--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As successful people are afraid of being…" description: "\"“As successful people are afraid of being used, unsuccessful people are afraid of being snubbed, interesting people want to talk about something differ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/676/judith-martin-1927_boring-people_as-successful-people-are-afraid-of-being_492780.jpg" --- # As successful people are afraid of being used… ![“As successful people are afraid of being used, unsuccessful people are afraid of being snubbed, interesting people want to talk about something different from their jobs and boring people won’t stop talking about their jobs,” quote by Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/676/judith-martin-1927_boring-people_as-successful-people-are-afraid-of-being_492780.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/676/judith-martin-1927_boring-people_as-successful-people-are-afraid-of-being_492780.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/676/judith-martin-1927_boring-people_as-successful-people-are-afraid-of-being_492780.jpg) > ““As successful people are afraid of being used, unsuccessful people are afraid of being snubbed, interesting people want to talk about something different from their jobs and boring people won’t stop talking about their jobs,”” [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Successful people fear being exploited, unsuccessful fear being ignored, interesting people discuss beyond work, boring people stay on work topics. **In simple terms:** Fear of use, neglect, and narrow focus differ by personality. Key Takeaway Seek broader conversations and avoid fear‑driven limits. Themes fear communication personality career creativity Mood curious reflective analytical Type advice observational When to use this quote - networking events - team meetings - creative workshops - personal branding Key Concepts social dynamics identity self‑presentation Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance depth and breadth in conversations? - What topics reveal your authentic interests? A Different Perspective May overlook the value of deep expertise in a single field. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Afraid Snubbed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afraid-snubbed-4214430/) [Boring people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boring-people/) [Interesting people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interesting-people/) [Jobs Boring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs-boring-4214431/) [Stop talking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stop-talking/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Successful people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful-people/) [Unsuccessful People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unsuccessful-people/) ## Related quotes > [“There are no boring jobs, only boring men.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/there-are-no-boring-jobs-only-boring-men/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [Banality is like boredom: bored people are boring people, people who think that things are banal are themselves banal. Interesting people can find something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idries-shah/banality-is-like-boredom-bored-people-are-boring-people-people-who/) [Idries Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idries-shah/) > [Many successful people are no more talented than unsuccessful people. The difference between them lies in the old axiom that successful people do those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-mackay/many-successful-people-are-no-more-talented-than-unsuccessful-people/) [Harvey Mackay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-mackay/) > [“Successful people MAKE themselves do the things unsuccessful people will not do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wong/successful-people-make-themselves-do-the-things-unsuccessful-people/) [Henry Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wong/) > [“successful people do what unsuccessful people are not willing to do—even when it doesn’t look like it makes any difference.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-olson/successful-people-do-what-unsuccessful-people-are-not-willing-to-do-2/) [Jeff Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-olson/) > [Successful people do what unsuccessful people dare not to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ishere/successful-people-do-what-unsuccessful-people-dare-not-to/) [Michael\_IsHere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ishere/) > [“Successful people have good habits; unsuccessful people have losery habits.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jen-sincero/successful-people-have-good-habits-unsuccessful-people-have-losery/) [Jen Sincero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jen-sincero/) > [Nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/nothing-is-more-common-than-unsuccessful-people-with-talent/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Successful people do what unsuccessful people are not willing to doDon't wish it were easier, wish you were better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/successful-people-do-what-unsuccessful-people-are-not-willing-to/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [“Unsuccessful people carry their goals around in their head like marbles rattling around in a can, and we say a goal that is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darren-hardy/unsuccessful-people-carry-their-goals-around-in-their-head-like/) [Darren Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darren-hardy/) > [“Successful people do what unsuccessful people are not willing to do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-olson/successful-people-do-what-unsuccessful-people-are-not-willing-to-do/) [Jeff Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-olson/) > [The one thing that's common to all successful people: They make a habit of doing things that unsuccessful people don't like to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-phelps/the-one-thing-that-s-common-to-all-successful-people-they-make-a/) [Michael Phelps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-phelps/) > [Successful people don't have any fewer problems than unsuccessful people; they just have a different mindset in dealing with them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/successful-people-don-t-have-any-fewer-problems-than-unsuccessful/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [Most unsuccessful people let their fears and doubts have the final say in how they live their lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-elrod/most-unsuccessful-people-let-their-fears-and-doubts-have-the-final/) [Hal Elrod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-elrod/) > [Unsuccessful people get up whenever they feel like it and the first thing they do is watch television, read the paper, or check email.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/unsuccessful-people-get-up-whenever-they-feel-like-it-and-the-first/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) ## More by Judith Martin > [Smart people duck when they hear the dread announcement 'I'm going to be perfectly honest with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/smart-people-duck-when-they-hear-the-dread-announcement-i-m-going-to/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [If you put together all the ingredients that naturally attract children - sex, violence, revenge, spectacle and vigorous noise - what you have is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/if-you-put-together-all-the-ingredients-that-naturally-attract/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [The one prediction that never comes true is, 'You'll thank me for telling you this.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/the-one-prediction-that-never-comes-true-is-you-ll-thank-me-for/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [Chaperons, even in their days of glory, were almost never able to enforce morality; what they did was to force immorality to be discreet.