--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To do what is impossible for talent is…" description: "\"To do what is impossible for talent is the mark of genius.\" — Henri Frederic Amiel" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/346/henri-frederic-amiel-1276_genius_to-do-what-is-impossible-for-talent-is-t_1918676.png" --- # To do what is impossible for talent is the mark of genius. ![“To do what is impossible for talent is the mark of genius.” quote by Henri Frederic Amiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/346/henri-frederic-amiel-1276_genius_to-do-what-is-impossible-for-talent-is-t_1918676.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/346/henri-frederic-amiel-1276_genius_to-do-what-is-impossible-for-talent-is-t_1918676.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/346/henri-frederic-amiel-1276_genius_to-do-what-is-impossible-for-talent-is-t_1918676.png) > “To do what is impossible for talent is the mark of genius.” [Henri Frederic Amiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-frederic-amiel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Achieving the impossible with talent defines genius. **In simple terms:** Talent + impossible = genius. Key Takeaway Pursue challenging goals. Themes genius talent impossible Mood inspired determined Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - scientific breakthroughs - artistic innovation - athletic feats Key Concepts philosophy psychology Questions to Reflect On - What impossible goal will you attempt? - How does effort complement talent? A Different Perspective Not all talent leads to success. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Genius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genius/) [Intelligence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligence/) [Talent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talent/) [Talent and genius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talent-and-genius/) ## Related quotes > [To do easily what is difficult for others is the mark of talent. To do what is impossible for talent is the mark of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-frederic-amiel/to-do-easily-what-is-difficult-for-others-is-the-mark-of-talent-to-do/) [Henri Frederic Amiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-frederic-amiel/) > [The mark of genius is an incessant activity of mind. Genius is a spiritual greed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-s-pritchett/the-mark-of-genius-is-an-incessant-activity-of-mind-genius-is-a/) [V. S. Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-s-pritchett/) > [Doing easily what others find difficult is talent; doing what is impossible for talent is genius.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-frederic-amiel/doing-easily-what-others-find-difficult-is-talent-doing-what-is-2/) [Henri Frederic Amiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-frederic-amiel/) > [To do easily what is difficult for others is the mark of talent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-frederic-amiel/to-do-easily-what-is-difficult-for-others-is-the-mark-of-talent/) [Henri Frederic Amiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-frederic-amiel/) > [The principal mark of genius is not perfection, but originality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-principal-mark-of-genius-is-not-perfection-but-originality/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It is a mark of genius not to astonish but to be astonished.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aubrey-menen/it-is-a-mark-of-genius-not-to-astonish-but-to-be-astonished/) [Aubrey Menen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aubrey-menen/) > [A sense of timing is the mark of a genius.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-holzer/a-sense-of-timing-is-the-mark-of-a-genius/) [Jenny Holzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-holzer/) > [Talent and genius operate outside the rules, and theory conflicts with practice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-von-clausewitz/talent-and-genius-operate-outside-the-rules-and-theory-conflicts-with/) [Carl von Clausewitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-von-clausewitz/) > [He whose genius appears deepest and truest excels his fellows in nothing save the knack of expression; he throws out occasionally a lucky hint…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/he-whose-genius-appears-deepest-and-truest-excels-his-fellows-in/) [Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/) > [Nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/nothing-is-more-common-than-unsuccessful-people-with-talent/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The difference between Talent and Genius is that Talent says things which he has never heard but once, and Genius things which he has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-difference-between-talent-and-genius-is-that-talent-says-things/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [...That genius is a rare exception (:) It's not true. Talent and genius have been wasted on enormous scale throughout our history; this is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/that-genius-is-a-rare-exception-it-s-not-true-talent-and-genius-have/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calvin-coolidge/persistence-and-determination-alone-are-omnipotent/) [Calvin Coolidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calvin-coolidge/) > [Modest expression is a beautiful setting to the diamond of talent and genius.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-hubbel-chapin/modest-expression-is-a-beautiful-setting-to-the-diamond-of-talent-and/) [Edwin Hubbel Chapin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-hubbel-chapin/) > [The true genius is a mind of large general powers, accidentally determined to some particular direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-true-genius-is-a-mind-of-large-general-powers-accidentally/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) ## More by Henri Frederic Amiel > [There is only one way of not hating those who do us wrong, and that is by doing them good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-frederic-amiel/there-is-only-one-way-of-not-hating-those-who-do-us-wrong-and-that-is/) [Henri Frederic Amiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-frederic-amiel/) > [Latent genius is but a presumption. Everything that can be, is bound to come into being, and what never comes into being is nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-frederic-amiel/latent-genius-is-but-a-presumption-everything-that-can-be-is-bound-to/) [Henri Frederic Amiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-frederic-amiel/) > [Order is power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-frederic-amiel/order-is-power/) [Henri Frederic Amiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-frederic-amiel/) > [Knowledge, love, power-there is the complete life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-frederic-amiel/knowledge-love-power-there-is-the-complete-life/) [Henri Frederic Amiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-frederic-amiel/) > [Life is short and we have never too much time for gladdening the hearts of those who are traveling the dark journey with us.