--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our society is very, very good at…" description: "\"Our society is very, very good at developing certain types of skills and certain types of genius. We are fantastically good at identifying and developi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf6/bill-james-9028_almost_our-society-is-very-very-good-at-develop_676132.jpg" --- # Our society is very, very good at developing certain types… ![“Our society is very, very good at developing certain types of skills and certain types of genius. We are fantastically good at identifying and developing athletic skills - better than we are, really, at almost anything else. We are quite good at developing and rewarding inventiveness.” quote by Bill James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf6/bill-james-9028_almost_our-society-is-very-very-good-at-develop_676132.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf6/bill-james-9028_almost_our-society-is-very-very-good-at-develop_676132.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf6/bill-james-9028_almost_our-society-is-very-very-good-at-develop_676132.jpg) > “Our society is very, very good at developing certain types of skills and certain types of genius. We are fantastically good at identifying and developing athletic skills - better than we are, really, at almost anything else. We are quite good at developing and rewarding inventiveness.” [Bill James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-james/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Society excels at nurturing athletic and inventive talents but often neglects other intellectual abilities. **In simple terms:** Society favors sports and invention. Key Takeaway Broaden skill development. Themes education talent development societal values Mood analytical concerned Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - schools - workplace training - policy making Key Concepts athletics creativity intellectual diversity Questions to Reflect On - What skills are under‑valued? - How can we balance talent cultivation? A Different Perspective May overlook essential cognitive skills. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Almost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/almost/) [Anything](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anything/) [Athletic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athletic/) [Athletic Skills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athletic-skills-2709099/) [Better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better/) [Certain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certain/) [Developing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/developing/) [Developing Athletic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/developing-athletic-5358090/) [Else](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/else/) [Genius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genius/) [Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good/) [Good Developing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-developing-439914/) [Identifying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identifying/) [Intelligence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligence/) [Our](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our/) [Quite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quite/) [Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/really/) [Rewarding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rewarding/) [Skills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skills/) [Skills Better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skills-better-1525695/) [Society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/society/) [Than](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/than/) [Types](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/types/) [Very](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/very/) ## Related quotes > [I have no athletic skills whatsoever. I'm just literally incompetent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gray/i-have-no-athletic-skills-whatsoever-i-m-just-literally-incompetent/) [James Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gray/) > [You have to train your mind and your ears, but they're more like athletic skills. So, part of music you just have to learn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tod-machover/you-have-to-train-your-mind-and-your-ears-but-they-re-more-like/) [Tod Machover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tod-machover/) > [Athletic skills are acquired over a long period of time and after countless hours of practice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zig-ziglar/athletic-skills-are-acquired-over-a-long-period-of-time-and-after/) [Zig Ziglar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zig-ziglar/) > [In general, drug companies are reasonably good at developing new treatments, and there's also a lot of good in the industry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-goldacre/in-general-drug-companies-are-reasonably-good-at-developing-new/) [Ben Goldacre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-goldacre/) > [That's one of things I've heard about Brooklyn - how good they are at developing players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jahlil-okafor/that-s-one-of-things-i-ve-heard-about-brooklyn-how-good-they-are-at/) [Jahlil Okafor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jahlil-okafor/) > [I never thought I was very good at developing material. I grew up at the BBC where they sent you scripts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-frears/i-never-thought-i-was-very-good-at-developing-material-i-grew-up-at/) [Stephen Frears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-frears/) > [I look for something unique, and I look for people who haven't reached their potential. I think I'm pretty good at developing talent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ailes/i-look-for-something-unique-and-i-look-for-people-who-haven-t-reached/) [Roger Ailes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ailes/) > [Utilize your skills to better yourself .World is full of wonders and mysteries.don't roll down.long tides are there to take you up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kishore-bansal/utilize-your-skills-to-better-yourself-world-is-full-of-wonders-and/) [Kishore Bansal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kishore-bansal/) > [Music for films allow a great deal of diversity and the more you widen your skills, the better you become.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandre-desplat/music-for-films-allow-a-great-deal-of-diversity-and-the-more-you/) [Alexandre Desplat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandre-desplat/) > [It takes collaboration across a community to develop better skills for better lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-angel-gurria/it-takes-collaboration-across-a-community-to-develop-better-skills/) [Jose Angel Gurria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-angel-gurria/) > [ \[Melinda Gates\] is a lot of fun to work with. There's some of the people skills that she's better at and cares about more.