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/chaperons-even-in-their-days-of-glory-were-almost-never-able-to/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [There are always proper responses, even to rude questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/there-are-always-proper-responses-even-to-rude-questions/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [Perhaps the greatest rudenesses of our time come not from the callousness of strangers, but from the solicitousness of intimates who believe that their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/perhaps-the-greatest-rudenesses-of-our-time-come-not-from-the/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [We are all entitled to our little harmless habits, but we are not entitled to demand approval for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/we-are-all-entitled-to-our-little-harmless-habits-but-we-are-not/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [“Lady” is not used before the lady’s first name unless she is the daughter of a duke, marquess or earl; those who come by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/lady-is-not-used-before-the-lady-s-first-name-unless-she-is-the/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [Greece is a good place for rebirths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/greece-is-a-good-place-for-rebirths/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [Adorable children are considered to be the general property of the human race. Rude children belong to their mothers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/adorable-children-are-considered-to-be-the-general-property-of-the/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [I have always believed that the key to a happy marriage was the ability to say with a straight face, 'Why, I don't know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/i-have-always-believed-that-the-key-to-a-happy-marriage-was-the/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [It is, indeed, a trial to maintain the virtue of humility when one can't help being right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/it-is-indeed-a-trial-to-maintain-the-virtue-of-humility-when-one-can/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [Honesty is a virtue, but not the only one. If you're in a courtroom you need the whole truth and nothing but the truth;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/honesty-is-a-virtue-but-not-the-only-one-if-you-re-in-a-courtroom-you/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [Only a person who considers himself too good for you is good enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/only-a-person-who-considers-himself-too-good-for-you-is-good-enough/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [Society cannot exist without etiquette ... It never has, and until our own century, everybody knew that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/society-cannot-exist-without-etiquette-it-never-has-and-until-our-own/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) [Explore all 197 Judith Martin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) ## More Boring people quotes > [If You want to be Awesome, You have to kick all the negative and boring people out of your life and arm yourself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajdeep-sarkar/if-you-want-to-be-awesome-you-have-to-kick-all-the-negative-and/) [Rajdeep Sarkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajdeep-sarkar/) > [Surely only boring people went in for conversations consisting of questions and answers. The art of true conversation consisted in the play of minds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ved-mehta/surely-only-boring-people-went-in-for-conversations-consisting-of/) [Ved Mehta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ved-mehta/) > [I give boring people something to discuss over corn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-bender/i-give-boring-people-something-to-discuss-over-corn/) [Aimee Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-bender/) > [The problem with movies and books is they make evil look glamorous, exciting, when it's no such thing. It's boring and it's depressing and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/the-problem-with-movies-and-books-is-they-make-evil-look-glamorous/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [The only boring people I know are bored people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/the-only-boring-people-i-know-are-bored-people/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [The complaint that church is boring is never made by people in awe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul/the-complaint-that-church-is-boring-is-never-made-by-people-in-awe/) [R. C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul/) > [Immature: A word used by boring people to describe fun people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/immature-a-word-used-by-boring-people-to-describe-fun-people/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In all of our lives, we know some boring people, but we don't want to see them on television. In our families, we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-piddock/in-all-of-our-lives-we-know-some-boring-people-but-we-don-t-want-to/) [Jim Piddock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-piddock/) > [“IF YOU’RE DEPRESSED, I WILL BE THERE FOR YOU As everyone knows, depressed people are some of the most boring people in the world.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mindy-kaling/if-you-re-depressed-i-will-be-there-for-you-as-everyone-knows/) [Mindy Kaling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mindy-kaling/) > [Life is never boring, but some people choose to be bored.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/life-is-never-boring-but-some-people-choose-to-be-bored/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [“Oh, I just think that a neat house is the sign of a boring person, that's all. And I don't really like to associate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-kacvinsky/oh-i-just-think-that-a-neat-house-is-the-sign-of-a-boring-person-that/) [Katie Kacvinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-kacvinsky/) > [I'm not boring. I used to be the guy that sells the most pay-per-view before Conor McGregor, so I don't think I'm boring. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-st-pierre/i-m-not-boring-i-used-to-be-the-guy-that-sells-the-most-pay-per-view/) [Georges St-Pierre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-st-pierre/) > [“The boring thing about being interesting is that you bore boring people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/the-boring-thing-about-being-interesting-is-that-you-bore-boring/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [Willie said normal was boring and that I should be grateful that I had a touch of spice. She said no one cared about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruta-sepetys/willie-said-normal-was-boring-and-that-i-should-be-grateful-that-i/) [Ruta Sepetys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruta-sepetys/) > [All I really want to be is boring. When people talk about me, I'd like them to say, Carol's basically a short Bill Bradley.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-moseley-braun/all-i-really-want-to-be-is-boring-when-people-talk-about-me-i-d-like/) [Carol Moseley Braun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-moseley-braun/) [Browse all 121 Boring people quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boring-people/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“As successful people are afraid of being used, unsuccessful people are afraid of being snubbed, interesting people want to talk about something different from their jobs and boring people won’t stop talking about their jobs,”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Judith Martin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/as-successful-people-are-afraid-of-being-used-unsuccessful-people-are/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Boring people" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/as-successful-people-are-afraid-of-being-used-unsuccessful-people-are/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/676/judith-martin-1927_boring-people_as-successful-people-are-afraid-of-being_492780.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/676/judith-martin-1927_boring-people_as-successful-people-are-afraid-of-being_492780.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/676/judith-martin-1927_boring-people_as-successful-people-are-afraid-of-being_492780.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“As successful people are afraid of being used, unsuccessful people are afraid of being snubbed, interesting…” — Judith Martin", "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": "Judith Martin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“As successful people are afraid of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/as-successful-people-are-afraid-of-being-used-unsuccessful-people-are/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/as-successful-people-are-afraid-of-being-used-unsuccessful-people-are/#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 } } ] } ```