--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: All through high school and college, his…" description: "\"“All through high school and college, his judo coach and older teammates would often say to him, \"You have the talent and the strength, and you practic..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bf/haruki-murakami-21_desire_all-through-high-school-and-college-his_1895761.jpg" --- # All through high school and college, his judo coach and… ![“All through high school and college, his judo coach and older teammates would often say to him, "You have the talent and the strength, and you practice enough, but you just don't have the desire." They were probably right. He lacked that drive to win at all costs, which is why he would often make…” quote by Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bf/haruki-murakami-21_desire_all-through-high-school-and-college-his_1895761.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bf/haruki-murakami-21_desire_all-through-high-school-and-college-his_1895761.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bf/haruki-murakami-21_desire_all-through-high-school-and-college-his_1895761.jpg) > ““All through high school and college, his judo coach and older teammates would often say to him, "You have the talent and the strength, and you practice enough, but you just don't have the desire." They were probably right. He lacked that drive to win at all costs, which is why he would often make it to the semifinals and the finals but lose the all-important championship match.”” [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A talented athlete may lack the inner drive to win, leading to repeated near‑successes but ultimate failure. **In simple terms:** Skill without desire leads to missed championships. Key Takeaway Cultivate genuine motivation beyond ability. Themes talent motivation competition psychology Mood frustrated reflective Type advice motivational When to use this quote - sports training - career planning - personal development Key Concepts drive self‑determination performance anxiety Questions to Reflect On - What fuels your personal drive? - How can you nurture desire when it feels absent? A Different Perspective Desire can be influenced by external pressures, not just internal. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [High school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/high-school/) [Judo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judo/) [Mediocrity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mediocrity/) [Motivation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivation/) [Passion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passion/) [Sports](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sports/) [Strength](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strength/) [Talent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talent/) [Win at all costs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/win-at-all-costs/) [Winning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winning/) ## Related quotes > [You remember the finals you lose as much as the ones you win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-lampard/you-remember-the-finals-you-lose-as-much-as-the-ones-you-win/) [Frank Lampard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-lampard/) > [I got to a point I was so focused on getting a title shot all the thought in my head was to go out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-bader/i-got-to-a-point-i-was-so-focused-on-getting-a-title-shot-all-the/) [Ryan Bader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-bader/) > [For me, it's truly the same mindset going into every game, and it's win. Win at all costs, that's all that matters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-reaves/for-me-it-s-truly-the-same-mindset-going-into-every-game-and-it-s-win/) [Austin Reaves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-reaves/) > [“It had to be a trick or you couldn’t have done it. It’s the bind we were in. We had to have a commander…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/it-had-to-be-a-trick-or-you-couldn-t-have-done-it-it-s-the-bind-we/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [I'll fight anyone I can beat. I'm a businessman first and a boxer second. I'm looking for the readies. The aim is to win…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-eubank-sr/i-ll-fight-anyone-i-can-beat-i-m-a-businessman-first-and-a-boxer/) [Chris Eubank Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-eubank-sr/) > [“1. Winning too much: The need to win at all costs and in all situations—when it matters, when it doesn’t, and when it’s totally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-goldsmith/1-winning-too-much-the-need-to-win-at-all-costs-and-in-all-situations/) [Marshall Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-goldsmith/) > [My ruthless desire to win at all costs served me well on the bike but the level it went to, for whatever reason, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-armstrong/my-ruthless-desire-to-win-at-all-costs-served-me-well-on-the-bike-but/) [Lance Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-armstrong/) > [In corporate culture, in sports culture, in the media, we honor those who win at all costs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackson-katz/in-corporate-culture-in-sports-culture-in-the-media-we-honor-those/) [Jackson Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackson-katz/) > [“If your policy is win at all costs then you are going to hurt people”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darrell-waltrip/if-your-policy-is-win-at-all-costs-then-you-are-going-to-hurt-people/) [Darrell Waltrip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darrell-waltrip/) > [I always want to win at all costs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrice-evra/i-always-want-to-win-at-all-costs/) [Patrice Evra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrice-evra/) > [“The reason why many people remain on the bottom is because they play to 'not lose', as opposed to playing to win at all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandi-l-bates/the-reason-why-many-people-remain-on-the-bottom-is-because-they-play/) [Brandi L. Bates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandi-l-bates/) > [I'm a win-at-all-costs guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-roethlisberger/i-m-a-win-at-all-costs-guy/) [Ben Roethlisberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-roethlisberger/) > [I'm not a win at all costs guy. Winning isn't everything. It's second to breathing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steinbrenner/i-m-not-a-win-at-all-costs-guy-winning-isn-t-everything-it-s-second/) [George Steinbrenner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steinbrenner/) > [Successful competitors want to win. Head cases want to win at all costs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-lopez/successful-competitors-want-to-win-head-cases-want-to-win-at-all-costs/) [Nancy Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-lopez/) > [My character isn't supposed to be flashy and be over-the-top. I'm supposed to be dirty in the ring. I'm supposed to kick and punch,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexa-bliss/my-character-isn-t-supposed-to-be-flashy-and-be-over-the-top-i-m/) [Alexa Bliss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexa-bliss/) ## More by Haruki Murakami > [I always feel like I'm struggling to become someone else. Like I'm trying to find a new place, grab hold of a new life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/i-always-feel-like-i-m-struggling-to-become-someone-else-like-i-m/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [If writing novels is like planting a forest, then writing short stories is more like planting a garden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/if-writing-novels-is-like-planting-a-forest-then-writing-short/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“The sad truth is that what I could recall in five seconds all too soon needed ten, then thirty, thena full minute...