--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Even if someone is competent, it's so…" description: "\"Even if someone is competent, it's so damned easy to crucify him as long as he's only working on his father's account. So at the beginning I certainly ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d6/stelios-haji-ioannou-33460_accounts_even-if-someone-is-competent-it-s-so-dam_1973842.png" --- # Even if someone is competent, it's so damned easy to… ![“Even if someone is competent, it's so damned easy to crucify him as long as he's only working on his father's account. So at the beginning I certainly wanted to prove myself to my father and the rest of society. That quickly turned into a greater challenge. My lifestyle hasn't changed as a result.” quote by Stelios Haji-Ioannou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d6/stelios-haji-ioannou-33460_accounts_even-if-someone-is-competent-it-s-so-dam_1973842.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d6/stelios-haji-ioannou-33460_accounts_even-if-someone-is-competent-it-s-so-dam_1973842.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d6/stelios-haji-ioannou-33460_accounts_even-if-someone-is-competent-it-s-so-dam_1973842.png) > “Even if someone is competent, it's so damned easy to crucify him as long as he's only working on his father's account. So at the beginning I certainly wanted to prove myself to my father and the rest of society. That quickly turned into a greater challenge. My lifestyle hasn't changed as a result.” [Stelios Haji-Ioannou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stelios-haji-ioannou/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Proving oneself to a parent and society is easy, but true challenge lies beyond external validation. **In simple terms:** Success isn’t just about proving others. Key Takeaway Seek intrinsic purpose. Themes family expectations societal pressure self‑validation career Mood motivational reflective Type business personal development When to use this quote - entrepreneurship - family business - public scrutiny Key Concepts authenticity legacy personal growth Questions to Reflect On - What drives you beyond approval? - How can you measure personal success? A Different Perspective External approval can be fleeting. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Challenges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/challenges/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Lifestyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lifestyle/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) ## Related quotes > [I think the simplest way to put it is to say that Donald continues to need to prove to his father that he's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-l-trump/i-think-the-simplest-way-to-put-it-is-to-say-that-donald-continues-to/) [Mary L. Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-l-trump/) > [“I wanted to prove myself worthy of the girl I loved. 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Then maybe I'll be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-monroe/i-once-wanted-to-prove-myself-by-being-a-great-actress-now-i-want-to/) [Marilyn Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-monroe/) > [I've always been the guy that loved being scared or loved having pressure on me, because I always wanted to prove myself wrong and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-pettyfer/i-ve-always-been-the-guy-that-loved-being-scared-or-loved-having/) [Alex Pettyfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-pettyfer/) > [Once I got to Leicester, I just wanted to prove myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-drinkwater/once-i-got-to-leicester-i-just-wanted-to-prove-myself/) [Danny Drinkwater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-drinkwater/) > [For some reason, I guess, people wanted me to prove myself in English-language films.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yorgos-lanthimos/for-some-reason-i-guess-people-wanted-me-to-prove-myself-in-english/) [Yorgos Lanthimos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yorgos-lanthimos/) > [I always wanted to prove myself. I think I naturally can't help but want to do something and push the boundaries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-k-r-i-t/i-always-wanted-to-prove-myself-i-think-i-naturally-can-t-help-but/) [Big K.R.I.T](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-k-r-i-t/) > [After I did 'Ala Modalaindi,' I wanted to prove that a girl can also carry a film on her own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nithya-menen/after-i-did-ala-modalaindi-i-wanted-to-prove-that-a-girl-can-also/) [Nithya Menen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nithya-menen/) > [I never tried to prove anything to someone else. I wanted to prove something to myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kobe-bryant/i-never-tried-to-prove-anything-to-someone-else-i-wanted-to-prove/) [Kobe Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kobe-bryant/) > [“He’d wanted to show his past tormentor what he was capable of, but he also wanted to prove himself to everyone. Now everyone was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/he-d-wanted-to-show-his-past-tormentor-what-he-was-capable-of-but-he/) [Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/) > [I wanted to prove people wrong who didn't think I could play at this level. I also wanted to take care of my family.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jermaine-o-neal/i-wanted-to-prove-people-wrong-who-didn-t-think-i-could-play-at-this/) [Jermaine O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jermaine-o-neal/) > [I wanted to prove something to everybody - that I've turned my life around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-katona/i-wanted-to-prove-something-to-everybody-that-i-ve-turned-my-life/) [Kerry Katona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-katona/) > [I wanted to prove the sustaining power of music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-wanted-to-prove-the-sustaining-power-of-music/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [I've always wanted to prove people wrong, and that's what drives me. I've been like that since Sierra Leone, when everyone said, 'Nobody is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michaela-deprince/i-ve-always-wanted-to-prove-people-wrong-and-that-s-what-drives-me-i/) [Michaela DePrince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michaela-deprince/) ## More by Stelios Haji-Ioannou > [Passengers don't like changing planes. That means waiting time, stress, running around. There's a joke that the hub principle is supposed to have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stelios-haji-ioannou/passengers-don-t-like-changing-planes-that-means-waiting-time-stress/) [Stelios Haji-Ioannou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stelios-haji-ioannou/) > [All things start in California and spread to New Jersey, then to London and then throughout Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stelios-haji-ioannou/all-things-start-in-california-and-spread-to-new-jersey-then-to/) [Stelios Haji-Ioannou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stelios-haji-ioannou/) > [Unfortunately I have no rags-to-riches story to tell. Money never played a big role for me. My parents just had it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stelios-haji-ioannou/unfortunately-i-have-no-rags-to-riches-story-to-tell-money-never/) [Stelios Haji-Ioannou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stelios-haji-ioannou/) > [Greek shipowners like to boast, 'I bought ships at the bottom of the market, and now they're worth ten times as much.' It goes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stelios-haji-ioannou/greek-shipowners-like-to-boast-i-bought-ships-at-the-bottom-of-the/) [Stelios Haji-Ioannou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stelios-haji-ioannou/) > [You can divide airlines into two camps: expensive and cheap. 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For the details I can always hire people who can knuckle down much better. For that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stelios-haji-ioannou/i-have-to-manage-and-protect-my-brand-for-the-details-i-can-always/) [Stelios Haji-Ioannou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stelios-haji-ioannou/) > [I'm sure there are managers who have had far greater financial success. But my companies such as easyJet have changed the lives of many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stelios-haji-ioannou/i-m-sure-there-are-managers-who-have-had-far-greater-financial/) [Stelios Haji-Ioannou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stelios-haji-ioannou/) > [People are grateful when you make a difference in their lives. That is the essence of any successful business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stelios-haji-ioannou/people-are-grateful-when-you-make-a-difference-in-their-lives-that-is/) [Stelios Haji-Ioannou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stelios-haji-ioannou/) > [Failures teach you more, there's always something fundamental about them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stelios-haji-ioannou/failures-teach-you-more-there-s-always-something-fundamental-about/) [Stelios Haji-Ioannou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stelios-haji-ioannou/) > [This industry attracts more capital than it deserves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stelios-haji-ioannou/this-industry-attracts-more-capital-than-it-deserves/) [Stelios Haji-Ioannou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stelios-haji-ioannou/) > [America has its roots in a tradition of risk-taking pioneers. 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