--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Nobody gets to be good at something…" description: "\"Nobody gets to be good at something without effort, no matter what your aptitude is.\" — Angela Duckworth" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca4/angela-duckworth-2560_effort_nobody-gets-to-be-good-at-something-with_1570868.jpg" --- # Nobody gets to be good at something without effort, no… ![“Nobody gets to be good at something without effort, no matter what your aptitude is.” quote by Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca4/angela-duckworth-2560_effort_nobody-gets-to-be-good-at-something-with_1570868.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca4/angela-duckworth-2560_effort_nobody-gets-to-be-good-at-something-with_1570868.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca4/angela-duckworth-2560_effort_nobody-gets-to-be-good-at-something-with_1570868.jpg) > “Nobody gets to be good at something without effort, no matter what your aptitude is.” [Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Excellence requires sustained effort regardless of natural talent. **In simple terms:** Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard. Key Takeaway Put in effort to develop skill. Themes effort skill development perseverance Mood determined encouraging Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - learning a new language - training for a sport - career advancement - artistic practice Key Concepts growth mindset deliberate practice Questions to Reflect On - What effort are you willing to sustain? - How do you measure progress? A Different Perspective Effort may not guarantee success without resources. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aptitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aptitude/) [Effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effort/) [Hard work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-work/) ## Related quotes > [Showing efforts is not always showing love because loving someone is not an effort, it's a matter of showing what you really feel and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/showing-efforts-is-not-always-showing-love-because-loving-someone-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Appreciate every effort, no matter how big or small it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/appreciate-every-effort-no-matter-how-big-or-small-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [All I really try and do is live up to my potential and do as well as I possibly could and to bring to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/all-i-really-try-and-do-is-live-up-to-my-potential-and-do-as-well-as/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [That's what I try to do each and every week is give my best effort and not give up, no matter what comes at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-busch/that-s-what-i-try-to-do-each-and-every-week-is-give-my-best-effort/) [Kurt Busch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-busch/) > [Every day of my life, I make an effort. Like, everything's an effort - a good effort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/finn-jones/every-day-of-my-life-i-make-an-effort-like-everything-s-an-effort-a/) [Finn Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/finn-jones/) > [Half-baked effort is almost as good as no effort put in at all. Always seek to do your best. Good things always have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-erickson/half-baked-effort-is-almost-as-good-as-no-effort-put-in-at-all-always/) Chris Erickson > [“If there's nothing to learn because we know it all, what's the challenge? Why would the effort matter? What would be the point? -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/if-there-s-nothing-to-learn-because-we-know-it-all-what-s-the/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [It never does much good to find out why you can't; put your effort into what you can do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-lawrence/it-never-does-much-good-to-find-out-why-you-can-t-put-your-effort/) [Ernest Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-lawrence/) > [As someone who tried to be great. I don't know if one ever gets to greatness, but I've put in a good effort, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kasi-lemmons/as-someone-who-tried-to-be-great-i-don-t-know-if-one-ever-gets-to/) [Kasi Lemmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kasi-lemmons/) > [You will always win if you make an effort, no matter how much. However, if you failed it means you were too lazy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/you-will-always-win-if-you-make-an-effort-no-matter-how-much-however/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [Now, occultism is not like mystic faculty, and it very seldom works in harmony either with business aptitude in the things of ordinary life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-e-waite/now-occultism-is-not-like-mystic-faculty-and-it-very-seldom-works-in/) [A. E. Waite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-e-waite/) > [“That evening, Hope wrote a letter to her MP, Jack Crow. She found no difficulty at all in composing it, but quite a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-macleod/that-evening-hope-wrote-a-letter-to-her-mp-jack-crow-she-found-no/) [Ken MacLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-macleod/) > [It is not your aptitude, but your attitude, that determines your altitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zig-ziglar/it-is-not-your-aptitude-but-your-attitude-that-determines-your/) [Zig Ziglar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zig-ziglar/) > [ The first \[quality\] to be named must always be the power of