In order to be a great, you gotta be among the greats.

In the language of power and perseverance, Scarface once declared: “In order to be a great, you gotta be among the greats.” Though his words rise from the heart of modern struggle and music, they carry the same fire that burned in the hearts of warriors, poets, and philosophers since the dawn of civilization. For what he speaks of is no mere ambition — it is the law of excellence, the eternal truth that greatness is not born in isolation, but forged in the presence of those who embody it. To walk among the great is to breathe their discipline, to study their craft, to let their light awaken your own.

In every age, the ancients taught that the soul becomes what it admires. To dwell among greatness is to be shaped by it, just as iron placed in the forge takes on the fire’s strength. The man who walks with the wise becomes wise; the artist who learns from masters becomes masterful; the warrior who trains with champions learns the art of victory. Scarface’s words, born from the streets and the struggle, speak to this same truth — that one cannot rise by standing alone in the valley; one must climb to the mountain where greatness dwells.

The meaning of this quote reaches beyond the company of fame. It speaks to the deeper idea that we are mirrors of those we surround ourselves with. If we dwell among the mediocre, mediocrity seeps into our spirit. But if we seek the company of the disciplined, the daring, and the inspired, our own potential begins to unfold. The ancient philosopher Confucius said, “If you are the smartest person in the room, you are in the wrong room.” Scarface’s version, born in a different time and tongue, carries the same immortal pulse: if you wish to be a lion, you must walk with lions.

Consider the story of Alexander the Great, pupil of Aristotle, companion to warriors, and heir to a kingdom that hungered for conquest. As a youth, he surrounded himself with men of vision and skill — philosophers who sharpened his mind, generals who tested his courage, and rivals who ignited his ambition. From this circle of greatness, he drew the fire that would burn across empires. Had he chosen smaller company, his spirit might have dimmed, his destiny lost to history. But he understood, even then, that greatness multiplies in the presence of greatness.

This truth echoes also in the lives of creators and thinkers. Michelangelo, apprenticed in the studios of Florence, studied under the masters who had learned from the divine language of form and proportion. Surrounded by the brilliance of Leonardo and Raphael, he pushed himself to transcend imitation, turning influence into immortality. So too must every soul seeking greatness learn from those who stand above them — not in envy, but in reverence; not to mimic, but to ascend.

Yet there is humility in this path. To walk among the great requires the courage to admit one’s own smallness. It demands listening more than speaking, serving more than boasting. The proud seek to lead before they have learned to follow; the wise kneel before greatness until its lessons shape them. To be among the great is not to bask in their glory, but to earn one’s place through effort, patience, and respect for the craft. Only then does greatness, like a torch, pass from one hand to another.

Let this be the lesson, then: choose your company with purpose. Seek those who challenge you, who awaken your hunger for mastery, who demand more than comfort from you. Do not fear standing among giants — let their shadows remind you how high you must climb. If you cannot yet find greatness around you, seek it in books, in art, in the stories of those who lived before. Let the voices of the great be your companions until you stand worthy to walk among them.

For in the end, Scarface’s truth is the law of growth itself: you cannot become what you have never witnessed, cannot rise where you have never dared to stand. Surround yourself with greatness — not for pride, but for transformation. And when your own greatness blooms, as it must through perseverance and humility, then remember to lift others as you were lifted. For in that sacred circle — where the great create the great — the flame of human excellence never dies.