Square peg in a round hole refers to some one who is a misfit in a particular situation or place. I believe one should be a square peg in a round hole.
There are diverse people everywhere and there might be times when you feel misfit. But is it worth to sacrifice something that makes you distinct just to fit in a place, and how can you be sure that if you do sacrifice then you will definitely fit. We are defined by things that make us apart from others. To fit in a group i believe an effort from both the sides is required.
Square peg in a round hole. A square peg won't fit in a round hole. But we can. We can always make the necessary adjustments in our life situations. But sometimes it would require to give up on your values, your morals, your distinct attitude. Charu was very right in saying that it is not worth to sacrifice for and lose your identity just to fit in as you lose yourself as well and there is no assurance you even fit well.
Due to advent of technology cross cultural work environment has become commonplace. People carry certain cultures, customs and behaviour patterns which have their roots in the upbringing specific to the region. This makes people of one region culturally and socially misfit in other regions. They end up as square pegs in round holes.
As rightly said by Charu and Shefali that you can make the necessary adjustments in life but should not lose your identity just to fit in because there is no assurance that you will fit well.
Narayanaswami Srinivasan is an industrialist who is also the current president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India(BCCI), the governing body for cricket in India. Here Mr. N Srinivasan is the square peg and he has squeezed himself to fit in the round hole that is the cricket board and recently as we all know he had been surrounded by controversies… An industrialist also playing the role as the cricket board president is like a square peg fitted in a round hole. Another example: In an organization one needs to work according to the rules and regulations which is already laid down and one is required to change oneself with respect to the surroundings. (“As they say, you can't fit a square peg in a round hole. If your boss is like that round hole and you are that square peg, you aren't going to fit in unless you re-shape your edges- Gini Graham Scott in A Survival Guide for Working with Bad Bosses) So in both these cases we see that we enter into a job or a task either by our own discretion or by destiny but sooner or later we realize that it’s not our cup of tea as we are not meant for it.
Square Peg in a Round Hole depicts someone who is misfit for a particular situation or environment due to certain qualities that are different from all others. Everybody is unique with different styles, morals, personalities and work habits. And with diverse cultures all around this uniqueness can be easily seen and felt. One should not change himself completely to fit in a particular situation or environment. But one should be adaptable enough to make minor changes in him as and when required to move on with time.
Change with the changing times but never loose your own identity in the process of change because that is what makes a person unique and gives him confidence to stand out in the crowd.
If somebody's in a situation, organization etc where they don't fit in and feel out of place, they are a square peg in a round hole. It is a total misfit. It is a sense that you don't belong there. This can also be used to refer to someone who is unsuited for the type of job that he/she is actually doing. In order to get oneself fit in a misfit situation one has to change his/her attitude. Instead of complaining about the incompatibility it is better to change oneself and level the playing field so that it is compatible to everyone, and prevent the loss of time, money and other resources.
The pace at which the world is becoming small everyday people carry certain cultures, customs, mannerism and behavior patterns which have their roots in the upbringing specific to the regions. This makes the people of one region culturally and socially misfit in other regions. The local people will always have an advantage over the migrants culturally.At the same time, it is incorrect to assume that one culture is more business friendlily than the other.So the time has come for a change, a change in attitude. Instead of complaining about the incompatibility, it is better, we level the thinks. This can be achieved by:- 1.dedicating extra time and develop skills 2.take cultural division as cultural diversity. 3.make urself comfortable with team norms or atleast be familiar with it. 4.Your adaptability, your sustainability, your delivery levels should convince people and the managements and help in building of cross culture teams everywhere. so it is need f the hour to be adaptable to difeerent situation in today's cut throat competitive world
"Square peg in a round hole" is an idiomatic expression which describes the individual who could not fit into society’s prerequisites and set norms
Misfits are always there in a society, organisation, class, family etc. it is important to be yourself. Sometimes people spend their whole lives becoming like others leaving behind their own individualistic behaviour and characters. In life, it is good to make certain adjustments according to situation but making a compromise only to comply to other's needs is not important. If you be yourself, unique and creative you are bound to succeed.