attention, of giving one's whole mind to the patient without the interposition… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilfred-trotter/the-first-quality-to-be-named-must-always-be-the-power-of-attention/) [Wilfred Trotter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilfred-trotter/) > [People are so constituted that everybody would rather undertake what they see others do, whether they have an aptitude for it or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/people-are-so-constituted-that-everybody-would-rather-undertake-what/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) ## More by Angela Duckworth > [Grit and self-control are related, but they're not the same thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/grit-and-self-control-are-related-but-they-re-not-the-same-thing/) [Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/) > [“you can, in fact, modify your self-talk, and you can learn to not let it interfere with you moving toward your goals. With practice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/you-can-in-fact-modify-your-self-talk-and-you-can-learn-to-not-let-it/) [Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/) > [One thing that's true of gritty people is they love what they do, and they keep loving what they do. So they're not just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/one-thing-that-s-true-of-gritty-people-is-they-love-what-they-do-and/) [Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/) > [The focus on just thinking about standardized test scores as being synonymous with achievement for teenagers is ridiculous, right? There are so many things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/the-focus-on-just-thinking-about-standardized-test-scores-as-being/) [Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/) > [“Nobody wants to show you the hours and hours of becoming. They’d rather show the highlight of what they’ve become.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/nobody-wants-to-show-you-the-hours-and-hours-of-becoming-they-d/) [Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/) > [I don't spend a lot of time thinking about my genes because I can't do anything about them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/i-don-t-spend-a-lot-of-time-thinking-about-my-genes-because-i-can-t/) [Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/) > [“My longitudinal studies show these three virtue clusters predict different outcomes. For academic achievement, including stellar report card grades, the cluster containing grit is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/my-longitudinal-studies-show-these-three-virtue-clusters-predict/) [Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/) > [“For many of us, the companies we work for are an important cultural force in our lives. For instance, growing up, my dad liked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/for-many-of-us-the-companies-we-work-for-are-an-important-cultural/) [Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/) > [“trying to do things they can't yet do, failing, and learning what they need to do differently is exactly the way that experts practice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/trying-to-do-things-they-can-t-yet-do-failing-and-learning-what-they/) [Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/) > [Negative feelings are typical of learning, and you shouldn't feel like you're stupid when you're frustrated doing something. You might say to yourself, 'I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/negative-feelings-are-typical-of-learning-and-you-shouldn-t-feel-like/) [Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/) > [I was a good novice teacher, but I did the things that were obvious. I stayed for lunch for extra tutoring, gave kids my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/i-was-a-good-novice-teacher-but-i-did-the-things-that-were-obvious-i/) [Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/) > [“The separation of talent and skill,” Will Smith points out, “is one of the greatest misunderstood concepts for people who are trying to excel,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/the-separation-of-talent-and-skill-will-smith-points-out-is-one-of/) [Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/) > [What we reliably find is that people's perseverance scores are actually higher than their passion scores, and I think it really does get to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/what-we-reliably-find-is-that-people-s-perseverance-scores-are/) [Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/) > [Many things matter other than our measured intelligence, so let's get to work on them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/many-things-matter-other-than-our-measured-intelligence-so-let-s-get/) [Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/) > [“With everything perfect,” Nietzsche wrote, “we do not ask how it came to be.” Instead, “we rejoice in the present fact as though it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/with-everything-perfect-nietzsche-wrote-we-do-not-ask-how-it-came-to/) [Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/) [Explore all 161 Angela Duckworth quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/) ## More Aptitude quotes > [People are so constituted that everybody would rather undertake what they see others do, whether they have an aptitude for it or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/people-are-so-constituted-that-everybody-would-rather-undertake-what/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [ The first \[quality\] to be named must always be the power of attention, of giving one's whole mind to the patient without the