Quote of the Day: Apple's CEO John Ternus on confidence and humility — “Always assume you're as smart as anyone else…”

Apple CEO John Ternus shares a powerful lesson on confidence and humility, urging people to believe in themselves while staying open to learning.

Updated on: Sep 2, 2026, 24:12:29 IST

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Imagine a new employee joining a company and attending their first big meeting. Everyone around them has years of experience, so they may feel, “I don't know as much as them. Maybe I should stay quiet.”

But they may have a fresh idea or a different way of looking at a problem. At the same time, experienced employees have years of knowledge and lessons from real situations. This is the balance John Ternus talks about believing in yourself, but always be ready to learn from others.

Quote of the Day by John Ternus

“Always assume you're as smart as anyone else in the room, but never assume that you know as much as they do.”

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The first part of the quote is about self-confidence. It tells people not to automatically believe that they are less intelligent simply because they are surrounded by experienced or successful people.

The second part is about humility. It reminds people that intelligence does not mean knowing everything. Someone else in the room may have spent years learning things that you have never experienced.

What is the meaning behind John Ternus' quote?

The quote mainly separates two ideas that people often treat as the same — intelligence and knowledge. Knowledge is built over time through education, work, practice, observation and real-life experiences. Intelligence is more about a person's ability to think, understand, learn, analyse information and solve problems.

A young graduate entering a company may be highly intelligent but may not yet have much workplace experience. At the same time, an experienced employee may have decades of knowledge from dealing with real problems and difficult situations. Both people can be highly capable in different ways.

Ternus' message is that people should trust their ability to think and contribute while accepting that others may know things they have not yet learned. The quote is therefore not asking people to doubt themselves. Instead, it is asking people to stay open to learning. In simple words, the message is: Believe that you are capable, but stay humble enough to listen.

Why John Ternus' quote remains relevant

The quote is easy to understand and can be used in everyday life. It does not tell people to be too confident or too humble. It tells them to have both. If you enter a room full of experts, do not think that you have nothing useful to say.

But being smart does not mean you know everything. Other people may have more experience and knowledge than you. This idea is useful for students, employees, managers and other professionals.

Confidence helps you speak up and share your ideas. Humility helps you listen and learn from others. A person who has both confidence and curiosity can share their ideas while also learning from the people around them.

They will be less afraid to speak and less likely to think they already know everything. This balance is the main message behind John Ternus' quote. In simple words: Know your value. Respect what others know. And always be ready to learn. And always stay ready to learn.

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