--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've been ingrained since a young age to…" description: "\"I've been ingrained since a young age to compete always and strive to be the best, and I think I'm working toward that.\" — Zach Ertz" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc0/zach-ertz-6576_age_i-ve-been-ingrained-since-a-young-age-to_823971.jpg" --- # I've been ingrained since a young age to compete always… ![“I've been ingrained since a young age to compete always and strive to be the best, and I think I'm working toward that.” quote by Zach Ertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc0/zach-ertz-6576_age_i-ve-been-ingrained-since-a-young-age-to_823971.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc0/zach-ertz-6576_age_i-ve-been-ingrained-since-a-young-age-to_823971.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc0/zach-ertz-6576_age_i-ve-been-ingrained-since-a-young-age-to_823971.jpg) > “I've been ingrained since a young age to compete always and strive to be the best, and I think I'm working toward that.” [Zach Ertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-ertz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Competitive drive from youth fuels continual self‑improvement and ambition. **In simple terms:** Competing early leads to striving for excellence. Key Takeaway Channel competition into personal growth. Themes ambition competition self‑improvement sports Mood motivated thoughtful Type inspirational practical When to use this quote - career advancement - athletic training - academic pursuits Key Concepts goal setting performance mindset Questions to Reflect On - What does "best" mean to you? - How do you balance competition with well‑being? A Different Perspective Excessive competition can cause burnout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Work hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-hard/) [Young age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-age/) ## Related quotes > [As tennis players, we're ingrained from a young age to not show anything - tiredness, fear - or your opponent is going to know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mardy-fish/as-tennis-players-we-re-ingrained-from-a-young-age-to-not-show/) [Mardy Fish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mardy-fish/) > [“compete with yourself, strive to be better than yourself and you'll eventually be better than others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antwi-isaac-born2win/compete-with-yourself-strive-to-be-better-than-yourself-and-you-ll/) Antwi Isaac - BORN2WIN > [You should do whatever language you feel is the perfect language for you to sing in and then try to strive to do the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enrique-iglesias/you-should-do-whatever-language-you-feel-is-the-perfect-language-for/) [Enrique Iglesias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enrique-iglesias/) > [STRIVE for the best, PREPARE for the worst, and LIVE with the rest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/strive-for-the-best-prepare-for-the-worst-and-live-with-the-rest/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You must always strive to be the best, but you must never believe that you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-manuel-fangio/you-must-always-strive-to-be-the-best-but-you-must-never-believe-that/) [Juan Manuel Fangio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-manuel-fangio/) > [Hard work is the only way to go. Strive to be the best you can be and remember that when you try your best,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chang/hard-work-is-the-only-way-to-go-strive-to-be-the-best-you-can-be-and/) [Michael Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chang/) > [You can always go to uni later on in life. There's no set way. If you are at uni, work hard. Strive for your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eniola-aluko/you-can-always-go-to-uni-later-on-in-life-there-s-no-set-way-if-you/) [Eniola Aluko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eniola-aluko/) > [Obviously, being an attacker for the U.S. women's national team and for the NWSL, I want to strive to be the best and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trinity-rodman/obviously-being-an-attacker-for-the-u-s-women-s-national-team-and-for/) [Trinity Rodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trinity-rodman/) > [I strive to be the best day in, day out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-campbell/i-strive-to-be-the-best-day-in-day-out/) [Luke Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-campbell/) > [I always strive for the best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naby-keita/i-always-strive-for-the-best/) [Naby Keita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naby-keita/) > [In whatever you do, strive to be the best at it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aliko-dangote/in-whatever-you-do-strive-to-be-the-best-at-it/) [Aliko Dangote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aliko-dangote/) > [“if you have a positive attitude and strive to give your best, eventually, you will overcome problems and find you are ready for greater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-riley/if-you-have-a-positive-attitude-and-strive-to-give-your-best/) [pat riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-riley/) > [Strive to be the very best at whatever you undertake in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hanburger/strive-to-be-the-very-best-at-whatever-you-undertake-in-life/) Chris Hanburger > [Strive to be the very best you can be. Run the race against yourself and not the guy in the other lane. The reason…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herschel-walker/strive-to-be-the-very-best-you-can-be-run-the-race-against-yourself/) [Herschel Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herschel-walker/) > [Strive not to be the best but to be of value](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/strive-not-to-be-the-best-but-to-be-of-value/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Zach Ertz > [I'm a lot bigger than a lot of these DBs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-ertz/i-m-a-lot-bigger-than-a-lot-of-these-dbs/) [Zach Ertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-ertz/) > [I'm not going to be perfect on the field, I'm not going to be perfect in my postgame answers or any media session.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-ertz/i-m-not-going-to-be-perfect-on-the-field-i-m-not-going-to-be-perfect/) [Zach Ertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-ertz/) > [My goal definitely isn't to be top five. It's to be the best in the league.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-ertz/my-goal-definitely-isn-t-to-be-top-five-it-s-to-be-the-best-in-the/) [Zach Ertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-ertz/) > [I went to Stanford.