Mediocrity Quotes - Page 8

• Such a superiority do the pursuits of literature possess above every other occupation, that even he who attains but a mediocrity in them, merits the pre-eminence above those that excel the most in the common and vulgar professions.

  David Hume

  Literature, Occupation, Merit

  David Hume (1782). “The History of England, from the Invasion of Julius Caesar to the Revolution of 1688”, p.197

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• The real geniuses know where their writing has to be good and where they can get away with some mediocrity.

  Dmitri Shostakovich

  Real, Writing, Genius

  "Composers On Music: Eight Centuries of Writings". Book by Josiah Fisk, p. 355. In conversation with Isaac Glikman (July 4, 1966), January 30, 1997.

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• I thought I might teach philosophy but the atmosphere of a college faculty repelled me; the few islands of greatness seemed to be washed by seas of pettiness and mediocrity.

  I. F. Stone

  Philosophy, Greatness, College

  F. Stone's Bi-Weekly, December 14, 1971.

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• Imposing an alleged uniform general method upon everybody breeds mediocrity in all but the very exceptional. And measuring originality by deviation from the mass breeds eccentricity in them.

  John Dewey

  Uniforms, Originality, Deviation

  John Dewey (2015). “Democracy and Education”, p.176, Sheba Blake Publishing

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• in architecture, mediocrity is more glaringly obvious than in other lines - because there's a huge, physical object such as a building to demonstrate it.

  Ayn Rand

  Lines, Architecture, Building

  Ayn Rand (1997). “Letters of Ayn Rand”, p.156, Penguin

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• The signature of mediocrity is not an unwillingness to change. The signature of mediocrity is inconsistency.

  James C. Collins

  Signatures, Inconsistency

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• It takes far less energy to move from first-rate performance to excellence than it does to move from incompetence to mediocrity.

  Peter Drucker

  Moving, Excellence, Energy

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• To use many words to communicate few thoughts is everywhere the unmistakable sign of mediocrity. To gather much thought into few words stamps the man of genius.

  Arthur Schopenhauer

  Writing, Men, Genius

  Arthur Schopenhauer (2012). “Collected Essays of Arthur Schopenhauer”, p.351, Simon and Schuster

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• If you're not passionate, you achieve mediocrity

  Jon Taffer

  Passionate, Achieve, Ifs

  Twitter post from Nov 26, 2016

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• Only mediocrities progress. An artist revolves in a cycle of masterpieces, the first of which is no less perfect than the last.

  Oscar Wilde

  Artist, Perfect, Progress

  Oscar Wilde (2007). “Epigrams of Oscar Wilde”, p.47, Wordsworth Editions

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• There is no gap as wide as the one between mediocrity and genius.

  Rutvik Oza

  Genius, Gaps, Wide

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• Dividing meager resources across a host of medium term operational goals creates mediocrity on a broad scale.

  C. K. Prahalad

  Business, Goal, Host

  "Strategy as Stretch and Leverage" by Gary Hamel and C.K. Prahalad, hbr.org. March/April 1993.

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• Awards are merely the badges of mediocrity.

  Charles Ives

  Awards, Badges

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• The history of an art is the history of masterwork, not of failures, or mediocrity.

  Ezra Pound

  Art, Historical, Art Is

  Ezra Pound, Richard Sieburth (2005). “The Spirit of Romance”, p.5, New Directions Publishing

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• There are no such men today. We have created a mechanism that makes it practically impossible for a real genius to appear. In my own field the biochemist Fritz Lipmann or the much maligned Linus Pauling were very talented people. But generally, geniuses everywhere seem to have died out by 1914. Today, most are mediocrities blown up by the winds of the time.

  Erwin Chargaff

  Real, Men, Wind

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• Mediocrity results first and foremost from management failure, not technological failure.

  James C. Collins

  Firsts, Management, Good To Great

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• It is a great sign of mediocrity to praise always moderately.

  Luc de Clapiers

  Praise

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• The overwhelming pressure of mediocrity, sluggish and indomitable as a glacier, will mitigate the most violent, and depress the most exalted revolution.

  T. S. Eliot

  Depressing, Pressure, Glaciers

  T. S. Eliot (2014). “Christianity and Culture”, p.55, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

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• . . .nothing could eclipse the stain of his dirty, mortal mediocrity.

  Madeline Miller

  Dirty, Eclipse, Stains

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• The thinker without a paradox is like a lover without a feeling: a paltry mediocrity.

  Soren Kierkegaard

  Feelings, Lovers, Paradox

  Soren Kierkegaard (2017). “Philosophical Fragments”, p.24, Jovian Press

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• Let some holy ambition invade our souls, so that, dissatisfied with mediocrity, we shall eagerly desire the highest things and shall toil with all our strength to obtain them, since we may if we wish.

  Giovanni Pico della Mirandola

  Ambition, Soul, Wish

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• Today I begin a new life. Today I shed my old skin which hath, too long, suffered the bruises of failure and the wounds of mediocrity. Today I am born anew and my birthplace is a vineyard where there is fruit for all.

  Og Mandino

  Long, Skins, Vineyards

  Og Mandino (2011). “The Greatest Salesman in the World”, p.45, Bantam

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• Push yourself to do more and to experience more. Harness your energy to start expanding your dreams. Yes, expand your dreams. Don't accept a life of mediocrity when you hold such infinite potential within the fortress of your mind. Dare to tap into your greatness.

  Robin Sharma

  Dream, Greatness, Mind

  Robin Sharma (2003). “The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari: A Fable About Fulfilling Your Dreams & Reaching Your Destiny”, p.133, Jaico Publishing House

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• Just as your hand has the power to hide the sun, mediocrity has the power to hide your inner light. Do not blame others for your own incompetence.

  Paulo Coelho

  Light, Hands, Sun

  Paulo Coelho (2015). “Warrior of the Light -”, p.31, Booklassic

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• I always thought I'd get farther. I'd like to blame the world for what I've failed to do, but the failure - the failure that sometimes washes over me as anger, makes me so angry I could spit - is all mine, in the end. What made my obstacles insurmountable, what consigned me to mediocrity, is me, just me. I thought for so long, forever, that I was strong enough -- or I misunderstood what strength was.

  Claire Messud

  Strong, Long, Forever

  Claire Messud (2013). “The Woman Upstairs”, p.20, Vintage

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