--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The genius thing that we did was, we…" description: "\"The genius thing that we did was, we didn't give up.\" — Jay-Z" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9a/jay-z-713_genius_the-genius-thing-that-we-did-was-we-didn_2561428.png" --- # The genius thing that we did was, we didn't give up. ![“The genius thing that we did was, we didn't give up.” quote by Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9a/jay-z-713_genius_the-genius-thing-that-we-did-was-we-didn_2561428.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9a/jay-z-713_genius_the-genius-thing-that-we-did-was-we-didn_2561428.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9a/jay-z-713_genius_the-genius-thing-that-we-did-was-we-didn_2561428.png) > “The genius thing that we did was, we didn't give up.” [Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Persistence and determination are highlighted as the key to achieving remarkable outcomes. **In simple terms:** Never give up leads to success. Key Takeaway Keep pushing despite obstacles. Themes determination resilience achievement Mood motivational determined Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - business ventures - personal goals - creative projects - overcoming setbacks Key Concepts growth mindset perseverance Questions to Reflect On - What obstacles are you willing to endure? - How can you turn setbacks into motivation? A Different Perspective Success also depends on resources and opportunity, not just persistence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Genius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genius/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Giving up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving-up/) [Intelligence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligence/) [Never giving up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/never-giving-up/) [Not giving up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/not-giving-up/) ## Related quotes > [I do not use the word 'genius' lightly, but if David Bowie is not a genius, then there is no such thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-rock/i-do-not-use-the-word-genius-lightly-but-if-david-bowie-is-not-a/) [Mick Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-rock/) > [If your plan isn't working, adjust your plan. Never give up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-martin/if-your-plan-isn-t-working-adjust-your-plan-never-give-up/) Matt Martin > [On one hand, we know that everything happens for a reason, and there are no mistakes or coincidences. On the other hand, we learn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yehuda-berg/on-one-hand-we-know-that-everything-happens-for-a-reason-and-there/) [Yehuda Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yehuda-berg/) > [My fastest time in high school was a 4:29 mile. I think cross-country has something to do with my longevity in my business. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-cooper/my-fastest-time-in-high-school-was-a-4-29-mile-i-think-cross-country/) [Alice Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-cooper/) > [Don't ever give up. You gotta keep trying, and never give up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-sheckler/don-t-ever-give-up-you-gotta-keep-trying-and-never-give-up/) [Ryan Sheckler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-sheckler/) > [Never give up on what you really want to do](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-jackson-brown-jr/never-give-up-on-what-you-really-want-to-do/) [H. Jackson Brown, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-jackson-brown-jr/) > [The most genius thing about the way I create is to create with other geniuses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanye-west/the-most-genius-thing-about-the-way-i-create-is-to-create-with-other/) [Kanye West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanye-west/) > [Don't worry, be happy. It is the simplest, most complex, genius thing, anyone has ever said.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mac-miller/don-t-worry-be-happy-it-is-the-simplest-most-complex-genius-thing/) [Mac Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mac-miller/) > [“Genius is a thing that happens, not a kind of person.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-ellenberg/genius-is-a-thing-that-happens-not-a-kind-of-person/) [Jordan Ellenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-ellenberg/) > [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/) > [Your victory is right around the corner. Never give up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicki-minaj/your-victory-is-right-around-the-corner-never-give-up/) [Nicki Minaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicki-minaj/) > [When you are going through hell, keep on going. Never never never give up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/when-you-are-going-through-hell-keep-on-going-never-never-never-give/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [I think what it takes to succeed remains the same. You have to have a real love of your sport to carry you through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-greene/i-think-what-it-takes-to-succeed-remains-the-same-you-have-to-have-a/) [Nancy Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-greene/) > [People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/people-are-always-blaming-their-circumstances-for-what-they-are-i-don/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [I was very athletic when I was younger and I am a very competitive person, so I never give up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/izabella-scorupco/i-was-very-athletic-when-i-was-younger-and-i-am-a-very-competitive/) [Izabella