--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When one compares the talents one has…" description: "\"When one compares the talents one has with those of a Leibniz , one is tempted to throw away one's books and go die quietly in the dark of some forgott..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8aa/denis-diderot-1536_book_when-one-compares-the-talents-one-has-wi_2699424.png" --- # When one compares the talents one has with those of a… ![“When one compares the talents one has with those of a Leibniz , one is tempted to throw away one's books and go die quietly in the dark of some forgotten corner.” quote by Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8aa/denis-diderot-1536_book_when-one-compares-the-talents-one-has-wi_2699424.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8aa/denis-diderot-1536_book_when-one-compares-the-talents-one-has-wi_2699424.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8aa/denis-diderot-1536_book_when-one-compares-the-talents-one-has-wi_2699424.png) > “When one compares the talents one has with those of a Leibniz , one is tempted to throw away one's books and go die quietly in the dark of some forgotten corner.” [Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Comparing oneself to a genius can cause despair, leading to abandonment of learning and isolation. **In simple terms:** Comparing to geniuses can cause despair. Key Takeaway Value your own progress. Themes self‑esteem learning humility Mood melancholic reflective Type philosophical psychological When to use this quote - academic study - personal development - creative pursuits Key Concepts comparison intellectual anxiety Questions to Reflect On - What makes you feel inferior? - How can you turn admiration into motivation? A Different Perspective Comparison can also inspire growth if framed positively. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Dark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark/) [Talent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talent/) ## Related quotes > [We all know that books burn, yet we have the greater knowledge that books cannot be killed by fire. People die, but books never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/we-all-know-that-books-burn-yet-we-have-the-greater-knowledge-that/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [People keep saying that books will never die out. 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But in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-t-vollmann/i-wish-i-could-go-back-and-rewrite-my-first-book-you-bright-and-risen/) [William T. Vollmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-t-vollmann/) > [“Give up your thirst for books, so that you do not die a grouch.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/give-up-your-thirst-for-books-so-that-you-do-not-die-a-grouch/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [People die, but books never die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/people-die-but-books-never-die/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [Books can not be killed by fire. People die, but books never die. No man and no force can abolish memory... In this war,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/books-can-not-be-killed-by-fire-people-die-but-books-never-die-no-man/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [“nobody can save you but yourself. you will be put again and again into nearly impossible situations. they will attempt again and again through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/nobody-can-save-you-but-yourself-you-will-be-put-again-and-again-into-2/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [“…I would rather lay down my life for others’ freedom than die quietly in slavery.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-tyers/i-would-rather-lay-down-my-life-for-others-freedom-than-die-quietly/) [Kathy Tyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-tyers/) > [“Do we really lack the delicacy to let God die quietly, on his own, like a dog?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-land/do-we-really-lack-the-delicacy-to-let-god-die-quietly-on-his-own-like/) [Nick Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-land/) > [Men will not always die quietly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-maynard-keynes/men-will-not-always-die-quietly/) [John Maynard Keynes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-maynard-keynes/) > [“What I hoped to accomplish with this final book was to present a character who could exemplify the idea that not all heroes die…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-r-wise/what-i-hoped-to-accomplish-with-this-final-book-was-to-present-a/) [A.R. Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-r-wise/) > [For all the sirens, game-show buzzers, and drum-rolls of life, it is the nature of men to die quietly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-b-c-pierre/for-all-the-sirens-game-show-buzzers-and-drum-rolls-of-life-it-is-the/) [D.B.C. Pierre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-b-c-pierre/) > [“Nobody can save you but yourself. You will be put again and again into nearly impossible situations. 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One forgets that they are also the source of all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-diderot/one-declaims-endlessly-against-the-passions-one-imputes-all-of-man-s/) [Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/) > [Time, matter, space - all, it may be, are no more than a point.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-diderot/time-matter-space-all-it-may-be-are-no-more-than-a-point/) [Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/) > [We are far more liable to catch the vices than the virtues of our associates.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-diderot/we-are-far-more-liable-to-catch-the-vices-than-the-virtues-of-our/) [Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/) > [One composition is meagre, though it has many figures; another is rich, though it has few.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-diderot/one-composition-is-meagre-though-it-has-many-figures-another-is-rich/) [Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/) > [I have only a small flickering light to guide me in the darkness of a thick forest. Up comes a theologian and blows it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-diderot/i-have-only-a-small-flickering-light-to-guide-me-in-the-darkness-of-a/) [Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/) > [The world is the house of the strong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-diderot/the-world-is-the-house-of-the-strong/) [Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/) > [“One swallows the lie that flatters, but sips the bitter truth drop by drop.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-diderot/one-swallows-the-lie-that-flatters-but-sips-the-bitter-truth-drop-by/) [Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/) > [There is less harm to be suffered in being mad among madmen than in being sane all by oneself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-diderot/there-is-less-harm-to-be-suffered-in-being-mad-among-madmen-than-in/) [Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/) > [Integrity is the evidence of all civil virtues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-diderot/integrity-is-the-evidence-of-all-civil-virtues/) [Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/) > [Watch out for the fellow who talks about putting things in order! Putting things in order always means getting other people under your control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-diderot/watch-out-for-the-fellow-who-talks-about-putting-things-in-order/) [Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/) > [“Nie wiem, co to zasady, chyba że tak nazywamy prawidła, które przypisuje się innym, a nie sobie. Myślę tak, a nie umiałbym się powstrzymać…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-diderot/nie-wiem-co-to-zasady-chyba-e-tak-nazywamy-prawid-a-kt-re-przypisuje/) [Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/) > [There is no good father who would want to resemble our Heavenly Father.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-diderot/there-is-no-good-father-who-would-want-to-resemble-our-heavenly-father/) [Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/) > [Isn't it better to have men being ungrateful than to miss a chance to do good?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-diderot/isn-t-it-better-to-have-men-being-ungrateful-than-to-miss-a-chance-to/) [Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/) > [A nation which thinks that it is belief in God and not good law which makes people honest does not seem to me very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-diderot/a-nation-which-thinks-that-it-is-belief-in-god-and-not-good-law-which/) [Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/) [Explore all 210 Denis Diderot quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/) ## More Book quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! 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