---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you become successful, half the…"
description: "\"When you become successful, half the population puts you on a pedestal, and half the population treats you with less respect than you would have got if..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba6/tim-minchin-3287_become_when-you-become-successful-half-the-popu_2947064.png"
---

#  When you become successful, half the population puts you…

![“When you become successful, half the population puts you on a pedestal, and half the population treats you with less respect than you would have got if you were collecting their bins.” quote by Tim Minchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba6/tim-minchin-3287_become_when-you-become-successful-half-the-popu_2947064.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba6/tim-minchin-3287_become_when-you-become-successful-half-the-popu_2947064.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba6/tim-minchin-3287_become_when-you-become-successful-half-the-popu_2947064.png)

> “When you become successful, half the population puts you on a pedestal, and half the population treats you with less respect than you would have got if you were collecting their bins.”

[Tim Minchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-minchin/)

## About This Quote

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

Success invites both admiration and resentment, revealing societal contradictions in how achievement is treated.

**In simple terms:** Success draws mixed reactions.

Key Takeaway

Stay grounded despite others’ views.

Themes

success social perception humility celebrity

Mood

reflective wry insightful

Type

analysis social commentary

When to use this quote

- public speaking
- career milestones
- social media presence
- networking events
- leadership roles

Key Concepts

sociology psychology media studies

Questions to Reflect On

- Why do people both idolize and devalue success?
- How can one maintain humility?

A Different Perspective

Public opinion can be volatile.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Become](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/become/) [Half](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/half/) [Half Population](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/half-population-1271638/) [Less](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/less/) [Pedestal Half](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pedestal-half-4422512/) [Population](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/population/) [Population Treats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/population-treats-4422514/) [Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect/) [Successful Half](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful-half-4422513/) [Treats Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/treats-respect-758704/)

## Related quotes

> [Yet food is something that is taken for granted by most world leaders despite the fact that more than half of the population of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-borlaug/yet-food-is-something-that-is-taken-for-granted-by-most-world-leaders/)

[Norman Borlaug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-borlaug/)

> [We know we only have about half of our population that's voting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolores-huerta/we-know-we-only-have-about-half-of-our-population-that-s-voting/)

[Dolores Huerta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolores-huerta/)

> [We will no longer be led only by that half of the population whose socialization, through toys, games, values and expectations, sanctions violence as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilma-scott-heide/we-will-no-longer-be-led-only-by-that-half-of-the-population-whose/)

[Wilma Scott Heide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilma-scott-heide/)

> [Government is so big today that more than half the population gets a major part of its income from the state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stossel/government-is-so-big-today-that-more-than-half-the-population-gets-a/)

[John Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stossel/)

> [It's never a good idea to organize society in a way that depletes the energy of half the population.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/it-s-never-a-good-idea-to-organize-society-in-a-way-that-depletes-the/)

[Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/)

> [You should never be surprised when someone treats you with respect, you should expect it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/you-should-never-be-surprised-when-someone-treats-you-with-respect/)

[Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/)

> [“He treats me with respect; he opens doors for me, makes me laugh, and comforts me when I cry. He owes me nothing, yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-warren/he-treats-me-with-respect-he-opens-doors-for-me-makes-me-laugh-and/)

[Michelle Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-warren/)

> [Oh, he treats me with respect, he says he loves me all the time, he calls me fifteen times a day, he likes to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-allen/oh-he-treats-me-with-respect-he-says-he-loves-me-all-the-time-he/)

[Lily Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-allen/)

> [If someone still treats you with respect after the relationship has ended they truly love you. When they try to bring you down or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ghazali/if-someone-still-treats-you-with-respect-after-the-relationship-has/)

[Ghazali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ghazali/)

> [A good promoter is one that treats you with respect and as a human being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rocky-johnson/a-good-promoter-is-one-that-treats-you-with-respect-and-as-a-human/)

[Rocky Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rocky-johnson/)

> [When two imperfect people come together, treats one another with respect and make each other happy! That's a real relationship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/london-mond/when-two-imperfect-people-come-together-treats-one-another-with/)

[London Mond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/london-mond/)