Scorupco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/izabella-scorupco/) ## More by Jay-Z > [At 42 be better than 24, I carried the 4-5, mastered 48 laws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/at-42-be-better-than-24-i-carried-the-4-5-mastered-48-laws/) [Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/) > [Wherever I go, I bring the culture with me, so that they can understand that it's attainable. I didn't do it any other way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/wherever-i-go-i-bring-the-culture-with-me-so-that-they-can-understand/) [Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/) > [Everyone who makes music is a good collaborator at their foundation because in order to make music, you have to connect to it in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/everyone-who-makes-music-is-a-good-collaborator-at-their-foundation/) [Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/) > [New York - I'm connected. This is my core. I feel like if I'm not connected to New York, then I don't even know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/new-york-i-m-connected-this-is-my-core-i-feel-like-if-i-m-not/) [Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/) > [It was a very intense and stressful situation. There was playing in the Johnny-pump (an opened fire hydrant) and the ice-cream man coming around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/it-was-a-very-intense-and-stressful-situation-there-was-playing-in/) [Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/) > [“THEY NEVER TAUGHT MARCUS GARVEY IN OUR SCHOOL CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS IS THEIR GOLDEN RULE”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/they-never-taught-marcus-garvey-in-our-school-christopher-columbus-is/) [Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/) > [I'm a person that works off of music. I let the music dictate the direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/i-m-a-person-that-works-off-of-music-i-let-the-music-dictate-the/) [Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/) > [Tears on the mauseoleum floor. Blood stains the coliseum doors. Lies on the lips of a priest. Thanksgiving disguised as a feast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/tears-on-the-mauseoleum-floor-blood-stains-the-coliseum-doors-lies-on/) [Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/) > [Around 20. I'd been trying to transition from the streets to the music business, but I would make demos and then quit for six…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/around-20-i-d-been-trying-to-transition-from-the-streets-to-the-music/) [Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/) > [There's the gift, there's the spirit, and there's the work-all three have to come together. If one of those things is off, it can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/there-s-the-gift-there-s-the-spirit-and-there-s-the-work-all-three/) [Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/) > [All black everything, Ni\*\*a you know my fresh code. Im out here fightin for you, dont increase my stress load.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/all-black-everything-ni-a-you-know-my-fresh-code-im-out-here-fightin/) [Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/) > [I couldn't even think about wanting to be something else; I wouldn't let myself visualize another life. But I wrote because I couldn't stop.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/i-couldn-t-even-think-about-wanting-to-be-something-else-i-wouldn-t/) [Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/) > [Lord forgive me I never would've made it without sin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/lord-forgive-me-i-never-would-ve-made-it-without-sin/) [Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/) > [In trouble waters I had to learn how to float](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/in-trouble-waters-i-had-to-learn-how-to-float/) [Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/) > [Their gunnin' for me, want to see me fall, you know my story, been through it all, times I felt like dyin', but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/their-gunnin-for-me-want-to-see-me-fall-you-know-my-story-been/) [Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/) [Explore all 397 Jay-Z quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/) ## 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": "The genius thing that we did was, we didn't give up.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jay-Z" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/the-genius-thing-that-we-did-was-we-didn-t-give-up/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Genius" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/the-genius-thing-that-we-did-was-we-didn-t-give-up/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9a/jay-z-713_genius_the-genius-thing-that-we-did-was-we-didn_2561428.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9a/jay-z-713_genius_the-genius-thing-that-we-did-was-we-didn_2561428.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9a/jay-z-713_genius_the-genius-thing-that-we-did-was-we-didn_2561428.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The genius thing that we did was, we didn't give up.” — Jay-Z", "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": "Jay-Z", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The genius thing that we did...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/the-genius-thing-that-we-did-was-we-didn-t-give-up/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/the-genius-thing-that-we-did-was-we-didn-t-give-up/#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 } } ] } ```