50 Black Sheep Quotes Celebrating Unique People

By Clifton Sankofa

School Leader, Language Arts Expert & Master Quote Curator

Published January 30, 2023

Our black sheep quotes are exactly what you need if you have ever felt you stand out.

Being a black sheep is not as bad as people may think, black sheep personalities are often unique and dance to the beat of their own drum.

What is a black sheep?

Black sheep is a term people use to describe someone who is misunderstood, marginalized, and even scapegoated.

People are labeled as black sheep in their families, school, or job.

Oftentimes, when someone is labeled as the black sheep, other people project their undesirable or negative traits upon the scapegoat.

In psychological terms, the word Identified Patient or IP describes how families identify certain members as black sheep.

When a person is labeled as the black sheep, the trauma can form toxic family dynamics with deep psychological impacts.

Below are some signs that a person has been labeled as a black sheep:

Their mistakes or shortcomings are blown out of proportion.
Parents do not intervene when the person is bullied or made fun of.
They are labeled as ‘weird,’ a ‘wild card,’ or the one ‘in trouble.’

The black sheep is powerful

When children are empathic, it sometimes causes them to be sensitive or emotionally intense.

When young people are marginalized in their households, they feel misunderstood.

These feelings can grow in the child, conditioning them to feel bad about who they are.

When you are labeled the black sheep of the family, it does not mean the family members do not love you.

Rather, it means they need to protect their vulnerabilities onto the black sheep.

The projection of the family members is a sign of strength on the part of the black sheep.

Studies into the psychology of family relations and black sheep personalities demonstrate that the black sheep of the family is usually strong.

Their strength is paramount to their family members needing to discharge their emotional accountabilities or suppressed resentment.

The black sheep is the person who must carry all of the weight the family projects onto them.

How can I heal from being labeled the black sheep?

It can be difficult for those labeled as the black sheep of their family to break free from the limitations and trauma that come with that role.

Some people choose to go through therapy, healing, and personal development work.

These forward strides can help us intellectually understand the dynamics of the black sheep family label, but they do not always ensure our feelings are healed.

Intellectual understanding does not stop us from being triggered by old wounds, but it can help us practice mindfulness in the face of triggers.

Recognizing that we create our identities is a key component to healing.

Learning to let go of the value we place in the opinion of others, even family members can help us come to terms with our experiences.

For more awesome content check out our black sheep quotes below.

Check out our collection of true colors quotes if you enjoy this article.

Short black sheep quotes about life

Check out these short yet apt black sheep quotes about life.

1. “I’m the black sheep.” — Sienna Miller

2. “A black sheep is a biting beast.” — Thomas Bastard

3. “If I was a sheep, I would be black.” — Kirsty Eagar

4. “There is no flock of black sheep.” — Ljupka Cvetanova

5. “I’m the black sheep: I got into telly.” — Bradley Walsh

6. “To rally every black sheep is my goal.” — Julian Cope

7. “After all, the wool of a black sheep is just as warm.” — Ernest Lehman

8. “The black sheep of the family might produce eagles.” — Tamerlan Kuzgov

9. “The black sheep are the ones you want to get to know.” — Marty Rubin

10. ”I feel kind of like the black sheep in Congress, but here I am.” — Sonny Bono

Black sheep quotes about family

Some people love being the black sheep because it makes them feel unique.

11. “I’m a prodigal son. The black sheep of a white flock.” — William A. Drake

12. “A family without a black sheep is not a typical family.” — Heinrich Böll

13. “Being a black sheep is a way I would describe myself.” — Gin Wigmore

14. “After the accident Black Sheep was pretty much at an end.” — Lou Gramm

15. “Authenticity is impossible if your Black Sheep Values are lost.” — Brant Menswar

16. “The black sheep? You and I are more like the tie-dyed sheep!” — Karl Wiggins

17. “I’m a little bit more unusual so I consider myself as the black sheep.” — Ann Wilson

18. “There is a public perception that Paris Hilton is the black sheep of the family.” — Jerry Oppenheimer

19. “I’m a college dropout. My parents thought they had three respectable children, and I was the black sheep.” — Ritesh Agarwal

20. “Every institution, including the judiciary has its share of black sheep and corrupt judges.” — Prashanth Bhushan

Black sheep quotes about business and work

People can be viewed as the black sheep at work with their colleagues, these quotes honor the black sheep at the office.

21. “I was the black sheep of the family, and my mother never really understood me.” — Andre Rieu

22. “I’m the king of the 20th century. I’m the boogeyman, the villian, the black sheep of the family.” — Alan Moore

23. “I’m from a family of bankers and businessmen, and here I am, the artist, the black sheep.” — Matthew Quick

24. “I was considered the black sheep of the family, neighbours didn’t want their kids playing with me.” — Michelle Pfeiffer

25. “I hate the term black sheep, but I just felt like I wasn’t keeping up. It was a subtle pressure I put on myself.” — Nnamdi Asomugha

26. “I have always been the black sheep of the family. I am the middle child, with an older and a younger sister.” — Fawad Khan

27. “I started off doing musical theater. I left university to go to drama school. So I was a bit of a black sheep.” — Sophie Cookson

28. “Being hated by America was good for the city, and good for America. Every family needs a black sheep.” — Jeremiah Moss

29. “My husband sings Baa Baa black sheep and we pretend that all’s certain and good, that the marriage won’t end.” — Anne Sexton

30. “I was a bit of a humor black sheep. I would make these jokes full of irony and dark cynicism and that just didn’t work when I was seven, people did not laugh.” — Ayda Field

Positive black sheep quotes about life

The black sheep may be different, but they are unique, making them special.

