--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People of mediocre ability sometimes…" description: "\"People of mediocre ability sometimes achieve outstanding success because they don't know when to quit.\" — George Allen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ea/george-allen-15170_ability_people-of-mediocre-ability-sometimes-ach_1080911.png" --- # People of mediocre ability sometimes achieve outstanding… ![“People of mediocre ability sometimes achieve outstanding success because they don't know when to quit.” quote by George Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ea/george-allen-15170_ability_people-of-mediocre-ability-sometimes-ach_1080911.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ea/george-allen-15170_ability_people-of-mediocre-ability-sometimes-ach_1080911.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ea/george-allen-15170_ability_people-of-mediocre-ability-sometimes-ach_1080911.png) > “People of mediocre ability sometimes achieve outstanding success because they don't know when to quit.” [George Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-allen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People with modest skills can succeed because they lack the awareness to quit, driving persistence. **In simple terms:** Lack of quitting knowledge fuels unexpected success. Key Takeaway Recognize persistence as a strength. Themes persistence humility success skill Mood motivational pragmatic Type inspirational personal When to use this quote - career advancement - entrepreneurship - sports competition - academic pursuits Key Concepts psychology of perseverance underdog advantage Questions to Reflect On - When has persistence helped you succeed? - What risks does not knowing when to quit pose? 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Most men succeed because they are determined to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-allen/quit-most-men-succeed-because-they-are-determined-to/) [George Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-allen/) > [The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-lombardi/the-price-of-success-is-hard-work-dedication-to-the-job-at-hand/) [Vince Lombardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-lombardi/) > [Keep it simple, when you get too complex you forget the obvious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/keep-it-simple-when-you-get-too-complex-you-forget-the-obvious/) [Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) > [Nobody despises to lose more than I do. That's got me into trouble over the years, but it also made a man of mediocre…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-hayes/nobody-despises-to-lose-more-than-i-do-that-s-got-me-into-trouble/) [Woody Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-hayes/) > [People of mediocre ability sometimes achieve outstanding success because they don't know when to quit. 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Choose your company wisely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-chan/you-don-t-achieve-greatness-in-life-being-surrounded-by-mediocre/) [Amy Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-chan/) > [Getting ahead in a difficult profession requires avid faith in yourself. That is why some people with mediocre talent, but with great inner drive,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophia-loren/getting-ahead-in-a-difficult-profession-requires-avid-faith-in-2/) [Sophia Loren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophia-loren/) > [“In fact, most of us see perseverance as a distinctly uncreative approach, the sort of strategy that people with mediocre ideas are forced to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-lehrer/in-fact-most-of-us-see-perseverance-as-a-distinctly-uncreative/) [Jonah Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-lehrer/) > [What this power is, I cannot say... All I know is that it exists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-graham-bell/what-this-power-is-i-cannot-say-all-i-know-is-that-it-exists/) [Alexander Graham Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-graham-bell/) > [I shall either find a way, or make one (attributed)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/i-shall-either-find-a-way-or-make-one-attributed/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [Never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/never-give-in-except-to-convictions-of-honor-and-good-sense/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-curie/life-is-not-easy-for-any-of-us-but-what-of-that-we-must-have/) [Marie Curie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-curie/) > [I strongly believe that through dedication and perseverance, one can overcome adversity to achieve success. It is a privilege to accept membership in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ginni-rometty/i-strongly-believe-that-through-dedication-and-perseverance-one-can/) [Ginni Rometty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ginni-rometty/) ## More by George Allen > [I like to motivate and inspire people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-allen/i-like-to-motivate-and-inspire-people/) [George Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-allen/) > [I rise today to offer a formal and heartfelt apology to all the victims of lynching in our history, and for the failure of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-allen/i-rise-today-to-offer-a-formal-and-heartfelt-apology-to-all-the/) [George Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-allen/) > [I have no intention of running for office again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-allen/i-have-no-intention-of-running-for-office-again/) [George Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-allen/) > [I am one who believes that the people's views and values are represented by those who they elect in the legislative branch and not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-allen/i-am-one-who-believes-that-the-people-s-views-and-values-are/) [George Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-allen/) > [We should favor innovation and freedom over regulation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-allen/we-should-favor-innovation-and-freedom-over-regulation/) [George Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-allen/) > [It is vital that the United States maintains open lines of communication with our allies. We must assure them of our commitment to eradicating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-allen/it-is-vital-that-the-united-states-maintains-open-lines-of/) [George Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-allen/) > [For a good life: Work like a dog. Eat like a horse. Think like a fox. And play like a rabbit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-allen/for-a-good-life-work-like-a-dog-eat-like-a-horse-think-like-a-fox-and/) [George Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-allen/) > [Vicodin and vodka the breakfast of champion's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-allen/vicodin-and-vodka-the-breakfast-of-champion-s/) [George Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-allen/) > [I did learn that some of the things that are great for locker rooms are inappropriate for political discourse. That's a wisdom I've garnered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-allen/i-did-learn-that-some-of-the-things-that-are-great-for-locker-rooms/) [George Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-allen/) > [Before I was governor, tuition was skyrocketing, and we stopped that. We capped and then we froze college tuition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-allen/before-i-was-governor-tuition-was-skyrocketing-and-we-stopped-that-we/) [George Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-allen/) > [When I was elected Governor, we had an audacious agenda that naysayers said couldn't be enacted with a Democrat majority in the state legislature.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-allen/when-i-was-elected-governor-we-had-an-audacious-agenda-that-naysayers/) [George Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-allen/) > [If you can accept defeat and open your pay envelope without feeling guilty, you're stealing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-allen/if-you-can-accept-defeat-and-open-your-pay-envelope-without-feeling/) [George Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-allen/) > [Losing the Super Bowl is worse than death. You have to get up the next morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-allen/losing-the-super-bowl-is-worse-than-death-you-have-to-get-up-the-next/) [George Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-allen/) > [I have always advocated for funding and programs that increase our productivity and competitiveness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-allen/i-have-always-advocated-for-funding-and-programs-that-increase-our/) [George Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-allen/) > [What you do in the off season determines what you do in the regular season.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-allen/what-you-do-in-the-off-season-determines-what-you-do-in-the-regular/) [George Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-allen/) [Explore all 44 George Allen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-allen/) ## More Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [You can only do the work to the very best of your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/you-can-only-do-the-work-to-the-very-best-of-your-ability/) [Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Bobby had faith in my ability as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-had-faith-in-my-ability-as-a-singer/) [Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/) [Browse all 9,990 Ability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "People of mediocre ability sometimes achieve outstanding success because they don't know when to quit.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George Allen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-allen/people-of-mediocre-ability-sometimes-achieve-outstanding-success/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ability" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-allen/people-of-mediocre-ability-sometimes-achieve-outstanding-success/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ea/george-allen-15170_ability_people-of-mediocre-ability-sometimes-ach_1080911.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ea/george-allen-15170_ability_people-of-mediocre-ability-sometimes-ach_1080911.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ea/george-allen-15170_ability_people-of-mediocre-ability-sometimes-ach_1080911.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“People of mediocre ability sometimes achieve outstanding success because they don't know when to quit.” — George Allen", "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": "George Allen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-allen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "People of mediocre ability sometimes achieve...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-allen/people-of-mediocre-ability-sometimes-achieve-outstanding-success/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-allen/people-of-mediocre-ability-sometimes-achieve-outstanding-success/#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 } } ] } ```