---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He had not got where he was today by…"
description: "\"“He had not got where he was today by bothering how things worked. It was how people worked that intrigued him.”\" — Terry Pratchett"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccd/terry-pratchett-19_quote_he-had-not-got-where-he-was-today-by-bot_2149885.jpg"
---

#  He had not got where he was today by bothering how things…

![“He had not got where he was today by bothering how things worked. It was how people worked that intrigued him.” quote by Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccd/terry-pratchett-19_quote_he-had-not-got-where-he-was-today-by-bot_2149885.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccd/terry-pratchett-19_quote_he-had-not-got-where-he-was-today-by-bot_2149885.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccd/terry-pratchett-19_quote_he-had-not-got-where-he-was-today-by-bot_2149885.jpg)

> ““He had not got where he was today by bothering how things worked. It was how people worked that intrigued him.””

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Understanding people’s behavior is more valuable than understanding mechanisms; curiosity about human nature drives success.

**In simple terms:** People matter more than processes.

Key Takeaway

Focus on human dynamics.

Themes

psychology leadership curiosity

Mood

insightful analytical

Type

observational motivational

When to use this quote

- management
- team building
- customer service
- innovation
- conflict resolution

Key Concepts

human behavior motivation systems thinking

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you balance technical knowledge with people skills?
- What human cues do you overlook?

A Different Perspective

Neglecting technical details can cause blind spots.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Intrigued](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intrigued/) [People Worked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-worked/) [Today Bothering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today-bothering-4514770/) [Worked Intrigued](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worked-intrigued-4514769/) [Worked People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worked-people-716250/)

## Related quotes

> [99.9% of the time, the people we see worked for it. People like Morgan Freeman and Harry Connick, Jr. work every day to continue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-stowell/99-9-of-the-time-the-people-we-see-worked-for-it-people-like-morgan/)

[Austin Stowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-stowell/)

> [Like all wage slaves, he had two crosses to bear: the people he worked for and the people he worked with](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-vizinczey/like-all-wage-slaves-he-had-two-crosses-to-bear-the-people-he-worked/)

[Stephen Vizinczey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-vizinczey/)

> [I know how to work with people. I've worked with the same people for 10 years. I'm not that kind of auteur. I hear ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-know-how-to-work-with-people-i-ve-worked-with-the-same-people-for/)

[Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/)

> [I have to say, I haven't really worked with that many people in my career that I haven't liked, which I think is really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-louise-parker/i-have-to-say-i-haven-t-really-worked-with-that-many-people-in-my/)

[Mary-Louise Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-louise-parker/)

> [I worked with three people who were doing video music shows before MTV.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-blackwood/i-worked-with-three-people-who-were-doing-video-music-shows-before-mtv/)

[Nina Blackwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-blackwood/)

> [I love working with people I've worked with before and that can be true of when people have worked together. But if two people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thea-sharrock/i-love-working-with-people-i-ve-worked-with-before-and-that-can-be/)

[Thea Sharrock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thea-sharrock/)

> [I wouldn't say I worked with these people because I was looking for a particular vocal sound. I worked with them because I loved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-chisholm/i-wouldn-t-say-i-worked-with-these-people-because-i-was-looking-for-a/)

[Melanie Chisholm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-chisholm/)

> [Approaching people for work has not worked for me. People who came to me with work has worked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randeep-hooda/approaching-people-for-work-has-not-worked-for-me-people-who-came-to/)

[Randeep Hooda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randeep-hooda/)

> [I didn't want to be an artist in the same place I worked. You could always have people that might feel like you would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-khaled/i-didn-t-want-to-be-an-artist-in-the-same-place-i-worked-you-could/)

[DJ Khaled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-khaled/)

> [When you have worked with people all day who have so little and struggle to make it stretch, who live outside the rarefied, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorianne-laux/when-you-have-worked-with-people-all-day-who-have-so-little-and/)

[Dorianne Laux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorianne-laux/)

> [I've absolutely worked with people who, when you go onto a set, have a huge amount of attitude and the person you're working with,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-grossman/i-ve-absolutely-worked-with-people-who-when-you-go-onto-a-set-have-a/)

[Leslie Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-grossman/)