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/melinda-gates-is-a-lot-of-fun-to-work-with-there-s-some-of-the-people/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Better degrees don't automatically translate into better skills and better jobs and better lives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andreas-schleicher/better-degrees-don-t-automatically-translate-into-better-skills-and/) [Andreas Schleicher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andreas-schleicher/) > [Self-interest leads to honing your skills, the better to trade with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/self-interest-leads-to-honing-your-skills-the-better-to-trade-with/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [We have Christians against Muslims against Jews, and no matter how liberal your theology, merely identifying yourself as a Christian or a Jew lends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/we-have-christians-against-muslims-against-jews-and-no-matter-how/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [People will identify with a persecuted minority without asking themselves what they are identifying with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mantel/people-will-identify-with-a-persecuted-minority-without-asking/) [Hilary Mantel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mantel/) ## More by Bill James > [“Until about 1970 when parents beat their children to death they very often escaped punishment. 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Though even when I'm with my family,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-james/i-do-have-a-family-and-obviously-i-spend-as-much-time-as-i-can-with/) [Bill James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-james/) > [“Words are useful, sir. That's from the communicating point of view. They come into their own then. When you think about it, even Morse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-james/words-are-useful-sir-that-s-from-the-communicating-point-of-view-they/) [Bill James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-james/) > [We need new athletes all the time because we need new games every day - fudging just a little on the definition of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-james/we-need-new-athletes-all-the-time-because-we-need-new-games-every-day/) [Bill James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-james/) > [We don't genuinely need more literary geniuses. One can only read so many books in a lifetime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-james/we-don-t-genuinely-need-more-literary-geniuses-one-can-only-read-so/) [Bill James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-james/) > [Visualizing the movement finally got me over the top after months of practice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-james/visualizing-the-movement-finally-got-me-over-the-top-after-months-of/) [Bill James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-james/) > [I try to take large, general questions that are difficult to resolve and break them down into small, very specific questions that have clear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-james/i-try-to-take-large-general-questions-that-are-difficult-to-resolve/) [Bill James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-james/) > [There comes a moment during a job interview when you're still talking, but you might as well take off your shoes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-james/there-comes-a-moment-during-a-job-interview-when-you-re-still-talking/) [Bill James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-james/) > [There are, I believe, many more false confessions to murders than true confessions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-james/there-are-i-believe-many-more-false-confessions-to-murders-than-true/) [Bill James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-james/) > [(Mantle) was clearly a greater player in his peak years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-james/mantle-was-clearly-a-greater-player-in-his-peak-years/) [Bill James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-james/) > [A chart of numbers that would put an actuary to sleep can be made to dance if you put it on one side of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-james/a-chart-of-numbers-that-would-put-an-actuary-to-sleep-can-be-made-to/) [Bill James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-james/) > [“And then you come to the 1910 to 1912 era, and . . . 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Sean Penn, Gary Oldman, Bob Dylan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jolene-blalock/i-like-men-who-are-very-cool-but-who-are-also-so-brilliant-that-they/) [Jolene Blalock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jolene-blalock/) > [If you watch wrestling, you now know the hip-hop culture is being represented with wrestling. For the longest time, the cultures have almost been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cena/if-you-watch-wrestling-you-now-know-the-hip-hop-culture-is-being/) [John Cena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cena/) > [Almost every Monday I have a charity thing. I like that. I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yogi-berra/almost-every-monday-i-have-a-charity-thing-i-like-that-i-do/) [Yogi Berra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yogi-berra/) > [Pete Seeger is a modest, unassuming, cheerful, and kind-natured man. He's a good folk singer, if you can stand folk singing. And he's such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/pete-seeger-is-a-modest-unassuming-cheerful-and-kind-natured-man-he-s/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [Almost immediately, I remember right when Tikrit even fell, a few days after Baghdad fell, there was talks of insurgency, there was talks of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farnaz-fassihi/almost-immediately-i-remember-right-when-tikrit-even-fell-a-few-days/) [Farnaz Fassihi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/farnaz-fassihi/) > [While it is often true that the enemy of my enemy is my friend, it seems like Yahoo's almost obsessive focus on Google is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kara-swisher/while-it-is-often-true-that-the-enemy-of-my-enemy-is-my-friend-it/) [Kara Swisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kara-swisher/) > [I'd had episodes before, but I swept them under the carpet. This time, I couldn't do that because everyone knew. 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