Legendary jazz pianist Thelonious Monk relayed this message, along with other words of wisdom, to saxophonist Steve Lacy when the two played together in 1960. While his list of guidelines, which Lacy transcribed in a notebook titled "T. Monk’s Advice," was initially directed at fellow musicians, messages like these offer universal insight. Monk advocates for authenticity, personal integrity, and belief in oneself as our highest, most defining virtues. A singular force in music and beyond, he led by example on this front. In a world of constant pressure to give into conventions and expectations, he stressed that the greatest gift we have to give is ourselves.

Albert Einstein is undoubtedly one of the most brilliant scientific minds of all time, but besides being a genius, he was also something of a rebel. This rebellious streak gave him a certain intellectual edge, and he was quick to critique widely accepted scientific dogma as well as social trends and cultural beliefs. This critical thinking can be seen in this comment Einstein made about standardization (in a cultural rather than scientific context) in a 1929 interview with “The Saturday Evening Post.” The quote continues, “I believe in standardizing automobiles. I do not believe in standardizing human beings.” Einstein often emphasized individuality, as seen in another quote from the famed scientist: “We must not only learn to tolerate our differences. We must welcome them as the richness and diversity which can lead to true intelligence.”