---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Success is like food caught in your…"
description: "\"Success is like food caught in your teeth: much more noticeable when it happens to other people. If it happens to you, other people have to take you as..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44d/alexandra-petri-5715_food_success-is-like-food-caught-in-your-teet_136066.jpg"
---

#  Success is like food caught in your teeth: much more…

![“Success is like food caught in your teeth: much more noticeable when it happens to other people. If it happens to you, other people have to take you aside and say something.” quote by Alexandra Petri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44d/alexandra-petri-5715_food_success-is-like-food-caught-in-your-teet_136066.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44d/alexandra-petri-5715_food_success-is-like-food-caught-in-your-teet_136066.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44d/alexandra-petri-5715_food_success-is-like-food-caught-in-your-teet_136066.jpg)

> “Success is like food caught in your teeth: much more noticeable when it happens to other people. If it happens to you, other people have to take you aside and say something.”

[Alexandra Petri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-petri/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Success feels more noticeable when others experience it, often prompting attention or envy.

**In simple terms:** Success is more obvious when others see it.

Key Takeaway

Focus on personal fulfillment rather than external validation.

Themes

success perception social comparison

Mood

reflective cautious

Type

advice philosophical

When to use this quote

- career milestones
- public recognition
- peer feedback

Key Concepts

psychology status symbols

Questions to Reflect On

- Do you measure success by others’ reactions?
- How can you celebrate achievements privately?

A Different Perspective

External validation can distort self‑esteem.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Food](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/food/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/)

## Related quotes

> [“Fat Charlie realized that he knew the man in his dream, knew him from somewhere, and he also realized that this would irritate him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/fat-charlie-realized-that-he-knew-the-man-in-his-dream-knew-him-from/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [Success is like food, and I have a huge ass appetite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/refilwemotaung2/success-is-like-food-and-i-have-a-huge-ass-appetite/)

Refilwemotaung2

> [Extreme success is not like other kinds of success; what has worked for someone else probably won't work for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justine-musk/extreme-success-is-not-like-other-kinds-of-success-what-has-worked/)

[Justine Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justine-musk/)

> [Success is not like a cake that needs to be divided. It's more like a heap of stones - a cairn. If someone is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maeve-binchy/success-is-not-like-a-cake-that-needs-to-be-divided-it-s-more-like-a/)

[Maeve Binchy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maeve-binchy/)

> [Success is like a wild horse. If you do not know how to handle it, it will throw you off and look for another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajith-kumar/success-is-like-a-wild-horse-if-you-do-not-know-how-to-handle-it-it/)

[Ajith Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajith-kumar/)

> [Real success is not, like, materialistic. It's being where you want to be when you want to be; just living your life how you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsey-wixson/real-success-is-not-like-materialistic-it-s-being-where-you-want-to/)

[Lindsey Wixson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsey-wixson/)

> [Success is like a drug.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-kaulitz/success-is-like-a-drug/)

[Bill Kaulitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-kaulitz/)

> [You can see what happens when people don't feel they have a chance. You can see the ramifications of that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-kennedy-iii/you-can-see-what-happens-when-people-don-t-feel-they-have-a-chance/)

[Joe Kennedy III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-kennedy-iii/)

> [Do you know what happens with people who cannot govern themselves? That's right. Others come in to govern for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/do-you-know-what-happens-with-people-who-cannot-govern-themselves/)

[Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/)

> [“Story is what happens to people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-v-smith/story-is-what-happens-to-people/)

James V. Smith

> [We know what happens to people who stay in the middle of the road. They get run over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/we-know-what-happens-to-people-who-stay-in-the-middle-of-the-road/)

[Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/)

> [The best luck always happens to people who don't need it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-penn-warren/the-best-luck-always-happens-to-people-who-don-t-need-it/)

[Robert Penn Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-penn-warren/)

> [How do people move on after they've lost the love of their life? It's a really interesting thing to look at. It happens to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caitriona-balfe/how-do-people-move-on-after-they-ve-lost-the-love-of-their-life-it-s/)

[Caitriona Balfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caitriona-balfe/)

