--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I had people telling me I was great and…" description: "\"I had people telling me I was great and women throwing themselves at me and I got caught up in that life. At school all I'd hear was - 'you're not goin..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fe/nigel-benn-5098_great_i-had-people-telling-me-i-was-great-and_1691179.jpg" --- # I had people telling me I was great and women throwing… ![“I had people telling me I was great and women throwing themselves at me and I got caught up in that life. At school all I'd hear was - 'you're not going to make anything of yourself' - and suddenly I was up there thinking: 'look where I am. Look where I am!' You're not in the real world.” quote by Nigel Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fe/nigel-benn-5098_great_i-had-people-telling-me-i-was-great-and_1691179.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fe/nigel-benn-5098_great_i-had-people-telling-me-i-was-great-and_1691179.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fe/nigel-benn-5098_great_i-had-people-telling-me-i-was-great-and_1691179.jpg) > “I had people telling me I was great and women throwing themselves at me and I got caught up in that life. At school all I'd hear was - 'you're not going to make anything of yourself' - and suddenly I was up there thinking: 'look where I am. Look where I am!' You're not in the real world.” [Nigel Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-benn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker reflects on contradictory messages—praise and doubt—realizing that external validation is detached from reality. **In simple terms:** External praise can be misleading; true worth isn’t defined by others. Key Takeaway Seek internal validation. Themes self‑esteem reality perception Mood reflective cautious Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career decisions - personal relationships - self‑reflection - goal setting Key Concepts psychology social influence Questions to Reflect On - What internal standards guide your actions? - How do you differentiate genuine feedback from noise? A Different Perspective Ignoring constructive criticism can hinder growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Real world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-world/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/women/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [“let's live suddenly without thinking under honest trees”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-s-live-suddenly-without-thinking-under-honest-trees/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Jamie,” I said, suddenly thinking of something, “do you speak German?” “Eh? Oh, aye,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/jamie-i-said-suddenly-thinking-of-something-do-you-speak-german-eh-oh/) [Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/) > [My dad is never far from my thoughts. 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He loved it;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bergin/calvin-had-finally-taken-a-look-at-the-et-tape-and-he-had-reacted/) [Michael Bergin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bergin/) > [“Let’s live suddenly without thinking. Let’s live like the light that kills. And let’s as silence, because Whirl’s after all: (after me) love, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-e-cummings-2/let-s-live-suddenly-without-thinking-let-s-live-like-the-light-that/) [E.E. Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-e-cummings-2/) > [“let’s live suddenly without thinking under honest trees, a stream does.the brain of cleverly-crinkling -water pursues the angry dream of the shore. By midnight,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-e-cummings-3/let-s-live-suddenly-without-thinking-under-honest-trees-a-stream-does/) [e e cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-e-cummings-3/) > [Wouldve came back for you, I just needed time to do what I had to do. Caught in the life, I cant let it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drake/wouldve-came-back-for-you-i-just-needed-time-to-do-what-i-had-to-do/) [Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drake/) > [Whoever wants to be caught up in my life, first of all, you should be living yours because I'm damn sure not worried about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-alsina/whoever-wants-to-be-caught-up-in-my-life-first-of-all-you-should-be/) [August Alsina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-alsina/) > [Wouldve came back for you, I just needed time to do what I had to do. Caught in the life, I cant let it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drake/wouldve-came-back-for-you-i-just-needed-time-to-do-what-i-had-to-do-2/) [Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drake/) > [“To the as-yet-unborn, to all innocent wisps of undifferentiated nothingness: Watch out for life. I have caught life. I have come down with life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/to-the-as-yet-unborn-to-all-innocent-wisps-of-undifferentiated-2/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [There were many times when I could have gone down the path of being a child star, which I know can be bad; I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-wolff/there-were-many-times-when-i-could-have-gone-down-the-path-of-being-a/) [Alex Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-wolff/) > [“To the as-yet-unborn, to all innocent wisps of un-differentiated nothingness: Watch out for life. I have caught life. I have come down with life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/to-the-as-yet-unborn-to-all-innocent-wisps-of-un-differentiated/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Caught between life and death, I clung to life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diogo-mainardi/caught-between-life-and-death-i-clung-to-life/) Diogo Mainardi ## More by Nigel Benn > [Boxing can be so important to young people, it keeps you off the street and you can channel your energy and aggression in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-benn/boxing-can-be-so-important-to-young-people-it-keeps-you-off-the/) [Nigel Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-benn/) > [I fight in the ring on my natural abilities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-benn/i-fight-in-the-ring-on-my-natural-abilities/) [Nigel Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-benn/) > [In finding God and delivering his message I get more joy now than I ever did when I was boxing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-benn/in-finding-god-and-delivering-his-message-i-get-more-joy-now-than-i/) [Nigel Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-benn/) > [It's not the Dark Destroyer no more, because everything synonymous with the Dark Destroyer I don't want to know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-benn/it-s-not-the-dark-destroyer-no-more-because-everything-synonymous/) [Nigel Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-benn/) > [How can I not look back and thank God for having Chris Eubank? I am so grateful he was there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-benn/how-can-i-not-look-back-and-thank-god-for-having-chris-eubank-i-am-so/) [Nigel Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-benn/) > [Conor is not emulating me. He has to be his own man and learn