Recently, I was asked if I was going to fire an employee who made a mistake that cost the company $600,000. No, I replied, I just spent $600,000 training him. Why would I want somebody to hire his experience?
Thomas J. WatsonRead
Follow the path of the unsafe, independent thinker. Expose your ideas to the danger of controversy. Speak your mind and fear less the label of "crackpot" than the stigma of conformity.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Encourage independent thinking and embracing controversy over conformity.
This quote by Thomas J. Watson emphasizes the importance of thinking critically and independently rather than following the crowd. It advocates for expressing one's ideas even if they provoke controversy, suggesting that the real danger lies in conforming to societal norms and stifling one's true thoughts.
Themes
Independent ThinkingConformityControversyCreativityFreedom
In practice
Example use cases
In a debate about innovation, you might quote this to inspire others to value original ideas.
More from Thomas J. Watson
All quotes →If you want to succeed, double your failure rate.
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If you want to increase your success rate, double your failure rate.
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The great accomplishments of man have resulted from the transmission of ideas and enthusiasm.
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Every time we've moved ahead in IBM, it was because someone was willing to take a chance, put his head on the block, and try something new.
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