> [I think this, if Hillary Clinton treats me with respect, I will treat her with respect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-think-this-if-hillary-clinton-treats-me-with-respect-i-will-treat/)

[Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/)

> [A real man isn't somebody who takes advantage of a young girl but who treats her with respect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-shenk/a-real-man-isn-t-somebody-who-takes-advantage-of-a-young-girl-but-who/)

[Jon Shenk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-shenk/)

> [A teacher is frequently the only adult in the pupil's environment who treats him with respect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bel-kaufman/a-teacher-is-frequently-the-only-adult-in-the-pupil-s-environment-who/)

[Bel Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bel-kaufman/)

> [“After all, it takes two to create a relationship, and when you make half the population invisible, the other half suffers as well.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azar-nafisi/after-all-it-takes-two-to-create-a-relationship-and-when-you-make/)

[Azar Nafisi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/azar-nafisi/)

## More by Tim Minchin

> [Because I'm on my own on stage and wear bare feet and look like a pixie, people always think I'm little.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-minchin/because-i-m-on-my-own-on-stage-and-wear-bare-feet-and-look-like-a/)

[Tim Minchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-minchin/)

> [Fight for what is true. What is true is enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-minchin/fight-for-what-is-true-what-is-true-is-enough/)

[Tim Minchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-minchin/)

> [Love without evidence is stalking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-minchin/love-without-evidence-is-stalking/)

[Tim Minchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-minchin/)

> [I spent thousands of thousands of hours playing the piano, and by thousands of hours, I mean playing in cover bands or wedding bands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-minchin/i-spent-thousands-of-thousands-of-hours-playing-the-piano-and-by/)

[Tim Minchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-minchin/)

> [There's a lot of great, talented, passionate musical theatre practitioners and directors here. But it's very hard to suddenly start building great musicals in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-minchin/there-s-a-lot-of-great-talented-passionate-musical-theatre/)

[Tim Minchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-minchin/)

> [You've got to teach yourself you can do your job no matter what happens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-minchin/you-ve-got-to-teach-yourself-you-can-do-your-job-no-matter-what/)

[Tim Minchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-minchin/)

> [I never thought I was going to be an actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-minchin/i-never-thought-i-was-going-to-be-an-actor/)

[Tim Minchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-minchin/)

> [Acting's just always been one of those things I've enjoyed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-minchin/acting-s-just-always-been-one-of-those-things-i-ve-enjoyed/)

[Tim Minchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-minchin/)

> [I had terrible ear problems and asthma and allergies. I spent quite a bit of time in hospital up to the age of eight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-minchin/i-had-terrible-ear-problems-and-asthma-and-allergies-i-spent-quite-a/)

[Tim Minchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-minchin/)

> [Throughout history, every mystery ever solved has turned out to be NOT magic..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-minchin/throughout-history-every-mystery-ever-solved-has-turned-out-to-be-not/)

[Tim Minchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-minchin/)

> [It's an incredibly exciting thing, this one meaningless life of yours](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-minchin/it-s-an-incredibly-exciting-thing-this-one-meaningless-life-of-yours/)

[Tim Minchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-minchin/)

> [I want to be here for my family. I want to make stuff in Australia. I want to take what I've learned and contribute…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-minchin/i-want-to-be-here-for-my-family-i-want-to-make-stuff-in-australia-i/)

[Tim Minchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-minchin/)

> [I'm the son of a surgeon and the grandson of a surgeon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-minchin/i-m-the-son-of-a-surgeon-and-the-grandson-of-a-surgeon/)

[Tim Minchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-minchin/)

> [I don't like courting controversy because I don't like people not liking me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-minchin/i-don-t-like-courting-controversy-because-i-don-t-like-people-not/)

[Tim Minchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-minchin/)

> [I've spent years on stage adjusting the timing of a line to infinitesimal degrees.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-minchin/i-ve-spent-years-on-stage-adjusting-the-timing-of-a-line-to/)

[Tim Minchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-minchin/)

[Explore all 134 Tim Minchin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-minchin/)

## More Become quotes

> [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/)

[Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/)

