--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Surround yourself with people who are…" description: "\"Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you.\" — Russell Simmons" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/838/russell-simmons-900_people_surround-yourself-with-people-who-are-sm_1093603.png" --- # Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you. ![“Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you.” quote by Russell Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/838/russell-simmons-900_people_surround-yourself-with-people-who-are-sm_1093603.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/838/russell-simmons-900_people_surround-yourself-with-people-who-are-sm_1093603.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/838/russell-simmons-900_people_surround-yourself-with-people-who-are-sm_1093603.png) > “Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you.” [Russell Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-simmons/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Encourages surrounding yourself with more intelligent individuals to foster growth and learning. **In simple terms:** Seek smarter companions for personal development. Key Takeaway Learn from those more knowledgeable. Themes growth learning relationships mentorship Mood inspirational reflective Type advice motivational When to use this quote - career advancement - academic study - entrepreneurial ventures - personal development Key Concepts intelligence networking influence Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance humility and confidence? - What criteria define “smarter”? A Different Perspective May lead to dependency on others' ideas. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [Surround yourself with people smarter than you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-wilderotter/surround-yourself-with-people-smarter-than-you/) [Maggie Wilderotter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-wilderotter/) > [Surround yourself with people who respect and treat you well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudia-black/surround-yourself-with-people-who-respect-and-treat-you-well/) [Claudia Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudia-black/) > [You have to surround yourself with people who love you and want the best for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mena-suvari/you-have-to-surround-yourself-with-people-who-love-you-and-want-the/) [Mena Suvari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mena-suvari/) > [If we surround ourselves with people who are successful, who are forward-moving, who are positive, who are focused on producing results, who support us,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/if-we-surround-ourselves-with-people-who-are-successful-who-are/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [Surround yourself with people who are better than you and you will become better yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-b-kitson/surround-yourself-with-people-who-are-better-than-you-and-you-will/) Michael B Kitson > [In all aspects of life, it's always much funner when you surround yourself with people you enjoy being around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-dyrdek/in-all-aspects-of-life-it-s-always-much-funner-when-you-surround/) [Rob Dyrdek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-dyrdek/) > [I think the only way you learn is to surround yourself with people that are better than you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mickey-sumner/i-think-the-only-way-you-learn-is-to-surround-yourself-with-people/) [Mickey Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mickey-sumner/) > [Surround yourself with people that are going to support you on your journey, and get rid of the ones that don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-cook/surround-yourself-with-people-that-are-going-to-support-you-on-your/) [Natalie Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-cook/) > [Life is too short to surround yourself with people who aren't looking out for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-van-etten/life-is-too-short-to-surround-yourself-with-people-who-aren-t-looking/) [Sharon Van Etten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-van-etten/) > [No matter what your goals are, you've got to bring other people onto your team. For one thing, if you surround yourself with people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimora-lee-simmons/no-matter-what-your-goals-are-you-ve-got-to-bring-other-people-onto/) [Kimora Lee Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimora-lee-simmons/) > [The easiest way to thrive as an outlier is to avoid being one. At least among your most treasured peers. Surround yourself with people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/the-easiest-way-to-thrive-as-an-outlier-is-to-avoid-being-one-at/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [“Surround yourself with people who make good choices.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janese-banks/surround-yourself-with-people-who-make-good-choices/) Janese Banks > [Surround yourself with people who make you a better person and not a bitter person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/surround-yourself-with-people-who-make-you-a-better-person-and-not-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Surround yourself with people of like mind and different talents and temperaments with the purpose of serving the goals of every member of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-olson/surround-yourself-with-people-of-like-mind-and-different-talents-and/) [Jeff Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-olson/) > [Dream big and surround yourself with people that believe in you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-macmillan/dream-big-and-surround-yourself-with-people-that-believe-in-you/) Shannon MacMillan ## More by Russell Simmons > [I'm born into the cycle of giving that we're all born into, and I recognize it. So just because something is a good