--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you start becoming really…" description: "\"When you start becoming really successful, the demons start to tempt you - the demons of vanity and self importance, drug abuse, the feelings of fraudu..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa0/ethan-hawke-1828_abuse_when-you-start-becoming-really-successfu_1253139.png" --- # When you start becoming really successful, the demons… ![“When you start becoming really successful, the demons start to tempt you - the demons of vanity and self importance, drug abuse, the feelings of fraudulence. But, it's also a thrill. That's what I found weird.” quote by Ethan Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa0/ethan-hawke-1828_abuse_when-you-start-becoming-really-successfu_1253139.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa0/ethan-hawke-1828_abuse_when-you-start-becoming-really-successfu_1253139.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa0/ethan-hawke-1828_abuse_when-you-start-becoming-really-successfu_1253139.png) > “When you start becoming really successful, the demons start to tempt you - the demons of vanity and self importance, drug abuse, the feelings of fraudulence. But, it's also a thrill. That's what I found weird.” [Ethan Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-hawke/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Success brings temptations—vanity, self‑importance, substance abuse, and impostor feelings—yet also an exhilarating thrill. **In simple terms:** Success can be both tempting and scary. Key Takeaway Maintain humility and self‑awareness. Themes success temptation vanity impostor syndrome thrill Mood cautious motivated Type personal reflective When to use this quote - career milestones - celebrations - self‑reflection - mental health checks Key Concepts psychology ethics personal development Questions to Reflect On - What temptations have you faced? - How do you stay grounded amid success? A Different Perspective Temptations can derail progress if unchecked. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abuse/) [Becoming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/becoming/) [Demon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/demon/) [Demons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/demons/) [Demons Start](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/demons-start-3957392/) [Demons Vanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/demons-vanity-3724989/) [Drug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drug/) [Drug abuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drug-abuse/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Found](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/found/) [Importance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/importance/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self importance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-importance/) [Successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful/) [Successful Demons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful-demons-3724987/) [Tempt Demons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tempt-demons-3724988/) [Thrill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thrill/) [Vanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vanity/) ## Related quotes > [When you start becoming really successful, the demons start to tempt you, the demons of vanity and self importance, drug abuse, the feelings of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/when-you-start-becoming-really-successful-the-demons-start-to-tempt-2/) [Ethan Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-hawke/) > [“When the demons start coming out— that's when you're nearing the light! It's hard for cockroaches to stay put without all the shadows. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-joybell-c/when-the-demons-start-coming-out-that-s-when-you-re-nearing-the-light/) [C. JoyBell C](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-joybell-c/) > [Hats off to drug abusers everywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-coleman/hats-off-to-drug-abusers-everywhere/) [Jerry Coleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-coleman/) > [If you want to see how grateful someone is, ask them to help you. Some folks think God sets up the chairs and cleans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-want-to-see-how-grateful-someone-is-ask-them-to-help-you-some/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The sixth sign that you are under spiritual attack is that old iniquities begin to resurface in your life. What is an iniquity? Some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jentezen-franklin/the-sixth-sign-that-you-are-under-spiritual-attack-is-that-old/) [Jentezen Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jentezen-franklin/) > [“This is no quick fix. There is no Band-aid big enough for his life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-abbott/this-is-no-quick-fix-there-is-no-band-aid-big-enough-for-his-life/) [Daniel Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-abbott/) > [All these biopics and biographies and people gossiping about so-and-so's drug abuse or who's sleeping with who, it's just a bunch of nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cass-mccombs/all-these-biopics-and-biographies-and-people-gossiping-about-so-and/) [Cass McCombs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cass-mccombs/) > [“This great region—the birthplace of Indus Valley civilization, Mauryan Empire, Ranjit Singh’s Empire, and the secular and pacifist philosophy of Sikhism—has been destroyed in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manjit-sachdeva/this-great-region-the-birthplace-of-indus-valley-civilization-mauryan/) [Manjit Sachdeva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manjit-sachdeva/) > [Untreated alcoholism without the steps on a daily basis will make my past my future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/untreated-alcoholism-without-the-steps-on-a-daily-basis-will-make-my/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“In the debate over opioid addiction, there’s one group we aren’t hearing from: chronic pain patients, many of whom need to use the drugs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-e-smith-2/in-the-debate-over-opioid-addiction-there-s-one-group-we-aren-t/) [S. E. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-e-smith-2/) > [According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the first use of alcohol typically begins at age 12.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xavier-becerra/according-to-the-national-institute-on-drug-abuse-the-first-use-of/) [Xavier Becerra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xavier-becerra/) > [We want to continue the efforts against domestic violence and spread the drug courts, and develop real effective means of providing treatment for drug…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-reno/we-want-to-continue-the-efforts-against-domestic-violence-and-spread/) [Janet Reno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-reno/) > [“I spent the rest of that day and most of the night thinking about all the hundreds of people I had met in rehabs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pax-prentiss/i-spent-the-rest-of-that-day-and-most-of-the-night-thinking-about-all/) [Pax Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pax-prentiss/) > [“When the black thing was at its worst, when the illicit cocktails and the ten-mile runs stopped working, I would feel numb as if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-jamieson/when-the-black-thing-was-at-its-worst-when-the-illicit-cocktails-and/) [Alice Jamieson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-jamieson/) > [“I didn't see it happening, but the wheels were falling off of me. I didn't care about responsibilities like paying rent, I was just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-kiedis/i-didn-t-see-it-happening-but-the-wheels-were-falling-off-of-me-i/) [Anthony Kiedis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-kiedis/) ## More by Ethan Hawke > [If you study the history of mankind, it seems to be a history of violence. Certainly the history of art, whether you look at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/if-you-study-the-history-of-mankind-it-seems-to-be-a-history-of/) [Ethan Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-hawke/) > [Time is what creates trust.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/time-is-what-creates-trust/) [Ethan Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-hawke/) > [To be married to another famous person was a huge pressure, one I didn't enjoy. And it had nothing to do with her. She's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/to-be-married-to-another-famous-person-was-a-huge-pressure-one-i-didn/) [Ethan Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-hawke/) > [Friends can hurt you, but the possibility of pain with lovers is so much greater because your expectations are so high. You don't ask…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/friends-can-hurt-you-but-the-possibility-of-pain-with-lovers-is-so/) [Ethan Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-hawke/) > [If you don't risk doing something foolish, you'll never do anything special.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/if-you-don-t-risk-doing-something-foolish-you-ll-never-do-anything/) [Ethan Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-hawke/) > [Most of us float with the river and there are a few people who move the river. Robert DeNiro is definitely one of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/most-of-us-float-with-the-river-and-there-are-a-few-people-who-move/) [Ethan Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-hawke/) > [Often you see a famous actor who says they produced something, when all they did was claim to have an idea at a dinner…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/often-you-see-a-famous-actor-who-says-they-produced-something-when/) [Ethan Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-hawke/) > [In truth, the world is a complicated place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/in-truth-the-world-is-a-complicated-place/) [Ethan Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-hawke/) > [I think that if you walk through this life and I end up being a bad father, then it won't matter anything else I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/i-think-that-if-you-walk-through-this-life-and-i-end-up-being-a-bad/) [Ethan Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-hawke/) > [Directing is like putting together a collage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/directing-is-like-putting-together-a-collage/) [Ethan Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-hawke/) > [There is no trick to writing a believable love story, a heartbreaking scene or real-sounding dialogue. All you need is to tell the truth.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/there-is-no-trick-to-writing-a-believable-love-story-a-heartbreaking/) [Ethan Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-hawke/) > [There's some kind of actors that can radically change who they are from movie to movie. I've never really been that kind of actor.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/there-s-some-kind-of-actors-that-can-radically-change-who-they-are/) [Ethan Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-hawke/) > [It's a really unique job that is a little schizophrenic and you have to kind of do it with a sense of humor.The trick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/it-s-a-really-unique-job-that-is-a-little-schizophrenic-and-you-have/) [Ethan Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-hawke/) > [My first car was kind of sad. My first car was when my parents had completely worn out their Toyota Corolla that they had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/my-first-car-was-kind-of-sad-my-first-car-was-when-my-parents-had/) [Ethan Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-hawke/) > [ The script \[of Regression\] wasn't the draw for me. It was largely Alejandro \[Amenabar\] and his way of talking. To hear him talking about… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/the-script-of-regression-wasn-t-the-draw-for-me-it-was-largely/) [Ethan Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-hawke/) [Explore all 205 Ethan Hawke quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-hawke/) ## More Abuse quotes > [I wrote when I was a young teen, but I didn't put an eye on the available markets until I was seventeen. The next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reed/i-wrote-when-i-was-a-young-teen-but-i-didn-t-put-an-eye-on-the/) [Robert Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reed/) > [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/) [Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/) > [Being nice is okay,but don't allow anybody to abuse it...try to fight for your self when you know your on the right way...