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I've Never Done Anything For The Common Consensus. I Do Things To Please Me. If You Are Happy With Something Yourself, You Become Bulletproof.
-Ricky Gervais
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I've Never Done Anything

Ricky Gervais
...
I've Never Done Anything For The Common Consensus. I Do Things To Please Me. If You Are Happy With Something Yourself, You Become Bulletproof.

Understanding the Quote: "i've never done anything for the common consensus. i do things to..."

This quote by Ricky Gervais reflects deeply on the theme of please me. It connects to the universal human journey of purpose, motivation, and reflection. Often categorized under Please Me, Done, Common, the quote offers insight, emotional clarity, and intellectual inspiration to readers worldwide.

Whether you’re a student exploring new ideas, a leader trying to motivate your team, or someone seeking direction in life — this quote provides value. It resonates because it’s more than words — it’s a bridge between experience and wisdom. It shows how Ricky Gervais interprets life's core challenges and triumphs.

Lessons From the Quote

This quote teaches resilience and focus. It reminds readers that no matter where they stand in life, reflection and self-awareness lead to growth. Each word has meaning, and when studied, it becomes clear how impactful thoughtful language can be.

About Ricky Gervais

Ricky Gervais is celebrated for insightful thoughts on please me and done. Their legacy lives on through writings that guide, comfort, and inspire. Discover more on their profile page.

Actionable Takeaways

  • Reflect on how this quote applies to your current life path.
  • Share the message with someone who needs inspiration.
  • Write your thoughts on this quote in a journal or blog post.
  • Use it as a daily affirmation or reminder.

Closing Thoughts

Quotes like this endure because they capture universal truths. They comfort us in solitude and empower us in groups. Carry this quote forward — live by its wisdom, share its message, and keep its essence alive.

