More from Arnold Schwarzenegger

You can't climb the ladder of success with your hands in your pockets.

AS

Arnold Schwarzenegger

University of Southern California Commencement 2009, 2009

22:28

Video starts at 22:28 — the moment this quote was spoken

The Story Behind This Quote

Schwarzenegger's sixth and final rule of success was 'Give something back,' and this memorable one-liner captured its essence perfectly. After spending most of the speech talking about personal ambition, drive, and achievement, he pivoted to argue that none of it meant anything unless you used your success to help others. He described his own journey from receiving help — the gym owners who let him train for free, the mentors who guided his career, the voters who trusted an immigrant with no political experience — to giving it back through public service, after-school programs, and environmental initiatives. The image of trying to climb a ladder with your hands in your pockets was vintage Schwarzenegger: physical, vivid, and impossible to forget. You have to reach out, grab on, and pull others up behind you.

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