---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The less you associate with some people…"
description: "\"The less you associate with some people, the more your life will improve. Any time you tolerate mediocrity in others, it increases your mediocrity. An ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56a/colin-powell-691_acting_the-less-you-associate-with-some-people_70759.jpg"
---

#  The less you associate with some people, the more your…

![“The less you associate with some people, the more your life will improve. Any time you tolerate mediocrity in others, it increases your mediocrity. An important attribute in successful people is their impatience with negative thinking and negative acting people.” quote by Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56a/colin-powell-691_acting_the-less-you-associate-with-some-people_70759.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56a/colin-powell-691_acting_the-less-you-associate-with-some-people_70759.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56a/colin-powell-691_acting_the-less-you-associate-with-some-people_70759.jpg)

> “The less you associate with some people, the more your life will improve. Any time you tolerate mediocrity in others, it increases your mediocrity. An important attribute in successful people is their impatience with negative thinking and negative acting people.”

[Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/)

## About This Quote

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

Distancing from mediocrity and negative influences fosters personal growth and higher standards.

**In simple terms:** Avoid toxic company to improve yourself.

Key Takeaway

Choose uplifting companions.

Themes

self-improvement personal growth social influence mindset success

Mood

motivated reflective

Type

advice observation

When to use this quote

- career advancement
- relationship building
- habit formation
- goal setting
- leadership

Key Concepts

environment attitude peer pressure

Practical Applications

- coaching
- team selection

Questions to Reflect On

- How does your social circle affect your ambitions?
- What steps can you take to limit exposure to negativity?

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Impatience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impatience/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Mediocrity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mediocrity/) [Negative thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/negative-thinking/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful/) [Successful people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful-people/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/)

## Related quotes

> [“The less you associate with some people, the more your life will improve. Any time you tolerate mediocrity in others, it increases your mediocrity.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/the-less-you-associate-with-some-people-the-more-your-life-will-2/)

[Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/)

> [Leaders set high standards. Refuse to tolerate mediocrity or poor performance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/leaders-set-high-standards-refuse-to-tolerate-mediocrity-or-poor/)

[Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/)

> [If acting with other people is in your plans, then you need to learn how to work with other people to build a comedic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-besser/if-acting-with-other-people-is-in-your-plans-then-you-need-to-learn/)

[Matt Besser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-besser/)

> [My acting is atrocious, to say the least. But I've found that it's not acting that people are concerned about, it's your presence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-norris/my-acting-is-atrocious-to-say-the-least-but-i-ve-found-that-it-s-not/)

[Chuck Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-norris/)

> [I've told Kamal Haasan, Amitabh Bachchan, Naseeruddin Shah, Nana Patekar, I just want to touch you. They are the gods of acting. When people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shahrukh-khan/i-ve-told-kamal-haasan-amitabh-bachchan-naseeruddin-shah-nana-patekar/)

[Shahrukh Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shahrukh-khan/)

> [I learn a lot as a director from acting in other people's films and just in general.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-swanberg/i-learn-a-lot-as-a-director-from-acting-in-other-people-s-films-and/)

[Joe Swanberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-swanberg/)

> [Perhaps being old is having lighted rooms inside your head, and people in them, acting. People you know, yet can't quite name.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/perhaps-being-old-is-having-lighted-rooms-inside-your-head-and-people/)

[Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/)

> [People just assume that you are not going to act after marriage, will stop doing romantic roles, and that every guy will stop his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nazriya-nazim/people-just-assume-that-you-are-not-going-to-act-after-marriage-will/)

[Nazriya Nazim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nazriya-nazim/)

> [No matter what happens with acting, the fans who follow me because of comedy, or because of acting, those are the people that will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-james/no-matter-what-happens-with-acting-the-fans-who-follow-me-because-of/)

[Janelle James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-james/)

> [There's no private side to acting, which some people find hard. I've drawn inspiration from athletes. They manage to be themselves under the pressure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ty-burrell/there-s-no-private-side-to-acting-which-some-people-find-hard-i-ve/)

