people-who-have-been-successful/)

[Mark Spitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-spitz/)

> [The brain is constantly adapting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryanne-wolf/the-brain-is-constantly-adapting/)

[Maryanne Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryanne-wolf/)

> [I believe in having a few pupils at one time as it requires a constant alert observation of each individual in order to establish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-lee/i-believe-in-having-a-few-pupils-at-one-time-as-it-requires-a/)

[Bruce Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-lee/)

> [The fact that I made a special movie with an old-fashioned style - even if it's a mix between with modern and old-fashioned things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/the-fact-that-i-made-a-special-movie-with-an-old-fashioned-style-even/)

[Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/)

> [Cinema reflects culture and there is no harm in adapting technology, but not at the cost of losing your originality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-chan/cinema-reflects-culture-and-there-is-no-harm-in-adapting-technology/)

[Jackie Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-chan/)

> [I'm always a big advocate for adapting to your new team, your new country and your new team-mates.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-koeman/i-m-always-a-big-advocate-for-adapting-to-your-new-team-your-new/)

[Ronald Koeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-koeman/)

> [I am like the fish in the aquarium, thinking in a different language, adapting to a life that’s not my natural habitat. I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-am-like-the-fish-in-the-aquarium-thinking-in-a-different-language/)

[David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/)

> [I'm not in the business of adapting things that are popular for the sake of just getting it on the screen. I think there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-esmail/i-m-not-in-the-business-of-adapting-things-that-are-popular-for-the/)

[Sam Esmail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-esmail/)

> [Martial arts is not about picking your fights and picking how things go; it's about adapting to the how things are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gunnar-nelson/martial-arts-is-not-about-picking-your-fights-and-picking-how-things/)

[Gunnar Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gunnar-nelson/)

> [Firmino is a player who is really good at adapting to different positions. He is a No. 9, but he helps a lot in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fabinho/firmino-is-a-player-who-is-really-good-at-adapting-to-different/)

[Fabinho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fabinho/)

> [If I can do concert recitals, adapting the repertoire to my needs, then no problem, that's good enough. But with operas, unless the right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-carreras/if-i-can-do-concert-recitals-adapting-the-repertoire-to-my-needs-then/)

[Jose Carreras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-carreras/)

> [For a struggling filmmaker running low on ideas, public domain is all we have for adapting books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-isaac-chung/for-a-struggling-filmmaker-running-low-on-ideas-public-domain-is-all/)

[Lee Isaac Chung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-isaac-chung/)

## More by Wallace Stegner

> [“I have to blame myself for not finding any way of reaching him, but I can't feel that either Ruth or I had anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/i-have-to-blame-myself-for-not-finding-any-way-of-reaching-him-but-i/)

[Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/)

> [No life goes past so swiftly as an eventless one, no clock spins like a clock whose days are all alike.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/no-life-goes-past-so-swiftly-as-an-eventless-one-no-clock-spins-like/)

[Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/)

> [“within yourself, you became a grave for her as you were a grave for Chet, and you carried your dead unquietly within you. —”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/within-yourself-you-became-a-grave-for-her-as-you-were-a-grave-for/)

[Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/)

> [Towns are like people. Old ones often have character, the new ones are interchangeable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/towns-are-like-people-old-ones-often-have-character-the-new-ones-are/)

[Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/)

> [By his very profession, a serious fiction writer is a vendor of the sensuous particulars of life, a perceiver and handler of things. His…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/by-his-very-profession-a-serious-fiction-writer-is-a-vendor-of-the/)

[Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/)

> [“The creative writer is compulsively concrete . . . . His fictional house should be haunted by ideas, not inhabited by them; they should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/the-creative-writer-is-compulsively-concrete-his-fictional-house/)

[Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/)

> [Hard writing makes easy reading.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/hard-writing-makes-easy-reading/)

[Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/)

> [You married me...but you didn't marry what you could make out of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/you-married-me-but-you-didn-t-marry-what-you-could-make-out-of-me/)

[Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/)

> [Wisdom. . .is knowing what you have to accept.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/wisdom-is-knowing-what-you-have-to-accept/)

[Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/)

> [“His mouth is full of ecology, his mind is full of fumes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/his-mouth-is-full-of-ecology-his-mind-is-full-of-fumes/)

[Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/)

> [I gave my heart to the mountains the minute I stood beside this river with its spray in my face and watched it thunder…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/i-gave-my-heart-to-the-mountains-the-minute-i-stood-beside-this-river/)

[Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/)

> [“Poetry ought to be a by-product of living, and you can't have a by-product unless you've got a product first .”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/poetry-ought-to-be-a-by-product-of-living-and-you-can-t-have-a-by/)

[Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/)

> [Something will have gone out of us as a people if we ever let the remaining wilderness be destroyed; if we permit the last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/something-will-have-gone-out-of-us-as-a-people-if-we-ever-let-the/)

[Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/)

