--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: High achievers don't like mediocre…" description: "\"High achievers don't like mediocre people, mediocre people don't like high achievers.\" — Nick Saban" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7e/nick-saban-2879_achiever_high-achievers-don-t-like-mediocre-peopl_949910.jpg" --- # High achievers don't like mediocre people, mediocre people… ![“High achievers don't like mediocre people, mediocre people don't like high achievers.” quote by Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7e/nick-saban-2879_achiever_high-achievers-don-t-like-mediocre-peopl_949910.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7e/nick-saban-2879_achiever_high-achievers-don-t-like-mediocre-peopl_949910.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7e/nick-saban-2879_achiever_high-achievers-don-t-like-mediocre-peopl_949910.jpg) > “High achievers don't like mediocre people, mediocre people don't like high achievers.” [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. High performers reject mediocrity, and mediocrity rejects high performers. **In simple terms:** High achievers and mediocrity clash. Key Takeaway Seek excellence, avoid mediocrity. Themes achievement excellence social dynamics Mood determined critical Type motivational observational When to use this quote - team building - career planning - leadership training Key Concepts performance theory social identity Questions to Reflect On - What defines mediocrity for you? - Can high achievers learn from mediocrity? A Different Perspective Not all mediocrity is negative; diversity matters. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Achiever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achiever/) [Achievers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achievers/) [High achievers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/high-achievers/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/mediocre-people-don-t-like-high-achievers-and-high-achievers-don-t/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [We create a standard for how we want to do things and everybody's got to buy into that standard or you really can't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/we-create-a-standard-for-how-we-want-to-do-things-and-everybody-s-got/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [Mediocre people hate high achievers, and high achievers hate mediocre people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/mediocre-people-hate-high-achievers-and-high-achievers-hate-mediocre/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [It's great to get an 'F', but you also want to give the sense that there's something outside achievement. I've seen a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/it-s-great-to-get-an-f-but-you-also-want-to-give-the-sense-that-there/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [Achievers don't submit to instant gratification; they INVEST in the LONG-TERM payoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darren-hardy/achievers-don-t-submit-to-instant-gratification-they-invest-in-the/) [Darren Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darren-hardy/) > [You'd be hard pressed to find elite achievers who don't have coaches helping them in key areas of their life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-w-keller/you-d-be-hard-pressed-to-find-elite-achievers-who-don-t-have-coaches/) [Gary W. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-w-keller/) > [For the High Achievers, Studying Gave Them The Pleasing, Absorbing Challenge of Flow Percent of the Hours They Spent as It.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/for-the-high-achievers-studying-gave-them-the-pleasing-absorbing/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [One quality of leaders and high achievers in every area seems to be a commitment to ongoing personal and professional development.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/one-quality-of-leaders-and-high-achievers-in-every-area-seems-to-be-a/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [High achievers dwell on what they do well and spend very little time evaluating themselves and their performances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eliot/high-achievers-dwell-on-what-they-do-well-and-spend-very-little-time/) [John Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eliot/) > [You don't achieve greatness in life being surrounded by mediocre people with mediocre values. Choose your company wisely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-chan/you-don-t-achieve-greatness-in-life-being-surrounded-by-mediocre/) [Amy Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-chan/) > [“Successful achievers don't necessarily follow a path, they make one”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shadonna-richards/successful-achievers-don-t-necessarily-follow-a-path-they-make-one/) Shadonna Richards > [I had older brothers and sisters who were high achievers, and I felt different, misunderstood by my family. That's not my family's fault; it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-aames/i-had-older-brothers-and-sisters-who-were-high-achievers-and-i-felt/) [Willie Aames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-aames/) > [She explained that many people, but especially women, feel fraudulent when they are praised for their accomplishments. Instead of feeling worthy of recognition, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/she-explained-that-many-people-but-especially-women-feel-fraudulent/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [Persistence is probably the single most common quality of high achievers. They simply refuse to give up. They longer you hang in there, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-canfield/persistence-is-probably-the-single-most-common-quality-of-high/) [Jack Canfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-canfield/) > [High achievers tend to have major weaknesses. People without major weaknesses tend to be mediocre.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-kawasaki/high-achievers-tend-to-have-major-weaknesses-people-without-major/) [Guy Kawasaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-kawasaki/) ## More by Nick Saban > [One thing I always tell players is that there are three bad things: Nothing good happens after midnight, nothing good happens when you're around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/one-thing-i-always-tell-players-is-that-there-are-three-bad-things/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [We create a standard for how we want to do things and everybody's got to buy into that standard or you really can't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/we-create-a-standard-for-how-we-want-to-do-things-and-everybody-s-got/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [What makes Freddy Krueger such a horrible character? What makes him scare you to death? You can't get rid of the guy. He never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/what-makes-freddy-krueger-such-a-horrible-character-what-makes-him/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [I said as soon as we had a playoff, we were going to minimize the importance of all the other bowl games. I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/i-said-as-soon-as-we-had-a-playoff-we-were-going-to-minimize-the/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [Our goal is to work against things we have not seen that we will see in the near future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/our-goal-is-to-work-against-things-we-have-not-seen-that-we-will-see/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [I've always been able to stay focused on trying to recruit good players and trying to develop those players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/i-ve-always-been-able-to-stay-focused-on-trying-to-recruit-good/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [I think people always assume that every team has great intangibles, and that's not necessarily right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/i-think-people-always-assume-that-every-team-has-great-intangibles/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [I think there's a certain pride people have in