[Ty Burrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ty-burrell/)

> [Every one of the world's dictatorships can and does claim to be acting in the name of the people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-h-greene/every-one-of-the-world-s-dictatorships-can-and-does-claim-to-be/)

[Harold H. Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-h-greene/)

> [I think there is a lot of overexplaining both in writing and acting. People don't need to be hit on the head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-owen/i-think-there-is-a-lot-of-overexplaining-both-in-writing-and-acting/)

[Clive Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-owen/)

> [If you look up the definition of stand-up comedy, it's funny on purpose. A little bit of pressure there. It's basically acting. You're telling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-waltrip/if-you-look-up-the-definition-of-stand-up-comedy-it-s-funny-on/)

[Michael Waltrip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-waltrip/)

> [I was painfully shy as a child; I was dyslexic. I had a single mother who's an immigrant. I just didn't believe acting was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaya-scodelario/i-was-painfully-shy-as-a-child-i-was-dyslexic-i-had-a-single-mother/)

[Kaya Scodelario](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaya-scodelario/)

> [Actors don't hate acting. Most people don't hate acting! Whether you're a child mucking around with your friends or a grown up being paid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liv-hewson/actors-don-t-hate-acting-most-people-don-t-hate-acting-whether-you-re/)

[Liv Hewson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liv-hewson/)

## More by Colin Powell

> [Failure is a part of life and you have to learn to deal with it. Failure is something that is part of life's cycle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/failure-is-a-part-of-life-and-you-have-to-learn-to-deal-with-it/)

[Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/)

> [Effective leaders are made, not born. They learn from trial and error, and from experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/effective-leaders-are-made-not-born-they-learn-from-trial-and-error/)

[Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/)

> [Decision-making is lonely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/decision-making-is-lonely/)

[Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/)

> [The purposes of the United States should not be doubted. The Security Council resolutions will be enforced - the just demands of peace and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/the-purposes-of-the-united-states-should-not-be-doubted-the-security/)

[Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/)

> [I always like to take my time and examine the two candidates, see not only the two candidates but the policies they will bring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/i-always-like-to-take-my-time-and-examine-the-two-candidates-see-not/)

[Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/)

> [We can seldom get our children to do what we tell them, but they almost never fail to imitate us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/we-can-seldom-get-our-children-to-do-what-we-tell-them-but-they/)

[Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/)

> [With respect to where we are now, we have a voluntary army. And if we ever go back to conscription I hope that at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/with-respect-to-where-we-are-now-we-have-a-voluntary-army-and-if-we/)

[Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/)

> [Politics is not bean bags. It's serious, tough stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/politics-is-not-bean-bags-it-s-serious-tough-stuff/)

[Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/)

> [There are no secrets to success: don't waste time looking for them, success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/there-are-no-secrets-to-success-don-t-waste-time-looking-for-them/)

[Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/)

> [So like any football or basketball coach, you always always believe you're going to win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/so-like-any-football-or-basketball-coach-you-always-always-believe/)

[Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/)

> [We hope that more assistance will be available to the nations of the region, to include Egypt, on the three pillars that I discussed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/we-hope-that-more-assistance-will-be-available-to-the-nations-of-the/)

[Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/)

> [One of the most worrisome things that emerges from the thick intelligence file we have on Iraq's biological weapons is the existence of mobile…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/one-of-the-most-worrisome-things-that-emerges-from-the-thick/)

[Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/)

> [Pissing people off doesn't mean you're doing the right things, but doing the right things will almost inevitably piss people off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/pissing-people-off-doesn-t-mean-you-re-doing-the-right-things-but/)

[Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/)

> [Be careful what you choose: You may get it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/be-careful-what-you-choose-you-may-get-it/)

[Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/)

> [The best leaders are those who break that mission down into the organization's constituent parts, so that everybody understands their role and how it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/the-best-leaders-are-those-who-break-that-mission-down-into-the/)

[Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/)

[Explore all 408 Colin Powell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/)

## More Acting quotes

> [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/)

[Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/)

> [Many Republicans have always reminded me of professional WWF wrestlers. They come into the ring all pumped up and acting like they're invincible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feig/many-republicans-have-always-reminded-me-of-professional-wwf/)

[Paul Feig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feig/)

> [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/)

[Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/)

> [Acting is a grind, just like music is a grind. Sometimes it takes longer than what you can give.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-sean/acting-is-a-grind-just-like-music-is-a-grind-sometimes-it-takes/)

[Big Sean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-sean/)

> [It was only when I started making short films in college and I was looking for girls to play the me-ish parts that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-dunham/it-was-only-when-i-started-making-short-films-in-college-and-i-was/)

[Lena Dunham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-dunham/)

> [Writing is something I took up rather than anything I had an inclination toward. I like acting -delivering someone else's message - but writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/writing-is-something-i-took-up-rather-than-anything-i-had-an/)

[Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/)

> [I can still function when I don't have that balance I crave. I had a tendency to be precious about acting, thinking of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-regan/i-can-still-function-when-i-don-t-have-that-balance-i-crave-i-had-a/)

[Laura Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-regan/)

> [Actors don't hate acting. Most people don't hate acting! Whether you're a child mucking around with your friends or a grown up being paid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liv-hewson/actors-don-t-hate-acting-most-people-don-t-hate-acting-whether-you-re/)

[Liv Hewson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liv-hewson/)

> [It was only when I went to acting school that I was like, "You are absolutely such a pigheaded freak show that you thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-matthey/it-was-only-when-i-went-to-acting-school-that-i-was-like-you-are/)

[Giles Matthey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-matthey/)

> [Once I committed to acting, this has been it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-hudson/once-i-committed-to-acting-this-has-been-it/)

[Ernie Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-hudson/)

> [It definitely helps to have the acting experience going into singing, because when you're singing, you have to portray the emotion you were feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-newman/it-definitely-helps-to-have-the-acting-experience-going-into-singing/)

Ryan Newman

> [The show was number one in the ratings, Gordon Russell was our head writer, the story lines were magnificent and the acting most exciting.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-storm/the-show-was-number-one-in-the-ratings-gordon-russell-was-our-head/)

[Michael Storm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-storm/)

> [I've done so many other projects where you're in a room with a reader and you're acting your lines out: 'We have to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cummings/i-ve-done-so-many-other-projects-where-you-re-in-a-room-with-a-reader/)

[Jim Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cummings/)

> [I do not believe in public shaming. I do believe that young adults go to college to learn things, and that this process will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/i-do-not-believe-in-public-shaming-i-do-believe-that-young-adults-go/)

[Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/)

> [Poetry has, in a way, been my bridge to my acting career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omari-hardwick/poetry-has-in-a-way-been-my-bridge-to-my-acting-career/)

[Omari Hardwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omari-hardwick/)

[Browse all 12,062 Acting quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The less you associate with some people, the more your life will improve. Any time you tolerate mediocrity in others, it increases your mediocrity. An important attribute in successful people is their impatience with negative thinking and negative acting people.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Colin Powell"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/the-less-you-associate-with-some-people-the-more-your-life-will/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Acting"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/the-less-you-associate-with-some-people-the-more-your-life-will/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56a/colin-powell-691_acting_the-less-you-associate-with-some-people_70759.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56a/colin-powell-691_acting_the-less-you-associate-with-some-people_70759.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56a/colin-powell-691_acting_the-less-you-associate-with-some-people_70759.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The less you associate with some people, the more your life will improve. Any time you tolerate mediocrity…” — Colin Powell",
                "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": "Colin Powell",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The less you associate with some...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/the-less-you-associate-with-some-people-the-more-your-life-will/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/the-less-you-associate-with-some-people-the-more-your-life-will/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
