--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The influential man is the successful…" description: "\"The influential man is the successful man, whether he be rich or poor.\" — Orison Swett Marden" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97a/orison-swett-marden-711_influence_the-influential-man-is-the-successful-ma_186618.png" --- # The influential man is the successful man, whether he be… ![“The influential man is the successful man, whether he be rich or poor.” quote by Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97a/orison-swett-marden-711_influence_the-influential-man-is-the-successful-ma_186618.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97a/orison-swett-marden-711_influence_the-influential-man-is-the-successful-ma_186618.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97a/orison-swett-marden-711_influence_the-influential-man-is-the-successful-ma_186618.png) > “The influential man is the successful man, whether he be rich or poor.” [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Success defines influence regardless of wealth; influence comes from achievement. **In simple terms:** Success makes a person influential, rich or poor. Key Takeaway Focus on achieving results. Themes leadership success influence Mood ambitious inspired Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - career advancement - public speaking - community leadership - building a brand Key Concepts achievement social capital reputation Questions to Reflect On - What does success mean to you? - How can you build influence responsibly? A Different Perspective Influence can be limited without ethical behavior. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Influence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/influence/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Poverty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poverty/) [Rich or poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rich-or-poor/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful/) [Vaccines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vaccines/) ## Related quotes > [The man who is successful is the man who is useful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bourke-cockran/the-man-who-is-successful-is-the-man-who-is-useful/) [William Bourke Cockran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bourke-cockran/) > [There is but one straight road to success, and that is merit. The man who is successful is the man who is useful. Capacity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bourke-cockran/there-is-but-one-straight-road-to-success-and-that-is-merit-the-man/) [William Bourke Cockran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bourke-cockran/) > [Every great man, every successful man, no matter what the field of endeavor, has known the magic that lies in these words: every adversity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-clement-stone/every-great-man-every-successful-man-no-matter-what-the-field-of/) [W. Clement Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-clement-stone/) > [The successful man is himself. To be successful, you've got to be honest with yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-lombardi/the-successful-man-is-himself-to-be-successful-you-ve-got-to-be/) [Vince Lombardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-lombardi/) > [“No man can tell whether he is rich or poor by turning to his ledger. It is in the heart that makes a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/no-man-can-tell-whether-he-is-rich-or-poor-by-turning-to-his-ledger/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [Every man is rich or poor according to the degree in which he can afford to enjoy the necessaries, conveniences, and amusements of human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-smith/every-man-is-rich-or-poor-according-to-the-degree-in-which-he-can/) [Adam Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-smith/) > [No man can tell whether he is rich or poor by turning to his ledger. It is the heart that makes a man rich.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/no-man-can-tell-whether-he-is-rich-or-poor-by-turning-to-his-ledger-2/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [No man can tell if he is rich or poor by turning to his ledger. It is the heart that makes a man rich.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/no-man-can-tell-if-he-is-rich-or-poor-by-turning-to-his-ledger-it-is/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [Every man is rich or poor according to the proportion between his desires and his enjoyments; any enlargement of wishes is therefore equally destructive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/every-man-is-rich-or-poor-according-to-the-proportion-between-his/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Every man is rich or poor according to the proportion between his desires and his enjoyments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/every-man-is-rich-or-poor-according-to-the-proportion-between-his-2/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [My dad, Marc, has definitely been the most influential man in my life. He is my biggest supporter and my number one fan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-flip/my-dad-marc-has-definitely-been-the-most-influential-man-in-my-life/) [G Flip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-flip/) > [I could literally go on for pages upon pages about Mattis and how influential this man was to me and many others who fought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-zinke/i-could-literally-go-on-for-pages-upon-pages-about-mattis-and-how/) [Ryan Zinke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-zinke/) > [Very powerful and influential man, Dan Rooney. A lot on his plate, a lot of things that he wanted to do not only for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-tomlin/very-powerful-and-influential-man-dan-rooney-a-lot-on-his-plate-a-lot/) [Mike Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-tomlin/) > [I think having a vision can make someone an influential man. I'm not talking about acting or anything like that, I'm talking about people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benicio-del-toro/i-think-having-a-vision-can-make-someone-an-influential-man-i-m-not/) [Benicio Del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benicio-del-toro/) > [Michelle Obama, and any woman behind an influential man, has always been there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauletta-pearson-washington/michelle-obama-and-any-woman-behind-an-influential-man-has-always/) [Pauletta Pearson Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauletta-pearson-washington/) ## More by Orison Swett Marden > [“We can so educate the will power that it will focus the thoughts upon the bright side of things, and upon objects which elevate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/we-can-so-educate-the-will-power-that-it-will-focus-the-thoughts-upon/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [“Gulliver was a giant whom the dwarfs captured while he was napping by binding him with tiny threads. Each thread was a trifle which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/gulliver-was-a-giant-whom-the-dwarfs-captured-while-he-was-napping-by/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [“The hatred thought cannot live an instant in the presence of the love thought.