This one is for the fellow Suits lovers and Harvey Specter admirers out there!
Suits is one of my favorite shows to watch (and rewatch), and Harvey Specter, portrayed by Gabriel Macht, is one of the biggest reasons for that.
His character has an aura of invincibility about him. What else would expect from a badass corporate lawyer who seems to always come out on top even when the odds are stacked brutally against him?
Now look, I know it’s a TV show. It’d hardly be good theater to base a business show around someone who gets run over all the time. It’s far more entertaining to get to see him do that same thing to others.
Despite the scripted one-liners and speeches, there are things you can learn from his character about what it takes to succeed in business and life. So without further ado, here are some of the most memorable Harvey Specter quotes that will motivate you to succeed at whatever you do.
What Can We Learn From Harvey Specter?
At the end of the day, television is scripted. That’s why it seems like Harvey always has the perfect rebuttal or response to every situation.
In real life, the stakes are far different — even the most skilled and successful people fail. And in most cases they fail far more than the average person, which is why they are where they are in the first place.
Before talking about some of the best Harvey Specter quotes, here are a few insights that you can take away from his on-screen actions
#1: Loyalty Is Everything
Loyalty is important in just about everything you do in life. Whether it’s being a good spouse, being a reliable employee/boss, or being a true friend, loyalty is paramount.
Throughout the show, Specter shows extreme loyalty to people who have shown the same to him. More importantly though, he doesn’t just show blind loyalty to anyone and anything — it has to be a two-way street.
Loyalty demands loyalty. It’s not something that’s given, it’s something that’s earned. Adopt this same mindset with the people you’re close to and you’ll be able to separate the people who aren’t really there for you from the ones who have your back through anything.
Don’t stick your neck out for people who wouldn’t do the same for you.
#2: Winning Isn’t Everything
One thing that’s made clear about Specter throughout the show is that he wins. He’s all about winning, whatever the costs may be.
But often, those costs come back to bite him both personally and professionally.
It’s okay to want to win — the desire to win and be successful is in all of us.
Just don’t make the same mistake as Specter and make it your north star. There are more important things in life than winning and beating other people.
It’s okay to accept defeat sometimes as long as you truly believe it’s a temporary setback and not a permanent blow that prevents you from getting unstuck.
#3: Self-Confidence Is A Superpower
Self-confidence is one of the most important parts of living a successful, fulfilling life. If you don’t believe in yourself, you’ll often opt for a life of comfort and safety because you don’t trust yourself to face challenges and take risks.
Throughout the show, Harvey radiates confidence. He always feels like he’s making the right move because he believes in himself and his judgement.
Does that mean he never makes a mistake? Of course not, he makes quite a few throughout the show — the difference is that those mistakes don’t come from inaction.
It’s inevitable that you’re going to make mistakes in life. And when you do, confidence is what helps you recover and come back even stronger.
Harvey Specter Quotes About Life
Now that we’ve covered some of the lessons you can learn from watching him on screen, let’s start off with some awesome Harvey Specter quotes where lays down the law about how life works.
- “You always have a choice.”
- “Let them hate, just make sure they spell your name right.”
- “First impressions last. If you start behind the eight-ball, you’ll never get out in front.”
- “Sometimes good guys gotta do bad things to make the bad guys pay.”
- Work until you no longer have to introduce yourself.”
- “Don’t raise your voice, improve your argument.”
- “When people you don’t even know hate you, that’s when you know you’re the best.”
- “Never give up on something that you can’t go a day without thinking about.”
- “Ever loved someone so much, you would do anything for them? Yeah, well make that someone yourself and do whatever the hell you want.”
- “Never destroy anyone in public when you can accomplish the same goal in private.”
- “Don’t waste your time with explanations. People only hear what they want to hear.”
- “Life has two rules: 1. Never quit. 2. Always remember rule #1.”
- “Whoever is trying to bring you down is already below you.”
- “What are your choices when someone puts a gun to your head? You take the gun, or you pull out a bigger one. Or, you call their bluff. Or, you do any one of a hundred and forty-six other things.”
- “You want to change your life? Change the way you think.”
- “It’s what you do in the dark that puts you in the light.”
- “People talk about you because if they talked about themselves, no one would listen.”
- “The thing about smart people is that they seem crazy to dumb people.”
- “Time is free, but it’s priceless. You can’t own it, but you can use it. You can’t keep it, but you can spend it. Once you’ve lost it, you can never get it back.”
- “Adversity causes some men to break, others to break records.”
- “I don’t get lucky. I make my own luck.”
- “Focus on making yourself better, not on thinking that you are better.”
- “If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room.”
- “Stay away from negative people. They have a problem for every solution”
- “Knowledge is knowing what to say, wisdom is knowing when to say it.”
