--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If I were still stupider than I am, I…" description: "\"If I were still stupider than I am, I should think myself at the apex of my career; yet I know how much I still lack, to reach perfection; I see it the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ee/frederic-chopin-9176_apex_if-i-were-still-stupider-than-i-am-i-sho_89367.jpg" --- # If I were still stupider than I am, I should think myself… ![“If I were still stupider than I am, I should think myself at the apex of my career; yet I know how much I still lack, to reach perfection; I see it the more clearly now that I live only among first-rank artists and know what each one of them lacks.” quote by Frederic Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ee/frederic-chopin-9176_apex_if-i-were-still-stupider-than-i-am-i-sho_89367.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ee/frederic-chopin-9176_apex_if-i-were-still-stupider-than-i-am-i-sho_89367.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ee/frederic-chopin-9176_apex_if-i-were-still-stupider-than-i-am-i-sho_89367.jpg) > “If I were still stupider than I am, I should think myself at the apex of my career; yet I know how much I still lack, to reach perfection; I see it the more clearly now that I live only among first-rank artists and know what each one of them lacks.” [Frederic Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-chopin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Self‑assessment reveals that even among masters, there remains a gap between current skill and an ideal of perfection. **In simple terms:** Perfection is elusive Key Takeaway Continuous growth matters Themes self‑improvement artistry humility excellence comparison Mood reflective determined Type personal reflection philosophical When to use this quote - creative workshops - personal journaling Key Concepts self‑awareness Practical Applications - coaching - mentorship Questions to Reflect On - What drives the pursuit of perfection? - How does comparison affect confidence? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-philosophy/) [Perfection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfection/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [“To know oneself is, above all, to know what one lacks. It is to measure oneself against Truth, and not the other way around.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-rodham-clinton/to-know-oneself-is-above-all-to-know-what-one-lacks-it-is-to-measure-2/) [Hillary Rodham Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-rodham-clinton/) > [“To know oneself is, above all, to know what one lacks.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flannery-o-connor/to-know-oneself-is-above-all-to-know-what-one-lacks/) [Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/) > [I don't know if there is a 'lack' of good black men. But when you haven't taken the time to get to know yourself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keshia-knight-pulliam/i-don-t-know-if-there-is-a-lack-of-good-black-men-but-when-you-haven/) [Keshia Knight Pulliam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keshia-knight-pulliam/) > [“We do not know. All that we know is that we lack a tongue that could reveal, a language that could perfectly express the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-wolfe/we-do-not-know-all-that-we-know-is-that-we-lack-a-tongue-that-could/) [Thomas Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-wolfe/) > [“Many students fail examinations not because they don't know anything but because they lack confidence to prove that they know anything or everything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asuni-ladyzeal/many-students-fail-examinations-not-because-they-don-t-know-anything/) Asuni LadyZeal > [Our vision is more obstructed by what we think we know than by our lack of knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krister-stendahl/our-vision-is-more-obstructed-by-what-we-think-we-know-than-by-our/) Krister Stendahl > [Did you know that lack of information is the number one barrier to wealth?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/did-you-know-that-lack-of-information-is-the-number-one-barrier-to/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [I'm never interested in movies where you don't care about the people you're watching, and that's my biggest quibble about horror, that kids have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/i-m-never-interested-in-movies-where-you-don-t-care-about-the-people/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [The longer it takes them to text back, the stupider your text feels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-longer-it-takes-them-to-text-back-the-stupider-your-text-feels/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > ['Stupidity' defines the mental state wherein we acknowledge that we've never been smarter as individuals and yet somehow we've never felt stupider. We now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/stupidity-defines-the-mental-state-wherein-we-acknowledge-that-we-ve/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [The stupider the regime the more intelligent the people get and the more humorous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/the-stupider-the-regime-the-more-intelligent-the-people-get-and-the/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [It's amazing how dumb people can impress you with how much stupider they can be when they really assert themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dane-cook/it-s-amazing-how-dumb-people-can-impress-you-with-how-much-stupider/) [Dane Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dane-cook/) > [How does it come about that what an intelligent man expresses is much stupider than what remains inside him?