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-frederic-amiel/life-is-short-and-we-have-never-too-much-time-for-gladdening-the/) [Henri Frederic Amiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-frederic-amiel/) > [Each bud flowers but once and each flower has but its minute of perfect beauty; so, in the garden of the soul each feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-frederic-amiel/each-bud-flowers-but-once-and-each-flower-has-but-its-minute-of/) [Henri Frederic Amiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-frederic-amiel/) > [We are never more discontented with others than when we are discontented with ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-frederic-amiel/we-are-never-more-discontented-with-others-than-when-we-are/) [Henri Frederic Amiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-frederic-amiel/) > [Only evil grows of itself, while for goodness we want effort and courage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-frederic-amiel/only-evil-grows-of-itself-while-for-goodness-we-want-effort-and/) [Henri Frederic Amiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-frederic-amiel/) > [A man must be able to cut a knot, for everything cannot be untied; he must know how to disengage what is essential from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-frederic-amiel/a-man-must-be-able-to-cut-a-knot-for-everything-cannot-be-untied-he/) [Henri Frederic Amiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-frederic-amiel/) > [Our greatest illusion is to believe that we are what we think ourselves to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-frederic-amiel/our-greatest-illusion-is-to-believe-that-we-are-what-we-think/) [Henri Frederic Amiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-frederic-amiel/) > [Charm is the quality in others that makes us more satisfied with ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-frederic-amiel/charm-is-the-quality-in-others-that-makes-us-more-satisfied-with/) [Henri Frederic Amiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-frederic-amiel/) > [The philosopher aspires to explain away all mysteries, to dissolve them into light. Mystery on the other hand is demanded and pursued by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-frederic-amiel/the-philosopher-aspires-to-explain-away-all-mysteries-to-dissolve/) [Henri Frederic Amiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-frederic-amiel/) > [The growth and development of the soul is more important than power and glory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-frederic-amiel/the-growth-and-development-of-the-soul-is-more-important-than-power/) [Henri Frederic Amiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-frederic-amiel/) > [He who asks of life nothing but the improvement of his own nature... is less liable than anyone else to miss and waste life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-frederic-amiel/he-who-asks-of-life-nothing-but-the-improvement-of-his-own-nature-is/) [Henri Frederic Amiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-frederic-amiel/) > [Christianity, if it is to triumph over pantheism, must absorb it. To our pusillanimous eyes Jesus would have borne the marks of a hateful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-frederic-amiel/christianity-if-it-is-to-triumph-over-pantheism-must-absorb-it-to-our/) [Henri Frederic Amiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-frederic-amiel/) [Explore all 262 Henri Frederic Amiel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-frederic-amiel/) ## More Genius quotes > [“If people fully understand you, they will think of you as a normal, if they half understand you, will think of you as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/if-people-fully-understand-you-they-will-think-of-you-as-a-normal-if/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [Woman, in short, has an unconscious life, man a conscious life, and the genius the most conscious life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-weininger/woman-in-short-has-an-unconscious-life-man-a-conscious-life-and-the/) [Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/) > [ Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then \[these?\],… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in-england-in-1624-and-in-this/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [The truth is I've just never had any kind of plan at all for my career, which is probably not a very flattering thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ty-burrell/the-truth-is-i-ve-just-never-had-any-kind-of-plan-at-all-for-my/) [Ty Burrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ty-burrell/) > [What we shall need is not geniuses, or cynics, or misanthropes, or clever tacticians, but plain, honest, straghtforward men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/what-we-shall-need-is-not-geniuses-or-cynics-or-misanthropes-or/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/) [Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/) > [I have known many chess players, but among them there has been only one genius - Capablanca!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emanuel-lasker/i-have-known-many-chess-players-but-among-them-there-has-been-only/) [Emanuel Lasker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emanuel-lasker/) > [A time will come when the science of destruction shall bend before the arts of peace; when the genius which multiplies our powers, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-arago/a-time-will-come-when-the-science-of-destruction-shall-bend-before/) [Francois Arago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-arago/) > [One is not born a genius, one becomes a genius; and the feminine situation has up to the present rendered this becoming practically impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/one-is-not-born-a-genius-one-becomes-a-genius-and-the-feminine/) [Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/) > [The beginning of genius is being scared shitless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-ferdinand-celine/the-beginning-of-genius-is-being-scared-shitless/) [Louis-Ferdinand Celine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-ferdinand-celine/) > [Treason implies responsibility for something, control over something, influence upon something, knowledge of something. Treason in our time is a proof of genius. Why,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/treason-implies-responsibility-for-something-control-over-something/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [Mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself, but talent instantly recognizes genius.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/mediocrity-knows-nothing-higher-than-itself-but-talent-instantly/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [With the proper training, I could've been an evil genius.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/with-the-proper-training-i-could-ve-been-an-evil-genius/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [Never try to judge any one](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajat-dogra/never-try-to-judge-any-one/) [Rajat Dogra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajat-dogra/) > [“genius is a path that we can all take and derive much benefit, happiness, fulfillment, and success from...not a genetic windfall or divine gift.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-patrick/genius-is-a-path-that-we-can-all-take-and-derive-much-benefit/) [Sean Patrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-patrick/) [Browse all 5,125 Genius quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genius/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To do what is impossible for talent is the mark of genius.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henri Frederic Amiel" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-frederic-amiel/to-do-what-is-impossible-for-talent-is-the-mark-of-genius/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Genius" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-frederic-amiel/to-do-what-is-impossible-for-talent-is-the-mark-of-genius/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/346/henri-frederic-amiel-1276_genius_to-do-what-is-impossible-for-talent-is-t_1918676.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/346/henri-frederic-amiel-1276_genius_to-do-what-is-impossible-for-talent-is-t_1918676.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/346/henri-frederic-amiel-1276_genius_to-do-what-is-impossible-for-talent-is-t_1918676.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To do what is impossible for talent is the mark of genius.” — Henri Frederic Amiel", "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": "Henri Frederic Amiel", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-frederic-amiel/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "To do what is impossible for...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-frederic-amiel/to-do-what-is-impossible-for-talent-is-the-mark-of-genius/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-frederic-amiel/to-do-what-is-impossible-for-talent-is-the-mark-of-genius/#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 } } ] } ```