--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The reason why I consider myself a clever…" description: "\"“The reason why I consider myself a clever man is simply because I could never in my life finish anything I'd started. All right, I am a talker, a harm..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13d/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_clever-man_the-reason-why-i-consider-myself-a-cleve_572737.png" --- # The reason why I consider myself a clever man is simply… ![“The reason why I consider myself a clever man is simply because I could never in my life finish anything I'd started. All right, I am a talker, a harmless, boring talker as we all are. But what can I do if the direct and sole purpose of every intelligent man is to talk, that is to say, to waste…” quote by Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13d/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_clever-man_the-reason-why-i-consider-myself-a-cleve_572737.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13d/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_clever-man_the-reason-why-i-consider-myself-a-cleve_572737.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13d/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_clever-man_the-reason-why-i-consider-myself-a-cleve_572737.png) > ““The reason why I consider myself a clever man is simply because I could never in my life finish anything I'd started. All right, I am a talker, a harmless, boring talker as we all are. But what can I do if the direct and sole purpose of every intelligent man is to talk, that is to say, to waste his time deliberately?”” [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He sees endless talk as a sign of intelligence, yet admits he never completes anything, suggesting that idle intellect can be self‑defeating. **In simple terms:** Talk is easy, finishing is hard. Key Takeaway Recognize when talk replaces action. Themes intelligence talk procrastination self‑awareness Mood reflective critical Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - personal reflection - creative projects - academic work - leadership decisions Key Concepts existentialism psychology self‑sabotage Questions to Reflect On - Do you use talk to avoid finishing tasks? - How can you turn ideas into completed work? A Different Perspective Talk alone cannot achieve goals; action is required. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Intelligence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligence/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) ## Related quotes > [“You'll make bundle of blunders if you consider yourself too clever to look at anothers work.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/you-ll-make-bundle-of-blunders-if-you-consider-yourself-too-clever-to/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [Until thought is linked with a purpose, there is no intelligent accomplishment!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/until-thought-is-linked-with-a-purpose-there-is-no-intelligent/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/fools-and-fanatics-are-always-so-certain-of-themselves/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Now I'm living out my life in a corner, trying to console myself with the stupid, useless excuse that an intelligent man cannot turn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/now-i-m-living-out-my-life-in-a-corner-trying-to-console-myself-with/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [And now I am eking out my days in my corner, taunting myself with the bitter and entirely useless consolations that an intelligent man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/and-now-i-am-eking-out-my-days-in-my-corner-taunting-myself-with-the/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [Perhaps I really regard myself as an intelligent man only because throughout my entire life I've never been able to start or finish anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/perhaps-i-really-regard-myself-as-an-intelligent-man-only-because/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [I could not become anything; neither good nor bad; neither a scoundrel nor an honest man; neither a hero nor an insect. And now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/i-could-not-become-anything-neither-good-nor-bad-neither-a-scoundrel/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [Granted I am a babbler, a harmless vexatious babbler, like all of us. But what is to be done if the direct and sole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/granted-i-am-a-babbler-a-harmless-vexatious-babbler-like-all-of-us/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [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/) > [The intelligent man is one who has successfully fulfilled many accomplishments, and is yet willing to learn more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-parker/the-intelligent-man-is-one-who-has-successfully-fulfilled-many/) [Ed Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-parker/) > [The intelligent man who is proud of his intelligence is like the condemned man who is proud of his large cell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/the-intelligent-man-who-is-proud-of-his-intelligence-is-like-the/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [... you are a man still young, so to say, in your first youth and so put intellect above everything ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/you-are-a-man-still-young-so-to-say-in-your-first-youth-and-so-put/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [Clever men are impressed in their differences from their fellows. Wise men are conscious of their resemblance to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-h-tawney/clever-men-are-impressed-in-their-differences-from-their-fellows-wise/) [R. H. Tawney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-h-tawney/) > [A fool is a person who guesses and gets it wrong, a clever man is one who guesses, regardless of time period, and gets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/a-fool-is-a-person-who-guesses-and-gets-it-wrong-a-clever-man-is-one/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [“As Hughes observed at first hand, the brothers were both serious men of similar temperament, always mischievous, for ever laughing, but where Larry was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-botting/as-hughes-observed-at-first-hand-the-brothers-were-both-serious-men/) Douglas Botting ## More by Fyodor Dostoevsky > [Believe to the end, even if all men went astray and you were left the only one faithful; bring your offering even then and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/believe-to-the-end-even-if-all-men-went-astray-and-you-were-left-the/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [... you are a man still young, so to say, in your first youth and so put intellect above everything ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/you-are-a-man-still-young-so-to-say-in-your-first-youth-and-so-put/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [“There is only one salvation for you: take yourself up, and make yourself responsible for all the sins of men. For indeed it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/there-is-only-one-salvation-for-you-take-yourself-up-and-make/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [“It is true I am a complete stranger to these people, but they are not strangers to me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/it-is-true-i-am-a-complete-stranger-to-these-people-but-they-are-not/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [Everything seems stupid when it fails.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/everything-seems-stupid-when-it-fails/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [Love to throw yourself on the earth and kiss it. Kiss the earth and love it with an unceasing, consuming love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/love-to-throw-yourself-on-the-earth-and-kiss-it-kiss-the-earth-and/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [They have this social justification for every nasty thing they do!