If a person is working for an organization, and he says that he feels like a square peg in a round hole, what he means is that he fell like a total misfit due to different cultures society or organisation, so he and the others around him sense that he don’t belong there. The expression can also be used to refer to someone who is unsuited for the type of job that he / she is actually doing.But some people in a way to fit into the situation tend to loose their identities which is undone . so it is necessary to be who you are ,not who you can turn yourself into. so making adjustments accordingly is good but by making efforts like changing your attitude rather than blaming others because everyone has a unique identity which sometimes is a key to success. :)
Square peg in a round hole means unusual individualist who could not fit into a niche of his or her society.In the present scenario when we have to adapt to different kind of situation we need to be like a square peg in the round table.In the corporate world there would be different kind of people with different cultures and we need to adjust with different kind of people and culture irrespective of the fact whether we like it or not,but we need to take care that we do not lose our original identity.The best way to do so is by taking the challenge in a positive manner rather than criticizing the situation
When you find yourself to be in a situation where you feel like a sqaure peg in a round hole, you have two options. You may compromise with the situation and try to bend the edges of the square to fit it into the circular hole, or you may try to look for better opprtunities, I.e. a square hole where you need not bend yourself to fit in. You can always be the square peg in a round hole and still reach better places with better opportunities for you.
A square peg in a round hole is the problem that causes a lot of stress. This is when an individual is in a position that does not fit their personality. An example of this is someone such as an extrovert working a position that is better suited for an introvert. Sometimes one personality may not fit what they are doing at work and will be more successful in a different position. We can solve this problem by motivating ourselves .
“A square peg in a round hole” is an abstract expression referring to someone whose character makes them completely wrong for the type of work they are doing or for the situation they are in. It might also relate with someone who is different from most people of the same age. The significance of the expression can be viewed from two perspectives. Firstly, it signifies that one should not always complain about the situation, but instead should make some efforts or changes to carve oneself as the situation demands. Whereas on the other side of the coin, it also signifies that one should always be careful while taking any decision. Though some changes can be made in oneself, but the changes of the level that would make a square peg fit in a round table i.e. the changes of such high level are not possible. Hence the decisions should be taken with utmost care and thought to avoid a misfit of oneself in any situation or job.
square peg in a round hole means a person who is misfit in a particular situation.A person who is kind of square peg in a round hole finds themselves unfit in the organization.They are not able to adjust with the people of different cultures .One should try to adapt to the organizational culture and co-operate with the co-workers .
A square peg in a round hole describes the situation in which a square peg(which do not fits in a round hole) is forced to squeeze into a round hole.It describes the situation in which a person is working in that environment in which he/she is not comfortable.In this case the person would not be able to give his 100% and may end up getting frustrated .Now its the choice of person to stay in that environment or to do those things in which he is comfortable. What i feel is that the person should change the environment and should do what he is capable of so that he can focus on his strengths and finally succeed.Even if he looses then also he wont regret and would rather learn from his mistakes.........
A square peg in a round hole describes two persons with different traits who are trying to adjust with each other. But in this process some gap will always be there which represents the differences between the two. And these differences can't be overcome as the two are with different mind sets. So I would conclude by saying that a square and round hole are distinct from each other having different capabilities and limitations.....
Some proverbs make us think about the deeper realms of human motivation and indomitable spirit to achieve. The misfits or the square pegs in round holes being one of them. Such rebellious, anti status quo-ists can be quoted, disagreed with, glorified, or even vilified, but surely they cannot be ignored.. To quote a few consider the example of Im dong hyun. Registered as a blind man he broke the world record in men's archery in London Olympics 2012. Kailash kher - the famous bollywood singer was told by doctors and Ustads that he cannot sing. The above quoted 2 and thousands more have made it real big. This leads us to think what exactly keeps such "Squares " going on.. The answer to the riddle is simple yet complex. The journey between being a misfit to being an epitome in the respective fields is tiring and tough but the power of the dream, the power of an idea i.e. the power within makes it possible. Thus the knowledge within us i.e. the knowledge of self can make the squares better than circles sometimes.
