Beto O'Rourke Quotes

I reject most conventional wisdom.

All progress has resulted from people who took unpopular positions.

From an early age I didn't buy into the value systems of working hard in a nine-to-five job. I thought creativity, friendship and loyalty and pushing the boundaries of what was acceptable was much more interesting.

I may be a maverick, but it doesn't mean I like playing tricks.

Swim upstream. Go the other way. Ignore the conventional wisdom.

You cannot lead this country by being [politically] safe.

I'm interested in the kind of anti-establishment ethos that goes with making an independent movie. I like to bring that to studio films - usually to the consternation of the studios.

Texans and independent voters like to vote for somebody who is going to buck the status quo, and isn't going to do as he is told.

You may confuse a lot of people when going against the grain of conventional thinking, and that's perfectly okay. As an entrepreneur, standing up for your vision to your family and friends might possibly be the best practice you will get for the life that awaits you.

When I became leader, I made very clear I was not going to choose the easy life. I have always taken risks. I don't like comfort-zone politics.

I don't like anything in the mainstream and they don't like me.

I don't like playing standards. I like to do my own cutting edge work.

When I was younger, I just thought that my plans were probably going to be more exciting than my parents' plans or the establishment. I sort of got by on being a little bit of a rebel.

I love playing outsiders, I always do.

I never quite toed the line. I was a bit disruptive. All my early school reports from the age of 5 were 'Daniel must learn not to distract others.' And now, that's what I do for a living.

If you want to be a different fish, jump out of school.

Outrageous behavior, also known as the lunatic fringe, is the seed bed of innovation and creativity.

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.

Sometimes leadership is not going along with everybody else.

He frequents the company of antisocials with whom he exchanges mutual negative influences, he has rude opinions about the revolutionary process, he ignores official warnings, he is provocative, and he disrespects the norms of social coexistence.

Always listen to experts. They will tell you what can't be done and why. Then do it.

Now that I am no longer in office, I can say things that may be unpopular… Let’s roll!

I can see there's a connection between not following normal thinking and doing creative thinking. I wouldn't have had good scientific ideas if I had thought more normally.

Never judge something by whether it is popular or not. You don't have to follow trends. No one thought William Wilberforce was right at first.

Let's face it: 'Threatening' people are the only interesting people around. The unthreatening are, by and large, competent mediocrities who take lemming-like aim at careers in television.