You can’t tell a story that works for everyone. It’s a liberating truth that forces you to focus your message, connect deeply with your true audience, and stop wasting energy on people who will never get it.
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Meaning
The core message is simple: stop trying to be for everyone. Authentic connection happens when you speak directly to a specific group of people—your tribe—who share a particular worldview.
Explanation
Look, I’ve seen so many businesses and creators burn out trying to craft a message that appeals to the widest possible audience. They water it down, make it generic, and in the end, it resonates with no one. What Seth is really saying here is that your power lies in your specificity. When you choose your tribe, you’re making a strategic decision. You’re deciding to tell a story that is so perfectly aligned with a specific set of beliefs and desires that it feels true to them. It’s not about lying; it’s about framing your authentic truth in a way that your chosen people will understand and embrace. It’s about resonance, not universality.
Quote Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Original Language | English (3668) |
| Category | Business (233) |
| Topics | focus (155), marketing (21) |
| Literary Style | direct (414) |
| Emotion / Mood | realistic (354) |
| Overall Quote Score | 78 (178) |
Origin & Factcheck
This quote comes straight from Seth Godin’s 2005 book, All Marketers Are Liars: The Power of Telling Authentic Stories in a Low-Trust World, published in the United States. Sometimes you might see the book title referenced as “All Marketers Tell Stories,” which was a later subtitle change to clarify Godin’s intent—that marketers tell stories people want to believe, not outright falsehoods.
Attribution Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Author | Seth Godin (100) |
| Source Type | Book (4032) |
| Source/Book Name | All Marketers Are Liars: The Power of Telling Authentic Stories in a Low-Trust World (57) |
| Origin Timeperiod | 21st Century (1892) |
| Original Language | English (3668) |
| Authenticity | Verified (4032) |
Author Bio
Seth Godin writes and teaches about marketing, leadership, and creative work. After earning an MBA from Stanford, he founded Yoyodyne, sold it to Yahoo!, and later launched ventures like Squidoo and the altMBA. He has authored bestsellers such as Permission Marketing, Purple Cow, Tribes, Linchpin, and This Is Marketing. He posts daily at seths.blog and speaks globally about making work that matters. If you’re starting with the Seth Godin book list, expect insights on trust, storytelling, and shipping creative projects that change culture.
| Official Website | Facebook | X
Where is this quotation located?
| Quotation | You can’t tell a story that works for everyone. Choose your tribe |
| Book Details | Publication Year/Date: 2005; ISBN/Unique Identifier: 9781591841009; Last edition: Portfolio Penguin 2012; Number of pages: 240. |
| Where is it? | Chapter 43: Choosing Your Tribe, page 285, 2012 edition |