---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Self-projection is, more often than not…"
description: "\"Self-projection is, more often than not, the move of the minor craftsman, of the tactics of the hour whose inherent weakness is, precisely, that of ori..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33b/george-steiner-4683_craftsman_self-projection-is-more-often-than-not-t_3154468.png"
---

#  Self-projection is, more often than not, the move of the…

![“Self-projection is, more often than not, the move of the minor craftsman, of the tactics of the hour whose inherent weakness is, precisely, that of originality.” quote by George Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33b/george-steiner-4683_craftsman_self-projection-is-more-often-than-not-t_3154468.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33b/george-steiner-4683_craftsman_self-projection-is-more-often-than-not-t_3154468.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33b/george-steiner-4683_craftsman_self-projection-is-more-often-than-not-t_3154468.png)

> “Self-projection is, more often than not, the move of the minor craftsman, of the tactics of the hour whose inherent weakness is, precisely, that of originality.”

[George Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steiner/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The quote suggests that lacking originality is a sign of minor craftsmanship, relying on short‑term tactics rather than true creativity.

**In simple terms:** Originality is lacking; minor craftsman uses tactics.

Key Takeaway

Seek genuine originality.

Themes

creativity originality craftsmanship

Mood

reflective critical

Type

philosophical analytical

When to use this quote

- artistic work
- writing
- design
- problem solving
- leadership

Key Concepts

authenticity self‑expression

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you cultivate true originality?
- What tactics limit your creativity?

A Different Perspective

Originality may be constrained by market pressures.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Craftsman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/craftsman/) [Creativity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativity/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Originality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/originality/) [Projection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/projection/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Tactics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tactics/) [Weakness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weakness/)

## Related quotes

> [There is really no insurmountable barrier save your own inherent weakness of purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/there-is-really-no-insurmountable-barrier-save-your-own-inherent/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

> [“History reminds us of the inherent weakness in the human condition and the very real possibility that our fellow human beings are capable of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fea/history-reminds-us-of-the-inherent-weakness-in-the-human-condition/)

[John Fea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fea/)

> [There is no failure except in no longer trying. There is no defeat except from within, no really insurmountable barrier save our own inherent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kin-hubbard/there-is-no-failure-except-in-no-longer-trying-there-is-no-defeat/)

[Kin Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kin-hubbard/)

> [When you wish to subjugate a people, you have to convince them of their own inherent weakness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/when-you-wish-to-subjugate-a-people-you-have-to-convince-them-of/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [The artist had captured a moment that went on suggesting other moments in the mind of the beholder. This, Timmon told me, was what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-grimsley/the-artist-had-captured-a-moment-that-went-on-suggesting-other/)

[Jim Grimsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-grimsley/)

> [You can't find a YouTube clip to become a craftsman, friend, parent - or disciple of Christ. It's all of grace. And to grow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-horton/you-can-t-find-a-youtube-clip-to-become-a-craftsman-friend-parent-or/)

[Michael Horton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-horton/)

> [“craftsman mindset is the foundation for creating work you love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/craftsman-mindset-is-the-foundation-for-creating-work-you-love/)

[Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/)

> [Potter is jealous of potter, and craftsman of craftsman; and the poor have a grudge against the poor, and the poet against the poet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hesiod/potter-is-jealous-of-potter-and-craftsman-of-craftsman-and-the-poor/)

[Hesiod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hesiod/)

> [Nevertheless, the Tenth Commandment-'Thou shalt not covet'-recognizes that making money and owning things could become selfish activities. But it is not the creation of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/nevertheless-the-tenth-commandment-thou-shalt-not-covet-recognizes/)

[Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/)

> [“If I demand to be both the craftsman and the tool, I will be neither.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/if-i-demand-to-be-both-the-craftsman-and-the-tool-i-will-be-neither/)

[Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/)

> [I grew up in a craftsman's home, where things were done with our own hands. I did cabinetmaking for four years and I hated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-zumthor/i-grew-up-in-a-craftsman-s-home-where-things-were-done-with-our-own/)

[Peter Zumthor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-zumthor/)

> [The movies today are too rich to have any room for genuine artists. They produce a few passable craftsmen, but no artists. Can you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/the-movies-today-are-too-rich-to-have-any-room-for-genuine-artists/)

