His intelligence was just something he'd been born with. Luck of the draw, like being beautiful. It was a rationalization to say that he'd worked hard. It was like being given a fine knife and taking the trouble to polish and sharpen it: it's great that you make the effort, but someone had to give you the knife. Adelle Waldman
About This Quote

The quote above was written by American novelist, Denis Johnson. He is famous for writing the book "Train Dreams" which tells the story of a young man who spends his childhood and teenage years as a hobos and vagabond. It was an extremely well written and detailed story about the tribulations of poverty and homelessness. While this description may seem depressing to some, I believe reading this book will not only give you a new perspective but will motivate you to learn and grow and become better than who you are now.

Source: The Love Affairs Of Nathaniel P.

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More Quotes By Adelle Waldman
  1. His intelligence was just something he'd been born with. Luck of the draw, like being beautiful. It was a rationalization to say that he'd worked hard. It was like being given a fine knife and taking the trouble to polish and sharpen it: it's great...
  2. People expect girls from good middle-class families to be smart -- but what they mean by smart for a girl is to have nice handwriting and a neat locker and to do her homework on time. They don't expect ideas or much in the way...
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  5. When you're single, your weekend days are wide-open vistas that extend in every direction; in a relationship, they're like the sky over Manhattan: punctured, hemmed in, compressed.
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