--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We’re told that the best way to succeed…" description: "\"“We’re told that the best way to succeed is to start young, work hard, and move up through the ranks. The two ingredients are hard work—not quitting wh..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b55/shane-snow-42641_work-hard_we-re-told-that-the-best-way-to-succeed_1330442.jpg" --- # We’re told that the best way to succeed is to start young… ![“We’re told that the best way to succeed is to start young, work hard, and move up through the ranks. The two ingredients are hard work—not quitting when things get tough—and luck—spots opening up on the rungs above you. LBJ’s is that quintessential American story.” quote by Shane Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b55/shane-snow-42641_work-hard_we-re-told-that-the-best-way-to-succeed_1330442.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b55/shane-snow-42641_work-hard_we-re-told-that-the-best-way-to-succeed_1330442.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b55/shane-snow-42641_work-hard_we-re-told-that-the-best-way-to-succeed_1330442.jpg) > ““We’re told that the best way to succeed is to start young, work hard, and move up through the ranks. The two ingredients are hard work—not quitting when things get tough—and luck—spots opening up on the rungs above you. LBJ’s is that quintessential American story.”” [Shane Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-snow/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Success combines hard work, perseverance, and fortunate opportunities that arise. **In simple terms:** Hard work plus luck leads to success. Key Takeaway Cultivate resilience and stay open to chance. Themes career success hard work luck social mobility Mood inspirational realistic Type motivational analytical When to use this quote - job hunting - entrepreneurship - career advancement Key Concepts sociology of success probability personal development Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance effort with openness to opportunity? - What role does luck play in your field? A Different Perspective Relying on luck can be unpredictable. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Work hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-hard/) ## Related quotes > [“To succeed. Start by unlocking the gifts and the talents in you To bring out the potential, the power in you”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-da-costa/to-succeed-start-by-unlocking-the-gifts-and-the-talents-in-you-to/) [Simone Da Costa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-da-costa/) > [“To succeed you have to start”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-blair/to-succeed-you-have-to-start/) [ryan blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-blair/) > [Expect to succeed even before you start. All winners, no matter what their game, start with the expectations that they are going to succeed.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-waitley/expect-to-succeed-even-before-you-start-all-winners-no-matter-what/) [Denis Waitley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-waitley/) > [The best way to succeed in this world is to act on the advice you give to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/the-best-way-to-succeed-in-this-world-is-to-act-on-the-advice-you/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [The best way to succeed is to have a specific Intent, a clear Vision, a plan of Action, and the ability to maintain Clarity.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-maraboli/the-best-way-to-succeed-is-to-have-a-specific-intent-a-clear-vision-a/) [Steve Maraboli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-maraboli/) > [You can't be afraid to fail. It's the only way you succeed - you're not gonna succeed all the time, and I know that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lebron-james/you-can-t-be-afraid-to-fail-it-s-the-only-way-you-succeed-you-re-not/) [LeBron James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lebron-james/) > [In the end, the best way to succeed is to go small. And when you go small, you say no - a lot. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-w-keller/in-the-end-the-best-way-to-succeed-is-to-go-small-and-when-you-go/) [Gary W. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-w-keller/) > [“We give up too soon. The sure way to succeed is to endure to the very end.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/we-give-up-too-soon-the-sure-way-to-succeed-is-to-endure-to-the-very/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“The quickest way to fail is to outsource your thinking. The quickest way to succeed is to own your decisions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-santo/the-quickest-way-to-fail-is-to-outsource-your-thinking-the-quickest/) [Don Santo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-santo/) > [The only way to succeed is to make people hate you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josef-von-sternberg/the-only-way-to-succeed-is-to-make-people-hate-you/) [Josef von Sternberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josef-von-sternberg/) > [The way to succeed is never quit. Thats it. But really be humble about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-haley/the-way-to-succeed-is-never-quit-thats-it-but-really-be-humble-about/) [Alex Haley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-haley/) > [The best way to succeed in life is to act on the advice we give to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-best-way-to-succeed-in-life-is-to-act-on-the-advice-we-give-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Don't be afraid of failure. This is the way to succeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lebron-james/don-t-be-afraid-of-failure-this-is-the-way-to-succeed/) [LeBron James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lebron-james/) > [The fastest way for you to succeed is by piggy-backing on the good advice and counsel of men and women who have already spent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/the-fastest-way-for-you-to-succeed-is-by-piggy-backing-on-the-good/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [“Sometimes the only way to succeed is to fail backwards”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benny-bellamacina/sometimes-the-only-way-to-succeed-is-to-fail-backwards/) [Benny Bellamacina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benny-bellamacina/) ## More by Shane Snow > [“They have so much money that they have nothing to prove to anyone. And many of them are totally depressed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-snow/they-have-so-much-money-that-they-have-nothing-to-prove-to-anyone-and/) [Shane Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-snow/) > [“The common pattern among these fastest-rising US presidents’ journeys is that, like the BYU students, they didn’t parlay up a linear path. They climbed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-snow/the-common-pattern-among-these-fastest-rising-us-presidents-journeys/) [Shane Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-snow/) > [“Like