[H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/)

> [If theory is the role of the architect, then such beautiful proofs are the role of the craftsman. Of course, as with the great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-atiyah/if-theory-is-the-role-of-the-architect-then-such-beautiful-proofs-are/)

[Michael Atiyah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-atiyah/)

> [“What is the difference between “creator” and “craftsman”? The one who creates bestows being itself, he brings something out of nothing— ex nihilo sui…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/what-is-the-difference-between-creator-and-craftsman-the-one-who/)

[Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/)

> [My father was a very good craftsman. He made furniture, he made silverware and he had an incredible gift in terms of how you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-ive/my-father-was-a-very-good-craftsman-he-made-furniture-he-made/)

[Jonathan Ive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-ive/)

## More by George Steiner

> [“But there is a third mode of trancendence: in it language simply ceases, and the motion of spirit gives no further outward manifestation of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steiner/but-there-is-a-third-mode-of-trancendence-in-it-language-simply/)

[George Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steiner/)

> [Words that are saturated with lies or atrocity, do not easily resume life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steiner/words-that-are-saturated-with-lies-or-atrocity-do-not-easily-resume/)

[George Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steiner/)

> [Every one of my opponents, every one of my critics, will tell you that I am a generalist spread far too thin in an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steiner/every-one-of-my-opponents-every-one-of-my-critics-will-tell-you-that/)

[George Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steiner/)

> [The very opposite of freedom is cliche, and nothing is less free, more inert with convention and hollow brutality, than a row of four-letter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steiner/the-very-opposite-of-freedom-is-cliche-and-nothing-is-less-free-more/)

[George Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steiner/)

> [Books are in no hurry. An act of creation is in no hurry; it reads us, it privileges us infinitely. The notion that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steiner/books-are-in-no-hurry-an-act-of-creation-is-in-no-hurry-it-reads-us/)

[George Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steiner/)

> [To starve a child of the spell of the story, of the canter of the poem, oral or written, is a kind of living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steiner/to-starve-a-child-of-the-spell-of-the-story-of-the-canter-of-the-poem/)

[George Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steiner/)

> [I have every reason to believe that an individual man or woman fluent in several tongues seduces, possesses, remembers differently according to his or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steiner/i-have-every-reason-to-believe-that-an-individual-man-or-woman-fluent/)

[George Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steiner/)

> [I believe that a work of art, like metaphors in language, can ask the most serious, difficult questions in a way which really makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steiner/i-believe-that-a-work-of-art-like-metaphors-in-language-can-ask-the/)

[George Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steiner/)

> [To a degree which is difficult to determine, the esoteric impulse in twentieth-century music, literature and the arts reflects calculation. It looks to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steiner/to-a-degree-which-is-difficult-to-determine-the-esoteric-impulse-in/)

[George Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steiner/)

> [Books are in no hurry. An act of creation is in no hurry; it reads us, it privileges us infinitely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steiner/books-are-in-no-hurry-an-act-of-creation-is-in-no-hurry-it-reads-us-2/)

[George Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steiner/)

> [“The inception of human consciousness, the genesis of awareness, must have entailed prolonged 'condensations' around intractable nodes of wonder and terror, at the discriminations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steiner/the-inception-of-human-consciousness-the-genesis-of-awareness-must/)

[George Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steiner/)

> [The immense majority of human biographies are a gray transit between domestic spasm and oblivion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steiner/the-immense-majority-of-human-biographies-are-a-gray-transit-between/)

[George Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steiner/)

> [The new sound-sphere is global. It ripples at great speed across languages, ideologies, frontiers and races. The economics of this musical Esperanto is staggering.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steiner/the-new-sound-sphere-is-global-it-ripples-at-great-speed-across/)

[George Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steiner/)

> [My father loved poetry and music. But deep in himself he thought teaching the finest thing a person could do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steiner/my-father-loved-poetry-and-music-but-deep-in-himself-he-thought/)

[George Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steiner/)

> [Every language is a world. Without translation, we would inhabit parishes bordering on silence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steiner/every-language-is-a-world-without-translation-we-would-inhabit/)

[George Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steiner/)

[Explore all 104 George Steiner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steiner/)

## More Craftsman quotes

> [My father was a very good craftsman. He made furniture, he made silverware and he had an incredible gift in terms of how you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-ive/my-father-was-a-very-good-craftsman-he-made-furniture-he-made/)