A square peg in a round hole implies Living in a foreign culture that comes with all kinds of dilemmas, which is figuring out to what extent one should adopt the customs and mannerism of the host. I don’t think that there’s a right or wrong answer to this – so much depends on each individual and their own circumstances. Some people seem to do very well by maintaining their own home culture and making little or no effort to adopt the culture of the country they’re living in. Some people seem to have a knack for taking on their host culture and assimilating everything. Some people struggle every day to find a balance between their own culture and their host culture, and others seem to find that balance effortlessly.
A square peg in a round hole. This statement can have varied interpretations. It may depict an individual who could not fit into a niche of his or her society. At the same time, it may also represent a person who is unique, innovative and has an edge over the others in his work environment. One should be a square peg in a round hole. An individual must try to adjust in his work ambience and be able to cope up with the changes in the surroundings. In today's life this can only be achieved with a unique sense of ability to think out of the box.
I completely agree with what Pankhuri has said about the two interpretations describing the idiomatic expression. Talking about whether one needs to be a 'Square peg in a round hole', I would say that it can be both ways, either a person tries his best to make that circular hole a square one or should look out for other opportunities or areas of his or her capabilities and strengths. But at the end, we must give our best in any situation that we are into, after all the feeling of joy and satisfaction one gets after achieving what one can't, is very difficult to express in words.
Square peg in a round hole reminds me of of the Noble Peace Prize winner "Aun San Suu Kyi". she protested against the oppresive ruler of her country and had to go under house arrest many times but she continued her struggle and finally won and freed her country from the brutal dictator U Ne Win. She formed the democratic government in Burma on 2 may 2012.
This quote according to me refers to the situation where one tries to fit into the situation where he/she do not belong. Everybody has its own choices, thinking and wishes, so one must go according to his wishes because in long term this matters a lot. Their is always a gap left when you try to fit in the strange situation which one can't fill because compromise is always done for short time. Be what you are and what you have.
"Square peg in a round hole" as the idiom suggest someone who is uncomfortable or who does not belong in a particular situation 'or' Trying to combine two things that do not belong or fit together.I can relate this idiom with the Indian Politics and Indian culture.. As a nation of 84 lakh gods and godesses our beliefs are like truth will lead to salvation, respect the dignity of other human beings, not to cheat anyone but as we can see in our politics all these values and beliefs are long forgotten myth... so i can say that there is a square peg of indian culture in Indian politics round hole..
a square peg in a round hole..... why go far a perfect example is at home only ! our inefficient government led by our pm .... who is certainly a misfit as he is not able to curb the rising inflating rates of the economy and was incapable of taking any harsh actions against our neighbouring country when they were brutually be heading our soldiers. i feel having a misfit in a functional structure just weaken it because he/she just gel along with the common goals and ideas of the organization.
a square peg in a round hole - said by none other than steve jobs - "Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them.
About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They invent. They imagine. They heal. They explore. They create. They inspire. They push the human race forward.
Maybe they have to be crazy.
While some see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do." -- Steve Jobs oh well yes! he certainly was a square peg for a lot of people of his generation as he though so diffreent and out of the box, he dropped college and still mamanged to run one of the best companies in the world...
There is a round hole. What would happen if someone inserts a square peg (which means wooden stick in square shape) into the round hole. The square peg would not enter into the hole. Because of mismatch between the two sizes. This expression is just the figurative meaning of this mismatch. This expression dates from the 1800 s , to describe people who just did not fit into situations they were in. They essentially did not have the temperament, skills, or knowledge. The wrong man in the wrong place; especially applied to government officials.The wrong man in the wrong place; especially applied to government officials.
A square peg in a round hole refers to a situation where we try to combine two things that do not fit into each other. These two things can be a person and the culture he is exposed to. Although such a situation will lead to a lot of discomfort, but, it is better to change oneself and compromise a bit to adapt to an unfamiliar and an uncomfortable situation rather than getting frustrated all the time due to it. So one can definitely be a square peg in a round hole especially when no other alternative exists.
A square peg in a round hole is a situation when one has to go to other country where culture is different i.e. cross culture work environment. This makes the people of one region culturally and socially misfit in other regions. This usually happens internationally. The pace at which the world is becoming small every day is inversely proportionate to the amount of migration of people across the countries and continents. It is true that the local people have advantage over the migrants. But it does not means that they have more knowledge of business. This leads to wastage of time & money because migrants take more time to be friendly with the new culture & situations.