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/the-sad-truth-is-that-what-i-could-recall-in-five-seconds-all-too/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“Intelligent teenage girls were often instinctively theatrical, purposely eccentric, mouthing highly suggestive words to confuse people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/intelligent-teenage-girls-were-often-instinctively-theatrical/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [Memory is like fiction; or else it's fiction that's like memory. This really came home to me once I started writing fiction, that memory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/memory-is-like-fiction-or-else-it-s-fiction-that-s-like-memory-this/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [The most dangerous creature here would have to be me. So maybe I'm just scared of my own shadow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/the-most-dangerous-creature-here-would-have-to-be-me-so-maybe-i-m/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [If you listen to the radio for a whole hour there's maybe one decent song. The rest is mass-produced garbage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/if-you-listen-to-the-radio-for-a-whole-hour-there-s-maybe-one-decent/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“that one of our problems was our inability to recognize and accept our own deformities”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/that-one-of-our-problems-was-our-inability-to-recognize-and-accept/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“When I look back at myself at age twenty, what I remember most is being alone and lonely. I had no girlfriend to warm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/when-i-look-back-at-myself-at-age-twenty-what-i-remember-most-is/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“There's not a branch of publishing or broadcasting that doesn't depend in some way on advertising. It'd be like an aquarium without water. Why,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/there-s-not-a-branch-of-publishing-or-broadcasting-that-doesn-t/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“One by one, I'll face the tasks before me and complete them as best I can. Focusing on each stride forward, but at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/one-by-one-i-ll-face-the-tasks-before-me-and-complete-them-as-best-i/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“Eleven o'clock had come and gone. I had to find a way to bring this conversation to a successful conclusion and get out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/eleven-o-clock-had-come-and-gone-i-had-to-find-a-way-to-bring-this/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“Some people get a kick out of reading railway timetables and that's all they do all day. Some people make huge model boats out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/some-people-get-a-kick-out-of-reading-railway-timetables-and-that-s/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“When the time comes, everybody’s got to end up where they belong. Only me, I didn’t have a place to call my own. It’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/when-the-time-comes-everybody-s-got-to-end-up-where-they-belong-only/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“You let something out of the bag before yourself knew what it was all about”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/you-let-something-out-of-the-bag-before-yourself-knew-what-it-was-all/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) [Explore all 2,928 Haruki Murakami quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) ## More Desire quotes > [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/) Ted Martinez > [Passion is what you need to be good, an unforgiving passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-easton/passion-is-what-you-need-to-be-good-an-unforgiving-passion/) [David Easton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-easton/) > [I want the municipality to be a helping hand to the man with a desire of sympathy, to help the fallen when it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burns/i-want-the-municipality-to-be-a-helping-hand-to-the-man-with-a-desire/) [John Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burns/) > [Ye youths and virgins, when your generous blood Has drunk the warmth of fifteen summers, now The loves invite; now to new rapture wakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-armstrong/ye-youths-and-virgins-when-your-generous-blood-has-drunk-the-warmth/) [John Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-armstrong/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“THE ESSENCE OF YOUR DESIRE IS A FEELING”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-laporte/the-essence-of-your-desire-is-a-feeling/) [Danielle LaPorte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-laporte/) > [On the brink of being satiated, desire still appears infinite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-rostand/on-the-brink-of-being-satiated-desire-still-appears-infinite/) [Jean Rostand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-rostand/) > [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [He caught her, she fell, he caught her in his arms, he held her tightly unconscious of what he was doing. He held her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/he-caught-her-she-fell-he-caught-her-in-his-arms-he-held-her-tightly/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three \[great teachers\] did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-the-arts-since-the-medium-is/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“The deepest urge in human nature is the desire to be important.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/the-deepest-urge-in-human-nature-is-the-desire-to-be-important/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > [In discovering books, you became free to explore the full range of human motives, desires, secrets, and lies. All my life, people have scolded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/in-discovering-books-you-became-free-to-explore-the-full-range-of/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) > [I have never been in, nor have I had any strong particular desire to be in, what is termed a costume drama, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-freeman/i-have-never-been-in-nor-have-i-had-any-strong-particular-desire-to/) [Martin Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-freeman/) > [Now I am in the place I call this wide wide Heaven because it includes all my simplest desires but also the most humble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/now-i-am-in-the-place-i-call-this-wide-wide-heaven-because-it/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [“from THE DEVIL YOU KNOW : She wanted him too. He could see it in the rapid rise of her breasts. He could smell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emery-lee/from-the-devil-you-know-she-wanted-him-too-he-could-see-it-in-the/) [Emery Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emery-lee/) [Browse all 15,155 Desire quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“All through high school and college, his judo coach and older teammates would often say to him, \"You have the talent and the strength, and you practice enough, but you just don't have the desire.\" They were probably right. 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