- “It’s easy to pretend you’re a good person in a crowd. What you do when you are alone is who you really are.”
- “The only thing you need is an unshakeable belief in yourself.”
- “Never blame a clown for acting like a clown, blame yourself for visiting the circus.”
- “Don’t base your decisions on the advice of those that don’t have to bear the consequences.”
- “You will live a dull and boring life if you do not take risks.”
- “If you are lucky enough to get a second chance at something, don’t waste it.”
- “You sleep to see your dreams. I stay awake and live mine.”
Harvey Specter Quotes About Winning & Succeeding
Harvey Specter’s main goal is to win — at anything, against anybody. He dominates people who challenge him, accumulating wealth and a stellar reputation along the way.
He doesn’t break laws or cheapshot his opponents to do it either. He simply does it by outworking his opponents and being mentally tougher than they are. Here’s a list of the best Harvey Specter quotes about the way successful people go through life.
- “I don’t play the odds, I play the man.”
- “Anyone can do my job, but no one can be me.”
- “I don’t have dreams, I have goals.”
- “It’s going to happen because I’m going to make it happen.”
- “Win a no win situation by rewriting the rules.”
- “That’s the difference between you and me. You wanna lose small, I wanna win big.”
- “The only time success comes before work is in the dictionary.”
- “Winners don’t make excuses when the other side plays the game.”
- “97% of people who gave up are employed by the 3% who never gave up.”
- “If you kinda sorta try, then you kinda sorta fail.”
- “You know who cries the hardest in the Miss America pageant? The winner. Because she knows she can’t win again and winners always want to.”
- “Kill them with success. Bury them with a smile.”
- “When achieving your goal is more important than partying, welcome to the 1%.”
- “You’re never going to win big if you’re only going to minimize your losses.”
- “Life is a game. Play to win.”
- “Have goals so big you get uncomfortable telling small-minded people.”
- “Success is like being pregnant, everyone says congratulations but nobody knows how many times you were f**ked.”
- “Destiny is for losers. The rest of us just go out and make it happen.”
- “You can’t get much done in life if you only work on the days when you feel good.”
- “The person you’re becoming will cost you people, relationships, and material things. Choose you over everything.”
- “Keep your mouth shut and work in silence, people will know about it soon.”
- “Rejection tells you whether you were serious about your goals or you were just screwing around.”
- “Most people are happy with average, but I’m not most people.”
- “You don’t have to have it all figured out to move forward.”
- “The bigger the struggle, the bigger the reward.”
- “Everybody was a nobody before they were a somebody.”
- “Don’t be upset with the results you didn’t get from the work you didn’t do.”
- “The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra.”
Harvey Specter Quotes About Loyalty & Respect
Loyalty and respect are two things that Harvey values greatly. You see this numerous times when he’s willing to go to great lengths to protect the people he cares about.
It’s built into his life as a hardened principle — he’s loyal to people who have proven their loyalty to him.
Respect works the same way. If people don’t show respect to you, then you have no obligation to respect them.
It doesn’t mean you stoop to their level and take cheapshots, but it does mean that you have the right to view their actions through a certain lens. No one wants a reputation that doesn’t garner respect.
Here’s some of the best Harvey Specter quotes about the importance of loyalty and respect.
- “I don’t take meetings. I set them. And my respect isn’t demanded, it’s earned.”
- “You’d be surprised what people you trust would do when someone puts them in a position where they think they don’t have a choice.”
- “If they think you care, they’ll walk all over you.”
- “Your promises are only as good as your priorities.”
- “People only treat you one way. The way that you allow them to.”
- “Loyalty is a two-way street. If I’m asking for it from you, then you are getting it from me.”
- “Forget prince charming. Go for the wolf. He can see you better. Have your back better. Hear you better.”
- “I respect those who keep their heads held high even when they’re on the verge of breaking.”
- “People get really mad when you don’t let them use you.”
- “If you don’t value your time, neither will others. Stop giving it like it’s free.”
- “You can do 99 things for someone and all they will remember is the one thing you didn’t do.”
- “Don’t make the mistake of thinking that something or someone will always be around.”
Final Thoughts
I hope you enjoyed this list of the best Harvey Specter quotes from Suits!
Even though television is scripted, there are always lessons to be learned as you watch certain characters. If you’re looking to succeed in business and develop a rock-solid mindset, Harvey is a shining example of what it means to do both.
Aside from the insights you can take away from watching him, I’ll just add this — Suits is a fantastic show that I thoroughly enjoyed all the way through.
If you’re browsing around for a new show to watch and enjoy shows like Madmen and Billions, then it will be right up your alley.
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