--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There's also the idea in this country…" description: "\"There's also the idea in this country [USA], it's not wholly new, but it's new in its kind of purity, in that you have to be really smart to be really ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bad/fran-lebowitz-690_believe_there-s-also-the-idea-in-this-country-us_480145.jpg" --- # There's also the idea in this country \[USA\], it's not… ![“There's also the idea in this country [USA], it's not wholly new, but it's new in its kind of purity, in that you have to be really smart to be really rich. I always say to people, the reason people believe this is a) they've never met a really smart person, and b) they've never met a really rich…” quote by Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bad/fran-lebowitz-690_believe_there-s-also-the-idea-in-this-country-us_480145.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bad/fran-lebowitz-690_believe_there-s-also-the-idea-in-this-country-us_480145.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bad/fran-lebowitz-690_believe_there-s-also-the-idea-in-this-country-us_480145.jpg) > “There's also the idea in this country \[USA\], it's not wholly new, but it's new in its kind of purity, in that you have to be really smart to be really rich. I always say to people, the reason people believe this is a) they've never met a really smart person, and b) they've never met a really rich person. I have met both, and I cannot see the crossover. You do not have to be a genius to get rich. You have to be ruthless to get rich.” [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Intelligence and wealth are not strongly correlated; ruthlessness matters more for riches. **In simple terms:** Smartness ≠ riches; ruthlessness helps. Key Takeaway Focus on determination over intellect. Themes wealth intelligence ethics success Mood skeptical critical Type observational analytical When to use this quote - entrepreneurship - investment - career advancement Key Concepts Economic disparity social perception Questions to Reflect On - Is ruthlessness necessary for success? - Can intelligence be leveraged ethically? A Different Perspective Ruthlessness can lead to unethical behavior. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Genius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genius/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Purity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purity/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Rich person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rich-person/) [Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smart/) [Usa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/usa/) ## Related quotes > [“You can be a rich person alone. You can be a smart person alone. But you cannot be a complete person alone. For that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-l-friedman/you-can-be-a-rich-person-alone-you-can-be-a-smart-person-alone-but/) [Thomas L. Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-l-friedman/) > [Short of genius a rich man cannot even imagine poverty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-peguy/short-of-genius-a-rich-man-cannot-even-imagine-poverty/) [Charles Peguy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-peguy/) > [Bring the genius of the rich to unleash the genius of the poor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-meloto/bring-the-genius-of-the-rich-to-unleash-the-genius-of-the-poor/) [Tony Meloto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-meloto/) > [Nina Simone is a musical genius and a rich and precious treasure who paid a heavy price for her artistic freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dianne-reeves/nina-simone-is-a-musical-genius-and-a-rich-and-precious-treasure-who/) [Dianne Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dianne-reeves/) > [Money...buys privacy, silence. The less money you have, the noisier it is; the thinner your walls, the closer your neighbors… The first thing you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/money-buys-privacy-silence-the-less-money-you-have-the-noisier-it-is/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [What's so great about TV is that you can get an opportunity to tell really rich stories, over the course of so many hours.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-pratt/what-s-so-great-about-tv-is-that-you-can-get-an-opportunity-to-tell/) [Chris Pratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-pratt/) > [I do think that sports is really rich dramatically that, and this is kind of a self-serving thing to say, but I wonder why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-harbach/i-do-think-that-sports-is-really-rich-dramatically-that-and-this-is/) [Chad Harbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-harbach/) > [If we want to jack up the tax rates on the really rich, the amounts of money that would bring in are trivial compared…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-murray/if-we-want-to-jack-up-the-tax-rates-on-the-really-rich-the-amounts-of/) [Charles Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-murray/) > [There’s something really rich and powerful in not talking about what you need to talk about sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-moody/there-s-something-really-rich-and-powerful-in-not-talking-about-what/) [Rick Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-moody/) > [Did you ever notice the people who say money isnt everything are usually really rich?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/did-you-ever-notice-the-people-who-say-money-isnt-everything-are/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There are wonderfully talented actresses. It's a really rich field. There isn't as rich a field of material.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-streep/there-are-wonderfully-talented-actresses-it-s-a-really-rich-field/) [Meryl Streep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-streep/) > [“The really poor is he who misuses what he has. The really rich is he who well uses what he has.