competition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/i-think-there-s-a-certain-pride-people-have-in-competition/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [Soccer is a continuous game, rugby is a continuous game, but for the physical elements that are involved in playing a football game and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/soccer-is-a-continuous-game-rugby-is-a-continuous-game-but-for-the/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [You can't allow yourself to be vulnerable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/you-can-t-allow-yourself-to-be-vulnerable/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [There are two pains in life. There is the pain of discipline and the pain of disappointment. If you can handle the pain of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/there-are-two-pains-in-life-there-is-the-pain-of-discipline-and-the/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [As a coach, when it comes to football players, we're trying to change their behavior and make them better. As people, we're trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/as-a-coach-when-it-comes-to-football-players-we-re-trying-to-change/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [We're not going to talk about what we're going to accomplish, we're going to talk about how we're going to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/we-re-not-going-to-talk-about-what-we-re-going-to-accomplish-we-re/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [I want what's best for people who want to improve the quality of their life. I hope whoever our leader is will do all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/i-want-what-s-best-for-people-who-want-to-improve-the-quality-of/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [The thing that concerns me the most is when I hear that people are making a lot of money a lot of ways except…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/the-thing-that-concerns-me-the-most-is-when-i-hear-that-people-are/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) [Explore all 147 Nick Saban quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) ## More Achiever quotes > [We create a standard for how we want to do things and everybody's got to buy into that standard or you really can't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/we-create-a-standard-for-how-we-want-to-do-things-and-everybody-s-got/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [“Don't pretend to be what you're not, instead, pretend to what you want to be, it is not pretence, it is a journey to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/don-t-pretend-to-be-what-you-re-not-instead-pretend-to-what-you-want/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [I don't think art is a goal orientated business. I don't do things for the challenges, I only do them because I love them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-lake/i-don-t-think-art-is-a-goal-orientated-business-i-don-t-do-things-for/) [Greg Lake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-lake/) > [Jaylen's a high achiever. You can be a high achiever in every which way. He's a guy that - we've talked about several times…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-stevens/jaylen-s-a-high-achiever-you-can-be-a-high-achiever-in-every-which/) [Brad Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-stevens/) > [“Every great achiever is inspired by a great mentor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/every-great-achiever-is-inspired-by-a-great-mentor/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [She explained that many people, but especially women, feel fraudulent when they are praised for their accomplishments. Instead of feeling worthy of recognition, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/she-explained-that-many-people-but-especially-women-feel-fraudulent/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [Probably any successful career has X number of breaks in it, and maybe the difference between successful people and those who aren't super achievers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-ganz-cooney/probably-any-successful-career-has-x-number-of-breaks-in-it-and-maybe/) [Joan Ganz Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-ganz-cooney/) > [“Money is not the first step to becoming a great achiever. Your ideas determine the cost you will need to pay. So if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/money-is-not-the-first-step-to-becoming-a-great-achiever-your-ideas/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [Understand that workaholics aren't productive people. Quite the contrary. A workaholic is someone who takes twice as much time to accomplish half as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-j-zelinski/understand-that-workaholics-aren-t-productive-people-quite-the/) [Ernie J Zelinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-j-zelinski/) > [Im an over achiever, so how bout I start a team of leaders, and pick up Stevie Wonder to be the wide receiver.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-the-creator/im-an-over-achiever-so-how-bout-i-start-a-team-of-leaders-and-pick-up/) [Tyler The Creator](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-the-creator/) > [“Take the challenge of your life. Reach out to your goals. There is no limit to what you can achieve.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/take-the-challenge-of-your-life-reach-out-to-your-goals-there-is-no/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [Shortridge High School was an elitist high school. In a way it was a scandal because you could go there no matter where you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/shortridge-high-school-was-an-elitist-high-school-in-a-way-it-was-a/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Result of HARDWORK Is Neither Friends Nor Enemy, To the AGE Of the ACHIEVER!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sujit-lalwani/result-of-hardwork-is-neither-friends-nor-enemy-to-the-age-of-the/) [Sujit Lalwani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sujit-lalwani/) > [“Achievers are those who have redefined impossible, changing what can't be done into a work in progress. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/achievers-are-those-who-have-redefined-impossible-changing-what-can-t/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [With the MacArthur grant, I realized that people have high expectations of me, that they were placing me in this group of achievers. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/with-the-macarthur-grant-i-realized-that-people-have-high/) [Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) [Browse all 118 Achiever quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achiever/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "High achievers don't like mediocre people, mediocre people don't like high achievers.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nick Saban" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/high-achievers-don-t-like-mediocre-people-mediocre-people-don-t-like/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Achiever" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/high-achievers-don-t-like-mediocre-people-mediocre-people-don-t-like/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7e/nick-saban-2879_achiever_high-achievers-don-t-like-mediocre-peopl_949910.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7e/nick-saban-2879_achiever_high-achievers-don-t-like-mediocre-peopl_949910.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7e/nick-saban-2879_achiever_high-achievers-don-t-like-mediocre-peopl_949910.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“High achievers don't like mediocre people, mediocre people don't like high achievers.” — Nick Saban", "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": "Nick Saban", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "High achievers don't like mediocre people,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/high-achievers-don-t-like-mediocre-people-mediocre-people-don-t-like/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/high-achievers-don-t-like-mediocre-people-mediocre-people-don-t-like/#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 } } ] } ```