[Jonathan Ive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-ive/)

> [“What is the difference between “creator” and “craftsman”? The one who creates bestows being itself, he brings something out of nothing— ex nihilo sui…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/what-is-the-difference-between-creator-and-craftsman-the-one-who/)

[Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/)

> [If theory is the role of the architect, then such beautiful proofs are the role of the craftsman. Of course, as with the great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-atiyah/if-theory-is-the-role-of-the-architect-then-such-beautiful-proofs-are/)

[Michael Atiyah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-atiyah/)

> [The movies today are too rich to have any room for genuine artists. They produce a few passable craftsmen, but no artists. Can you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/the-movies-today-are-too-rich-to-have-any-room-for-genuine-artists/)

[H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/)

> [I grew up in a craftsman's home, where things were done with our own hands. I did cabinetmaking for four years and I hated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-zumthor/i-grew-up-in-a-craftsman-s-home-where-things-were-done-with-our-own/)

[Peter Zumthor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-zumthor/)

> [“If I demand to be both the craftsman and the tool, I will be neither.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/if-i-demand-to-be-both-the-craftsman-and-the-tool-i-will-be-neither/)

[Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/)

> [Nevertheless, the Tenth Commandment-'Thou shalt not covet'-recognizes that making money and owning things could become selfish activities. But it is not the creation of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/nevertheless-the-tenth-commandment-thou-shalt-not-covet-recognizes/)

[Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/)

> [Potter is jealous of potter, and craftsman of craftsman; and the poor have a grudge against the poor, and the poet against the poet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hesiod/potter-is-jealous-of-potter-and-craftsman-of-craftsman-and-the-poor/)

[Hesiod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hesiod/)

> [“craftsman mindset is the foundation for creating work you love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/craftsman-mindset-is-the-foundation-for-creating-work-you-love/)

[Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/)

> [You can't find a YouTube clip to become a craftsman, friend, parent - or disciple of Christ. It's all of grace. And to grow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-horton/you-can-t-find-a-youtube-clip-to-become-a-craftsman-friend-parent-or/)

[Michael Horton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-horton/)

> [The artist had captured a moment that went on suggesting other moments in the mind of the beholder. This, Timmon told me, was what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-grimsley/the-artist-had-captured-a-moment-that-went-on-suggesting-other/)

[Jim Grimsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-grimsley/)

> [I'm not a craftsman of graphics or art or film. I'm more of an idea generator and manufacturer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-mills/i-m-not-a-craftsman-of-graphics-or-art-or-film-i-m-more-of-an-idea/)

[Mike Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-mills/)

> [A craftsman knows in advance what the finished result will be, while the artist knows only what it will be when he has finished…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden/a-craftsman-knows-in-advance-what-the-finished-result-will-be-while/)

[W. H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden/)

> [“But still he keeps working with a will; that's the craftsman in him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-sennett/but-still-he-keeps-working-with-a-will-that-s-the-craftsman-in-him/)

[Richard Sennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-sennett/)

> [We have neglected the truth that a good farmer is a craftsman of the highest order, a kind of artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/we-have-neglected-the-truth-that-a-good-farmer-is-a-craftsman-of-the/)

[Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/)

[Browse all 175 Craftsman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/craftsman/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Self-projection is, more often than not, the move of the minor craftsman, of the tactics of the hour whose inherent weakness is, precisely, that of originality.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "George Steiner"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steiner/self-projection-is-more-often-than-not-the-move-of-the-minor/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Craftsman"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steiner/self-projection-is-more-often-than-not-the-move-of-the-minor/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33b/george-steiner-4683_craftsman_self-projection-is-more-often-than-not-t_3154468.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33b/george-steiner-4683_craftsman_self-projection-is-more-often-than-not-t_3154468.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33b/george-steiner-4683_craftsman_self-projection-is-more-often-than-not-t_3154468.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Self-projection is, more often than not, the move of the minor craftsman, of the tactics of the hour whose…” — George Steiner",
                "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 Steiner",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steiner/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Self-projection is, more often than not,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steiner/self-projection-is-more-often-than-not-the-move-of-the-minor/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steiner/self-projection-is-more-often-than-not-the-move-of-the-minor/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```