The problem with taking offense is that it's really hard to figure out what to do with it after you're done using it. Better to just leave it on the table and walk away. Umbrage untaken quietly disappears.
Seth GodinRead
One option is to struggle to be heard whenever you're in the room... _x000D_ Another is to be the sort of person who is missed when you're not. _x000D_ The first involves making noise. The second involves making a difference.
Interpretation
What this quote means
It's better to create a meaningful impact than to simply seek attention.
In this quote, Seth Godin contrasts the idea of merely trying to be noticed and heard with the more profound goal of making a genuine difference that leads to being missed when absent. It suggests that the former focuses on superficial noise, while the latter emphasizes lasting significance and value in relationships and contributions.
Themes
ImpactDifferenceValuePresenceMeaning
In practice
Example use cases
Using this quote in a motivational speech about leadership to emphasize the importance of substance over style.
More from Seth Godin
All quotes →Not adding value is the same as taking it away.
Seth GodinRead
Excellence isn’t about meeting the spec, it’s about setting the spec. It defines what the consumer sees as quality right this minute, and tomorrow, if you’re good, you’ll reset that expectation again
Seth GodinRead
Living with doubt ... is almost always more profitable than living with certainty. _x000D_ People don't like doubt, so they pay money and give up opportunities to avoid it. _x000D_ Entrepreneurshi p is largely about living with doubt. If you need reassurance, you're giving up quite a bit to get it. On the other hand, if you can get in the habit of seeking out uncertainty, you'll have developed a great instinct.
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The danger of the Web is that you can go from idea to public announcement in under ten minutes.
Seth GodinRead
Art isn't only a painting. Art is anything that is creative, passionate and personal. Art is the unique work of a human being created to touch another. Art is created to have an impact, to change someone else.
Seth GodinRead
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