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Topic
Please Me
Done
Common
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Want
Ethical
There Are Good And Bad Critics Like Good Or Bad Artists. A Good Critic Says Why They Didn't Like It. A Bad Critic Gives It Away That They Don't Like You As A Person. I Quite Like That As Well, Because It Means That I've Won.
Mean
Artist
Giving
I Still See Myself As A Bit Of A Cottage Industry. Being In A Room Creating Stuff And Seeing If Anyone Wants It, As Opposed To Going To Work For Someone.
Creating
Cottages
Want
Most People Sitting At Home Aren't Cool, Successful, Witty Hollywood Stars, But They All Worry About What People Think Of Them When They Faux Pas.
Witty
Stars
Home
I've Never Done Anything For The Common Consensus. I Do Things To Please Me. If You Are Happy With Something Yourself, You Become Bulletproof.
Please Me
Done
Common
The Service In L.a. Is The Best. You Don't Get Sarcastic, Surly, Fed-up Waiters And Waitresses Like You Do In England. They're Good At Their Job And They're There For The Customer. The Only Depressing Thing Is A Lot Of Them Have Written More Screenplays Than Me.
Sarcastic
Depressing
Jobs
The World Is Not Entirely Comic And It's Not Entirely Dramatic. You Have A Laugh And Then Someone Finds A Lump And You Deal With That. Because That Is What Life Is Like.
Laughing
Life Is Like
World
Fact Is Stranger Than Fiction. You See People Walking Down The Street That Would Never Be Allowed On Television. You Have To Tone It Down.
People
Facts
Tone
When People Say To Me: Would You Rather Be Thought Of As A Funny Man Or A Great Boss? My Answer's Always The Same, To Me, They're Not Mutually Exclusive.
Men
People
Boss
I Always Chose All My Friends On Whether They Were Funny. What's A Better Way To Pass The Time Than Laughing Or Smiling?
Laughing
Way
My Friends
Do Unto Others…’ Is A Good Rule Of Thumb. I Live By That. Forgiveness Is Probably The Greatest Virtue There Is. But That’s Exactly What It Is - A Virtue. Not Just A Christian Virtue. No One Owns Being Good. I’m Good. I Just Don’t Believe I’ll Be Rewarded For It In Heaven. My Reward Is Here And Now. It’s Knowing That I Try To Do The Right Thing. That I Lived A Good Life. And That’s Where Spirituality Really Lost Its Way. When It Became A Stick To Beat People With. ‘do This Or You’ll Burn In Hell.’ You Won’t Burn In Hell. But Be Nice Anyway.
Christian
Good Life
Nice
Our Challenge With "the Office" And "extras" Was To Get It Completely Scripted But To Find A Cast That Could Make It Look Like They Were Saying It For The First Time.
Office
Challenges
Looks
We Only Do What We Think Is Good And What We're Happy With. I Do That In Stand-up, I Even Do It With My Children's Books. I Don't Do Market Research, I Don't Have Focus Groups, I Don't Care. I Don't Care If It Fails, Honestly. I'd Rather Have Something That's Completely Mine Fail Than Something Succeed That I'm Not Proud Of.
Children
Book
Thinking
I Remember The First Check I Got For 'the Office,' And It Made Me Feel Sad. It Ruined It. ... Because There Was Sort Of A Nobility In Poverty.
Office
Firsts
Poverty
If Your Boss Is Getting You Down, Look At Him Through The Prongs Of A Fork And Imagine Him In Jail.
Naughty
Jail
Boss
You Won't Burn In Hell. But Be Nice Anyway.
Atheist
Nice
Being Nice
Where There's A Will - There's A Relative!
Cousin
Relative
Do This Or You’ll Burn In Hell.
Hell
Opinions Don't Affect Facts. But Facts Should Affect Opinions, And Do, If You're Rational
Atheism
Facts
Opinion
My Ideal Meal Would Probably Be The Cheesiest Pasta Or Pizza, Followed By Something Creamy And Chocolaty. I Mean, Just The Worst Things, Really.
Mean
Meals
Pasta
The Grass Isn't Always Greener On The Other Side!
Grass Is Greener On The Other Side
Sides
Grass Growing
Just Looking At All The Faces Here Reminds Me Of Some Of The Great Work That Was Done This Year . . . By Cosmetic Surgeons.
Years
Faces
Done
I Used To Believe In God. The Christian One, That Is (there Are A Few Thousand To Choose From. But I Was Born In A Country Where The Dominant Religion Was Christianity So I Believed In That One. Isn't It Weird How That Always Happens?). Luckily I Was Also Interested In Science And Nature. And Reason And Logic. And Honesty And Truth. And Equality And Fairness. By The Age Of Eight I Was An Atheist.
