About this quote

Public attention behaves like a wild fire. You might get burned by the gossip, but fading into complete obscurity is the real death for any public figure or creator. It is far better to provoke a reaction than to face a room full of blank stares. If people are whispering about your choices, at least you occupy space in their minds. Are you brave enough to risk their criticism just to be seen?

When to use it

• You launch a bold ad campaign and some old-school clients complain about the edgy tone. You tell your worried business partner that any chatter is better than the deafening silence of being ignored.
• A local musician gets a biting two-star review in the city paper. Instead of hiding in shame, they pin the hostile clipping to the venue door because people are actually reading about them.
• An indie game developer releases a weird patch that sparks a massive debate on online forums. The creator smiles because the controversy is driving thousands of new organic downloads.
• You run for student council with a radical proposal and face heavy criticism from the quiet crowd. You realize your name is on everyone's lips, which is exactly how you win the election.