If somebody's in a situation, organisation, etc, where they don't fit in and feel out of place, they are said to be a square peg in a round hole.It can be a person trying to adapt in an organization not in conformity with his talents,or two persons with divergent traits trying to adjust,or a person at a wrong place feeling uncomfortable.Example could be our prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.Although he is honest,intelligent,etc but he is surrounded by people so currupt that they won't let him make any decision.As it's collective responsibility of the council of ministers,our PM is a mere puppet in the hands of congress.So the square peg in a round hole.Another example could be a person going to another country where the culture is so different that he is not able to adapt.
The first thing that comes into my mind after reading this idiom is about our Artists. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The square pegs in the round holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. You can praise them, disagree with them, quote them, disbelieve them, glorify or vilify them. The other way round is- If you are working for an organization, and you say that you feel like a square peg in a round hole, what you mean is that you fell like a total misfit. You and the others around you sense that you don’t belong there. The expression can also be used to refer to someone who is unsuited for the type of job that he / she is actually doing. Similarly Business leaders are eager to improve but resist making major changes to improve the things that matter most. It is easy for leaders to adopt new tools that help improve quality and productivity but difficult for them to transform their style of leadership. Also, We can see that today as organizations adopt the tools of social technology but fail to adopt the needed philosophical shifts. This struggle creates half-baked results. The related efforts end up looking, feeling and sounding like anything but social. Using the label Social Business ends up looking like trying to put a square peg into a round hole. Leaders understand that square pegs (centralized power) and round holes (distributed power) simple don’t fit together and the square peg avoids the needed changes.
I would also like to refer to Steve Job's words as quoted above by Harleen. "Square peg in a round hole" makes me think of misfits in the society. I don't think its possible to actually 'become' a square peg deliberately. A misfit could be someone extraordinarily special or a complete disaster for his peers. If I consider a unique person as a square peg, then I would say uniqueness comes naturally. Same is true the other way around. Whether one should be a square peg or not is not the issue according to me, but yes, one must be special enough so that others would say 'He/She's different'. Because as they say, 'Successful people don't do different things, they do things differently'.
It means the one who is a total misfit in a particular situation. Every individual is unique and poses different traits due to which he may find it difficult to adjust in certain circumstances. One should be a square peg in a round hole and try to reshape the edges in order to come out of the comfort zone and gain experience of every field.
Square peg in a round hole means not being comfortable in a particular environment, surrounding, circumstance or situation. I personally believe that one shouldn't be a square peg in a round hole.I am a guy who has always believed and still believes in the very famous lines of Karl Marx.. ie, " The only thing that doesn't change is nothing but change ".. It's very true in this present scenario , whether it be in work place or anywhere outside.. People always have a misconception that changing oneself for the greater good is like losing their individuality or uniqueness.. But it's total absurdity in the eyes of me as i strongly believe that being adaptive to one's surrounding is one of the greatest qualities that a present generation individual should have.To survive in this extreme competitive world,you have to pull up your socks, and transform yourself in to a person who is adaptable with any kinda situation. I had different view point regarding one's uniqueness.. A person's uniqueness is not being adaptive,but having some specific traits or characters that would make him/her stand out from the crowd.. Some qualities that i see as a unique special quality in a person would be his/her never give up attitude towards life, the perseverance to bounce back at times of a failure,and the courage to move on and the positive attitude he/she shows in times of hardships and sufferings.. Even the forefather of our nation, Mahatma had told the very lines " Be the change you want to see in this world ".. It means to change ourselves for our own betterment and for the betterment of the society as a whole.. !!!
Square peg in a round hole refers to some one who is a misfit in a particular situation or place. I believe one should be a square peg in a round hole.
ReplyDeleteThere are diverse people everywhere and there might be times when you feel misfit. But is it worth to sacrifice something that makes you distinct just to fit in a place, and how can you be sure that if you do sacrifice then you will definitely fit. We are defined by things that make us apart from others. To fit in a group i believe an effort from both the sides is required.
