Today, our world has become so small that, who you know is almost as important as what you know, in order to achieve success in the professional as well as social spheres of life. Networking is an almost free investment which could lead to exponential returns. It is one of the most efficient uses of your time; in terms of return. Not only is networking is significant as well as pivotal catalyst towards success, but also a very underrated social activity. This is because when networking leads to lucrative opportunities people tend to think they were just lucky.

If you are the smartest person in the room, you are in the wrong room. This goes beyond networking. Beyond lucrative opportunities. Beyond your career. Ensuring that you aren’t the smartest person in the room, also ensures that you are constantly surrounded by people who inspire you to strive for excellence. Being surrounded by these people helps you to be constantly hungry for improvement. Not never be satisfied. Success rubs off. It’s contagious. Positive influence has evolved satisfiers into maximizers. To not only maximize success, but also maximize learning.

In today’s world, nobody is waiting to provide you with a license for engaging in intellectual curiosity. You must initiate it yourself. We need to make a conscious effort to not subscribe ourselves to the inoculation theory of education. What that essentially means is that we need to stop looking at education only in terms of degrees and certificates. Looking at your college graduation as the end of your learning process will not only hinder success, but could also foster mercurial incompetence. It does sound clichéd, but the process of learning should continue for as long as you live. One way of achieving this goal, is to surround yourself with smarter people. This learning process leads to a holistic growth for an individual as a human being.

Furthermore, the more you are able to know and the more skills you acquire, will you be more valuable to other people who want to surround themselves with people like you. What this essentially creates is a self sustained network of individuals who are not only successful in multiple fields but also have the burning desire to learn from their peers.

Surrounding yourself with people who fail to challenge you, is a professional and social blunder. Not only does it generate complacency that could lead stagnancy, but also places you in a comfort zone surrounded by people who you can’t learn from and who aren't interested in learning from you. This is a trap that is tempting to choose, simply because it leads to comfort in being where you are. Being aware of this trap, gives you an incentive to never be the smartest person in the room. am not trying to imply that you should never think you are smart. Self confidence is obviously essential. You should never sell yourself short and always believe in your capabilities. Basically, you should be able to recognize your weaknesses as easily as you can identify your strengths.