> [“Some people, I am told, have memories like computers, nothing to do but punch the button and wait for the print-out. Mine is more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/some-people-i-am-told-have-memories-like-computers-nothing-to-do-but/)

[Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/)

> [ “\[Y\]ou were too alert to the figurative possibilities of words not to see the phrase \[angle of repose\] as descriptive of human as well… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/y-ou-were-too-alert-to-the-figurative-possibilities-of-words-not-to/)

[Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/)

[Explore all 251 Wallace Stegner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/)

## More Adapting quotes

> [For a struggling filmmaker running low on ideas, public domain is all we have for adapting books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-isaac-chung/for-a-struggling-filmmaker-running-low-on-ideas-public-domain-is-all/)

[Lee Isaac Chung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-isaac-chung/)

> [If I can do concert recitals, adapting the repertoire to my needs, then no problem, that's good enough. But with operas, unless the right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-carreras/if-i-can-do-concert-recitals-adapting-the-repertoire-to-my-needs-then/)

[Jose Carreras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-carreras/)

> [Firmino is a player who is really good at adapting to different positions. He is a No. 9, but he helps a lot in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fabinho/firmino-is-a-player-who-is-really-good-at-adapting-to-different/)

[Fabinho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fabinho/)

> [Martial arts is not about picking your fights and picking how things go; it's about adapting to the how things are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gunnar-nelson/martial-arts-is-not-about-picking-your-fights-and-picking-how-things/)

[Gunnar Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gunnar-nelson/)

> [I'm not in the business of adapting things that are popular for the sake of just getting it on the screen. I think there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-esmail/i-m-not-in-the-business-of-adapting-things-that-are-popular-for-the/)

[Sam Esmail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-esmail/)

> [I am like the fish in the aquarium, thinking in a different language, adapting to a life that’s not my natural habitat. I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-am-like-the-fish-in-the-aquarium-thinking-in-a-different-language/)

[David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/)

> [I'm always a big advocate for adapting to your new team, your new country and your new team-mates.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-koeman/i-m-always-a-big-advocate-for-adapting-to-your-new-team-your-new/)

[Ronald Koeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-koeman/)

> [Cinema reflects culture and there is no harm in adapting technology, but not at the cost of losing your originality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-chan/cinema-reflects-culture-and-there-is-no-harm-in-adapting-technology/)

[Jackie Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-chan/)

> [The fact that I made a special movie with an old-fashioned style - even if it's a mix between with modern and old-fashioned things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/the-fact-that-i-made-a-special-movie-with-an-old-fashioned-style-even/)

[Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/)

> [I believe in having a few pupils at one time as it requires a constant alert observation of each individual in order to establish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-lee/i-believe-in-having-a-few-pupils-at-one-time-as-it-requires-a/)

[Bruce Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-lee/)

> [The brain is constantly adapting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryanne-wolf/the-brain-is-constantly-adapting/)

[Maryanne Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryanne-wolf/)

> [One of the most difficult things for people who have been successful in sports is adapting to the daily world where you can't get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-spitz/one-of-the-most-difficult-things-for-people-who-have-been-successful/)

[Mark Spitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-spitz/)

> [“(T)his is precisely the importance of the world-view described in the Book of Changes: there is no situation without a way out. All situations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-and-hellmut-wilhelm/t-his-is-precisely-the-importance-of-the-world-view-described-in-the/)

[Richard and Hellmut Wilhelm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-and-hellmut-wilhelm/)

> [Man is a shrewd inventor, and is ever taking the hint of a new machine from his own structure, adapting some secret of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/man-is-a-shrewd-inventor-and-is-ever-taking-the-hint-of-a-new-machine/)

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

> [Sport is not about being wrapped up in cotton wool. Sport as about adapting to the unexpected and being able to modify plans at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bannister/sport-is-not-about-being-wrapped-up-in-cotton-wool-sport-as-about/)

[Roger Bannister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bannister/)

[Browse all 251 Adapting quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adapting/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“He has a way of walking through conventions of that kind as if they did not exist, and being so much himself that pretty soon people begin adapting themselves to him.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Wallace Stegner"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/he-has-a-way-of-walking-through-conventions-of-that-kind-as-if-they/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Adapting"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/he-has-a-way-of-walking-through-conventions-of-that-kind-as-if-they/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cfd/wallace-stegner-1352_adapting_he-has-a-way-of-walking-through-conventi_986667.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cfd/wallace-stegner-1352_adapting_he-has-a-way-of-walking-through-conventi_986667.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cfd/wallace-stegner-1352_adapting_he-has-a-way-of-walking-through-conventi_986667.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“He has a way of walking through conventions of that kind as if they did not exist, and being so much himself…” — Wallace Stegner",
                "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": "Wallace Stegner",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“He has a way of walking...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/he-has-a-way-of-walking-through-conventions-of-that-kind-as-if-they/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/he-has-a-way-of-walking-through-conventions-of-that-kind-as-if-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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
