--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The crown could go to a person with the…" description: "\"The crown could go to a person with the most talent. But how could ‘most talent’ be determined? So Indian society settled on age.\" — Devdutt Pattanaik" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25f/devdutt-pattanaik-3900_age_the-crown-could-go-to-a-person-with-the_2337617.png" --- # The crown could go to a person with the most talent. But… ![“The crown could go to a person with the most talent. But how could ‘most talent’ be determined? So Indian society settled on age.” quote by Devdutt Pattanaik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25f/devdutt-pattanaik-3900_age_the-crown-could-go-to-a-person-with-the_2337617.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25f/devdutt-pattanaik-3900_age_the-crown-could-go-to-a-person-with-the_2337617.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25f/devdutt-pattanaik-3900_age_the-crown-could-go-to-a-person-with-the_2337617.png) > “The crown could go to a person with the most talent. But how could ‘most talent’ be determined? So Indian society settled on age.” [Devdutt Pattanaik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devdutt-pattanaik/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Talent is hard to measure, so societies often use proxies like age to decide leadership. **In simple terms:** Age is used as a proxy for talent. Key Takeaway Question the criteria we use for leadership selection. Themes leadership culture meritocracy Mood reflective critical Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - political appointments - corporate hiring - community leadership - educational scholarships Key Concepts social constructs bias selection criteria Questions to Reflect On - What alternative metrics could better assess talent? - How do cultural norms shape our definitions of merit? A Different Perspective Age may not reflect actual ability or potential. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Determined](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/determined/) [Indian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indian/) [Talent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talent/) ## Related quotes > [In India, the eldest has the most responsibility and the crown goes to him. The crown could go to a person with the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devdutt-pattanaik/in-india-the-eldest-has-the-most-responsibility-and-the-crown-goes-to/) [Devdutt Pattanaik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devdutt-pattanaik/) > [Every person has a talent, but not the same one. Every person has to discover his personal talent and go with his talent. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-jodorowsky/every-person-has-a-talent-but-not-the-same-one-every-person-has-to/) [Alejandro Jodorowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-jodorowsky/) > [No number of people bias can stop the talent who is determined and passionate to reach up to the dias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anuj-somany/no-number-of-people-bias-can-stop-the-talent-who-is-determined-and/) [Anuj Somany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anuj-somany/) > [You cannot put a song - you cannot put a person's talent over somebody's humanity. That's just insane.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tarana-burke/you-cannot-put-a-song-you-cannot-put-a-person-s-talent-over-somebody/) [Tarana Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tarana-burke/) > [Finish. The difference between being a writer and being a person of talent is the discipline it takes to apply the seat of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/finish-the-difference-between-being-a-writer-and-being-a-person-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I was never the person with the most talent who just felt like he could show up and hit a home run, so preparation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-semien/i-was-never-the-person-with-the-most-talent-who-just-felt-like-he/) [Marcus Semien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-semien/) > [“Success shall crown my endeavors. Wherefore not? Thus far I have gone, tracing a secure way over the pathless seas, the very stars themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/success-shall-crown-my-endeavors-wherefore-not-thus-far-i-have-gone/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Everybody has a talent, but its what you do with that talent to make it great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-morgan/everybody-has-a-talent-but-its-what-you-do-with-that-talent-to-make/) [Alex Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-morgan/) > [It's not enough to have talent. You have to have a talent for your talent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stella-adler/it-s-not-enough-to-have-talent-you-have-to-have-a-talent-for-your/) [Stella Adler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stella-adler/) > [“A talent is no talent, unless it is used for the benefit of other people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/a-talent-is-no-talent-unless-it-is-used-for-the-benefit-of-other/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [The important talent is the talent to develop one's talent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-stein/the-important-talent-is-the-talent-to-develop-one-s-talent/) Howard Stein > [No talent? No talent? You're the one with no talent, you haven't had a hit in 10 years! -Kendall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-time-rush/no-talent-no-talent-you-re-the-one-with-no-talent-you-haven-t-had-a/) [Big Time Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-time-rush/) > [Talent? That's not talent. Talent is Liza Minnelli tap dancing and singing at the same time. What I just saw was devastation. Dying man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiffanie-debartolo/talent-that-s-not-talent-talent-is-liza-minnelli-tap-dancing-and/) [Tiffanie DeBartolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiffanie-debartolo/) > [I have a good eye for talent, and my talent performs the best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ailes/i-have-a-good-eye-for-talent-and-my-talent-performs-the-best/) [Roger Ailes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ailes/) > [“There had never been any talent, any talent to draw or paint or to make music or to write or to make any of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/there-had-never-been-any-talent-any-talent-to-draw-or-paint-or-to/) [anne rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/) ## More by Devdutt Pattanaik > [“What is the most amazing thing about the world? 