> [I'm lucky to have worked with all the people that I have, and I really love what I do, and that is very important,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-alyn-lind/i-m-lucky-to-have-worked-with-all-the-people-that-i-have-and-i-really/)

[Emily Alyn Lind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-alyn-lind/)

> [I've worked with people from Fred Zinnemann, John Huston, through to Richard Fleischer, all of those boys from Hollywood and so on, and Sam…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hurt/i-ve-worked-with-people-from-fred-zinnemann-john-huston-through-to/)

[John Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hurt/)

> [I've worked with some people that just spent hours and hours and hours in the mirror, and just so much importance is based on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherilyn-fenn/i-ve-worked-with-some-people-that-just-spent-hours-and-hours-and/)

[Sherilyn Fenn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherilyn-fenn/)

> [I've worked with people in the past that were undermining, or didn't always root for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bridget-everett/i-ve-worked-with-people-in-the-past-that-were-undermining-or-didn-t/)

[Bridget Everett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bridget-everett/)

## More by Terry Pratchett

> [“This one’s mental.’ ‘Eccentric.’ ‘What’s the difference?’ ‘A bag of cash.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/this-one-s-mental-eccentric-what-s-the-difference-a-bag-of-cash/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [“But I did not return until half past four this morning and I distinctly remember stubbing my toe on the stairs. I am as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/but-i-did-not-return-until-half-past-four-this-morning-and-i/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [“The universe contains any amount of horrible ways to be woken up, such as the noise of the mob breaking down the front door,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-universe-contains-any-amount-of-horrible-ways-to-be-woken-up-such/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [“Someone broke from the scrum and, punching and kicking, staggered towards the Klatchian goal. "Isn't that man your butler?" said Ahmed. "Yes." "One of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/someone-broke-from-the-scrum-and-punching-and-kicking-staggered/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [It's an interesting fact that fewer than 17 % of Real cats end their lives with the same name they started with. Much family…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/it-s-an-interesting-fact-that-fewer-than-17-of-real-cats-end-their/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [You can't trust folk songs. They always sneak up on you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/you-can-t-trust-folk-songs-they-always-sneak-up-on-you/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [Either dragons should exist completely or fail to exist at all, he felt. A dragon only half-existing was worse than the extremes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/either-dragons-should-exist-completely-or-fail-to-exist-at-all-he/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [“Magrat wondered what it was like, spending your whole life doing something you didn’t want to do. Like being dead, she considered, only worse,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/magrat-wondered-what-it-was-like-spending-your-whole-life-doing/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [A hardback's harder at Christmas time because that's a good hardback buying time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/a-hardback-s-harder-at-christmas-time-because-that-s-a-good-hardback/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [“There were more old people. The world was full of them,' said the wizard. 'Yes, I know. And now it's full of young people.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/there-were-more-old-people-the-world-was-full-of-them-said-the-wizard/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [“Hobson was big and heavyset, but not exactly fat; he was probably what you’d get if you shaved a bear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/hobson-was-big-and-heavyset-but-not-exactly-fat-he-was-probably-what/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [“There is a night that never comes to an end… The clock of the world turns under its own shadow. Midnight is a moving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/there-is-a-night-that-never-comes-to-an-end-the-clock-of-the-world/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [“You'd like Freedom, Truth, and Justice, wouldn't you, Comrade Sergeant?' said Reg encouragingly. 'I'd like a hard-boiled egg,' said Vimes, shaking the match out.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/you-d-like-freedom-truth-and-justice-wouldn-t-you-comrade-sergeant/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [“You are not apprehensive, are you? I can't detect no trace of fear none whatsoever Roomy cranium all possible videos of all possible outcomes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/you-are-not-apprehensive-are-you-i-can-t-detect-no-trace-of-fear-none/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [Imagination, not intelligence, made us human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/imagination-not-intelligence-made-us-human/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

[Explore all 3,328 Terry Pratchett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

## More Intrigued quotes

> [My parents are divorced, and seeing that was really painful for me. Really painful for me. But that's also a big part of why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banks/my-parents-are-divorced-and-seeing-that-was-really-painful-for-me/)

[Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banks/)

> [I've always been interested in medicine and was pleased when my brother became a doctor. But after thinking seriously about that field, I realized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-lowry/i-ve-always-been-interested-in-medicine-and-was-pleased-when-my/)

