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
Not adding value is the same as taking it away.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Contributing positively is essential; failing to do so is equivalent to detracting from overall value.
Seth Godin's quote emphasizes the importance of actively adding value in any endeavor. If one does not contribute positively or enhance a situation, it can be perceived as undermining its worth, thereby equating inactivity with negativity. In various contexts, whether in business, relationships, or personal growth, the absence of value creation is akin to reducing the existing value, highlighting the necessity of engagement and contribution.
Themes
ValueContributionBusinessEngagementNegativity
In practice
Example use cases
During a team meeting to discuss project contributions.
More from Seth Godin
All quotes →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.
Seth GodinRead
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
I made a decision to write for my readers, not to try to find more readers for my writing.
Seth GodinRead
Similar quotes
Poor firms ignore their competitors; average firms copy their competitors; winning firms lead their competitors.
Philip KotlerRead
The buyer is entitled to a bargain. The seller is entitled to a profit. So there is a fine margin in between where the price is right. I have found this to be true to this day whether dealing in paper hats, winter underwear or hotels.
Conrad HiltonRead
You go to any MBA program, and you will be taught the theory of the firm, that the purpose of the firm is the maximization of return on invested capital. I always thought this was a kind of lunacy.
Peter SengeRead
I don't think a true company - one that builds sustainable value - can ever only exist online or remotely.
Margaret HeffernanRead
The hard part of running a business is that there are a hundred things that you could be doing, and only five of those actually matter, and only one of them matters more than all of the rest of them combined. So figuring out there is a critical path thing to focus on and ignoring everything else is really important.
Sam AltmanRead
Wherever we are seeing something getting used, that to us is an early indicator that there might be something that people want. And then let's figure out how to make that great. And then let's go figure out monetization.
Satya NadellaRead