In order to form an immaculate member of a flock of sheep one must, above all, be a sheep.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- To be accepted as perfect within a group, one must conform to the group’s nature rather than stand out.
- In plain terms
- If you want to fit in perfectly with a herd, you have to act like the rest of the herd.
- What can you take from it?
- Conformity is often the price of acceptance in social groups.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- When does conformity help rather than harm?
- What is lost when one becomes too much like the flock?
Another view
The metaphor implies criticism is necessary to be accepted, which may not always be true.
More from Albert Einstein
If you are out to describe the truth, leave elegance to the tailor.
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