The generality of mankind is lazy. What distinguishes men of genuine achievement from the rest of us is not so much their intellectual powers and aptitudes as their curiosity, their energy, their fullest use of their potentialities. Nobody really knows how smart or talented he is until he finds the incentives to use himself to the fullest. God has given us more than we know what to do with. Sydney J. Harris
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The generality of mankind is lazy. What distinguishes men of genuine achievement from the rest of us is not so much their intellectual powers and aptitudes as their curiosity, their energy, their fullest use of their potentialities. Nobody really knows how smart or talented he is until he finds the incentives to use himself to the fullest. God has given us more than we know what to do with.

The definition of innate talent is a gift from God. Everyone has a gift from God but some people are more interested in using it than others. Those who use themselves fully deserve praise not just because they use their gift but because they see that gift as something that should be shared.

They want others to have an opportunity to use their talent for good and expand on it if they can.

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More Quotes By Sydney J. Harris
  1. The generality of mankind is lazy. What distinguishes men of genuine achievement from the rest of us is not so much their intellectual powers and aptitudes as their curiosity, their energy, their fullest use of their potentialities. Nobody really knows how smart or talented he...
  2. The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows.
  3. At it's highest level, the purpose of teaching is not to teach–it is to inspire the desire for learning. Once a student's mind is set on fire, it will find a way to provide its own fuel.
  4. What is much harder to handle is the sense that you have to live up to the mark someone else has set for you. The grades become too important, the competition too frantic, the fear of disappointing those who believe in you turns into an...
  5. And the end of this paradox is that only when the child is thus free can he have the proper attachment to his parents; only when we allow his independence can he then freely offer us love and respect, without conflict and without resentment. It...
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