> [I don't own designer clothes, or a sports car, or a huge house, but I am seeing the world, experiencing amazing things, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roz-savage/i-don-t-own-designer-clothes-or-a-sports-car-or-a-huge-house-but-i-am/)

[Roz Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roz-savage/)

> [A strong, responsible Israel can become a stabilizer in such a turbulent region.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ehud-barak/a-strong-responsible-israel-can-become-a-stabilizer-in-such-a/)

[Ehud Barak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ehud-barak/)

> [If someone has the opportunity to become a model, I would say, 'Do it.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-russell/if-someone-has-the-opportunity-to-become-a-model-i-would-say-do-it/)

[Cameron Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-russell/)

> [I had a talent for copying the signatures of dignitaries like Indira Gandhi, Amitabh Bachchan and so on. So, I wanted to become someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanjay-mishra/i-had-a-talent-for-copying-the-signatures-of-dignitaries-like-indira/)

[Sanjay Mishra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanjay-mishra/)

> [In the Tea Party era, it is the restless conservative Republican who has become passion's plaything, the toy of impetuous romance, an erotomania only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wolcott/in-the-tea-party-era-it-is-the-restless-conservative-republican-who/)

[James Wolcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wolcott/)

> [You can never tell when a commercial space venture will suddenly become viable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/you-can-never-tell-when-a-commercial-space-venture-will-suddenly/)

[Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/)

> [Food as a hobby used to be an elite pastime, and it has become something that is totally ordinary for people of every background.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-goodyear/food-as-a-hobby-used-to-be-an-elite-pastime-and-it-has-become/)

[Dana Goodyear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-goodyear/)

> ['Inequality' has become the political theme/slogan of our time in both Europe and the U.S., yet political leaders do not even bother to consider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-singer/inequality-has-become-the-political-theme-slogan-of-our-time-in-both/)

[Paul Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-singer/)

> [My first bill to become law repeals regulations to make everyday life easier and more affordable for Americans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-husted/my-first-bill-to-become-law-repeals-regulations-to-make-everyday-life/)

[Jon Husted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-husted/)

> [At one point when I was very young, when I was first starting out, I thought, 'Well, one day I'll be able to put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bo-burnham/at-one-point-when-i-was-very-young-when-i-was-first-starting-out-i/)

[Bo Burnham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bo-burnham/)

> [For many of us, work is the one place where we feel appreciated. The things that we long to experience at home - pride…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlie-russell-hochschild/for-many-of-us-work-is-the-one-place-where-we-feel-appreciated-the/)

[Arlie Russell Hochschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlie-russell-hochschild/)

> [With every interview you feel like you lose a piece of yourself, and with every bad review you become just that little bit more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-march/with-every-interview-you-feel-like-you-lose-a-piece-of-yourself-and/)

[Jane March](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-march/)

> [Canada has become such a staging area for Chinese money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-kwan/canada-has-become-such-a-staging-area-for-chinese-money/)

[Kevin Kwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-kwan/)

> [Sometimes when you're in different countries, everything has become so homogenised and there's a Starbucks and McDonald's everywhere, and you could feel like you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-yun-lee/sometimes-when-you-re-in-different-countries-everything-has-become-so/)

[Will Yun Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-yun-lee/)

[Browse all 4,184 Become quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/become/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "When you become successful, half the population puts you on a pedestal, and half the population treats you with less respect than you would have got if you were collecting their bins.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Tim Minchin"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-minchin/when-you-become-successful-half-the-population-puts-you-on-a-pedestal/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Become"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-minchin/when-you-become-successful-half-the-population-puts-you-on-a-pedestal/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba6/tim-minchin-3287_become_when-you-become-successful-half-the-popu_2947064.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba6/tim-minchin-3287_become_when-you-become-successful-half-the-popu_2947064.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba6/tim-minchin-3287_become_when-you-become-successful-half-the-popu_2947064.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“When you become successful, half the population puts you on a pedestal, and half the population treats you…” — Tim Minchin",
                "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": "Tim Minchin",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-minchin/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "When you become successful, half the...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-minchin/when-you-become-successful-half-the-population-puts-you-on-a-pedestal/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-minchin/when-you-become-successful-half-the-population-puts-you-on-a-pedestal/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
