44 Petty Quotes That Will Leave an Impression on the Narrow-Minded

Petty people are often narrow-minded and usually concern themselves with the small details and things that don't matter. Dealing with them can be tricky, but these 44 petty quotes may help you understand them more.

Narrow-minded people have little or no mental flexibility, are closed to new opinions, and usually have many prejudices. They are most likely obstinate, dogmatic, and ignorant.

Close-minded people prefer to stick with what they already know and avoid stepping out of their comfort zone. In new, potentially challenging situations, they tend to focus on possible problems. They also tend to be selective with information, only filtering out information that confirms what the person already believes.

However, you must realize that it is not your job to re-educate anyone or change their character. Of course, you can get upset, but trying to agitate a narrow-minded person will probably not do any good.

These 44 petty quotes will help you learn how narrow-minded people operate and how dangerous their traits can be.

Adele's quote: "My life is full of drama, and I don't have time to worry about something as petty as what I look like." | Image: AmoDays

Petty Quotes about Narrow-Mindedness

"The petty man wants to use God for himself; the ambitious man wants God to use him for God." — Criss Jami

"Tis the business of little minds to shrink; but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death." — Thomas Paine

"I don't want to be a politician. I don't like politics. It's petty; it fights dirty." — John Mellencamp

"Great wisdom is generous; petty wisdom is contentious. Great speech is impassioned, small speech cantankerous." — Zhuangzi

"So many it seems, have made it their life's goal to bask in the ignorance of their certainty." — John Chaplin

Criss Jami's quote: "The petty man wants to use God for himself; the ambitious man wants God to use him for God." | Image: AmoDays

"Our thoughts are broadcasts of the soul, not secrets of the brain. Kind ones bring us happiness; petty ones, untold pain." — Ritu Ghatourey

"The man of petty ambition if invited to dinner will be eager to be set next his host." — Theophrastus

"A superior person knows what is moral; a petty person only knows what is profitable." — Chinese Proverb

"A petty person often misses out on what is pretty in life." — Gift Gugu Mona

"Kids think with their brains cracked wide open; becoming an adult, I've decided, is only a slow sewing shut." — Jodi Picoult

Ritu Ghatourey's quote: "Our thoughts are broadcasts of the soul, not secrets of the brain. Kind ones bring us happiness; petty ones, untold pain." | Image: AmoDays

"A mind is like a parachute. It doesn't work if it is not open." — Frank Zappa

"Petty laws breed great crimes." — Ouida

"People who make up their minds about something never listen to advice – especially when it's to the contrary." — Steven Erikson

"The art of giving orders is not to try to rectify the minor blunders and not to be swayed by petty doubts." — Sun Tzu

"I pity the man who praises God only when things go his way." ― Criss Jami, "Healology"

Frank Zappa's quote: "A mind is like a parachute. It doesn't work if it is not open." | Image: AmoDays

"Being bigheaded can be as irritating and as dangerous as being small-minded." ― Mokokoma Mokhonoana

"One thing about being narrow-minded: you'll never be lonely." — Mort Sahl

"Isn't it curious that narrow-minded people are often the most thickheaded?" — Paul Frank Baer

"The more we justify our beliefs, the more narrow-minded we become." — Lin Yutang

Mokokoma Mokhonoana's quote: "Being bigheaded can be as irritating and as dangerous as being small-minded." | Image: AmoDays

Petty Quotes That Discourage Pettiness

"One's opinion should only be as strong as one's knowledge on the matter." — Eric Hirzel

"Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things." — George Carlin

"Don't let the pettiness of life prevent you from enjoying God's plenty." — Bernard Kelvin Clive

"My life is full of drama, and I don't have time to worry about something as petty as what I look like." — Adele

"Don't be unwilling to take those little steps; in them are residing great journeys. Move on." — Israelmore Ayivor

Lin Yutang's quote: "The more we justify our beliefs, the more narrow-minded we become." | Image: AmoDays

"Don't worry about petty things." — Richie Norton

"Life is too short for drama and petty things, so kiss slowly, laugh insanely, love truly, and forgive quickly" — Susan Chapman Melanson

"Let your words be petty and actions plenty!"― Israelmore Ayivor, "Become a Better You"

"Giving an insignificant thing your attention is a form of self-disrespect." ― Mokokoma Mokhonoana

"Don't be unwilling to take those little steps; in them are residing great journeys. Move on." ― Israelmore Ayivor, "Shaping the Dream"

Richie Norton's quote: "Don't worry about petty things." | Image: AmoDays

"Bit by bit, whatever you see to be petty becomes plenty." ― Israelmore Ayivor, "Become a Better You"

Petty Quotes That Leave an Impression

"Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people." — Eleanor Roosevelt

"Intelligence arouses fear and respect; the lack of it keeps one on the narrow-minded road of disrespect, stupidity, and inferiority complex." — Michael Bassey Johnson

"It is better to be high-spirited even though one makes more mistakes than to be narrow-minded and all too prudent." — Vincent Van Gogh

"Who among us has the strength to oppose petty egoism, those petty good feelings, pity, and remorse?" — Ivan Turgenev

Israelmore Ayivor's quote: "Don't be unwilling to take those little steps; in them are residing great journeys. Move on." | Image: AmoDays

"The world perishes not from bandits and fires, but from hatred, hostility, and all these petty squabbles." — Anton Chekhov

"The less people know, the more stubbornly they know it." — Rajneesh

"He was so narrow-minded he could see through a keyhole with both eyes." — Molly Ivins

"A narrow mind and a fat head invariably come on the same person." — Zig Ziglar

Anton Chekhov's quote: "The world perishes not from bandits and fires, but from hatred, hostility, and all these petty squabbles." | Image: AmoDays

"People are very open-minded about new things – as long as they're exactly like the old ones." — Charles Kettering

"Wagging tongues from prejudiced, sophisticated facade of show-off people can never blemish any honest, genuine, golden heart." — Angelica Hopes

"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness." — Mark Twain

"I would rather have a mind opened by wonder than one closed by belief." — Gerry Spence

"The irony is that while our world might plead for change, it does its best to suppress it." — Hiba Fatima Ahmad

Angelica Hopes' quote: "Wagging tongues from prejudiced, sophisticated facade of show-off people can never blemish any honest, genuine, golden heart." | Image: AmoDays

Dealing with petty people can quickly become challenging because they are easily offended when someone questions their beliefs. If you meet such a person at work, professionalism should come first. If they are in your personal circles, try not to act like them, but learn to defuse any situation they overblown. To avoid confrontation, when arguing, acknowledge that they may be right even if you disagree with their opinions.

It is best to be open-minded, and for curious minds, these curiosity quotes will reignite your senses.