--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You don't have to be a genius when you're…" description: "\"You don't have to be a genius when you're surrounded by morons.\" — Josh Lieb" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f8/josh-lieb-19178_genius_you-don-t-have-to-be-a-genius-when-you-r_2570653.jpg" --- # You don't have to be a genius when you're surrounded by… ![“You don't have to be a genius when you're surrounded by morons.” quote by Josh Lieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f8/josh-lieb-19178_genius_you-don-t-have-to-be-a-genius-when-you-r_2570653.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f8/josh-lieb-19178_genius_you-don-t-have-to-be-a-genius-when-you-r_2570653.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f8/josh-lieb-19178_genius_you-don-t-have-to-be-a-genius-when-you-r_2570653.jpg) > “You don't have to be a genius when you're surrounded by morons.” [Josh Lieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-lieb/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Intelligence is relative; surrounding yourself with less capable people highlights your own. **In simple terms:** Surroundings reveal your intellect. Key Takeaway Choose stimulating companions. Themes intelligence environment self‑awareness Mood reflective motivational Type personal advice When to use this quote - work teams - study groups - networking events - creative collaborations Key Concepts social influence cognitive contrast Questions to Reflect On - How do you foster mutual growth? - What benefits arise from diverse intellects? A Different Perspective Being around “morons” can breed arrogance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Don Genius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/don-genius-1602762/) [Genius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genius/) [Genius Surrounded](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genius-surrounded-1687464/) [Intelligence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligence/) [Moron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moron/) [Morons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morons/) [Surrounded Morons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surrounded-morons-1687463/) ## Related quotes > [MORONS! I'm surrounded by MORONS! -Carface](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/all-dogs-go-to-heaven/morons-i-m-surrounded-by-morons-carface/) [All Dogs Go To Heaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/all-dogs-go-to-heaven/) > [“I’m surrounded by morons,” I muttered, making certain both the accused in question could hear me, before I began hopping away from them. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-williams/i-m-surrounded-by-morons-i-muttered-making-certain-both-the-accused/) [Nicole Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-williams/) > [You don't have to be a genius to invest well](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/you-don-t-have-to-be-a-genius-to-invest-well/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [Don't be a genius, my son, it isn't good for anybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-john-locke/don-t-be-a-genius-my-son-it-isn-t-good-for-anybody/) [William John Locke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-john-locke/) > [All the children seem to be coming out quite intelligent, thank goodness. It would have been such a bore to be the mother of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/all-the-children-seem-to-be-coming-out-quite-intelligent-thank/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [I'll be famous one day, but for now I'm stuck in middle school with a bunch of morons." - Greg Heffley,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-kinney/i-ll-be-famous-one-day-but-for-now-i-m-stuck-in-middle-school-with-a/) [Jeff Kinney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-kinney/) > [Why are we rock stars? Because we're morons. We sleep all day, we play music at night and very rarely do we sit around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-cooper/why-are-we-rock-stars-because-we-re-morons-we-sleep-all-day-we-play/) [Alice Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-cooper/) > [Never have a dog. Let's not beat around the bush here: dogs are morons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/never-have-a-dog-let-s-not-beat-around-the-bush-here-dogs-are-morons/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [I don’t wanna die, man. They’re not playing. Have you seen how many of them are out there? One just took a shot at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/i-don-t-wanna-die-man-they-re-not-playing-have-you-seen-how-many-of/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [I have a zero tolerance for sanctimonious morons who try to scare people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-robertson/i-have-a-zero-tolerance-for-sanctimonious-morons-who-try-to-scare/) [Pat Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-robertson/) > [Testosterone is a great equalizer, it turns all men into morons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-deacon/testosterone-is-a-great-equalizer-it-turns-all-men-into-morons/) [Giles Deacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-deacon/) > [But, of course only morons would ever think or speak of themselves as intellectuals. That's why they all look so sad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-glasgow/but-of-course-only-morons-would-ever-think-or-speak-of-themselves-as/) [Ellen Glasgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-glasgow/) > [Only morons start a business on a loan?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-cuban/only-morons-start-a-business-on-a-loan/) [Mark Cuban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cuban/) > [ President George\] Bush talked to us like we were a bunch of morons and we ate it up. Can you imagine, the Pledge of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/president-george-bush-talked-to-us-like-we-were-a-bunch-of-morons-and/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [There are four kinds of people in this world: cretins, fools, morons, and lunatics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/there-are-four-kinds-of-people-in-this-world-cretins-fools-morons-and/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) ## More by Josh Lieb > [I keep my TV writing and my book writing almost wholly separate. The audiences feel so different.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-lieb/i-keep-my-tv-writing-and-my-book-writing-almost-wholly-separate-the/) [Josh Lieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-lieb/) > [The more you write, the faster you'll write, and the less you'll mind throwing stuff out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-lieb/the-more-you-write-the-faster-you-ll-write-and-the-less-you-ll-mind/) [Josh Lieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-lieb/) > [“Boys are idiots. Girls are idiots, too, of course, but boys are a special kind of idiot. A girl, for instance, will vote for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-lieb/boys-are-idiots-girls-are-idiots-too-of-course-but-boys-are-a-special/) [Josh Lieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-lieb/) > [It doesn't pay to be good at something unless you are the absolute best at it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-lieb/it-doesn-t-pay-to-be-good-at-something-unless-you-are-the-absolute/) [Josh Lieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-lieb/) > [Fahrenheit 451 is one of those books that is about how amazing books are and how amazing the people who write books are. Writers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-lieb/fahrenheit-451-is-one-of-those-books-that-is-about-how-amazing-books/) [Josh Lieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-lieb/) > [Gratitude can sometimes be as annoying as whininess.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-lieb/gratitude-can-sometimes-be-as-annoying-as-whininess/) [Josh Lieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-lieb/) > [“What is evil?' you ask. To which I reply, 'Who are you, Friedrich Nietzsche?' To which you respond, 'Duh, wha? Me no understand.' Then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-lieb/what-is-evil-you-ask-to-which-i-reply-who-are-you-friedrich-nietzsche/) [Josh Lieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-lieb/) > [“Sunrises and sunsets are real jerks about putting things in perspective.