interposition… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilfred-trotter/the-first-quality-to-be-named-must-always-be-the-power-of-attention/) [Wilfred Trotter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilfred-trotter/) > [It is not your aptitude, but your attitude, that determines your altitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zig-ziglar/it-is-not-your-aptitude-but-your-attitude-that-determines-your/) [Zig Ziglar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zig-ziglar/) > [“That evening, Hope wrote a letter to her MP, Jack Crow. She found no difficulty at all in composing it, but quite a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-macleod/that-evening-hope-wrote-a-letter-to-her-mp-jack-crow-she-found-no/) [Ken MacLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-macleod/) > [Now, occultism is not like mystic faculty, and it very seldom works in harmony either with business aptitude in the things of ordinary life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-e-waite/now-occultism-is-not-like-mystic-faculty-and-it-very-seldom-works-in/) [A. E. Waite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-e-waite/) > [If a man is to lose his fortune, it is a good thing if he were poor before he acquired it, for poverty requires…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldine-brooks/if-a-man-is-to-lose-his-fortune-it-is-a-good-thing-if-he-were-poor/) [Geraldine Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldine-brooks/) > [Men are so constituted that every one undertakes what he sees another successful in, whether he has aptitude for it or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/men-are-so-constituted-that-every-one-undertakes-what-he-sees-another/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [“My attitude is to be with one aptitude”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-s-jagadeesh-kumar/my-attitude-is-to-be-with-one-aptitude/) [P.S. Jagadeesh Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-s-jagadeesh-kumar/) > [Honestly, I never really thought I'd be a comedian. But I did take an aptitude test in seventh grade - and this is 100…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-wolf/honestly-i-never-really-thought-i-d-be-a-comedian-but-i-did-take-an/) [Michelle Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-wolf/) > [Appalling numbers of youth have been led into a cynical ultra-sophisticated attitude which regards drinking as a badge of social aptitude, which makes a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-parker-yockey/appalling-numbers-of-youth-have-been-led-into-a-cynical-ultra/) [Francis Parker Yockey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-parker-yockey/) > [Henke sensed her terrifying aptitude for destruction as never before. Henke had feared for her sanity; now she knew the truth was almost worse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-weber/henke-sensed-her-terrifying-aptitude-for-destruction-as-never-before/) [David Weber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-weber/) > [Attitude and not the Aptitude decide the Altitude you reach in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zig-ziglar/attitude-and-not-the-aptitude-decide-the-altitude-you-reach-in-life/) [Zig Ziglar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zig-ziglar/) > [That's what humanity is: a series of successes and failures, a testing of one's own nature and aptitude. Neither the body nor the soul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/that-s-what-humanity-is-a-series-of-successes-and-failures-a-testing/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [“I am Captain Aptitude. Well, I will be, once I get acclimated to the climate at this altitude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-am-captain-aptitude-well-i-will-be-once-i-get-acclimated-to-the/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [Once again the Naderites were onstage attacking the Educational Testing Service - the organization which develops and administers the scholastic aptitude tests...the reason for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-seligman/once-again-the-naderites-were-onstage-attacking-the-educational/) Daniel Seligman [Browse all 196 Aptitude quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aptitude/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Nobody gets to be good at something without effort, no matter what your aptitude is.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Angela Duckworth" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/nobody-gets-to-be-good-at-something-without-effort-no-matter-what/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Aptitude" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/nobody-gets-to-be-good-at-something-without-effort-no-matter-what/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca4/angela-duckworth-2560_effort_nobody-gets-to-be-good-at-something-with_1570868.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca4/angela-duckworth-2560_effort_nobody-gets-to-be-good-at-something-with_1570868.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca4/angela-duckworth-2560_effort_nobody-gets-to-be-good-at-something-with_1570868.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Nobody gets to be good at something without effort, no matter what your aptitude is.” — Angela Duckworth", "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": "Angela Duckworth", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Nobody gets to be good at...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/nobody-gets-to-be-good-at-something-without-effort-no-matter-what/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/nobody-gets-to-be-good-at-something-without-effort-no-matter-what/#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 } } ] } ```