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/the-hatred-thought-cannot-live-an-instant-in-the-presence-of-the-love/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [“About as poor business as one can engage in is that of going through life with one's eyes so fixed upon what others have,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/about-as-poor-business-as-one-can-engage-in-is-that-of-going-through/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [“We tend to get what we expect, and if we expect nothing we get nothing. The stream cannot rise higher than its fountainhead;”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/we-tend-to-get-what-we-expect-and-if-we-expect-nothing-we-get-nothing/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [There never will be a trust in excellence or a combination in superiority. As long as you can do a thing a little better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/there-never-will-be-a-trust-in-excellence-or-a-combination-in/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [There are powers inside of you which, if you could discover and use, would make of you everything you ever dreamed or imagined you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/there-are-powers-inside-of-you-which-if-you-could-discover-and-use/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [Most men fail, not through lack of education or agreeable personal qualities, but from lack of dogged determination, from lack of dauntless will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/most-men-fail-not-through-lack-of-education-or-agreeable-personal/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [Something greater than wealth, grander even than fame — that manhood, character, stand for success, and that nothing else really does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/something-greater-than-wealth-grander-even-than-fame-that-manhood/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [“The universe is one great kindergarten. Everything that exists has brought with it its own peculiar lesson. The mountain teaches stability and grandeur; the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/the-universe-is-one-great-kindergarten-everything-that-exists-has/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [If you want to enlarge your life, you must first enlarge your thought of it and of yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/if-you-want-to-enlarge-your-life-you-must-first-enlarge-your-thought/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [The moment man cuts himself off from living connection with the human race and its needs, he begins to die from poor circulation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/the-moment-man-cuts-himself-off-from-living-connection-with-the-human/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [“There is something inside of a man which protests against doing that which tends to injure another, that which does not square with his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/there-is-something-inside-of-a-man-which-protests-against-doing-that/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [A good system shortens the road to the goal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/a-good-system-shortens-the-road-to-the-goal/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [Keep fear out of your child's mind, as you would keep poison out of his body; for fear is the deadliest of mental poisons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/keep-fear-out-of-your-child-s-mind-as-you-would-keep-poison-out-of/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) [Explore all 396 Orison Swett Marden quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) ## More Influence quotes > [My coach, Robert Allen, helped me a lot. He had more influence on my growth as a player than anyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lamarcus-aldridge/my-coach-robert-allen-helped-me-a-lot-he-had-more-influence-on-my/) [LaMarcus Aldridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lamarcus-aldridge/) > [Life is not about how much you have but how much you have affect others life positively.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-not-about-how-much-you-have-but-how-much-you-have-affect/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [DECIDE, v.i. To succumb to the preponderance of one set of influences over another set.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/decide-v-i-to-succumb-to-the-preponderance-of-one-set-of-influences/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three \[great teachers\] did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-the-arts-since-the-medium-is/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [I really like a lot of American country stuff, so my music has that influence, but I don't like to be set within a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade-bird/i-really-like-a-lot-of-american-country-stuff-so-my-music-has-that/) [Jade Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jade-bird/) > [Words can only have an effect on you if you choose to listen to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernajoy-vaal/words-can-only-have-an-effect-on-you-if-you-choose-to-listen-to-them/) [Bernajoy Vaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernajoy-vaal/) > [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/) > [... a fellow can't predict what he will pick up in the form of influence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/a-fellow-can-t-predict-what-he-will-pick-up-in-the-form-of-influence/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [We believe a scientist because he can substantiate his remarks, not because he is eloquent and forcible in his enunciation. In fact, we distrust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i-a-richards/we-believe-a-scientist-because-he-can-substantiate-his-remarks-not/) [I. A. Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/i-a-richards/) > [It seemed to me that the human beings I met reacted pretty much the same to the same stimuli. Different idioms,yes. Circumstances and conditions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zora-neale-hurston/it-seemed-to-me-that-the-human-beings-i-met-reacted-pretty-much-the/) [Zora Neale Hurston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zora-neale-hurston/) > [Every man is a missionary, now and forever, for good or for evil, whether he intends or designs it or not. He may be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-chalmers/every-man-is-a-missionary-now-and-forever-for-good-or-for-evil/) [Thomas Chalmers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-chalmers/) > [My influences are jazz, blues, European classical music; they are rock music and pop music. So many kinds of music. World music from different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rokia-traore/my-influences-are-jazz-blues-european-classical-music-they-are-rock/) [Rokia Traore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rokia-traore/) > [Influences come from everywhere. I don't really feel like I had too many influences for the first record because I grew up listening to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avril-lavigne/influences-come-from-everywhere-i-don-t-really-feel-like-i-had-too/) [Avril Lavigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avril-lavigne/) > [It was both necessary and desirable for us to be so strong at sea that no Sea Power could attack us without risk, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernhard-von-bulow/it-was-both-necessary-and-desirable-for-us-to-be-so-strong-at-sea/) [Bernhard von Bulow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernhard-von-bulow/) > [Obligation is what's leading us to toward successful, and what keeps us moving towards the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wazim-shaw/obligation-is-what-s-leading-us-to-toward-successful-and-what-keeps/) [Wazim Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wazim-shaw/) [Browse all 7,121 Influence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/influence/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The influential man is the successful man, whether he be rich or poor.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Orison Swett Marden" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/the-influential-man-is-the-successful-man-whether-he-be-rich-or-poor/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Influence" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/the-influential-man-is-the-successful-man-whether-he-be-rich-or-poor/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97a/orison-swett-marden-711_influence_the-influential-man-is-the-successful-ma_186618.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97a/orison-swett-marden-711_influence_the-influential-man-is-the-successful-ma_186618.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97a/orison-swett-marden-711_influence_the-influential-man-is-the-successful-ma_186618.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The influential man is the successful man, whether he be rich or poor.” — Orison Swett Marden", "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": "Orison Swett Marden", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The influential man is the successful...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/the-influential-man-is-the-successful-man-whether-he-be-rich-or-poor/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/the-influential-man-is-the-successful-man-whether-he-be-rich-or-poor/#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 } } ] } ```