About this quote

Following the crowd is comfortable because it requires zero original thought. You copy what your peers do, buy what they buy, and end up with the exact same lukewarm results. What if you stopped looking at the trends for a week? Find an obscure book nobody in your circle has heard of, or start a project that sounds slightly crazy to your neighbors. True originality lives in the quiet spaces where others fear to look.

When to use it

• Everyone in my department is fighting for the same management track, but I'm going to pitch a new remote research role instead. It is risky, but it beats competing for a job I do not even want.
• Instead of choosing the popular business major just because my parents want me to, I decided to study linguistic archaeology. The classes are tiny, and I actually care about the research.
• My friends are all taking out massive loans to buy big suburban houses, but my partner and I are buying a fixer-upper cabin to live debt-free. It feels weird being the odd ones out, but our budget is incredibly secure.
• I stopped going to the loud, crowded commercial gym and started doing calisthenics in the park at sunrise. I get the workout done in peace without waiting for equipment.