--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The real geniuses know where their…" description: "\"The real geniuses know where their writing has to be good and where they can get away with some mediocrity.\" — Dmitri Shostakovich" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce7/dmitri-shostakovich-19403_be-good_the-real-geniuses-know-where-their-writi_1230236.jpg" --- # The real geniuses know where their writing has to be good… ![“The real geniuses know where their writing has to be good and where they can get away with some mediocrity.” quote by Dmitri Shostakovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce7/dmitri-shostakovich-19403_be-good_the-real-geniuses-know-where-their-writi_1230236.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce7/dmitri-shostakovich-19403_be-good_the-real-geniuses-know-where-their-writi_1230236.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce7/dmitri-shostakovich-19403_be-good_the-real-geniuses-know-where-their-writi_1230236.jpg) > “The real geniuses know where their writing has to be good and where they can get away with some mediocrity.” [Dmitri Shostakovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dmitri-shostakovich/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Great composers focus excellence where it matters, allowing mediocrity elsewhere. **In simple terms:** Prioritize excellence, accept mediocrity. Key Takeaway Identify core strengths and allocate effort accordingly. Themes creativity craftsmanship prioritization Mood analytical practical Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - music production - writing drafts - design projects Key Concepts excellence mediocrity strategic focus Questions to Reflect On - Which parts of your work deserve perfection? - When is “good enough” acceptable? A Different Perspective May lead to uneven quality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Be good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/be-good/) [Genius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genius/) [Geniuses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/geniuses/) [Geniuses Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/geniuses-know-3401491/) [Get away](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/get-away/) [Intelligence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligence/) [Know Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-writing/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Mediocrity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mediocrity/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Real genius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-genius/) [Real Geniuses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-geniuses-1110728/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-good/) ## Related quotes > [Blessed the geniuses who know / that egomania is not a duty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-moore/blessed-the-geniuses-who-know-that-egomania-is-not-a-duty/) [Marianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-moore/) > [Everyone is a genius at least once a year. The real geniuses simply have their bright ideas closer together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyone-is-a-genius-at-least-once-a-year-the-real-geniuses-simply/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I believe there is some kind of magic that comes just from looking at somebody. In the beginning, I called it "Genius" in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nir-hod/i-believe-there-is-some-kind-of-magic-that-comes-just-from-looking-at/) [Nir Hod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nir-hod/) > [“Real geniuses would like that what we think of ourselves is true.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dejan-stojanovic/real-geniuses-would-like-that-what-we-think-of-ourselves-is-true/) [Dejan Stojanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dejan-stojanovic/) > [“Children and geniuses know that there is no bridge, only the water that lets itself be crossed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ren-char/children-and-geniuses-know-that-there-is-no-bridge-only-the-water/) [René Char](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ren-char/) > [I don't believe in geniuses, I believe in hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-petrucciani/i-don-t-believe-in-geniuses-i-believe-in-hard-work/) [Michel Petrucciani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-petrucciani/) > [There are no such men today. We have created a mechanism that makes it practically impossible for a real genius to appear. In my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-chargaff/there-are-no-such-men-today-we-have-created-a-mechanism-that-makes-it/) [Erwin Chargaff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-chargaff/) > [I did not go to Boston, for with regard to that place I sympathize with one of my neighbors, an old man, who has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-did-not-go-to-boston-for-with-regard-to-that-place-i-sympathize/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Anyone who says the American Constitution is obsolete just because social and economic conditions have changed does not understand the real genius of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-cleon-skousen/anyone-who-says-the-american-constitution-is-obsolete-just-because/) [W. Cleon Skousen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-cleon-skousen/) > [I'm pretty handy in the kitchen. 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Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-ballard/) > [Real genius of moral insight is a motor which will start any engine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-wilson/real-genius-of-moral-insight-is-a-motor-which-will-start-any-engine/) [Edmund Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-wilson/) > [“In short, Calvin has been given too much blame by critics and too much credit by fans. His real genius is to be found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-s-horton/in-short-calvin-has-been-given-too-much-blame-by-critics-and-too-much/) [Michael S. Horton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-s-horton/) > [“Halliday’s favorites, like WarGames, Ghostbusters, Real Genius, Better Off Dead, or Revenge of the Nerds”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-cline/halliday-s-favorites-like-wargames-ghostbusters-real-genius-better/) [Ernest Cline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-cline/) ## More by Dmitri Shostakovich > [When a man is in despair, it means that he still believes in something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dmitri-shostakovich/when-a-man-is-in-despair-it-means-that-he-still-believes-in-something/) [Dmitri Shostakovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dmitri-shostakovich/) > [It's about the people, who have stopped believing because the cup of evil has run over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dmitri-shostakovich/it-s-about-the-people-who-have-stopped-believing-because-the-cup-of/) [Dmitri Shostakovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dmitri-shostakovich/) > [I don't know what will become of this piece. Our brave critics will no doubt charge me with imitating Ravel's Bolero. Too bad -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dmitri-shostakovich/i-don-t-know-what-will-become-of-this-piece-our-brave-critics-will-no/) [Dmitri Shostakovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dmitri-shostakovich/) > [I feel eternal pain for those who were killed by Hitler, but I feel no less pain for those killed on Stalin's orders. 