his trade from the start. He will fight in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-benn/conor-is-not-emulating-me-he-has-to-be-his-own-man-and-learn-his/) [Nigel Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-benn/) > [That is what I do, I fight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-benn/that-is-what-i-do-i-fight/) [Nigel Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-benn/) > [Look at my family. I can't ask for more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-benn/look-at-my-family-i-can-t-ask-for-more/) [Nigel Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-benn/) > [What I like about my son is he's got guts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-benn/what-i-like-about-my-son-is-he-s-got-guts/) [Nigel Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-benn/) > [We didn't have dietitians, or strength and conditioning coaches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-benn/we-didn-t-have-dietitians-or-strength-and-conditioning-coaches/) [Nigel Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-benn/) > [I started to go to areas where I shouldn't have been, like in Dagenham where there was a lot of support for the National…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-benn/i-started-to-go-to-areas-where-i-shouldn-t-have-been-like-in-dagenham/) [Nigel Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-benn/) > [I don't want to be second to nobody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-benn/i-don-t-want-to-be-second-to-nobody/) [Nigel Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-benn/) > [I thrive on fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-benn/i-thrive-on-fear/) [Nigel Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-benn/) > [When I was making a comeback we were talking to Roy Jones but he wasn't having any of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-benn/when-i-was-making-a-comeback-we-were-talking-to-roy-jones-but-he-wasn/) [Nigel Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-benn/) > [I don't know if I wanted to top myself or if I just wanted someone to hug me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-benn/i-don-t-know-if-i-wanted-to-top-myself-or-if-i-just-wanted-someone-to/) [Nigel Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-benn/) [Explore all 103 Nigel Benn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-benn/) ## More Great quotes > [It's always great to see old friends, especially those I have not been able to see in 15 months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-regal/it-s-always-great-to-see-old-friends-especially-those-i-have-not-been/) [William Regal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-regal/) > [You have to have a great director to make a great movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thelma-schoonmaker/you-have-to-have-a-great-director-to-make-a-great-movie/) [Thelma Schoonmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thelma-schoonmaker/) > [Scepticism and cynicism about politics is so great that one of the best counters to it is what you can do at a local…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-miliband/scepticism-and-cynicism-about-politics-is-so-great-that-one-of-the/) [Ed Miliband](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-miliband/) > [I'm very proud of some of the stories I've been given thanks to the team at 'Emmerdale,' they've been great over the years so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelvin-fletcher/i-m-very-proud-of-some-of-the-stories-i-ve-been-given-thanks-to-the/) [Kelvin Fletcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelvin-fletcher/) > [Real people speak in my books about the main events of the age, such as the war, the Chernobyl disaster, and the downfall of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/svetlana-alexievich/real-people-speak-in-my-books-about-the-main-events-of-the-age-such/) [Svetlana Alexievich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/svetlana-alexievich/) > [To me, Caribbean food is about fresh, seasonal produce - using what's in season to create vibrant and great tasting food. The spicing is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ainsley-harriott/to-me-caribbean-food-is-about-fresh-seasonal-produce-using-what-s-in/) [Ainsley Harriott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ainsley-harriott/) > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [No matter how many great things you say about Jacques Pepin, there's always more. Through his books and videos, he taught me the importance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-kenji-lopez-alt/no-matter-how-many-great-things-you-say-about-jacques-pepin-there-s/) [J. Kenji Lopez-Alt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-kenji-lopez-alt/) > [I would have done well as a gypsy child, I think. A circus baby. I coulda played a great street urchin or ragamuffin. Or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-lyonne/i-would-have-done-well-as-a-gypsy-child-i-think-a-circus-baby-i/) [Natasha Lyonne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-lyonne/) > [A lot of people have been saying 'The 100' reminds them of 'Lord Of The Flies,' 'Lost' and 'Battlestar Galactica,' and all of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-avgeropoulos/a-lot-of-people-have-been-saying-the-100-reminds-them-of-lord-of-the/) [Marie Avgeropoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-avgeropoulos/) > [I always bump into people that Ive met. Not great friends, but if I bump into somebody Ive known and I wont recognise them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dario-franchitti/i-always-bump-into-people-that-ive-met-not-great-friends-but-if-i/) [Dario Franchitti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dario-franchitti/) > [Performance matters because games are built on great performance, but form factor and energy efficiency matter incredibly because they want to build something that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jensen-huang/performance-matters-because-games-are-built-on-great-performance-but/) [Jensen Huang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jensen-huang/) > [I'm a lot of things, but none of them are great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-nelson/i-m-a-lot-of-things-but-none-of-them-are-great/) [Don Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-nelson/) > [I get afraid of the dark if I'm in a great deal of dark, and I have to move around inside of that fear...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ferris/i-get-afraid-of-the-dark-if-i-m-in-a-great-deal-of-dark-and-i-have-to/) [Emil Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ferris/) > [I've always been a believer in research. It's great to have an instinctual human reaction to a character, too, of course, but it has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiwetel-ejiofor/i-ve-always-been-a-believer-in-research-it-s-great-to-have-an/) [Chiwetel Ejiofor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiwetel-ejiofor/) Browse all 24,273 Great quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I had people telling me I was great and women throwing themselves at me and I got caught up in that life. At school all I'd hear was - 'you're not going to make anything of yourself' - and suddenly I was up there thinking: 'look where I am. Look where I am!' 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