The greatest talents often lie buried out of sight.
—Plautus (Titus Maccius Plautus) (c.250–184 BCE) Roman Comic Playwright
Talent does what it can; genius does what it must.
—Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton (1803–73) British Novelist, Poet, Politician
There is no such thing as talent. There is pressure.
—Alfred Adler (1870–1937) Austrian Psychiatrist
The great rule: If the little bit you have is nothing special in itself, at least find a way of saying it that is a little bit special.
—Georg Christoph Lichtenberg (1742–99) German Philosopher, Physicist
God give them wisdom that have it; and those that are fools let them use their talents
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
A best seller is the gilded tomb of a mediocre talent
—Logan Pearsall Smith (1865–1946) American-British Essayist, Bibliophile
We are told that talent creates its own opportunities. But it sometimes seems that intense desire creates not only its own opportunities, but its own talents.
—Eric Hoffer (1902–83) American Philosopher, Author
Every man has his own vocation, talent is the call.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
I put all my genius into my life; I put only my talent into my works.
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish Poet, Playwright
Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful.
—John Wooden (1910–2010) American Sportsperson
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.
—Marianne Williamson (b.1952) American Activist, Author, Lecturer
He had a lot of talent, but didn’t have much dedication, wasn’t organized, didn’t know how to learn, didn’t know how to comprehend what he was doing, didn’t try to learn how to get better.
—Jack Nicklaus (b.1940) American Sportsperson
Two kinds of men generally best succeed in political life; men of no principle, but of great talent; and men of no talent, but of one principle – that of obedience to their superiors.
—Wendell Phillips (1811–84) American Abolitionist, Lawyer, Orator
I know quite certainly that I myself have no special talent; curiosity, obsession and dogged endurance, combined with self-criticism have brought me to my ideas.
—Albert Einstein (1879–1955) German-born Physicist
The irregular and intimate quality of things made entirely by the human hand.
—Willa Cather (1873–1947) American Novelist, Writer
The most exciting place to discover talent is in yourself.
—Ashleigh Brilliant (b.1933) British Cartoonist, Author
This is how I define talent; it is a gift that God has given us in secret, which we reveal without knowing it.
—Montesquieu (1689–1755) French Political Philosopher, Jurist
Let a human being throw the energies of his soul into the making of something, and the instinct of workmanship will take care of his honesty.
—Walter Lippmann (1889–1974) American Journalist, Political Commentator, Writer
The more technique you have, the less you have to worry about it. The more technique there is, the less there is.
—Pablo Picasso (1881–1973) Spanish Painter, Sculptor, Artist
Talent is an amalgam of high sensitivity; easy vulnerability; high sensory equipment (seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, tasting—intensely); a vivid imagination as well as a grip on reality; the desire to communicate one’s own experience and sensations, to make one’s self heard and seen.
—Uta Hagen (1919–2004) German-American Actress
A man gift will make a way for him.
—The Holy Bible Scripture in the Christian Faith
It takes people a long time to learn the difference between talent and genius, especially ambitious young men and women.
—Louisa May Alcott (1832–88) American Novelist
Talent, like beauty, to be pardoned, must be obscure and unostentatious.
—Marguerite Gardiner, Countess of Blessington (1789–1849) Irish Novelist, Writer
The American white man (not to speak of the Indian, the Negro, the Mexican) hasn’t a ghost of a chance. If he has any talent he’s doomed to have it crushed one way or another. The American way is to seduce a man by bribery and make a prostitute of him. Or else to ignore him, starve him into submission and make a hack of him.
—Henry Miller (1891–1980) American Novelist
Good pitching will always stop good hitting and vice-versa.
—Casey Stengel (1890–1975) American Sportsperson
Great offices will have great talents, and God gives to every man the virtue, temper, understanding, taste, that lifts him into life, and lets him fall just in the niche he was ordained to fill.