31. “When the Lord’s white sheep become dirty gray, all black sheep feel more comfortable.” — Vance Havner

32. “Within three months I had gone from being this black sheep of the town to suddenly becoming a pop star.” — Alison Moyet

33. “One cannot blame an organization that picks up an occasional black sheep, one only takes exception if it retains an accumulation of them.” — Dion Fortune

34. “I was literally the black sheep of the family, and there were definitely moments of discomfort while my grandmother was working through her racism.” — Lisa Bonet

35. “If you’re a black sheep or a tie-died sheep or a Carefree Scamp – I’d rather sit around the fire with you than the ‘decent, mediocre types’ any day of the week.” — Karl Wiggins

36. “I am the black sheep of my family. They are all super talented and intelligent and got proper jobs. Most of my family is in medicine, actually. They are all too clever to be doing what I do.” — Will Poulter

37. “I hardly ever spent any time with my mum and dad whatever, really, or brothers or sisters. We just really didn’t get along. I was pretty much like the black sheep of the family, to be honest.” — Andrew Chan

38. “I’ve always been a black sheep. That’s a hard thing to be until you find your calling in life. I was bullied a lot at school, probably because I was perceived to be different from everyone else.” — Natalie Dormer

39. “There are only three options for black sheep: live authentically and get kicked out of the community, have the courage to move out on your own and rebuild from scratch, or hide your true self and desperately try to fit in (which you never will).” — Ben Crawford

40. “We’re poor little lambs who’ve lost our way, Baa! Baa! Baa! We’re little black sheep who’ve gone astray, Baa-aa-aa! Gentlemen-rankers out on the spree, Damned from here to Eternity, God ha’ mercy on such as we, Baa! Yah! Bah!” — Rudyard Kipling

Black sheep quotes for deeper connections

When we learn to appreciate and love those who are different, we become more authentic.

41. “Somehow I think it was declared very early on that I was the black sheep of the family, not a very good student.” — Dustin Hoffman

42. “I was always the black sheep of the family and was always told I was dumb, and I had a low IQ, and did bad in school.” — Francis Ford Coppola

43. “I dug the idea that I was being perceived as the black sheep of my family. It was like, I was a rebel, and that to me was most important.” — Larry Bishop

44. “I’ve always been a black sheep. That’s a hard thing to be until you find your calling in life. I was bullied a lot at school, probably because I was perceived to be different from everyone else.” — Natalie Dormer

45. “I always believed I was an ugly duckling in a family of swans, you know? I was such a black sheep, and it was the same way in high school. I was just kind of that awkward theater kid with a bunch of athletes.” — Lindsay Pearce

46. “I always believed I was an ugly duckling in a family of swans, you know? I was such a black sheep, and it was the same way in high school. I was just kind of that awkward theater kid with a bunch of athletes, it was very Glee.” — Lindsay Pearce

47. “In families, children tend to take on stock roles, as if there were hats hung up in some secret place, visible only to the children. Each succeeding child selects a hat and takes on that role: the good child, the black sheep, the clown, and so forth.” — Ellen Galinsky

48. “From the window, above the clatter of pots and the slamming of cabinets, Francis was singing, as though it was the happiest song in the world: ‘We are the little black sheep who have gone astray. Baa baa baa. Gentlemen songsters off on a spree. Doomed from here to eternity.” — Donna Tartt

49. “In this family of accomplished scholars, I was to become the academic black sheep. I performed adequately at high school, but in comparison to my older brother, who set the record for the highest cumulative average for our high school, my performance was decidedly mediocre.” — Steven Chu

50. “Do not cringe and make yourself small if you are called the black sheep, the maverick, the lone wolf. Those with slow seeing say that a nonconformist is a blight on society. But it has been proven over the centuries that being different means standing at the edge, that one is practically guaranteed to make an original contribution, a useful and stunning contribution to their culture.” — Clarissa Pinkola Estés

Take pride in being the black sheep

The labels we receive as children can stick with us into our adulthood.

If a child grows to become someone who believes they are a black sheep, this belief system can impact their entire life.

After years of being conditioned to see themselves as black sheep, it can be difficult to undo this definition.

However, it is natural for people to evolve and move past childhood labels.

When this occurs, we must celebrate our accomplishments.

The burden of being the family black sheep can be heavy, but it is not impossible to break free from this label.

When we start to see ourselves as independent and resourceful, pursue our highest excitement, and reach our goals, we learn to let go of other people’s definitions of us.

Staying grounded in the present moment allows us to move forward to a brighter future.

When we remain stuck in the past, we continually bring up old energy that does not serve us.