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/how-does-it-come-about-that-what-an-intelligent-man-expresses-is-much/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [Тhere isnʹt much I wouldnʹt do for you. Тhe stupider, the better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/here-isn-t-much-i-wouldn-t-do-for-you-he-stupider-the-better/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [I made a pact with myself a long time ago: Never watch anything stupider than you. It's helped me a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bette-midler/i-made-a-pact-with-myself-a-long-time-ago-never-watch-anything/) [Bette Midler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bette-midler/) ## More by Frederic Chopin > [Vienna is a handsome, lively city, and pleases me exceedingly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-chopin/vienna-is-a-handsome-lively-city-and-pleases-me-exceedingly/) [Frederic Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-chopin/) > [“My earthly body has been a terrible disappointment to me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-chopin/my-earthly-body-has-been-a-terrible-disappointment-to-me/) [Frédéric Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-chopin/) > [We fell silent and all joking ceased. We gazed mutely into each other's eyes and an intense longing for the fullest avowal of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-chopin/we-fell-silent-and-all-joking-ceased-we-gazed-mutely-into-each-other/) [Frederic Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-chopin/) > [England is so surrounded by the boredom of conventionalities, that it is all one to them whether music is good or bad, since they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-chopin/england-is-so-surrounded-by-the-boredom-of-conventionalities-that-it/) [Frederic Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-chopin/) > [They want me to give another concert but I have no desire to do so. You cannot imagine what a torture the three days…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-chopin/they-want-me-to-give-another-concert-but-i-have-no-desire-to-do-so/) [Frederic Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-chopin/) > [Oh, how miserable it is to have no one to share your sorrows and joys, and, when your heart is heavy, to have no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-chopin/oh-how-miserable-it-is-to-have-no-one-to-share-your-sorrows-and-joys/) [Frederic Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-chopin/) > [I could express my feelings more easily if they could be put into the notes of music, but as the very best concert would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-chopin/i-could-express-my-feelings-more-easily-if-they-could-be-put-into-the/) [Frederic Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-chopin/) > [If the newspapers cut me up so much that I shall not venture before the world again, I have resolved to become a house…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-chopin/if-the-newspapers-cut-me-up-so-much-that-i-shall-not-venture-before/) [Frederic Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-chopin/) > [Man is never always happy, and very often only a brief period of happiness is granted him in this world; so why escape from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-chopin/man-is-never-always-happy-and-very-often-only-a-brief-period-of/) [Frederic Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-chopin/) > [You already know when I'm writing, so don't be surprised if it's short and dry, because I'm too hungry to write anything fat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-chopin/you-already-know-when-i-m-writing-so-don-t-be-surprised-if-it-s-short/) [Frederic Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-chopin/) > [I don't know where there can be so many pianists as in Paris, so many asses and so many virtuosi.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-chopin/i-don-t-know-where-there-can-be-so-many-pianists-as-in-paris-so-many/) [Frederic Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-chopin/) > [Bach is an astronomer, discovering the most marvellous stars. Beethoven challenges the universe. I only try to express the soul and the heart of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-chopin/bach-is-an-astronomer-discovering-the-most-marvellous-stars-beethoven/) [Frederic Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-chopin/) > [The earth is suffocating... Swear to make them cut me open, so that I won't be buried alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-chopin/the-earth-is-suffocating-swear-to-make-them-cut-me-open-so-that-i-won/) [Frederic Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-chopin/) > [The last thing is simplicity. After having gone through all the difficulties, having played an endless number of notes, it is simplicity that matters,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-chopin/the-last-thing-is-simplicity-after-having-gone-through-all-the/) [Frederic Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-chopin/) > [When one does a thing, it appears good, otherwise one would not write it. Only later comes reflection, and one discards or accepts the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-chopin/when-one-does-a-thing-it-appears-good-otherwise-one-would-not-write/) [Frederic Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-chopin/) [Explore all 73 Frederic Chopin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-chopin/) ## More Apex quotes > [If you're asking me if I'm happy to fight at the Apex, no way, brother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renato-moicano/if-you-re-asking-me-if-i-m-happy-to-fight-at-the-apex-no-way-brother/) [Renato Moicano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renato-moicano/) > [Without sharks, you take away the apex predator of the ocean, and you destroy the entire food