I never work just to work. It's some combination of laziness and self-respect.
My characters aren't losers. They're rebels. They win by their refusal to play by everyone else's rules.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the value of individuality and challenging societal norms.
In this quote, Harold Ramis highlights that his characters embody a spirit of rebellion and nonconformity. Rather than being seen as failures or 'losers,' these characters are portrayed as winners because they choose to live life on their own terms, defying conventional expectations and rules. This speaks to the importance of self-expression and the strength found in being true to oneself, illustrating that success can come from embracing one's uniqueness rather than conforming to societal pressures.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about creativity, one might include this quote to encourage artists to break the mold.
More from Harold Ramis
All quotes βMy only conclusion about structure is that nothing works if you don't have interesting characters and a good story to tell.
A psychologist said to me, there are only two important questions you have to ask yourself. What do you really feel? And, what do you really want? If you can answer those two, you probably can leave your neuroses behind you.
It seems that, culturally, young people function more in groups. They know each other through digital media. All the young comedy people who work in TV are really used to working at the table with lots of writers around. They're comfortable in the group; they don't assert their own egos over everyone else.
Find the most talented person in the room and if it's not you, go stand next to him. Hang out with him. try to be helpful.
Similar quotes
War is the province of chance. In no sphere of human activity is such a margin to be left for this intruder. It increases the uncertainty of every circumstance, and deranges the course of events.
There is no desire that anyone holds for any other reason than that they believe they will feel better in the achievement of it. Whether it is a material object, a physical state of being, a relationship, a condition, or a circumstance - at the heart of every desire is the desire to feel good. And so, the standard of success in life is not the things or the money - the standard of success is absolutely the amount of joy you feel.
What I think about vivisection is that if people admit that they have the right to take or endanger the life of living beings for the benefit of many, there will be no limit to their cruelty.
The religious persecution of the ages has been done under what was claimed to be the command of God.
In the day-to-day trenches of adult life, there is actually no such thing as atheism. There is no such thing as not worshipping. Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship.
Thats how we survive infinity - we kill it by breaking it up into small bits.