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If I am not comprehensible to them I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dmitri-shostakovich/i-live-in-the-ussr-work-actively-and-count-naturally-on-the-worker/) [Dmitri Shostakovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dmitri-shostakovich/) > [Football is the ballet of the masses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dmitri-shostakovich/football-is-the-ballet-of-the-masses/) [Dmitri Shostakovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dmitri-shostakovich/) > [Music is good, not evil. Poetry is good, not evil. Primitive, but oh, so true!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dmitri-shostakovich/music-is-good-not-evil-poetry-is-good-not-evil-primitive-but-oh-so/) [Dmitri Shostakovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dmitri-shostakovich/) > [In the long run, any words about music are less important than the music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dmitri-shostakovich/in-the-long-run-any-words-about-music-are-less-important-than-the/) [Dmitri Shostakovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dmitri-shostakovich/) > [Real music is always revolutionary, for it cements the ranks of the people; it arouses them and leads them onward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dmitri-shostakovich/real-music-is-always-revolutionary-for-it-cements-the-ranks-of-the/) [Dmitri Shostakovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dmitri-shostakovich/) > [The most uninteresting part of the biography of a composer is his childhood. All those preludes are the same and the reader hurries on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dmitri-shostakovich/the-most-uninteresting-part-of-the-biography-of-a-composer-is-his/) [Dmitri Shostakovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dmitri-shostakovich/) > [What you have in your head, put down on paper. The head is a fragile vessel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dmitri-shostakovich/what-you-have-in-your-head-put-down-on-paper-the-head-is-a-fragile/) [Dmitri Shostakovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dmitri-shostakovich/) > [We should think more about it, and accustom ourselves to the thought of death. We can't allow the fear of death to creep up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dmitri-shostakovich/we-should-think-more-about-it-and-accustom-ourselves-to-the-thought/) [Dmitri Shostakovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dmitri-shostakovich/) > [I write music, it’s performed. After all, my music says it all. It doesn’t need historical and hysterical commentaries. In the long run, any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dmitri-shostakovich/i-write-music-it-s-performed-after-all-my-music-says-it-all-it-doesn/) [Dmitri Shostakovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dmitri-shostakovich/) [Explore all 32 Dmitri Shostakovich quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dmitri-shostakovich/) ## More Be good quotes > [Passion is what you need to be good, an unforgiving passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-easton/passion-is-what-you-need-to-be-good-an-unforgiving-passion/) [David Easton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-easton/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [Peace is the result of love, and if love were easy we'd all be good at it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colman-mccarthy/peace-is-the-result-of-love-and-if-love-were-easy-we-d-all-be-good-at/) [Colman McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colman-mccarthy/) > [Therefore, I see whatever exists as good, death is to me like life, sin like holiness, wisdom like foolishness, everything has to be as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/therefore-i-see-whatever-exists-as-good-death-is-to-me-like-life-sin/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Most of us want to live in harmony and peace and be good to others. 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I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-garner/to-become-a-classical-ballerina-you-have-to-move-to-new-york-when-you/) [Jennifer Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-garner/) > [The producers felt that 24 would be good for the audience, to really get to know who these 12 and 12 are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-abdul/the-producers-felt-that-24-would-be-good-for-the-audience-to-really/) [Paula Abdul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-abdul/) > [All will concede that in order to have good neighbors, we must also be good neighbors. That applies in every field of human endeavor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/all-will-concede-that-in-order-to-have-good-neighbors-we-must-also-be/) [Harry S. 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Standards have been relaxed, and people are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/there-s-such-cultural-rot-taking-place-such-a-disintegration/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [The difference in being good at some thing and being great at something is usually found in the little things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-anderson/the-difference-in-being-good-at-some-thing-and-being-great-at/) [Randy Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-anderson/) > [It doesn't matter if your lead character is good or bad. 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Why do you suppose His world is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-marshall/living-in-the-middle-of-beauty-like-this-we-ve-no-call-to-have-puny/) [Catherine Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-marshall/) [Browse all 1,747 Be good quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/be-good/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The real geniuses know where their writing has to be good and where they can get away with some mediocrity.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dmitri Shostakovich" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dmitri-shostakovich/the-real-geniuses-know-where-their-writing-has-to-be-good-and-where/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Be good" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dmitri-shostakovich/the-real-geniuses-know-where-their-writing-has-to-be-good-and-where/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce7/dmitri-shostakovich-19403_be-good_the-real-geniuses-know-where-their-writi_1230236.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce7/dmitri-shostakovich-19403_be-good_the-real-geniuses-know-where-their-writi_1230236.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce7/dmitri-shostakovich-19403_be-good_the-real-geniuses-know-where-their-writi_1230236.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The real geniuses know where their writing has to be good and where they can get away with some mediocrity.” — Dmitri Shostakovich", "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": "Dmitri Shostakovich", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dmitri-shostakovich/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The real geniuses know where their...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dmitri-shostakovich/the-real-geniuses-know-where-their-writing-has-to-be-good-and-where/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dmitri-shostakovich/the-real-geniuses-know-where-their-writing-has-to-be-good-and-where/#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 } } ] } ```