Square peg in a round hole. A square peg won't fit in a round hole. But we can. We can always make the necessary adjustments in our life situations.
ReplyDeleteBut sometimes it would require to give up on your values, your morals, your distinct attitude. Charu was very right in saying that it is not worth to sacrifice for and lose your identity just to fit in as you lose yourself as well and there is no assurance you even fit well.
Due to advent of technology cross cultural work environment has become commonplace. People carry certain cultures, customs and behaviour patterns which have their roots in the upbringing specific to the region. This makes people of one region culturally and socially misfit in other regions. They end up as square pegs in round holes.
ReplyDeleteAs rightly said by Charu and Shefali that you can make the necessary adjustments in life but should not lose your identity just to fit in because there is no assurance that you will fit well.
Narayanaswami Srinivasan is an industrialist who is also the current president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India(BCCI), the governing body for cricket in India.
ReplyDeleteHere Mr. N Srinivasan is the square peg and he has squeezed himself to fit in the round hole that is the cricket board and recently as we all know he had been surrounded by controversies…
An industrialist also playing the role as the cricket board president is like a square peg fitted in a round hole.
Another example:
In an organization one needs to work according to the rules and regulations which is already laid down and one is required to change oneself with respect to the surroundings. (“As they say, you can't fit a square peg in a round hole. If your boss is like that round hole and you are that square peg, you aren't going to fit in unless you re-shape your edges- Gini Graham Scott in A Survival Guide for Working with Bad Bosses)
So in both these cases we see that we enter into a job or a task either by our own discretion or by destiny but sooner or later we realize that it’s not our cup of tea as we are not meant for it.
Square Peg in a Round Hole depicts someone who is misfit for a particular situation or environment due to certain qualities that are different from all others. Everybody is unique with different styles, morals, personalities and work habits. And with diverse cultures all around this uniqueness can be easily seen and felt. One should not change himself completely to fit in a particular situation or environment. But one should be adaptable enough to make minor changes in him as and when required to move on with time.
ReplyDeleteChange with the changing times but never loose your own identity in the process of change because that is what makes a person unique and gives him confidence to stand out in the crowd.
If somebody's in a situation, organization etc where they don't fit in and feel out of place, they are a square peg in a round hole. It is a total misfit. It is a sense that you don't belong there. This can also be used to refer to someone who is unsuited for the type of job that he/she is actually doing.
ReplyDeleteIn order to get oneself fit in a misfit situation one has to change his/her attitude. Instead of complaining about the incompatibility it is better to change oneself and level the playing field so that it is compatible to everyone, and prevent the loss of time, money and other resources.
The pace at which the world is becoming small everyday people carry certain cultures, customs, mannerism and behavior patterns which have their roots in the upbringing specific to the regions. This makes the people of one region culturally and socially misfit in other regions. The local people will always have an advantage over the migrants culturally.At the same time, it is incorrect to assume that one culture is more business friendlily than the other.So the time has come for a change, a change in attitude. Instead of complaining about the incompatibility, it is better, we level the thinks.
ReplyDeleteThis can be achieved by:-
1.dedicating extra time and develop skills
2.take cultural division as cultural diversity.
3.make urself comfortable with team norms or atleast be familiar with it.
4.Your adaptability, your sustainability, your delivery levels should convince people and the managements and help in building of cross culture teams everywhere.
so it is need f the hour to be adaptable to difeerent situation in today's cut throat competitive world
"Square peg in a round hole" is an idiomatic expression which describes the individual who could not fit into society’s prerequisites and set norms
ReplyDeleteMisfits are always there in a society, organisation, class, family etc.
it is important to be yourself. Sometimes people spend their whole lives becoming like others leaving behind their own individualistic behaviour and characters.
In life, it is good to make certain adjustments according to situation but making a compromise only to comply to other's needs is not important.
