--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The only requirement of a symbol is that…" description: "\"The only requirement of a symbol is that it have substance underneath: The first thing to do is to try to establish the substance. The style comes afte..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/166/wally-olins-47497_firsts_the-only-requirement-of-a-symbol-is-that_500872.jpg" --- # The only requirement of a symbol is that it have substance… ![“The only requirement of a symbol is that it have substance underneath: The first thing to do is to try to establish the substance. The style comes after the substance. Only then can the style help the substance, and vice versa.” quote by Wally Olins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/166/wally-olins-47497_firsts_the-only-requirement-of-a-symbol-is-that_500872.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/166/wally-olins-47497_firsts_the-only-requirement-of-a-symbol-is-that_500872.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/166/wally-olins-47497_firsts_the-only-requirement-of-a-symbol-is-that_500872.jpg) > “The only requirement of a symbol is that it have substance underneath: The first thing to do is to try to establish the substance. The style comes after the substance. Only then can the style help the substance, and vice versa.” [Wally Olins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-olins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Substance must precede style; only when solid foundations exist can style enhance and be enhanced by the core content. **In simple terms:** First build solid substance, then style follows. Key Takeaway Prioritize substance before style. Themes branding design authenticity Mood thoughtful analytical Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - product development - marketing campaigns - personal branding - creative projects Key Concepts substance style synergy Questions to Reflect On - How do you assess the substance of your work? - What risks arise from prioritizing style over substance? A Different Perspective If substance is weak, style may mask flaws but cannot create true value. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Style](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/style/) [Symbols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/symbols/) [Things to do](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-to-do/) [Vices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vices/) ## Related quotes > [Getting help for substance abuse can be reduced to the deceptively simple focus of ‘keeping away from the dope.’ But what does getting help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-wurtzel/getting-help-for-substance-abuse-can-be-reduced-to-the-deceptively/) [Elizabeth Wurtzel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-wurtzel/) > [There is no requirement that police stop a person who enters a police station and states that he wishes to confess a crime or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-warren/there-is-no-requirement-that-police-stop-a-person-who-enters-a-police/) [Earl Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-warren/) > [I see only one requirement you have to have to be a director or any kind of artist: rhythm. Rhythm, for me, is everything.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-see-only-one-requirement-you-have-to-have-to-be-a-director-or-any/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [While social media skills were once a 'nice-to-have,' accreditation in the space is becoming a requirement for many of these job titles. Hiring managers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-holmes/while-social-media-skills-were-once-a-nice-to-have-accreditation-in/) [Ryan Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-holmes/) > [I've dropped myself into straightforward character pieces in order to explore that form and reap its values. But you are sort of restricted visually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-de-palma/i-ve-dropped-myself-into-straightforward-character-pieces-in-order-to/) [Brian De Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-de-palma/) > [“Christianity is at its purest a philosophy about a person, Jesus Christ, and at its dirtiest a philosophy about requirements and law.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/christianity-is-at-its-purest-a-philosophy-about-a-person-jesus/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [A fundamental requirement, overriding any other for this job, is an understanding of deafness-what it is and how it affects the educational experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/a-fundamental-requirement-overriding-any-other-for-this-job-is-an/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [E G O is the only requirement to destroy any R e l a t I o s h I p. Be the bigger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/e-g-o-is-the-only-requirement-to-destroy-any-r-e-l-a-t-i-o-s-h-i-p-be/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The very first requirement in a hospital is that it should do the sick no harm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florence-nightingale/the-very-first-requirement-in-a-hospital-is-that-it-should-do-the/) [Florence Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florence-nightingale/) > [In our group, it was a necessary requirement that one has to be able to collaborate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-dubochet/in-our-group-it-was-a-necessary-requirement-that-one-has-to-be-able/) [Jacques Dubochet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-dubochet/) > [“A huge mistake that many of us make is to work hard our entire life for money and not require money to work for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-willey/a-huge-mistake-that-many-of-us-make-is-to-work-hard-our-entire-life/) [Daniel Willey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-willey/) > [I believe that even today we can only tell a simple story without really interfering with gameplay. But in the future, I think it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hideo-kojima/i-believe-that-even-today-we-can-only-tell-a-simple-story-without/) [Hideo Kojima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hideo-kojima/) > [In my opinion, it's only logical that you have to be on the pitch and playing as often as possible to develop further. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-kroos/in-my-opinion-it-s-only-logical-that-you-have-to-be-on-the-pitch-and/) [Toni Kroos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-kroos/) > [Self-care is a requirement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelela/self-care-is-a-requirement/) [Kelela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelela/) > [“The approval of other is not a requirement for success.