—William Cowper (1731–1800) English Anglican Poet, Hymn writer
The Artist is he who detects and applies the law from observation of the works of Genius, whether of man or Nature. The Artisan is he who merely applies the rules which others have detected.
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–62) American Philosopher
Talent is a flame, but genius is a fire.
—Indian Proverb
In the battle of existence, Talent is the punch; Tact is the clever footwork
—Wilson Mizner (1876–1933) American Playwright, Entrepreneur
Those who are blessed with the most talent don’t necessarily outperform everyone else. It’s the people with follow-through who excel.
—Mary Kay Ash (1918–2001) American Entrepreneur, Businessperson
History repeats itself, but the special call of an art which has passed away is never reproduced. It is as utterly gone out of the world as the song of a destroyed wild bird.
—Joseph Conrad (1857–1924) Polish-born British Novelist
Skill and confidence are an unconquered army.
—George Herbert (1593–1633) Welsh Anglican Poet, Orator, Clergyman
Technique is noticed most markedly in the case of those who have not mastered it.
—Leon Trotsky (1879–1940) Russian Marxist Revolutionary
Each man has to seek out his own special aptitude for a higher life in the midst of the humble and inevitable reality of daily existence. Than this, there can be no nobler aim in life.
—Maurice Maeterlinck (1862–1949) Belgian Poet, Playwright, Essayist
Technique is the test of sincerity. If a thing isn’t worth getting the technique to say, it is of inferior value.
—Ezra Pound (1885-1972) American Poet, Translator, Critic
Acting is a masochistic form of exhibitionism. It is not quite the occupation of an adult.
—Laurence Olivier (1907–89) English Actor, Producer, Director
If you will make the necessary effort you can develop any talent.
—Wallace Wattles (1860–1911) American New Thought Author
Talent for talent’s sake is a bauble and a show. Talent working with joy in the cause of universal truth lifts the possessor to new power as a benefactor.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
To focus on technique is like cramming your way through school. You sometimes get by, perhaps even get good grades, but if you don’t pay the price day in and day out, you’ll never achieve true mastery of the subjects you study or develop an educated mind.
—Stephen Covey (1932–2012) American Self-help Author
I’ve never sought success in order to get fame and money; it’s the talent and the passion that count in success.
—Ingrid Bergman (1915–82) Swedish Actor
A winner is someone who recognizes his God-given talents, works his tail off to develop them into skills, and uses these skills to accomplish his goals.
—Larry Bird (b.1956) American Basketball Player
Talent is the capacity of doing anything that depends on application and industry; it is a voluntary power, while genius is involuntary.
—William Hazlitt (1778–1830) English Essayist
If you have this enormous talent, it’s got you by the balls, it’s a demon. You can’t be a family man and a husband and a caring person and be that animal. Dickens wasn’t that nice a guy.
—Dustin Hoffman (b.1937) American Actor, Filmmaker
Never have I thought that I was the happy possessor of a “talent” my sole concern has been to save myself by work and faith.
—Jean-Paul Sartre (1905–80) French Philosopher, Playwright, Novelist, Screenwriter, Political Activist
Everyone has a talent. What is rare is the courage to nurture it in solitude and to follow the talent to the dark places where it leads.
—Erica Jong (b.1942) American Novelist, Feminist
Genius is talent provided with ideals.
—W. Somerset Maugham (1874–1965) British Novelist, Short-Story Writer, Playwright
Talent does you no good unless it’s recognized by someone else.
—Robert Half
A great deal of talent is lost to the world for want of a little courage. Every day sends to their graves obscure men whose timidity prevented them from making a first effort.
—Sydney Smith (1771–1845) English Clergyman, Essayist, Wit
All of us do not have equal talents, but all of us should have an equal opportunity to develop our talents
—John F. Kennedy (1917–63) American Head of State, Journalist
Hard work without talent is a shame, but talent without hard work is a tragedy.
—Robert Half