If you be yourself, unique and creative you are bound to succeed.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIf a person is working for an organization, and he says that he feels like a square peg in a round hole, what he means is that he fell like a total misfit due to different cultures society or organisation, so he and the others around him sense that he don’t belong there. The expression can also be used to refer to someone who is unsuited for the type of job that he / she is actually doing.But some people in a way to fit into the situation tend to loose their identities which is undone . so it is necessary to be who you are ,not who you can turn yourself into. so making adjustments accordingly is good but by making efforts like changing your attitude rather than blaming others because everyone has a unique identity which sometimes is a key to success. :)
ReplyDeleteSquare peg in a round hole means unusual individualist who could not fit into a niche of his or her society.In the present scenario when we have to adapt to different kind of situation we need to be like a square peg in the round table.In the corporate world there would be different kind of people with different cultures and we need to adjust with different kind of people and culture irrespective of the fact whether we like it or not,but we need to take care that we do not lose our original identity.The best way to do so is by taking the challenge in a positive manner rather than criticizing the situation
ReplyDeleteWhen you find yourself to be in a situation where you feel like a sqaure peg in a round hole, you have two options. You may compromise with the situation and try to bend the edges of the square to fit it into the circular hole, or you may try to look for better opprtunities, I.e. a square hole where you need not bend yourself to fit in. You can always be the square peg in a round hole and still reach better places with better opportunities for you.
ReplyDeleteA square peg in a round hole is the problem that causes a lot of stress. This is when an individual is in a position that does not fit their personality. An example of this is someone such as an extrovert working a position that is better suited for an introvert. Sometimes one personality may not fit what they are doing at work and will be more successful in a different position. We can solve this problem by motivating ourselves .
ReplyDelete“A square peg in a round hole” is an abstract expression referring to someone whose character makes them completely wrong for the type of work they are doing or for the situation they are in. It might also relate with someone who is different from most people of the same age.
ReplyDeleteThe significance of the expression can be viewed from two perspectives. Firstly, it signifies that one should not always complain about the situation, but instead should make some efforts or changes to carve oneself as the situation demands. Whereas on the other side of the coin, it also signifies that one should always be careful while taking any decision. Though some changes can be made in oneself, but the changes of the level that would make a square peg fit in a round table i.e. the changes of such high level are not possible. Hence the decisions should be taken with utmost care and thought to avoid a misfit of oneself in any situation or job.
square peg in a round hole means a person who is misfit in a particular situation.A person who is kind of square peg in a round hole finds themselves unfit in the organization.They are not able to adjust with the people of different cultures .One should try to adapt to the organizational culture and co-operate with the co-workers .
ReplyDeleteA square peg in a round hole describes the situation in which a square peg(which do not fits in a round hole) is forced to squeeze into a round hole.It describes the situation in which a person is working in that environment in which he/she is not comfortable.In this case the person would not be able to give his 100% and may end up getting frustrated .Now its the choice of person to stay in that environment or to do those things in which he is comfortable. What i feel is that the person should change the environment and should do what he is capable of so that he can focus on his strengths and finally succeed.Even if he looses then also he wont regret and would rather learn from his mistakes.........
ReplyDeleteA square peg in a round hole describes two persons with different traits who are trying to adjust with each other. But in this process some gap will always be there which represents the differences between the two. And these differences can't be overcome as the two are with different mind sets. So I would conclude by saying that a square and round hole are distinct from each other having different capabilities and limitations.....
ReplyDeleteSome proverbs make us think about the deeper realms of human motivation and indomitable spirit to achieve.
ReplyDeleteThe misfits or the square pegs in round holes being one of them.
Such rebellious, anti status quo-ists can be quoted, disagreed with, glorified, or even vilified, but surely they cannot be ignored..
To quote a few consider the example of Im dong hyun. Registered as a blind man he broke the world record in men's archery in London Olympics 2012.
Kailash kher - the famous bollywood singer was told by doctors and Ustads that he cannot sing.
The above quoted 2 and thousands more have made it real big.
This leads us to think what exactly keeps such "Squares " going on..
The answer to the riddle is simple yet complex.
The journey between being a misfit to being an epitome in the respective fields is tiring and tough but the power of the dream, the power of an idea i.e. the power within makes it possible.
Thus the knowledge within us i.e. the knowledge of self can make the squares better than circles sometimes.