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-tate/the-approval-of-other-is-not-a-requirement-for-success/) Danielle Tate ## More by Wally Olins > [Brands and branding are the most significant gifts that commerce has ever made to popular culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-olins/brands-and-branding-are-the-most-significant-gifts-that-commerce-has/) [Wally Olins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-olins/) > [What I really, hugely, and antagonistically dislike is the attempt to quantify the unquantifiable. And if you are a branding consultant, you have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-olins/what-i-really-hugely-and-antagonistically-dislike-is-the-attempt-to/) [Wally Olins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-olins/) > [Overall, because branding is about creating and sustaining trust it means delivering on promises. The best and most successful brands are completely coherent. Every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-olins/overall-because-branding-is-about-creating-and-sustaining-trust-it/) [Wally Olins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-olins/) > [It's quite extraordinary that a recourse (branding/identity) which is generally regarded as so significant, and is now so ubiquitous, is so little understood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-olins/it-s-quite-extraordinary-that-a-recourse-branding-identity-which-is/) [Wally Olins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-olins/) > [Brands and branding are the most significant gifts that commerce has ever made to popular culture. Branding has moved so far beyond its commercial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-olins/brands-and-branding-are-the-most-significant-gifts-that-commerce-has-2/) [Wally Olins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-olins/) > [Branding is a profound manifestation of the human condition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-olins/branding-is-a-profound-manifestation-of-the-human-condition/) [Wally Olins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-olins/) > [We have to be alert to the way brands behave and misbehave. We have to reward the good ones with our loyalty and punish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-olins/we-have-to-be-alert-to-the-way-brands-behave-and-misbehave-we-have-to/) [Wally Olins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-olins/) [Explore all 8 Wally Olins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-olins/) ## More Firsts quotes > [I always say there are two things to be successful. The first is decide exactly what you want - set your goals - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/i-always-say-there-are-two-things-to-be-successful-the-first-is/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [My first ever job after college was as a flight attendant. I wanted to travel and could not afford it, so I decided to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-winspear/my-first-ever-job-after-college-was-as-a-flight-attendant-i-wanted-to/) [Jacqueline Winspear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-winspear/) > [Since I worked with Danny Boyle before on Slumdog Millionaire, we have great success and everything. So, when I first got the script and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-r-rahman/since-i-worked-with-danny-boyle-before-on-slumdog-millionaire-we-have/) [A. R. Rahman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-r-rahman/) > [You sort of can't talk about the post production unless you talk about what comes first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-greengrass/you-sort-of-can-t-talk-about-the-post-production-unless-you-talk/) [Paul Greengrass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-greengrass/) > [I'm a business first and foremost so whatever my business is, it's separate from my personal. It's like whatever I do business wise, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/i-m-a-business-first-and-foremost-so-whatever-my-business-is-it-s/) [Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/) > [A man walks down the street. It's a street in a strange world. Maybe it's the third world. Maybe it's his first time around.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/a-man-walks-down-the-street-it-s-a-street-in-a-strange-world-maybe-it/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [I did not know that the planning for biological and chemical warfare was so widespread in England, and even in France before France fell.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholson-baker/i-did-not-know-that-the-planning-for-biological-and-chemical-warfare/) [Nicholson Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholson-baker/) > [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/) > [When I first started, my message was about joy, but I didn't really have the vocabulary and life experience to fully deliver it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-mraz/when-i-first-started-my-message-was-about-joy-but-i-didn-t-really/) [Jason Mraz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-mraz/) > [I'm very used to working with first time actors - you can just look back at 'E.T.' with Drew Barrymore, and Christian Bale from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/i-m-very-used-to-working-with-first-time-actors-you-can-just-look/) [Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/) > [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/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [The U.S.-Mexican border es un herida abierta where the Third World grates against the first and bleeds. And before a scab forms it hemorrhages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-e-anzald-a/the-u-s-mexican-border-es-un-herida-abierta-where-the-third-world/) [Gloria E. Anzaldúa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-e-anzald-a/) > [Meanwhile someone is shining my head to get it dry to attach my top-hat to my head with toupee tape. I get into microphone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tituss-burgess/meanwhile-someone-is-shining-my-head-to-get-it-dry-to-attach-my-top/) [Tituss Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tituss-burgess/) > [Peace is the first thing the angels sang. Peace is the mark of the children of God. Peace is the nurse of love. Peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-leo-i/peace-is-the-first-thing-the-angels-sang-peace-is-the-mark-of-the/) [Pope Leo I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-leo-i/) Browse all 32,432 Firsts quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The only requirement of a symbol is that it have substance underneath: The first thing to do is to try to establish the substance. The style comes after the substance. Only then can the style help the substance, and vice versa.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Wally Olins" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-olins/the-only-requirement-of-a-symbol-is-that-it-have-substance-underneath/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Firsts" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-olins/the-only-requirement-of-a-symbol-is-that-it-have-substance-underneath/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/166/wally-olins-47497_firsts_the-only-requirement-of-a-symbol-is-that_500872.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/166/wally-olins-47497_firsts_the-only-requirement-of-a-symbol-is-that_500872.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/166/wally-olins-47497_firsts_the-only-requirement-of-a-symbol-is-that_500872.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The only requirement of a symbol is that it have substance underneath: The first thing to do is to try to…” — Wally Olins", "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": "Wally Olins", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-olins/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The only requirement of a symbol...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-olins/the-only-requirement-of-a-symbol-is-that-it-have-substance-underneath/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-olins/the-only-requirement-of-a-symbol-is-that-it-have-substance-underneath/#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 } } ] } ```