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/they-have-this-social-justification-for-every-nasty-thing-they-do/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [Be the sun and all will see you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/be-the-sun-and-all-will-see-you/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [If you are penitent, you love. And if you love you are of God. All things are atoned for, all things are saved by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/if-you-are-penitent-you-love-and-if-you-love-you-are-of-god-all/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [“To kill for murder is a punishment incomparably worse than the crime itself. Murder by legal sentence is immeasurably more terrible than murder by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/to-kill-for-murder-is-a-punishment-incomparably-worse-than-the-crime/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [“You magnify your failure to a crime, Vasya.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/you-magnify-your-failure-to-a-crime-vasya/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [The death of a child is the greatest reason to doubt the existence of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/the-death-of-a-child-is-the-greatest-reason-to-doubt-the-existence-of/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [In a way there's only a fine shade of difference between the healthy and the deranged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/in-a-way-there-s-only-a-fine-shade-of-difference-between-the-healthy/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [“Now answer me, sincerely, honestly, who lives past forty? I'll tell you who does: fools and scoundrels.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/now-answer-me-sincerely-honestly-who-lives-past-forty-i-ll-tell-you/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [“There are crimes that are truly uncomely. With crimes, whatever they may be, the more blood, the more horror there is, the more imposing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/there-are-crimes-that-are-truly-uncomely-with-crimes-whatever-they/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) [Explore all 642 Fyodor Dostoevsky quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) ## More Clever man quotes > [“As Hughes observed at first hand, the brothers were both serious men of similar temperament, always mischievous, for ever laughing, but where Larry was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-botting/as-hughes-observed-at-first-hand-the-brothers-were-both-serious-men/) Douglas Botting > [A fool is a person who guesses and gets it wrong, a clever man is one who guesses, regardless of time period, and gets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/a-fool-is-a-person-who-guesses-and-gets-it-wrong-a-clever-man-is-one/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [Clever men are impressed in their differences from their fellows. Wise men are conscious of their resemblance to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-h-tawney/clever-men-are-impressed-in-their-differences-from-their-fellows-wise/) [R. H. Tawney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-h-tawney/) > [I have no great quickness of apprehension or wit which is so remarkable in some clever men, for instance Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/i-have-no-great-quickness-of-apprehension-or-wit-which-is-so/) [Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/) > [When I was 16, I played Macbeth at school and my English teacher said, 'I think you may have acting talent. Try to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-suchet/when-i-was-16-i-played-macbeth-at-school-and-my-english-teacher-said/) [David Suchet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-suchet/) > [Passion often renders the most clever man a fool, and sometimes renders the most foolish man clever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/passion-often-renders-the-most-clever-man-a-fool-and-sometimes/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Credulity is always a ridiculous, often a dangerous failing: it has made of many a clever man, a fool; and of many a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-wright/credulity-is-always-a-ridiculous-often-a-dangerous-failing-it-has/) [Frances Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-wright/) > [When you're out in the desert, you can't believe the amount of stars. Are you busy as a bee? Do not even have time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-vedder/when-you-re-out-in-the-desert-you-can-t-believe-the-amount-of-stars/) [Eddie Vedder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-vedder/) > [It is impossible for a dove to catch a swallow, for a clever man to catch a genius.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/it-is-impossible-for-a-dove-to-catch-a-swallow-for-a-clever-man-to/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Meadowlark Lemon is one very clever man, unique and truly one of a kind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mickey-rooney/meadowlark-lemon-is-one-very-clever-man-unique-and-truly-one-of-a-kind/) [Mickey Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mickey-rooney/) > [“Only an ignorant man can see another ignorant as a clever man!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/only-an-ignorant-man-can-see-another-ignorant-as-a-clever-man/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“I confess, I do not understand what there is in her to make a clever man like you act such a fool.” “You might,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/i-confess-i-do-not-understand-what-there-is-in-her-to-make-a-clever/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [Things that would have made fame of a less clever man seemed tricks in his hands. It is a mistake to do things too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/things-that-would-have-made-fame-of-a-less-clever-man-seemed-tricks/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Any fool can make soap. It takes a clever man to sell it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-j-barratt/any-fool-can-make-soap-it-takes-a-clever-man-to-sell-it/) Thomas J. Barratt > [A clever man can see the world from a cave much better than a stupid man can from the top of a mountain!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/a-clever-man-can-see-the-world-from-a-cave-much-better-than-a-stupid/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) Browse all 102 Clever man quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The reason why I consider myself a clever man is simply because I could never in my life finish anything I'd started. All right, I am a talker, a harmless, boring talker as we all are. But what can I do if the direct and sole purpose of every intelligent man is to talk, that is to say, to waste his time deliberately?”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Fyodor Dostoevsky" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/the-reason-why-i-consider-myself-a-clever-man-is-simply-because-i/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Clever man" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/the-reason-why-i-consider-myself-a-clever-man-is-simply-because-i/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13d/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_clever-man_the-reason-why-i-consider-myself-a-cleve_572737.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13d/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_clever-man_the-reason-why-i-consider-myself-a-cleve_572737.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13d/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_clever-man_the-reason-why-i-consider-myself-a-cleve_572737.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The reason why I consider myself a clever man is simply because I could never in my life finish anything I'd…” — Fyodor Dostoevsky", "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": "Fyodor Dostoevsky", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The reason why I consider myself...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/the-reason-why-i-consider-myself-a-clever-man-is-simply-because-i/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/the-reason-why-i-consider-myself-a-clever-man-is-simply-because-i/#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 } } ] } ```