--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A good surgeon needs courage for which a…" description: "\"“A good surgeon needs courage for which a good pair of balls is a prerequisite,”\" — Abraham Verghese" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9c/abraham-verghese-1533_courage_a-good-surgeon-needs-courage-for-which-a_2656695.png" --- # A good surgeon needs courage for which a good pair of… ![“A good surgeon needs courage for which a good pair of balls is a prerequisite,” quote by Abraham Verghese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9c/abraham-verghese-1533_courage_a-good-surgeon-needs-courage-for-which-a_2656695.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9c/abraham-verghese-1533_courage_a-good-surgeon-needs-courage-for-which-a_2656695.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9c/abraham-verghese-1533_courage_a-good-surgeon-needs-courage-for-which-a_2656695.png) > ““A good surgeon needs courage for which a good pair of balls is a prerequisite,”” [Abraham Verghese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-verghese/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A surgeon needs courage, which is linked to confidence and boldness. **In simple terms:** Courage is essential for surgeons. Key Takeaway Develop confidence in high‑stakes work. Themes courage medicine confidence Mood clinical practical Type medical motivational When to use this quote - surgery - emergency response - leadership training Key Concepts medical ethics psychology Questions to Reflect On - How does confidence affect surgical outcomes? - What supports courage under pressure? A Different Perspective May trivialize skill with bravado. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) ## Related quotes > [“She had devoted her life, in a practical and unimportant way, trying to prove that fear was evil because it promoted prejudice, that courage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-scott/she-had-devoted-her-life-in-a-practical-and-unimportant-way-trying-to/) [Paul Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-scott/) > [“You have to learn when to care, son. His father’s voice. And when to let go. You’ll grow calluses. He never had. Storm him,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/you-have-to-learn-when-to-care-son-his-father-s-voice-and-when-to-let/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [I put in the same hours to get good at this as a surgeon who went to college. 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He held up a finger. "Every year one does," he said, ginning, "But that one makes it worthwhile. Even Jesus only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-verghese/do-they-listen-he-held-up-a-finger-every-year-one-does-he-said/) [Abraham Verghese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-verghese/) > [“It seems we humans never learn. And so we relearn the lesson every generation and then want to write epistles. We proselytize to our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-verghese/it-seems-we-humans-never-learn-and-so-we-relearn-the-lesson-every/) [Abraham Verghese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-verghese/) > [It was all I had, all I've ever had, the only currency, the only proof that I was alive. Memory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-verghese/it-was-all-i-had-all-i-ve-ever-had-the-only-currency-the-only-proof/) [Abraham Verghese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-verghese/) > [“There it was, Hema must have thought; it was both the sorry and the thank-you that was so long overdue, and the funny thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-verghese/there-it-was-hema-must-have-thought-it-was-both-the-sorry-and-the/) [Abraham Verghese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-verghese/) > [“This is my life, I thought, as my taxi slogged through heavy traffic and inched through the tunnel to Logan Airport. I have excised…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-verghese/this-is-my-life-i-thought-as-my-taxi-slogged-through-heavy-traffic/) [Abraham Verghese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-verghese/) > [“I could see that the almost mystical aura of this legendary surgeon -- the single-mindedness, the dedication, the skill -- was mere surface. 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Whatever Thomas Stone had, wherever he was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-verghese/and-as-for-my-father-no-he-wouldn-t-ever-walk-through-those-gates-i/) [Abraham Verghese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-verghese/) > [“... telling herself stories about herself in a singsong voice, creating her own mythology.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-verghese/telling-herself-stories-about-herself-in-a-singsong-voice-creating/) [Abraham Verghese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-verghese/) [Explore all 230 Abraham Verghese quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-verghese/) ## More Courage quotes > [The greatest act of courage is to be and to ownall of who you are—without apology, without excuses, without masks to cover the truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-ford/the-greatest-act-of-courage-is-to-be-and-to-ownall-of-who-you-are/) [Debbie Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-ford/) > [“It takes tremendous courage, persistence, and perseverance to pursue your ultimate purpose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debasish-mridha/it-takes-tremendous-courage-persistence-and-perseverance-to-pursue/) [Debasish Mridha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debasish-mridha/) > [“Yes, the issue was courage. 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Years from now, we will look back at this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-ingraham/certainly-these-are-not-easy-times-but-history-does-not-contain-very/) [Laura Ingraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ingraham/) > [Have the courage to go against the tide of current values that do not conform to the path of Jesus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/have-the-courage-to-go-against-the-tide-of-current-values-that-do-not/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [“There is nothing purer, braver, or more beautiful than the try.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-armstrong/there-is-nothing-purer-braver-or-more-beautiful-than-the-try/) Kristen Armstrong > [“One theory on cannibals, of course, is that they eat parts of their slain enemies to benefit from that person's greatest assets - their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-powell/one-theory-on-cannibals-of-course-is-that-they-eat-parts-of-their/) [Julie Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-powell/) > [It is a tragedy that we live in a world where physical courage is so common, and moral courage is so rare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-monet/it-is-a-tragedy-that-we-live-in-a-world-where-physical-courage-is-so/) [Claude Monet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-monet/) > [I have pictures with Morimoto where I'm all embarrassed and he's so serious, it took me 30 minutes to get up the courage to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcela-valladolid/i-have-pictures-with-morimoto-where-i-m-all-embarrassed-and-he-s-so/) [Marcela Valladolid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcela-valladolid/) [Browse all 14,559 Courage quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“A good surgeon needs courage for which a good pair of balls is a prerequisite,”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Abraham Verghese" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-verghese/a-good-surgeon-needs-courage-for-which-a-good-pair-of-balls-is-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Courage" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-verghese/a-good-surgeon-needs-courage-for-which-a-good-pair-of-balls-is-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9c/abraham-verghese-1533_courage_a-good-surgeon-needs-courage-for-which-a_2656695.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9c/abraham-verghese-1533_courage_a-good-surgeon-needs-courage-for-which-a_2656695.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9c/abraham-verghese-1533_courage_a-good-surgeon-needs-courage-for-which-a_2656695.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A good surgeon needs courage for which a good pair of balls is a prerequisite,” — Abraham Verghese", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Abraham Verghese", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-verghese/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“A good surgeon needs courage for...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-verghese/a-good-surgeon-needs-courage-for-which-a-good-pair-of-balls-is-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-verghese/a-good-surgeon-needs-courage-for-which-a-good-pair-of-balls-is-a/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```