business,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-simmons/i-m-born-into-the-cycle-of-giving-that-we-re-all-born-into-and-i/) [Russell Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-simmons/) > [Compassion is the ultimate expression of your highest self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-simmons/compassion-is-the-ultimate-expression-of-your-highest-self/) [Russell Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-simmons/) > [If you don't break a hole through the brick wall, don't just start digging a new hole. Keep going until you break through that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-simmons/if-you-don-t-break-a-hole-through-the-brick-wall-don-t-just-start/) [Russell Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-simmons/) > [A large portion of American citizens, especially people of color, have lost confidence in our criminal justice system. Many have called for appointing special…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-simmons/a-large-portion-of-american-citizens-especially-people-of-color-have/) [Russell Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-simmons/) > [There's one overriding issue, namely, that we live in a police state so long as the police get to police themselves. And that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-simmons/there-s-one-overriding-issue-namely-that-we-live-in-a-police-state-so/) [Russell Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-simmons/) > [I used to think anxiety and insomnia drove me to success, but it was the stillness that let me be good at anything. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-simmons/i-used-to-think-anxiety-and-insomnia-drove-me-to-success-but-it-was/) [Russell Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-simmons/) > [ \[Performing artists\] are making greater percentages. People are going to live events more and it's a big success story for everyone - except the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-simmons/performing-artists-are-making-greater-percentages-people-are-going-to/) [Russell Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-simmons/) > [I think I will always have a connection to young people, to try to bring their voices to the polls, bring their voices wherever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-simmons/i-think-i-will-always-have-a-connection-to-young-people-to-try-to/) [Russell Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-simmons/) > [The best defense for any group of people is what we do to defend other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-simmons/the-best-defense-for-any-group-of-people-is-what-we-do-to-defend/) [Russell Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-simmons/) > [You have to be present, awake and happy now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-simmons/you-have-to-be-present-awake-and-happy-now/) [Russell Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-simmons/) > [Culture in America and everywhere else comes from the suffering, from those who don't want the old ways. They want to bring in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-simmons/culture-in-america-and-everywhere-else-comes-from-the-suffering-from/) [Russell Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-simmons/) > [I try to use my voice. I know that celebrity is valuable, and people do listen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-simmons/i-try-to-use-my-voice-i-know-that-celebrity-is-valuable-and-people-do/) [Russell Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-simmons/) > [They're lacking culture in Hollywood. That gives me a big up, right? I know something about pop culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-simmons/they-re-lacking-culture-in-hollywood-that-gives-me-a-big-up-right-i/) [Russell Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-simmons/) > [Meditation helps everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-simmons/meditation-helps-everything/) [Russell Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-simmons/) > [If you talk about the prison-industrial complex, I've fought against the prison-industrial complex when I called for a repeal of the Rockefeller drug laws.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-simmons/if-you-talk-about-the-prison-industrial-complex-i-ve-fought-against/) [Russell Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-simmons/) [Explore all 335 Russell Simmons quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-simmons/) ## More People quotes > [If I am going to be phased out by whatever powers, then I want people to know that it is not because I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parvathy/if-i-am-going-to-be-phased-out-by-whatever-powers-then-i-want-people/) [Parvathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parvathy/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/) [Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/) > [I wanted to write about voodoo tradition that I feel has been very important to survival of black people here: people of the African…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/i-wanted-to-write-about-voodoo-tradition-that-i-feel-has-been-very/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) > [I feel like I definitely have a real sporty style, more so than a lot of people in G.O.O.D. Music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-sean/i-feel-like-i-definitely-have-a-real-sporty-style-more-so-than-a-lot/) [Big Sean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-sean/) > [I feel like the future is unwritten. 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Murdock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-h-murdock/) > [Some people give you that motivation to work harder simply to get the hell away from wherever they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dane-cook/some-people-give-you-that-motivation-to-work-harder-simply-to-get-the/) [Dane Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dane-cook/) > [Pain is meant to wake us up. People try to hide their pain. But they're wrong. 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