Christian
Country
Atheist
I Don't Think A Comedian Should Even Be Concerned With Being Cool Or Sexy, As Soon As You Do, You Aren't A Comedian Any More. Looks Are Still The Most Important Thing For Women When It Comes To Meeting A Partner. And That's Fair Enough, But A Sense Of Humour Is Really Important Too. For Starters, It's A Great Indicator Of Whether You Are Going To Get On. If The First Time You Go On A Date You Don't Find Each Other Funny, There's A Fundamental Problem.
Sexy
Thinking
Comedian
You Now Have The Least Amount Of Time You've Ever Had, To Do Everything You've Ever Wanted To Do. Enjoy Your Life. You Only Get One
Enjoy
Enjoy Your Life
Wanted
The Terrible Thing In England Is If You Interview A Thousand People, Five Hundred Of Them Will Talk Like They're Going Into A Guy Ritchie Movie And The Other Five Hundred Will Be Mr. Darcy. So We Had To Find Cool, Working Class Kids With No Profile Who Could Be John Travolta And James Dean And People Like That.
Kids
Class
People
Same Sex Marriage Isn't Gay Privilege, It's Equal Rights. Privilege Would Be Something Like Gay People Not Paying Taxes. Like Churches Don't.
Marriage
Sex
Gay
People Confuse The Subject Of The Joke With The Target Of The Joke, And They're Very Rarely The Same.
People
Target
Subjects
If You Pay Attention To Good Critics, You Have To Listen To The Bad. So You Have To Ignore Them All Really. You Can't Just Cherry Pick The Glowing Ones.
Glowing
Attention
Pay
Everyone Is Entitled To Their Opinion, But If You Believe In God, You're Wrong.
Believe
Religion
Opinion
We Shouldn't Even Need The Word 'atheism'. If People Didn't Invent Ridiculous Imaginary Gods, Rational People Wouldn't Have To Deny Them.
People
Religion
Atheism
I Think Comedy Has To Be An Intellectual Pursuit. It Comes Down To Logic And Analysis. As Soon As It Becomes Emotional, It's Not Comedy Anymore.
Emotional
Thinking
Intellectual
Science Seeks The Truth. And It Does Not Discriminate. For Better Or Worse It Finds Things Out. Science Is Humble. It Knows What It Knows And It Knows What It Doesn’t Know. It Bases Its Conclusions And Beliefs On Hard Evidence -­- Evidence That Is Constantly Updated And Upgraded. It Doesn’t Get Offended When New Facts Come Along. It Embraces The Body Of Knowledge. It Doesn’t Hold On To Medieval Practices Because They Are Tradition.
Humble
Practice
Atheism
I Have To Be Excited, I Have To Have An Adrenaline Rush About Doing Something, Or It Bores Me, I Feel Trapped.
Excited
Adrenaline
Bores
Whether You Understand They Evolved Over Billions Of Years Or Believe That A God Made Them All One Afternoon, Please Be Kind To Animals.
Believe
Animal
Years
I Know How Much Embarrassment Hurts, And I Love It As A Theme Because You Can Keep Digging A Hole. It's Just An Endless Well, Embarrassment.
Hurt
Digging A Hole
Embarrassment
I'm Quite Squeamish, Really. I'm Philistine And Unsophisticated - Not Because Of My Great Discerning Palate But Other Reasons. Some Are Moral Grounds, Some Texture.
Texture
Moral
Reason
I Was Okay With Singing. I Always Sneak A Song Into Everything I Do. Dancing, A Little Awkward. Little Embarrassed About That. I Don't Move Well. But I Was With A Frog, So It Doesn't Matter. I'll Do Anything With A Frog, That's My Motto. He's Great With Tap-dancing Or Flap-dancing On My Head. So No One's Going To Be Looking At Me When We're Doing That Dance. They're Going To Be Saying, 'there's A Frog Dancing'.
Song
Moving
Dancing
Unlike Religious People, I Look At All Religions Equally.
Religious
Epic
People
Life Is So Interesting... Just Every Day Life. I Remember Someone Once Saying: "drama Is Real Life With The Boring Bits Taken Out."
Real
Drama
Taken
The Existence Of God Is Not Subjective. He Either Exists Or He Doesn’t. It’s Not A Matter Of Opinion. You Can Have Your Own Opinions. But You Can’t Have Your Own Facts.
God
Atheist
Religion
I See Atheists Are Fighting And Killing Each Other Again, Over Who Doesn't Believe In Any God The Most. Oh, No..wait.. That Never Happens.
Atheist
Believe
Fighting