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-naimy/the-really-poor-is-he-who-misuses-what-he-has-the-really-rich-is-he/) [Mikhail Naimy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-naimy/) > [I'm really not that rich. I really don't know how I got the reputation of being so loaded. Maybe my business manager started it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-macmurray/i-m-really-not-that-rich-i-really-don-t-know-how-i-got-the-reputation/) [Fred MacMurray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-macmurray/) > [If I were really rich, I would be flying places, I think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tao-lin/if-i-were-really-rich-i-would-be-flying-places-i-think/) [Tao Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tao-lin/) > [Get really rich and then help the people who didn't have the opportunity you did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-harv-eker/get-really-rich-and-then-help-the-people-who-didn-t-have-the/) [T. Harv Eker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-harv-eker/) ## More by Fran Lebowitz > [Why not have your first baby at sixty, when your husband is already dead and your career is over? Then you can really devote…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/why-not-have-your-first-baby-at-sixty-when-your-husband-is-already/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [I've never had the experience of being edited and never will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/i-ve-never-had-the-experience-of-being-edited-and-never-will/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [I think humor is warmer, and wit is colder. Wit is judgment, whereas humor invites some sort of response.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/i-think-humor-is-warmer-and-wit-is-colder-wit-is-judgment-whereas/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [Communists all seem to wear small caps, a look I consider better suited to tubes of toothpaste than to people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/communists-all-seem-to-wear-small-caps-a-look-i-consider-better/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [“lack, or loutish and crass kollective is a program dedicated to the proposition that vulgarity and bad taste are an inalienable right. the lackies,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/lack-or-loutish-and-crass-kollective-is-a-program-dedicated-to-the/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [I figure you have the same chance of winning the lottery whether you play or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/i-figure-you-have-the-same-chance-of-winning-the-lottery-whether-you/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [ \[Friendships\] are easy to get out of compared to love affairs, but they are not easy to get out of compared to, say, jail. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/friendships-are-easy-to-get-out-of-compared-to-love-affairs-but-they/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [Smoking is, as far as I'm concerned, the entire point of being an adult.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/smoking-is-as-far-as-i-m-concerned-the-entire-point-of-being-an-adult/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [If you want to get ahead in this world get a lawyer -- not a book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/if-you-want-to-get-ahead-in-this-world-get-a-lawyer-not-a-book/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [When it comes to sports I am not particularly interested. Generally speaking, I look upon them as dangerous and tiring activities performed by people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/when-it-comes-to-sports-i-am-not-particularly-interested-generally/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [The first time I ever saw platform shoes in the '70s, I knew they'd been revived from the '40s, and I felt sickened. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/the-first-time-i-ever-saw-platform-shoes-in-the-70s-i-knew-they-d/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [Children ask better questions than adults. "May I have a cookie?" "Why is the sky blue?" and "What does a cow say?" are far…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/children-ask-better-questions-than-adults-may-i-have-a-cookie-why-is/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [ I do not think everyone is created equal. In fact, I know they're not. \[The Constitution\] means that everyone should have the same laws… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/i-do-not-think-everyone-is-created-equal-in-fact-i-know-they-re-not/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [When I fly, I'm never afraid the plane is going to crash. But there have often been times when I was afraid it wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/when-i-fly-i-m-never-afraid-the-plane-is-going-to-crash-but-there/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [Smoking is, if not my life, then at least my hobby. I love to smoke. Smoking is fun. Smoking is cool. Smoking is, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/smoking-is-if-not-my-life-then-at-least-my-hobby-i-love-to-smoke/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) [Explore all 408 Fran Lebowitz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) ## More Believe 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/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. 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Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There's also the idea in this country [USA], it's not wholly new, but it's new in its kind of purity, in that you have to be really smart to be really rich. I always say to people, the reason people believe this is a) they've never met a really smart person, and b) they've never met a really rich person. I have met both, and I cannot see the crossover. You do not have to be a genius to get rich. 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