> [“We are gonna be okay. That’s what happens when two people are meant. You just work it out until you are okay. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tarryn-fisher/we-are-gonna-be-okay-that-s-what-happens-when-two-people-are-meant/)

[Tarryn Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tarryn-fisher/)

> [Most people don't grow up. It's too damn difficult. What happens is most people get older.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/most-people-don-t-grow-up-it-s-too-damn-difficult-what-happens-is-2/)

[Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/)

## More by Alexandra Petri

> [They will wrest 'dull words' from my cold dead hands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-petri/they-will-wrest-dull-words-from-my-cold-dead-hands/)

[Alexandra Petri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-petri/)

> [Standup comedy was my weird hobby. I would drag my poor parents out to the only open mics that were in coffee shops instead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-petri/standup-comedy-was-my-weird-hobby-i-would-drag-my-poor-parents-out-to/)

[Alexandra Petri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-petri/)

> [You can be brilliant in some ways and despicable in others. You can be a clean, upright, moral individual in your private life who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-petri/you-can-be-brilliant-in-some-ways-and-despicable-in-others-you-can-be/)

[Alexandra Petri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-petri/)

> [Almost nothing anyone told me about Harvard has been accurate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-petri/almost-nothing-anyone-told-me-about-harvard-has-been-accurate/)

[Alexandra Petri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-petri/)

> [I majored in extracurriculars, honestly. I joined the Harvard Stand Up Comedy Society, which is a ragtag band of misfits. I wrote for 'On…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-petri/i-majored-in-extracurriculars-honestly-i-joined-the-harvard-stand-up/)

[Alexandra Petri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-petri/)

> [Dull words are what make many bright sentences shine. They do not call attention to themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-petri/dull-words-are-what-make-many-bright-sentences-shine-they-do-not-call/)

[Alexandra Petri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-petri/)

> [Bills ought to be passed with deliberation by committees. Change should be achieved in a bipartisan manner. Incrementally, day by day, we should reach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-petri/bills-ought-to-be-passed-with-deliberation-by-committees-change/)

[Alexandra Petri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-petri/)

> [Although no one explicitly wants a president who could have a reliable fall back career in stand-up comedy, everyone shudders at the thought of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-petri/although-no-one-explicitly-wants-a-president-who-could-have-a/)

[Alexandra Petri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-petri/)

> [George Washington didn't have to make us laugh; he just had to establish precedents and avoid chopping down more cherry trees than he could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-petri/george-washington-didn-t-have-to-make-us-laugh-he-just-had-to/)

[Alexandra Petri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-petri/)

> [At Harvard, people like to impart the idea that you are a mover and shaker.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-petri/at-harvard-people-like-to-impart-the-idea-that-you-are-a-mover-and/)

[Alexandra Petri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-petri/)

> [It's easier to find the joke in something when you think, 'This - this is ridiculous.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-petri/it-s-easier-to-find-the-joke-in-something-when-you-think-this-this-is/)

[Alexandra Petri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-petri/)

> [The desire for attention has become a primal need along the lines of food, water, and clothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-petri/the-desire-for-attention-has-become-a-primal-need-along-the-lines-of/)

[Alexandra Petri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-petri/)

> [The biggest way to be productive is if you're procrastinating on another more important project.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-petri/the-biggest-way-to-be-productive-is-if-you-re-procrastinating-on/)

[Alexandra Petri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-petri/)

> [As long as cantankerous old people have existed, they have complained that kids nowadays don't seem to know anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-petri/as-long-as-cantankerous-old-people-have-existed-they-have-complained/)

[Alexandra Petri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-petri/)

> [Worst case scenario, nothing I do has any value or purpose, but if I can make someone laugh, I'm at least as useful as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-petri/worst-case-scenario-nothing-i-do-has-any-value-or-purpose-but-if-i/)

[Alexandra Petri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-petri/)

[Explore all 100 Alexandra Petri quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-petri/)

## More Food quotes

> [On Sundays, that's my pig out day and I do the pizza and the beer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-silvstedt/on-sundays-that-s-my-pig-out-day-and-i-do-the-pizza-and-the-beer/)