I Think Doing Something Creative Is The Most Important Thing To Me, And I Think It's Probably Just Good For The Soul For Anyone, Whatever It Is. You Don't Have To Be A Film Director - You Can Do Gardening Or Something - But I Think Everyone Needs To Create Something.
Thinking
Creative
Soul
A Joke Isn't Yours. It's Used And You Don't Know Where It's Been.
Humor
Used
Jokes
I Don't Live By "the Rules" You Know, And If There's One Person Who Has Influenced Me In That Way Of Thinking, Someone Who Is A Maverick, Someone Who Does 'that' To The System Then It's Ian Botham.
Thinking
Doe
Way
What Will It Feel Like After You Die? Exactly The Same As It Felt For Those Billions Of Years Before You Were Born.
Years
Born
Billions
When I Direct My Own Scripts, It's Much Easier As It's Been In My Head For A Year Already... What I Love About This Is Having An Idea And Seeing It Come To Fruition On Screen. I Would Like To Direct Someone Else's Script One Day, But I Might Not Get Round To It Before I Die - You Can't Legislate For Being Hit By A Bus!
Years
Ideas
One Day
It Will Be Great To Play A Short, Fat Sweaty Loser For A Change.
Play
Loser
Fats
She Said, 'i'm Your Biggest Fan,' And I Said, 'who Are You?' She Said, 'paris Hilton.'
Paris
Fans
Said
I've Got The Attention Span Of A Child.
Children
Attention
Attention Span
The World Is Bigger Than All The Parts. That's The Important Thing, And One Thing Can Throw Everything Off Kilter. And You Must Never Let Yourself Off. You'll Let Yourself Off By Mistake. So You Shouldn't Do It Consciously. You Have To Be Above It All And Just Be Very Disciplined With It. Just Be Very Disciplined With It.
Mistake
Important
World
People Think "the Office" Was Improvised, But It's All On The Page. We Do That Because What We Found Is That In The Early Days Of "the Office," We Went In With It Sort Of 80 Percent Scripted And We Did Some Things And Then We Improv'd And We Did - You Know, And It Gets A Laugh On The Floor Because It's The First Time They've Heard It.
Thinking
People
Laughing
Thank You God For Making Me An Atheist.
Atheist
Thank You God
I No Longer Needed A Reason For My Existence, Just A Reason To Live. And Imagination, Free Will, Love, Humor, Fun, Music, Sports, Beer, And Pizza Are All Good Enough Reasons For Living. But Living An Honest Life - For That You Need The Truth.
Sports
Fun
Beer
My Philosophy? Have A Laugh For As Long As You Can And Don't Get Run Over. Or Stabbed.
Running
Philosophy
Long
If You Walked Around Like David Bowie In 1973 In Reading, You'd Get Beaten Up. The 1970s In A Small Town Was More Like The 1950s.. And That's The Truth. The Backdrop Was Probably Victorian.
Reading
Towns
Small Town
Mondays Are Fine. It's Your Life That Sucks
Monday
Fine
Being Honest Is What Counts. To Make The Ordinary Extraordinary Is So Much Better Than Starting With The Extraordinary.
Ordinary Extraordinary
Honest
Starting
That's What Being Nervous And Sort Of Out Of Your Comfort Zone Does. It's The Same In "the Office" When A Black Guy Comes To The Office And All He Thinks Is `i Better Show This Guy I'm Not A Racist.' So What Does He Do? Only Talks About Black Issues.
Thinking
Issues
Office
I Had Great Memories Of Growing Up In A Working Class Estate. I Remember It Being Sunny All The Time. So We're Putting That On Screen. It's Not People Wallowing In Degradation.
Growing Up
Memories
Class
No One Wants To See Cool People Doing Brilliantly. I Want To See The Struggle. That's The Fun Bit.
Fun
Struggle
People
People See Me, And They See The Suit, And They Go: "you're Not Fooling Anyone", They Know I'm Rock And Roll Through And Through. But You Know That Old Thing, Live Fast, Die Young? Not My Way. Live Fast, Sure, Live Too Bloody Fast Sometimes, But Die Young? Die Old. That's The Way- Not Orthodox, I Don't Live By "the Rules" You Know.
Rocks
Old Things
Rock And Roll
When You Are Dead, You Do Not Know You Are Dead. It's Only Painful And Difficult For Others. The Same Applies When You Are Stupid.
Stupid
Painful
Difficult
Suggesting I Hate People With Religion Because I Hate Religion Is Like Suggesting I Hate People With Cancer Because I Hate Cancer.
Hate
Cancer
People
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