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-nice-is-okay-but-don-t-allow-anybody-to-abuse-it-try-to-fight/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Build a bridge over shame by teaching kids about sexual abuse. Give them a chance to run to us should they encounter it. Be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-byers-ruch/build-a-bridge-over-shame-by-teaching-kids-about-sexual-abuse-give/) [Carolyn Byers Ruch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-byers-ruch/) > [It is sure that those are most desirous of honour or glory who cry out loudest of its abuse and the vanity of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/it-is-sure-that-those-are-most-desirous-of-honour-or-glory-who-cry/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [“The sole reason I stand to open it up now is that lots of people who are in pain just like I was, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-dsouza/the-sole-reason-i-stand-to-open-it-up-now-is-that-lots-of-people-who/) [Patricia Dsouza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-dsouza/) > [Democracy must be built through open societies that share information. When there is information, there is enlightenment. When there is debate, there are solutions.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atifete-jahjaga/democracy-must-be-built-through-open-societies-that-share-information/) [Atifete Jahjaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atifete-jahjaga/) > [I have a theory that all abuse, no matter what kind of abuse it is, is foremost an assault on the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-westover/i-have-a-theory-that-all-abuse-no-matter-what-kind-of-abuse-it-is-is/) [Tara Westover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-westover/) > [“Blaming therapy, social work and other caring professions for the confabulation of testimony of 'satanic ritual abuse' legitimated a programme of political and social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-salter/blaming-therapy-social-work-and-other-caring-professions-for-the/) [Michael Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-salter/) > [Finally, the scariest thing about abuse of any shape or form, is, in my opinion, not the abuse itself, but that if it continues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cumming/finally-the-scariest-thing-about-abuse-of-any-shape-or-form-is-in-my/) [Alan Cumming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cumming/) > [“Research on organised abuse emphasises the diversity of organised abuse cases, and the ways in which serious forms of child maltreatment cluster in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-salter/research-on-organised-abuse-emphasises-the-diversity-of-organised/) [Michael Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-salter/) > [“Stand up for yourself. Never give any one permission to abuse you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/stand-up-for-yourself-never-give-any-one-permission-to-abuse-you/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [All governments should be pressured to correct their abuses of human rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/all-governments-should-be-pressured-to-correct-their-abuses-of-human/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [“Words are free. It does not mean you should abuse them. Be kind with them. They will mirror your actions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hadinet-tekie/words-are-free-it-does-not-mean-you-should-abuse-them-be-kind-with/) [Hadinet Tekie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hadinet-tekie/) > [My illness is one often characterized by dramatic overspending - in my case through frenzied shopping sprees, credit card abuse, excessive hoarding of unnecessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-behrman/my-illness-is-one-often-characterized-by-dramatic-overspending-in-my/) [Andy Behrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-behrman/) [Browse all 3,113 Abuse quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abuse/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When you start becoming really successful, the demons start to tempt you - the demons of vanity and self importance, drug abuse, the feelings of fraudulence. But, it's also a thrill. That's what I found weird.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ethan Hawke" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/when-you-start-becoming-really-successful-the-demons-start-to-tempt/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Abuse" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/when-you-start-becoming-really-successful-the-demons-start-to-tempt/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa0/ethan-hawke-1828_abuse_when-you-start-becoming-really-successfu_1253139.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa0/ethan-hawke-1828_abuse_when-you-start-becoming-really-successfu_1253139.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa0/ethan-hawke-1828_abuse_when-you-start-becoming-really-successfu_1253139.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When you start becoming really successful, the demons start to tempt you - the demons of vanity and self…” — Ethan Hawke", "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": "Ethan Hawke", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-hawke/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When you start becoming really successful,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/when-you-start-becoming-really-successful-the-demons-start-to-tempt/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/when-you-start-becoming-really-successful-the-demons-start-to-tempt/#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 } } ] } ```