--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I set it down as a maxim, that it is good…" description: "\"I set it down as a maxim, that it is good for a man to live where he can meet his betters, intellectual and social.\" — William Makepeace Thackeray" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ecd/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_intellectual_i-set-it-down-as-a-maxim-that-it-is-good_1800663.jpg" --- # I set it down as a maxim, that it is good for a man to… ![“I set it down as a maxim, that it is good for a man to live where he can meet his betters, intellectual and social.” quote by William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ecd/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_intellectual_i-set-it-down-as-a-maxim-that-it-is-good_1800663.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ecd/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_intellectual_i-set-it-down-as-a-maxim-that-it-is-good_1800663.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ecd/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_intellectual_i-set-it-down-as-a-maxim-that-it-is-good_1800663.jpg) > “I set it down as a maxim, that it is good for a man to live where he can meet his betters, intellectual and social.” [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Surrounding oneself with superior minds and society benefits personal development and perspective. **In simple terms:** Seek better company for growth. Key Takeaway Find mentors and uplifting circles. Themes education social mobility self‑improvement Mood thoughtful inspirational Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - career advancement - education - networking Key Concepts class dynamics intellectual curiosity Questions to Reflect On - Who are your intellectual betters? - How do you balance humility and ambition? A Different Perspective May create feelings of inferiority or exclusion. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Betters Intellectual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/betters-intellectual-2028723/) [Good man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-man/) [Intellectual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellectual/) [Intellectual Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellectual-social-1196366/) [Maxim Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/maxim-good-2028724/) [Maxims](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/maxims/) [Meet Betters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meet-betters-2028725/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) ## Related quotes > [The intellectual and social climate needed to allow entrepreneurship to thrive will not exist in advanced capitalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-a-schumpeter/the-intellectual-and-social-climate-needed-to-allow-entrepreneurship/) [Joseph A. Schumpeter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-a-schumpeter/) > [What is the role of a public intellectual in the age of Twitter and soundbites? Is it to share your thoughts for the public…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthea-butler/what-is-the-role-of-a-public-intellectual-in-the-age-of-twitter-and/) [Anthea Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthea-butler/) > [“I have two maxims that I believe, dear girl. One, if you can control yourself, you can control others. 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I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheyenne-kimball/i-see-a-lot-of-true-artists-then-you-see-them-on-the-cover-of-maxim/) [Cheyenne Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheyenne-kimball/) ## More by William Makepeace Thackeray > [“To those great geniuses now in petticoats, who shall write novels for the beloved reader's children, these men and things will be as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/to-those-great-geniuses-now-in-petticoats-who-shall-write-novels-for/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [When one fib becomes due as it were, you must forge another to take up the old acceptance; and so the stock of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/when-one-fib-becomes-due-as-it-were-you-must-forge-another-to-take-up/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Let a man who has to make his fortune in life remember this maxim: Attacking is the only secret. 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