Great People Know Each Other

Great people know each other. You don’t try to get the great people to know you, you try to be greater yourself, and then you will know great people naturally.

If you are the president, you will know many world leaders. If you are a good actor, you will know many movie stars. If you are a great athlete, you will know many Olympic champions. If you are great, you will know more great people. Great people just know each other.

I was once thinking about this issue very hard: I want to know more people, I want to make friends with people who are greater than me, how could I do that? There are so many guidelines out there teaching people how to attract greater people’s attention or squeeze yourself into the great people club. To be honest, I’m not that kind of person who has the courage to hobnob with great people, or even has many opportunities to meet great people.

Also the reality is: if you don’t belong to that circle, people will forget you very quickly. To say it plainly, you just don’t belong. Let me tell you two stories that provoked my thoughts about it.

The first one is from my local toastmasters’ club. One night, there came two guest speakers. One was the first place in this year’s evaluation contest at the district level, the other placed second in this year’s humorous speech contest at the district level. District level means among all toastmasters’ clubs in a whole state. We heard the second place humorous speech, and then witnessed the first place evaluator evaluating one of our member’s speeches. They are good — — great — — I mean. I just joined our club less than two years ago, even compare to many members in my own club, I’m still a newbie. After the meeting, many members were talking with these two guys. Some great members from our club already met them from activities outside of our club, they know each other. Other members were surrounding them asking, or talking with, or listening to them. I didn’t approach them even, I just did what I needed to do — — helping packing up sergeant-at-arms stuff and arranging tables and chairs back to the way they were. There was a time I was thinking: what is the purpose to try to get a chance talking with them, like a fan trying to shake hands with his super star? I couldn’t think of a practical and motivating reason to do that. On the opposite, I was just saying to myself: what you need to do is just try to be a better speaker. One day when you are much greater than you are right now, maybe still not as great as those guest champion speakers are, you will have much better chance to talk with them or know them in person.

The second story is about a Chinese-American lady. She just announced running for congress as a republican in the local district. I read her stories from wechat subscription (a Chinese mobile social app). She came to the States 18 years ago, and she now wants to fulfill her public service ambition in her adopted mother land, really inspiring. I added her personal wechat, I had some interactions on wechat wither her even, but we don’t know each other in real life. I can see pictures and messages she shared on her moments. She visited Governor’s Manson, talked with Lt. Governor, gave speeches together with Senator’ wife, took photos with many republican presidential candidates, and visited a candidate running for Senate. She knew so many great people in the political circle. Did she just spear her head into that circle for socializing? No. She belongs to that circle. She works in the local Republican Party, she knows these people and these people know her. She is great, she is running for Congress, and she gets more chances to meet and know many more great people outside the local circle even. I don’t know her personally; but there is no need to try. If I’m great enough to belong to one of her circles, I will know her and she will know me naturally.

I read some sentences online in Chinese; they sound like chicken soup, but make sense. Let me try to translate here: Don’t try to chase a horse, but spend time on nurturing your grass. When spring comes, many horses will come to you. Don’t try to curry favor with great people, but try to be greater yourself. When you are great, there will be many great people around you. If you are blooming, butterflies will fly to you.