chain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-benchley/without-sharks-you-take-away-the-apex-predator-of-the-ocean-and-you/) [Peter Benchley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-benchley/) > [In naturalism, man is actually very insignificant, but arrogates to himself stupendous power. In Christianity, man is actually the apex of created significance, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/in-naturalism-man-is-actually-very-insignificant-but-arrogates-to/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [An apex is always surrounded only by emptiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dean-foster/an-apex-is-always-surrounded-only-by-emptiness/) [Alan Dean Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dean-foster/) > [Spiritual adoption is the excellency and apex of God's salvation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-beeke/spiritual-adoption-is-the-excellency-and-apex-of-god-s-salvation/) [Joel Beeke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-beeke/) > [“Go higher and higher, until it becomes impossible to bring you down, I wanna use a microscope to locate you, don't even dream of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/go-higher-and-higher-until-it-becomes-impossible-to-bring-you-down-i/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [Look at my big teeth. I'm an apex predator. My genetic material is awesome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilona-andrews/look-at-my-big-teeth-i-m-an-apex-predator-my-genetic-material-is/) [Ilona Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilona-andrews/) > [The apex of glorifying God is enjoying Him with the heart. But this is empty emotionalism where that joy is not awakened and sustained…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/the-apex-of-glorifying-god-is-enjoying-him-with-the-heart-but-this-is/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [“All you and I have ever had was a what-if," he said roughly. "But it's been the what-if of my lifetime.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/all-you-and-i-have-ever-had-was-a-what-if-he-said-roughly-but-it-s/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [The apex of mathematical achievement occurs when two or more fields which were thought to be entirely unrelated turn out to be closely intertwined.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gian-carlo-rota/the-apex-of-mathematical-achievement-occurs-when-two-or-more-fields/) [Gian-Carlo Rota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gian-carlo-rota/) > [“If the distance between base and apex for you is eight kilometers, then to reach my dwellings would take a million light-year ascent. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-bostrom/if-the-distance-between-base-and-apex-for-you-is-eight-kilometers/) [Nick Bostrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-bostrom/) > [The stars are the apexes of what wonderful triangles! What distant and different beings in the various mansions of the universe are contemplating the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-stars-are-the-apexes-of-what-wonderful-triangles-what-distant-and/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I believe that we are at or near the apex of a great civilization... In 50-100 years, if we're a poor third to some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/i-believe-that-we-are-at-or-near-the-apex-of-a-great-civilization-in/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [Just when you arrive at the apex of your skills, it's time to retire. But as it turned out, I decided that since it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/just-when-you-arrive-at-the-apex-of-your-skills-it-s-time-to-retire/) [Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/) > [Meryl Streep is at the apex of Hollywood, and it is ludicrous for anyone to think or for her to expect anyone to think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-loesch/meryl-streep-is-at-the-apex-of-hollywood-and-it-is-ludicrous-for/) [Dana Loesch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-loesch/) Browse all 47 Apex quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If I were still stupider than I am, I should think myself at the apex of my career; yet I know how much I still lack, to reach perfection; I see it the more clearly now that I live only among first-rank artists and know what each one of them lacks.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Frederic Chopin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-chopin/if-i-were-still-stupider-than-i-am-i-should-think-myself-at-the-apex/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Apex" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-chopin/if-i-were-still-stupider-than-i-am-i-should-think-myself-at-the-apex/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ee/frederic-chopin-9176_apex_if-i-were-still-stupider-than-i-am-i-sho_89367.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ee/frederic-chopin-9176_apex_if-i-were-still-stupider-than-i-am-i-sho_89367.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ee/frederic-chopin-9176_apex_if-i-were-still-stupider-than-i-am-i-sho_89367.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If I were still stupider than I am, I should think myself at the apex of my career; yet I know how much I…” — Frederic Chopin", "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": "Frederic Chopin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-chopin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If I were still stupider than...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-chopin/if-i-were-still-stupider-than-i-am-i-should-think-myself-at-the-apex/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-chopin/if-i-were-still-stupider-than-i-am-i-should-think-myself-at-the-apex/#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 } } ] } ```