Opposites quotes

Opposites

2K quotes on this topic — from poets, philosophers, and thinkers across history.

2K quotes

Explore further

Browse quotes that often appear alongside opposites — connected by shared ideas and recurring themes.

Thinking 95.1K quotes People 100.4K quotes Men 68.6K quotes Two 16K quotes Believe 31K quotes Mean 28K quotes

Quote collection

Opposites quotes (page 24 of 102)

Follow a thought to its author, or read the full quote page.

Susan Cain Author, Speaker
Opposites

"In the first study, Grant and his colleagues analyzed data from one of the five biggest pizza chains in the United States. They discovered that the weekly profits of the stores managed by extroverts were 16 percent higher than the profits of those led by introverts—but only when the employees were passive types who tended to do their job without exercising initiative. Introverted leaders had the exact opposite results. When they worked with employees who actively tried to improve work procedures, their stores outperformed those led by extroverts by more than 14 percent."

Jobs Exercise Opposites
Read quote 3 likes
Russell Baker Writer
Opposites

"Strategic thinkers were naturally rattled to find this outsider fooling around with their work. They had been thinking strategically when Reagan was just another movie actor playing opposite a chimpanzee, for heaven's sake. They think Reagan is too naive, too innocent, to grasp the intellectual complexities of cold war strategy."

Thinking War Opposites
Read quote 3 likes
Russell Simmons Entrepreneur, Music Producer
Opposites

"The person who understands Dharma will have the opposite reaction to a "hard" job. That person will be eager to get started, no matter what kind of work is in front of her, because she understands that she's doing God's work. And when you're working for God, nothing is too hard."

Jobs Matter Opposites
Read quote 3 likes
Sylvia Plath Poet, Novelist
Opposites

"We know a thing by its opposite corollary; hot by having experienced cold; good by having decided what is bad; love by hate."

Hate Opposites Hot
Read quote 3 likes
Seth Godin Author, Entrepreneur
Opposites

"The object isn't to be perfect. The goal isn't to hold back until you've created something beyond reproach. I believe the opposite is true. Our birthright is to fail and to fail often, but to fail in search of something bigger than we can imagine. To do anything else is to waste it all."

Believe Perfect Opposites
Read quote 3 likes
Kanye West Rapper, Producer, Fashion Designer
Opposites

"I believe that bad taste is vulgar. It's like cursing. I think the world can be saved through design, because what is the most distasteful thing someone can do? Kill someone. So, good taste is the opposite of that."

Thinking Believe Opposites
Read quote 3 likes
J. D. Salinger Novelist, Short Story Writer
Opposites

"I'm not afraid to compete. It's just the opposite. Don't you see that? I'm afraid I will compete — that's what scares me. That's why I quit the Theatre Department. Just because I'm so horribly conditioned to accept everybody else's values, and just because I like applause and people to rave about me, doesn't make it right. I'm ashamed of it. I'm sick of it. I'm sick of not having the courage to be an absolute nobody. I'm sick of myself and everybody else that wants to make some kind of a splash."

People Opposites Sick
Read quote 3 likes
Gabrielle Bernstein Author, Speaker
Opposites

"We're not really brought up in a culture where we believe we're meant to be happy, that peace is our birthright. It's not what we're taught; quite the opposite, actually. With all the expectations and the negative stories going on in the world, we have a lot to overcome."

Believe Opposites Expectations
Read quote 3 likes
Zadie Smith Novelist, Essayist
Opposites

"For me, [deep structures] might be something very simply to do with the split in my family. That's why I'm always thinking about opposites. It's so childish, really, but that might be simply what it is."

Thinking Opposites Splits
Read quote 3 likes
Zadie Smith Novelist, Essayist
Opposites

"I guess I've always written more from the opposite perspective, that kind of existentialist perspective which argues that existence precedes essence. And there really isn't anything essential in there - you're the product of your actions, which can always change. And they retrospectively make you one way or another."

Opposites Essence Perspective
Read quote 3 likes
Mahatma Gandhi Political Leader
Opposites

"All religions teach that two opposite forces act upon us and the human endeavour consists in a series of eternal rejections and acceptances."

Two Opposites Acceptance
Read quote 3 likes
Oprah Winfrey Television host, producer, philanthropist
Opposites

"For me to live in a world that is not inclusive of other people who are not Christian would be the opposite of Christianity."

People Christian Opposites
Read quote 3 likes
Nassim Nicholas Taleb Author, Statistician
Opposites

"It is also naïve empiricism to provide, in support of some argument, series of eloquent confirmatory quotes by dead authorities. By searching, you can always find someone who made a well-sounding statement that confirms your point of view and, on every topic, it is possible to find another dead thinker who said the exact opposite."

Views Support Opposites
Read quote 3 likes