[Lois Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-lowry/)

> [Ultimately, we want to provide people with a unique experience, and an unexpected one as well. We'd like people to leave the theater having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rania-attieh/ultimately-we-want-to-provide-people-with-a-unique-experience-and-an/)

[Rania Attieh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rania-attieh/)

> [We're all intrigued, in our civilized world that we live in, and curious about how we would get on, on an undiscovered island that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hiddleston/we-re-all-intrigued-in-our-civilized-world-that-we-live-in-and/)

[Tom Hiddleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hiddleston/)

> [Coal is the moral choice, particularly for the developing world... The model for the world right now should be Australia. Australia gets it. Scientifically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-morano/coal-is-the-moral-choice-particularly-for-the-developing-world-the/)

[Marc Morano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-morano/)

> [Holly's theory about the army," Sharon explained. And what is it?" Denise asked, intrigued. Oh, that fighting for peace is like screwing for virginity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecelia-ahern/holly-s-theory-about-the-army-sharon-explained-and-what-is-it-denise/)

[Cecelia Ahern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecelia-ahern/)

> [Intrigued by that enigma, he dug so deeply into her sentiments that in search of interest he found love, because by trying to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/intrigued-by-that-enigma-he-dug-so-deeply-into-her-sentiments-that-in/)

[Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/)

> ['Smurfs' just seemed like a great way to represent a young father to be, guy in a marriage, work in conflict, and I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-patrick-harris/smurfs-just-seemed-like-a-great-way-to-represent-a-young-father-to-be/)

[Neil Patrick Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-patrick-harris/)

> [I've been for 10 years trying to make something out of my life as an actor. I've learned a lot but I haven't done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-lee/i-ve-been-for-10-years-trying-to-make-something-out-of-my-life-as-an/)

[Christopher Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-lee/)

> [When I see an image in my head that compels me, where there's this mystery about what's going to happen next or could happen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cary-fukunaga/when-i-see-an-image-in-my-head-that-compels-me-where-there-s-this/)

[Cary Fukunaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cary-fukunaga/)

> [I started using film as part of live theatre performance - what used to be called performance art - and I became intrigued by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-figgis/i-started-using-film-as-part-of-live-theatre-performance-what-used-to/)

[Mike Figgis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-figgis/)

> [The danger of that - and there's a grave danger that I, myself, have to be very aware of - is that you become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-ornstein/the-danger-of-that-and-there-s-a-grave-danger-that-i-myself-have-to/)

[Leo Ornstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-ornstein/)

> [Ladies seem very intrigued by a guy who is ultra confident and acts like he doesn't need you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorma-taccone/ladies-seem-very-intrigued-by-a-guy-who-is-ultra-confident-and-acts/)

[Jorma Taccone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorma-taccone/)

> [I'm intrigued by films that have a singular vision behind them. A lot of studio movies have ten writers by the time they're done.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-gugino/i-m-intrigued-by-films-that-have-a-singular-vision-behind-them-a-lot/)

[Carla Gugino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-gugino/)

> [“I am intrigued by the smile upon your face, and the sadness within your eyes”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-aldana/i-am-intrigued-by-the-smile-upon-your-face-and-the-sadness-within/)

[Jeremy Aldana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-aldana/)

[Browse all 334 Intrigued quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intrigued/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“He had not got where he was today by bothering how things worked. It was how people worked that intrigued him.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Terry Pratchett"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/he-had-not-got-where-he-was-today-by-bothering-how-things-worked-it/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Intrigued"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/he-had-not-got-where-he-was-today-by-bothering-how-things-worked-it/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccd/terry-pratchett-19_quote_he-had-not-got-where-he-was-today-by-bot_2149885.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccd/terry-pratchett-19_quote_he-had-not-got-where-he-was-today-by-bot_2149885.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccd/terry-pratchett-19_quote_he-had-not-got-where-he-was-today-by-bot_2149885.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“He had not got where he was today by bothering how things worked. It was how people worked that intrigued him.” — Terry Pratchett",
                "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": "Terry Pratchett",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“He had not got where he...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/he-had-not-got-where-he-was-today-by-bothering-how-things-worked-it/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/he-had-not-got-where-he-was-today-by-bothering-how-things-worked-it/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