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-ertz/i-went-to-stanford/) [Zach Ertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-ertz/) > [What I've learned, being in this league, is you can't take things personally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-ertz/what-i-ve-learned-being-in-this-league-is-you-can-t-take-things/) [Zach Ertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-ertz/) > [I'm focusing on being the best I can for my teammates - catching as many balls and putting in as many good blocks as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-ertz/i-m-focusing-on-being-the-best-i-can-for-my-teammates-catching-as/) [Zach Ertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-ertz/) > [My wife Julie and I are driven to make positive and enduring change in our beloved city of Philadelphia, in California, in Haiti, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-ertz/my-wife-julie-and-i-are-driven-to-make-positive-and-enduring-change/) [Zach Ertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-ertz/) > [I think I had a good rookie year, but at the end of the day, I want to be one of the best tight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-ertz/i-think-i-had-a-good-rookie-year-but-at-the-end-of-the-day-i-want-to/) [Zach Ertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-ertz/) > [Just trying not to have a weakness in any part of my game - that's always been the approach in all aspects of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-ertz/just-trying-not-to-have-a-weakness-in-any-part-of-my-game-that-s/) [Zach Ertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-ertz/) > [I just focus on taking a deep breath, staying calm, and not trying to make the situation bigger than it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-ertz/i-just-focus-on-taking-a-deep-breath-staying-calm-and-not-trying-to/) [Zach Ertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-ertz/) > [I don't want to be viewed as a weakness in any means. I don't want to be viewed as a weakness in the passing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-ertz/i-don-t-want-to-be-viewed-as-a-weakness-in-any-means-i-don-t-want-to/) [Zach Ertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-ertz/) > [I rarely drop the ball, and hopefully that trend continues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-ertz/i-rarely-drop-the-ball-and-hopefully-that-trend-continues/) [Zach Ertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-ertz/) > [If you look at the great tight ends in this league, the first thing that stands out is touchdowns. Just like at fantasy football.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-ertz/if-you-look-at-the-great-tight-ends-in-this-league-the-first-thing/) [Zach Ertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-ertz/) > [As an athlete, I feel like I have a little bit of control - or a lot of control - of the situation. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-ertz/as-an-athlete-i-feel-like-i-have-a-little-bit-of-control-or-a-lot-of/) [Zach Ertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-ertz/) > [When I was younger, I initially hated football because they put me on the offensive line because I was the biggest kid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-ertz/when-i-was-younger-i-initially-hated-football-because-they-put-me-on/) [Zach Ertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-ertz/) [Explore all 98 Zach Ertz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-ertz/) ## More Age quotes > [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. "Jameson, open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/i-need-a-bath-he-chuckled-you-smell-of-smoke-as-do-i-the-duke-turned/) [Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/) > [While we've youth in our hearts, we can never grow old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/while-we-ve-youth-in-our-hearts-we-can-never-grow-old/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. But if we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/it-s-easier-to-change-a-law-than-an-age-old-mentality-deep-down-many/) [Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/) > [When I first started writing, when I was 15, I would go to work with people and they would tell me my lyrics were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-claudio/when-i-first-started-writing-when-i-was-15-i-would-go-to-work-with/) [Sabrina Claudio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-claudio/) > [Real people speak in my books about the main events of the age, such as the war, the Chernobyl disaster, and the downfall of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/svetlana-alexievich/real-people-speak-in-my-books-about-the-main-events-of-the-age-such/) [Svetlana Alexievich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/svetlana-alexievich/) > [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/) [Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/) > [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [I am just enjoying the dream of being Milan coach at the age of 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/i-am-just-enjoying-the-dream-of-being-milan-coach-at-the-age-of-40/) [Gennaro Gattuso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennaro-gattuso/) > [Age is an accumulation of life and loss. Adulthood is a series of lines crossed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-goodman/age-is-an-accumulation-of-life-and-loss-adulthood-is-a-series-of/) [Ellen Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-goodman/) > [I calculated that if I live up to the age of 80, then I end up using 450 toothbrushes in my life. All that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dia-mirza/i-calculated-that-if-i-live-up-to-the-age-of-80-then-i-end-up-using/) [Dia Mirza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dia-mirza/) > [Why is wisdom so fair? Why is beauty so wise? Because all else is temporary, while beauty and wisdom are the only real and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-nazarian/why-is-wisdom-so-fair-why-is-beauty-so-wise-because-all-else-is/) [Vera Nazarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-nazarian/) > [It was only when I went to acting school that I was like, "You are absolutely such a pigheaded freak show that you thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-matthey/it-was-only-when-i-went-to-acting-school-that-i-was-like-you-are/) [Giles Matthey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-matthey/) > [That old man dies prematurely whose memory records no benefits conferred. They only have lived long who have lived virtuously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-brinsley-sheridan/that-old-man-dies-prematurely-whose-memory-records-no-benefits/) [Richard Brinsley Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-brinsley-sheridan/) > [We have started to make music at age seven. That was a hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-kaulitz/we-have-started-to-make-music-at-age-seven-that-was-a-hard-work/) [Bill Kaulitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-kaulitz/) [Browse all 18,948 Age quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I've been ingrained since a young age to compete always and strive to be the best, and I think I'm working toward that.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Zach Ertz" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-ertz/i-ve-been-ingrained-since-a-young-age-to-compete-always-and-strive-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Age" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-ertz/i-ve-been-ingrained-since-a-young-age-to-compete-always-and-strive-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc0/zach-ertz-6576_age_i-ve-been-ingrained-since-a-young-age-to_823971.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc0/zach-ertz-6576_age_i-ve-been-ingrained-since-a-young-age-to_823971.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc0/zach-ertz-6576_age_i-ve-been-ingrained-since-a-young-age-to_823971.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I've been ingrained since a young age to compete always and strive to be the best, and I think I'm working…” — Zach Ertz", "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": "Zach Ertz", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-ertz/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I've been ingrained since a young...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-ertz/i-ve-been-ingrained-since-a-young-age-to-compete-always-and-strive-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-ertz/i-ve-been-ingrained-since-a-young-age-to-compete-always-and-strive-to/#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 } } ] } ```