'Every day creatures die, yet the rest live as if immortal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devdutt-pattanaik/what-is-the-most-amazing-thing-about-the-world-every-day-creatures/) [Devdutt Pattanaik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devdutt-pattanaik/) > [In Greek mythology, the hero wants to be great, but the very concept does not exist in the Indian vocabulary. Yet it has become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devdutt-pattanaik/in-greek-mythology-the-hero-wants-to-be-great-but-the-very-concept/) [Devdutt Pattanaik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devdutt-pattanaik/) > [“Dharma is about exchange, about giving and receiving, It is about outgrowing animal instincts, outgrowing fear, discovering the ability to feed others, comfort others,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devdutt-pattanaik/dharma-is-about-exchange-about-giving-and-receiving-it-is-about/) [Devdutt Pattanaik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devdutt-pattanaik/) > [“Life is difficult and people are imperfect. Unable to cope with the vagaries of this world, everyone makes mistakes. True love is the ability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devdutt-pattanaik/life-is-difficult-and-people-are-imperfect-unable-to-cope-with-the/) [Devdutt Pattanaik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devdutt-pattanaik/) > [“To let our potential be realized without deriving our identity from it, or without denying its existence, is the hallmark of wisdom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devdutt-pattanaik/to-let-our-potential-be-realized-without-deriving-our-identity-from/) [Devdutt Pattanaik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devdutt-pattanaik/) > [“Each tool symbolizes one of the four things to keep in mind when supervising any project. •The conch-shell trumpet stands for clear communication. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devdutt-pattanaik/each-tool-symbolizes-one-of-the-four-things-to-keep-in-mind-when/) [Devdutt Pattanaik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devdutt-pattanaik/) > [“his size, change his shape. He seeks independence from nature. Withdrawing from nature is the first step in this process. Detached from nature, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devdutt-pattanaik/his-size-change-his-shape-he-seeks-independence-from-nature/) [Devdutt Pattanaik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devdutt-pattanaik/) > [“Hindu thought, however, looks at truth quantitatively: everyone has access to a slice (bhaga); the one who sees all slices of truth is bhaga-van.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devdutt-pattanaik/hindu-thought-however-looks-at-truth-quantitatively-everyone-has/) [Devdutt Pattanaik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devdutt-pattanaik/) > [“Treta yuga, when the bull of dharma stands on three legs. Krishna’s story takes place in a later, third quarter of the world, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devdutt-pattanaik/treta-yuga-when-the-bull-of-dharma-stands-on-three-legs-krishna-s/) [Devdutt Pattanaik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devdutt-pattanaik/) > [“B.R. Ambedkar believed the tale was not so much about Ram’s character as it was about the unsustainability of the caste system that needed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devdutt-pattanaik/b-r-ambedkar-believed-the-tale-was-not-so-much-about-ram-s-character/) [Devdutt Pattanaik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devdutt-pattanaik/) > [“How does one know the true path? 'Not through arguments-- they never reach a conclusion; not from teachers--- they can only give their opinions;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devdutt-pattanaik/how-does-one-know-the-true-path-not-through-arguments-they-never/) [Devdutt Pattanaik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devdutt-pattanaik/) > [“Janaka told her to bring happiness into marriage, rather than seek happiness from it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devdutt-pattanaik/janaka-told-her-to-bring-happiness-into-marriage-rather-than-seek/) [Devdutt Pattanaik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devdutt-pattanaik/) > [“Arjuna, immerse your mind in me and I will uplift you from the ocean of recurring death. If you cannot do that, then practise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devdutt-pattanaik/arjuna-immerse-your-mind-in-me-and-i-will-uplift-you-from-the-ocean/) [Devdutt Pattanaik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devdutt-pattanaik/) > [If you don't have imagination, you stop being human; animals don't have imagination; Alzheimer's is the death of imagination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devdutt-pattanaik/if-you-don-t-have-imagination-you-stop-being-human-animals-don-t-have/) [Devdutt Pattanaik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devdutt-pattanaik/) > [“Control creates domesticated animals. The purpose of society is to inspire humanity, not tame them,’ said Ram.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devdutt-pattanaik/control-creates-domesticated-animals-the-purpose-of-society-is-to/) [Devdutt Pattanaik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devdutt-pattanaik/) [Explore all 119 Devdutt Pattanaik quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devdutt-pattanaik/) ## More Age quotes > [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. 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That was a hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-kaulitz/we-have-started-to-make-music-at-age-seven-that-was-a-hard-work/) [Bill Kaulitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-kaulitz/) [Browse all 18,948 Age quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The crown could go to a person with the most talent. But how could ‘most talent’ be determined? 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