[Victoria Silvstedt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-silvstedt/)

> [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/)

[Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/)

> [By eating many fruits and vegetables in place of fast food and junk food, people could avoid obesity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-h-murdock/by-eating-many-fruits-and-vegetables-in-place-of-fast-food-and-junk/)

[David H. Murdock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-h-murdock/)

> [“The global population of Earth are involved in the following corporate government experiments: The long term effects of - 1. Nuclear bomb fallout radiation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-global-population-of-earth-are-involved-in-the-following/)

[Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/)

> [“My God, Joseph, your toasted sandwiches are the fucking shit. You do know that right?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-ashworth/my-god-joseph-your-toasted-sandwiches-are-the-fucking-shit-you-do/)

[Beth Ashworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-ashworth/)

> [I feel like I could eat the world raw.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/i-feel-like-i-could-eat-the-world-raw/)

[Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/)

> [To me, Caribbean food is about fresh, seasonal produce - using what's in season to create vibrant and great tasting food. The spicing is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ainsley-harriott/to-me-caribbean-food-is-about-fresh-seasonal-produce-using-what-s-in/)

[Ainsley Harriott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ainsley-harriott/)

> [ “\[S\]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-the-possible-irrelevance-of/)

[Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/)

> [“if you cannot control your hunger and appetite, good luck managing your blood chemistry, metabolism, waistline, and, in the bigger picture, the prospect of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-perlmutter/if-you-cannot-control-your-hunger-and-appetite-good-luck-managing/)

[David Perlmutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-perlmutter/)

> [“Hungarian Proverb: A dish of cabbages can be heated when it grows cold, but it will never taste the same.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mourid-barghouti/hungarian-proverb-a-dish-of-cabbages-can-be-heated-when-it-grows-cold/)

[Mourid Barghouti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mourid-barghouti/)

> [“The phrase “low and slow” was coined to describe the relatively low temperatures used for smoking and the lengthy amount of time it takes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-reader/the-phrase-low-and-slow-was-coined-to-describe-the-relatively-low/)

Ted Reader

> [Things live and die, and then someone processes them into edible portions. This is a complete telling of the story, 'Food.' The basic plot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-fahrenthold/things-live-and-die-and-then-someone-processes-them-into-edible/)

[David Fahrenthold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-fahrenthold/)

> [“Live is like a box of chocolates, we are all just waiting for a hungry hand to come down and grab us and eat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunshine/live-is-like-a-box-of-chocolates-we-are-all-just-waiting-for-a-hungry/)

[sunshine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunshine/)

> [Sometimes, when full and in fear that I will continue to eat unwanted food just because it's staring at me, I will place my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-nichols/sometimes-when-full-and-in-fear-that-i-will-continue-to-eat-unwanted/)

[Rachel Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-nichols/)

> [“Pumpkin Flavor Latte Scrub   Ingredients 1 ½ cups of brown sugar 2 tablespoons of ground coffee 1-2 tablespoons of pumpkin spice ¾ -1…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-hilton/pumpkin-flavor-latte-scrub-ingredients-1-cups-of-brown-sugar-2/)

Kate Hilton

[Browse all 34,183 Food quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/food/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Success is like food caught in your teeth: much more noticeable when it happens to other people. If it happens to you, other people have to take you aside and say something.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Alexandra Petri"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-petri/success-is-like-food-caught-in-your-teeth-much-more-noticeable-when/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Food"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-petri/success-is-like-food-caught-in-your-teeth-much-more-noticeable-when/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44d/alexandra-petri-5715_food_success-is-like-food-caught-in-your-teet_136066.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44d/alexandra-petri-5715_food_success-is-like-food-caught-in-your-teet_136066.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44d/alexandra-petri-5715_food_success-is-like-food-caught-in-your-teet_136066.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Success is like food caught in your teeth: much more noticeable when it happens to other people. If it…” — Alexandra Petri",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Alexandra Petri",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-petri/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Success is like food caught in...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-petri/success-is-like-food-caught-in-your-teeth-much-more-noticeable-when/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-petri/success-is-like-food-caught-in-your-teeth-much-more-noticeable-when/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
