--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are three intellectual pursuits…" description: "\"There are three intellectual pursuits, and, so far as I am aware, only three, in which human beings have performed major feats before the age of pubert..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e0/george-steiner-4683_age_there-are-three-intellectual-pursuits-an_1304482.png" --- # There are three intellectual pursuits, and, so far as I am… ![“There are three intellectual pursuits, and, so far as I am aware, only three, in which human beings have performed major feats before the age of puberty. They are music, mathematics, and chess.” quote by George Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e0/george-steiner-4683_age_there-are-three-intellectual-pursuits-an_1304482.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e0/george-steiner-4683_age_there-are-three-intellectual-pursuits-an_1304482.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e0/george-steiner-4683_age_there-are-three-intellectual-pursuits-an_1304482.png) > “There are three intellectual pursuits, and, so far as I am aware, only three, in which human beings have performed major feats before the age of puberty. They are music, mathematics, and chess.” [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. Before puberty, humans excel in music, math, and chess, showcasing innate intellectual talent. **In simple terms:** Kids excel in music, math, chess. Key Takeaway Encourage early intellectual pursuits. Themes talent early development intellectual achievement Mood thoughtful analytical Type educational philosophical When to use this quote - education - parenting - talent nurturing Key Concepts music mathematics chess cognitive development Questions to Reflect On - How can we broaden early exposure? - What barriers exist for young talent? A Different Perspective Not all children have access to these fields. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Chess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chess/) [Feats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feats/) [Human beings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-beings/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Intellectual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellectual/) [Mathematics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mathematics/) [Puberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/puberty/) [Pursuit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pursuit/) ## Related quotes > [Chess is not Mathematics, where ten is always more than one; in chess the King with a pawn can beat opponent's King with all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashot-nadanian/chess-is-not-mathematics-where-ten-is-always-more-than-one-in-chess/) [Ashot Nadanian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashot-nadanian/) > [The broader the chess player you are, the easier it is to be competitive, and the same seems to be true of mathematics -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viswanathan-anand/the-broader-the-chess-player-you-are-the-easier-it-is-to-be/) [Viswanathan Anand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viswanathan-anand/) > [“had explicitly been concerned to treat mathematics as if it were a chess game, without asking for a connection with the world. 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