There Is an “I” in Team
A lighthearted off-topic post about thinking deeper — and spotting what others miss
You’ve probably heard it a thousand times:
“There’s no I in team.”
It’s meant to reinforce collaboration over individualism — and that’s fine. But have you ever looked closer?
Take a look at this:
Image credit: natalie1911.wordpress.com
Yup.
There is an “I” in team… tucked neatly inside the “A” — lowercase, hidden, but absolutely there. Someone had to draw that. Someone intended it. And most people never see it.
The Deeper Point
This isn’t about grammar. It’s about the idea that sometimes when people repeat catchy sayings, they don’t stop to think critically about them.
Most people memorize what to think.
Few learn how to think.
Let’s take a few foreign language examples:
- French: équipe — yes, it has an “i”
- Italian: squadra — no “i”
- German: Team — same as English
- Turkish: takım — contains the letter ı (dotless i)
- Finnish: tiimi — three of them!
So yeah… maybe “there’s no I in team” isn’t universally true. Not in design, not in language, and certainly not when it comes to nuance.
Just For Fun
I’m the kind of person who takes things literally. If someone says “I need to take a leak,” I might reply,
“Please leave one — taking one sounds gross.”
Or if someone says “I have to hit the head,”
“Don’t hit it too hard. That sounds like a concussion.”
Language matters. And sometimes, questioning common phrases is how you start thinking differently.
Final Thought
It’s okay to use slogans. But once in a while, look closer. Think a level deeper. Challenge the easy surface — because sometimes the truth is hiding in plain sight.
Like a lowercase i in an uppercase A.
Got your own quirky interpretations? Literal habits? Phrases that don’t sit right?
Let’s hear ’em in the comments.