A square peg in a round hole implies Living in a foreign culture that comes with all kinds of dilemmas, which is figuring out to what extent one should adopt the customs and mannerism of the host. I don’t think that there’s a right or wrong answer to this – so much depends on each individual and their own circumstances. Some people seem to do very well by maintaining their own home culture and making little or no effort to adopt the culture of the country they’re living in. Some people seem to have a knack for taking on their host culture and assimilating everything. Some people struggle every day to find a balance between their own culture and their host culture, and others seem to find that balance effortlessly.
ReplyDeleteA square peg in a round hole. This statement can have varied interpretations. It may depict an individual who could not fit into a niche of his or her society. At the same time, it may also represent a person who is unique, innovative and has an edge over the others in his work environment. One should be a square peg in a round hole. An individual must try to adjust in his work ambience and be able to cope up with the changes in the surroundings. In today's life this can only be achieved with a unique sense of ability to think out of the box.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with what Pankhuri has said about the two interpretations describing the idiomatic expression.
ReplyDeleteTalking about whether one needs to be a 'Square peg in a round hole', I would say that it can be both ways, either a person tries his best to make that circular hole a square one or should look out for other opportunities or areas of his or her capabilities and strengths.
But at the end, we must give our best in any situation that we are into, after all the feeling of joy and satisfaction one gets after achieving what one can't, is very difficult to express in words.
Square peg in a round hole reminds me of of the Noble Peace Prize winner "Aun San Suu Kyi". she protested against the oppresive ruler of her country and had to go under house arrest many times but she continued her struggle and finally won and freed her country from the brutal dictator U Ne Win. She formed the democratic government in Burma on 2 may 2012.
ReplyDeleteThis quote according to me refers to the situation where one tries to fit into the situation where he/she do not belong. Everybody has its own choices, thinking and wishes, so one must go according to his wishes because in long term this matters a lot. Their is always a gap left when you try to fit in the strange situation which one can't fill because compromise is always done for short time. Be what you are and what you have.
ReplyDelete"Square peg in a round hole" as the idiom suggest someone who is uncomfortable or who does not belong in a particular situation 'or' Trying to combine two things that do not belong or fit together.I can relate this idiom with the Indian Politics and Indian culture.. As a nation of 84 lakh gods and godesses our beliefs are like truth will lead to salvation, respect the dignity of other human beings, not to cheat anyone but as we can see in our politics all these values and beliefs are long forgotten myth... so i can say that there is a square peg of indian culture in Indian politics round hole..
ReplyDeletea square peg in a round hole..... why go far a perfect example is at home only ! our inefficient government led by our pm .... who is certainly a misfit as he is not able to curb the rising inflating rates of the economy and was incapable of taking any harsh actions against our neighbouring country when they were brutually be heading our soldiers.
ReplyDeletei feel having a misfit in a functional structure just weaken it because he/she just gel along with the common goals and ideas of the organization.
a square peg in a round hole - said by none other than steve jobs - "Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes.
ReplyDeleteThe ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them.
About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They invent. They imagine. They heal. They explore. They create. They inspire. They push the human race forward.
Maybe they have to be crazy.
While some see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do."
-- Steve Jobs
oh well yes! he certainly was a square peg for a lot of people of his generation as he though so diffreent and out of the box, he dropped college and still mamanged to run one of the best companies in the world...
There is a round hole. What would happen if someone inserts a square peg (which means wooden stick in square shape) into the round hole. The square peg would not enter into the hole. Because of mismatch between the two sizes. This expression is just the figurative meaning of this mismatch.
ReplyDeleteThis expression dates from the 1800 s , to describe people who just did not fit into situations they were in. They essentially did not have the temperament, skills, or knowledge. The wrong man in the wrong place; especially applied to government officials.The wrong man in the wrong place; especially applied to government officials.
A square peg in a round hole refers to a situation where we try to combine two things that do not fit into each other. These two things can be a person and the culture he is exposed to. Although such a situation will lead to a lot of discomfort, but, it is better to change oneself and compromise a bit to adapt to an unfamiliar and an uncomfortable situation rather than getting frustrated all the time due to it. So one can definitely be a square peg in a round hole especially when no other alternative exists.