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-lieb/sunrises-and-sunsets-are-real-jerks-about-putting-things-in/) [Josh Lieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-lieb/) > [“Moorehead is one of those sad people who go into teaching so they can be worshipped by the only people sadder than they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-lieb/moorehead-is-one-of-those-sad-people-who-go-into-teaching-so-they-can/) [Josh Lieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-lieb/) > [“According to the fortune-cookie logic most people live by, the best things in life are free. That's crap. I have a gold-plated robot that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-lieb/according-to-the-fortune-cookie-logic-most-people-live-by-the-best/) [Josh Lieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-lieb/) > [I read an awful lot in college - a lot of Dickens, a lot of 19th century American stuff, a lot of old mysteries.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-lieb/i-read-an-awful-lot-in-college-a-lot-of-dickens-a-lot-of-19th-century/) [Josh Lieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-lieb/) > [Important days don't look like anything special when they start. Invariably, the sun rises and people wake up. Coffee is swilled and eggs are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-lieb/important-days-don-t-look-like-anything-special-when-they-start/) [Josh Lieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-lieb/) > [If you want to do this - either write for TV, or write books - the first thing you have to do is write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-lieb/if-you-want-to-do-this-either-write-for-tv-or-write-books-the-first/) [Josh Lieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-lieb/) > [You have to know writing styles well before you can copy them - and then incorporate parts of them into your own style.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-lieb/you-have-to-know-writing-styles-well-before-you-can-copy-them-and/) [Josh Lieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-lieb/) > [I have to start writing down things that happen, or I'll forget my life entirely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-lieb/i-have-to-start-writing-down-things-that-happen-or-i-ll-forget-my/) [Josh Lieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-lieb/) [Explore all 33 Josh Lieb quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-lieb/) ## More Genius quotes > [“If people fully understand you, they will think of you as a normal, if they half understand you, will think of you as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/if-people-fully-understand-you-they-will-think-of-you-as-a-normal-if/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [Woman, in short, has an unconscious life, man a conscious life, and the genius the most conscious life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-weininger/woman-in-short-has-an-unconscious-life-man-a-conscious-life-and-the/) [Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/) > [ Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then \[these?\],… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in-england-in-1624-and-in-this/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [The truth is I've just never had any kind of plan at all for my career, which is probably not a very flattering thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ty-burrell/the-truth-is-i-ve-just-never-had-any-kind-of-plan-at-all-for-my/) [Ty Burrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ty-burrell/) > [What we shall need is not geniuses, or cynics, or misanthropes, or clever tacticians, but plain, honest, straghtforward men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/what-we-shall-need-is-not-geniuses-or-cynics-or-misanthropes-or/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/) [Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/) > [I have known many chess players, but among them there has been only one genius - Capablanca!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emanuel-lasker/i-have-known-many-chess-players-but-among-them-there-has-been-only/) [Emanuel Lasker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emanuel-lasker/) > [A time will come when the science of destruction shall bend before the arts of peace; when the genius which multiplies our powers, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-arago/a-time-will-come-when-the-science-of-destruction-shall-bend-before/) [Francois Arago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-arago/) > [One is not born a genius, one becomes a genius; and the feminine situation has up to the present rendered this becoming practically impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/one-is-not-born-a-genius-one-becomes-a-genius-and-the-feminine/) [Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/) > [The beginning of genius is being scared shitless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-ferdinand-celine/the-beginning-of-genius-is-being-scared-shitless/) [Louis-Ferdinand Celine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-ferdinand-celine/) > [Treason implies responsibility for something, control over something, influence upon something, knowledge of something. Treason in our time is a proof of genius. Why,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/treason-implies-responsibility-for-something-control-over-something/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [Mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself, but talent instantly recognizes genius.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/mediocrity-knows-nothing-higher-than-itself-but-talent-instantly/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [With the proper training, I could've been an evil genius.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/with-the-proper-training-i-could-ve-been-an-evil-genius/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [Never try to judge any one](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajat-dogra/never-try-to-judge-any-one/) [Rajat Dogra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajat-dogra/) > [“genius is a path that we can all take and derive much benefit, happiness, fulfillment, and success from...not a genetic windfall or divine gift.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-patrick/genius-is-a-path-that-we-can-all-take-and-derive-much-benefit/) [Sean Patrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-patrick/) [Browse all 5,125 Genius quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genius/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You don't have to be a genius when you're surrounded by morons.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Josh Lieb" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-lieb/you-don-t-have-to-be-a-genius-when-you-re-surrounded-by-morons/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Genius" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-lieb/you-don-t-have-to-be-a-genius-when-you-re-surrounded-by-morons/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f8/josh-lieb-19178_genius_you-don-t-have-to-be-a-genius-when-you-r_2570653.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f8/josh-lieb-19178_genius_you-don-t-have-to-be-a-genius-when-you-r_2570653.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f8/josh-lieb-19178_genius_you-don-t-have-to-be-a-genius-when-you-r_2570653.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You don't have to be a genius when you're surrounded by morons.” — Josh Lieb", "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": "Josh Lieb", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-lieb/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You don't have to be a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-lieb/you-don-t-have-to-be-a-genius-when-you-re-surrounded-by-morons/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-lieb/you-don-t-have-to-be-a-genius-when-you-re-surrounded-by-morons/#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 } } ] } ```