The Second City, Upworthy turned its work into rapid, scientific experiments. It turned tiny failures into depersonalized feedback and created an environment where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-snow/like-the-second-city-upworthy-turned-its-work-into-rapid-scientific/) [Shane Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-snow/) > [“To be good citizens, responsible workers and providers, and ethical businesspeople, we need a minimum level of knowledge about the way the world works,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-snow/to-be-good-citizens-responsible-workers-and-providers-and-ethical/) [Shane Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-snow/) > [“We’re multiplying our capabilities as a civilization and yet we still accept the notion that important societal progress, like combating inequality and crime—or even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-snow/we-re-multiplying-our-capabilities-as-a-civilization-and-yet-we-still/) [Shane Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-snow/) > [“The late literary giant Saul Bellow would call someone with the ability to spot important details among noise a “first-class noticer.” This is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-snow/the-late-literary-giant-saul-bellow-would-call-someone-with-the/) [Shane Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-snow/) > [“Companies that pivot—that is, switch business models or products—while on the upswing tend to perform much better than those that stay on a single…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-snow/companies-that-pivot-that-is-switch-business-models-or-products-while/) [Shane Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-snow/) > [“PRETEND YOU ARE DRIVING a car in the middle of a thunderstorm and you happen upon three people on the side of the road.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-snow/pretend-you-are-driving-a-car-in-the-middle-of-a-thunderstorm-and-you/) [Shane Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-snow/) > [“Hands-on learning and the use of tools, he says, helps us to want to learn, to get rapid feedback, and to actually grasp math…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-snow/hands-on-learning-and-the-use-of-tools-he-says-helps-us-to-want-to/) [Shane Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-snow/) [Explore all 10 Shane Snow quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-snow/) ## More Succeed quotes > [“If you start and persist you will succeed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debasish-mridha/if-you-start-and-persist-you-will-succeed/) [Debasish Mridha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debasish-mridha/) > [You need to remind people that you vote, you matter, and that they can't succeed without your help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-need-to-remind-people-that-you-vote-you-matter-and-that-they-can/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Then quit. No use being a damn fool about it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wc-fields/if-at-first-you-don-t-succeed-try-try-again-then-quit-no-use-being-a/) [WC Fields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wc-fields/) > [The best way to succeed in this world is to act on the advice you give to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/the-best-way-to-succeed-in-this-world-is-to-act-on-the-advice-you/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [My willingness to fail gives me the ability to succeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinod-khosla/my-willingness-to-fail-gives-me-the-ability-to-succeed/) [Vinod Khosla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinod-khosla/) > [The number of poor, and poorly prepared, students who succeed in college and beyond undercuts the simplistic notion that economic or educational disadvantage is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-merullo/the-number-of-poor-and-poorly-prepared-students-who-succeed-in/) [Roland Merullo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-merullo/) > [The best shows succeed because they tap into a national conversation,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damian-lewis/the-best-shows-succeed-because-they-tap-into-a-national-conversation/) [Damian Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damian-lewis/) > [Only when man succeeds in developing his reason and love further than he has done so far, only when he can build a world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/only-when-man-succeeds-in-developing-his-reason-and-love-further-than/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [A loving family provides the foundation children need to succeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-bunning/a-loving-family-provides-the-foundation-children-need-to-succeed/) [Jim Bunning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-bunning/) > [“It is not the actual, physical exertion that counts towards one’s progress, not the nature of the task but by the spirit of faith…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-not-the-actual-physical-exertion-that-counts-towards-one-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ \[The Community's\] crosses and trials give me confidence. But I derive my hope above all, and most especially, from our utter incapacity, for it… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-guerin/the-community-s-crosses-and-trials-give-me-confidence-but-i-derive-my/) [Theodore Guerin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-guerin/) > [You want everyone to succeed in your family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-olsen/you-want-everyone-to-succeed-in-your-family/) [Elizabeth Olsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-olsen/) > [Our attitude towards evil must be freed from hatred, and has itself need to be enlightened in character...Satan rejoices when he succeeds in inspiring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolai-berdyaev/our-attitude-towards-evil-must-be-freed-from-hatred-and-has-itself/) [Nikolai Berdyaev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikolai-berdyaev/) > [Talent is the gift plus the passion - a desire to succeed so intense that no force on earth can stop it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-simon/talent-is-the-gift-plus-the-passion-a-desire-to-succeed-so-intense/) [Neil Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-simon/) > [Don’t let yourself be. Find something new to try, something to change. Count how often it succeeds and how often it doesn’t. Write about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atul-gawande/don-t-let-yourself-be-find-something-new-to-try-something-to-change/) [Atul Gawande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atul-gawande/) Browse all 4,851 Succeed quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“We’re told that the best way to succeed is to start young, work hard, and move up through the ranks. The two ingredients are hard work—not quitting when things get tough—and luck—spots opening up on the rungs above you. 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