ReplyDeleteA square peg in a round hole is a situation when one has to go to other country where culture is different i.e. cross culture work environment. This makes the people of one region culturally and socially misfit in other regions. This usually happens internationally. The pace at which the world is becoming small every day is inversely proportionate to the amount of migration of people across the countries and continents. It is true that the local people have advantage over the migrants. But it does not means that they have more knowledge of business. This leads to wastage of time & money because migrants take more time to be friendly with the new culture & situations.
ReplyDeleteIf somebody's in a situation, organisation, etc, where they don't fit in and feel out of place, they are said to be a square peg in a round hole.It can be a person trying to adapt in an organization not in conformity with his talents,or two persons with divergent traits trying to adjust,or a person at a wrong place feeling uncomfortable.Example could be our prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.Although he is honest,intelligent,etc but he is surrounded by people so currupt that they won't let him make any decision.As it's collective responsibility of the council of ministers,our PM is a mere puppet in the hands of congress.So the square peg in a round hole.Another example could be a person going to another country where the culture is so different that he is not able to adapt.
ReplyDeleteThe first thing that comes into my mind after reading this idiom is about our Artists. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The square pegs in the round holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. You can praise them, disagree with them, quote them, disbelieve them, glorify or vilify them.
ReplyDeleteThe other way round is- If you are working for an organization, and you say that you feel like a square peg in a round hole, what you mean is that you fell like a total misfit. You and the others around you sense that you don’t belong there. The expression can also be used to refer to someone who is unsuited for the type of job that he / she is actually doing.
Similarly Business leaders are eager to improve but resist making major changes to improve the things that matter most. It is easy for leaders to adopt new tools that
help improve quality and productivity but difficult for them to transform their style of leadership.
Also, We can see that today as organizations adopt the tools of social technology but fail to adopt the needed philosophical shifts. This struggle creates half-baked results. The related efforts end up looking, feeling and sounding like anything but social. Using the label Social Business ends up looking like trying to put a square peg into a round hole. Leaders understand that square pegs (centralized power) and round holes (distributed power) simple don’t fit together and the square peg avoids the needed changes.
I would also like to refer to Steve Job's words as quoted above by Harleen. "Square peg in a round hole" makes me think of misfits in the society. I don't think its possible to actually 'become' a square peg deliberately. A misfit could be someone extraordinarily special or a complete disaster for his peers. If I consider a unique person as a square peg, then I would say uniqueness comes naturally. Same is true the other way around.
ReplyDeleteWhether one should be a square peg or not is not the issue according to me, but yes, one must be special enough so that others would say 'He/She's different'. Because as they say, 'Successful people don't do different things, they do things differently'.
It means the one who is a total misfit in a particular situation. Every individual is unique and poses different traits due to which he may find it difficult to adjust in certain circumstances. One should be a square peg in a round hole and try to reshape the edges in order to come out of the comfort zone and gain experience of every field.
ReplyDeleteSquare peg in a round hole means not being comfortable in a particular environment, surrounding, circumstance or situation. I personally believe that one shouldn't be a square peg in a round hole.I am a guy who has always believed and still believes in the very famous lines of Karl Marx.. ie, " The only thing that doesn't change is nothing but change ".. It's very true in this present scenario , whether it be in work place or anywhere outside.. People always have a misconception that changing oneself for the greater good is like losing their individuality or uniqueness.. But it's total absurdity in the eyes of me as i strongly believe that being adaptive to one's surrounding is one of the greatest qualities that a present generation individual should have.To survive in this extreme competitive world,you have to pull up your socks, and transform yourself in to a person who is adaptable with any kinda situation. I had different view point regarding one's uniqueness.. A person's uniqueness is not being adaptive,but having some specific traits or characters that would make him/her stand out from the crowd.. Some qualities that i see as a unique special quality in a person would be his/her never give up attitude towards life, the perseverance to bounce back at times of a failure,and the courage to move on and the positive attitude he/she shows in times of hardships and sufferings.. Even the forefather of our nation, Mahatma had told the very lines " Be the change you want to see in this world ".. It means to change ourselves for our own betterment and for the betterment of the society as a whole.. !!!
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