--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One mark of a second-rate mind is to be…" description: "\"One mark of a second-rate mind is to be always telling stories.\" — Jean de la Bruyere" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a9/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_mark_one-mark-of-a-second-rate-mind-is-to-be_2972266.png" --- # One mark of a second-rate mind is to be always telling… ![“One mark of a second-rate mind is to be always telling stories.” quote by Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a9/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_mark_one-mark-of-a-second-rate-mind-is-to-be_2972266.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a9/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_mark_one-mark-of-a-second-rate-mind-is-to-be_2972266.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a9/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_mark_one-mark-of-a-second-rate-mind-is-to-be_2972266.png) > “One mark of a second-rate mind is to be always telling stories.” [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Second‑rate minds constantly tell stories instead of acting. **In simple terms:** Talkers lack action. Key Takeaway Prioritize deeds over words. Themes action authenticity self‑awareness Mood critical encouraging Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - leadership - teaching - personal relationships Key Concepts Narrative vs. reality Questions to Reflect On - When have you chosen action over talk? - How do stories help you learn? A Different Perspective Storytelling can be valuable when balanced. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Second rate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/second-rate/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Telling stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/telling-stories/) ## Related quotes > [“Now, do you mind telling me what the fuck is going on?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-kinsella/now-do-you-mind-telling-me-what-the-fuck-is-going-on/) [Sophie Kinsella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-kinsella/) > [Manchester Youth theater, then the National Student Theater Company, and later, my degree course, all helped form my love of telling stories and directing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-chadwick/manchester-youth-theater-then-the-national-student-theater-company/) [Justin Chadwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-chadwick/) > [The body is telling the mind to stop. The mind is telling the body to shut up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-armstrong/the-body-is-telling-the-mind-to-stop-the-mind-is-telling-the-body-to/) [Lance Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-armstrong/) > [I actually try and work before my mind is telling me what to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wessel-jr/i-actually-try-and-work-before-my-mind-is-telling-me-what-to-do/) [Henry Wessel, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wessel-jr/) > [I don't mind telling a dark side.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-eastwood/i-don-t-mind-telling-a-dark-side/) [Clint Eastwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-eastwood/) > [Don't ever think that somebody is looking at you when you are dressed funcy and cool. only your mind is telling you that somebody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/redley/don-t-ever-think-that-somebody-is-looking-at-you-when-you-are-dressed/) [Redley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/redley/) > [I don't think you ever change anybody's mind by telling them how they should think about something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-searcy/i-don-t-think-you-ever-change-anybody-s-mind-by-telling-them-how-they/) [Nick Searcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-searcy/) > [Writing is solitary. You spend so much time alone and in your own mind, telling stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-ozeki/writing-is-solitary-you-spend-so-much-time-alone-and-in-your-own-mind/) [Ruth Ozeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-ozeki/) > [Well, acting itself is a form of rebellion, always. Getting up there in front of people, telling stories - you're kind of going against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cusack/well-acting-itself-is-a-form-of-rebellion-always-getting-up-there-in/) [John Cusack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cusack/) > [Playing with different genres and perspectives and ways of telling stories is one of the perks of being a novelist, but at the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linn-ullmann/playing-with-different-genres-and-perspectives-and-ways-of-telling/) Linn Ullmann > [Everyone has their own way of telling stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prosenjit-chatterjee/everyone-has-their-own-way-of-telling-stories/) [Prosenjit Chatterjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prosenjit-chatterjee/) > [When I was 20, I used to go around telling stories, and I knew where I was comfortable - onstage, talking, making 'em laugh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-white/when-i-was-20-i-used-to-go-around-telling-stories-and-i-knew-where-i/) [Ron White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-white/) > [I just I love telling stories and as long as I can make my living doing that in all the different mediums that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-buffalo-mailer/i-just-i-love-telling-stories-and-as-long-as-i-can-make-my-living/) [John Buffalo Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-buffalo-mailer/) > [“I am not trying to make a point by telling stories. Chosen examples are never serious evidence for any worthwhile generalization.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/i-am-not-trying-to-make-a-point-by-telling-stories-chosen-examples/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [I love telling stories. You know why I love it? Because people love listening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lidia-bastianich/i-love-telling-stories-you-know-why-i-love-it-because-people-love/) [Lidia Bastianich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lidia-bastianich/) ## More by Jean de la Bruyere > [I cannot forbid a person to marry several wives, for it does not contradict Scripture. 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If she is thought faithful, she is perfidious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/the-unfaithful-woman-if-she-is-known-for-such-by-the-person-concerned/) [Jean De La Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [What greater weakness can there be than not to know what is the source of one's being, of one's life, of one's senses, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/what-greater-weakness-can-there-be-than-not-to-know-what-is-the/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [Some people pretend they never were in love and never wrote poetry; two weaknesses which they dare not own -- one of the heart,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/some-people-pretend-they-never-were-in-love-and-never-wrote-poetry/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [How much wit, good-nature, indulgences, how many good offices and civilities, are required among friends to accomplish in some years what a lovely face…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/how-much-wit-good-nature-indulgences-how-many-good-offices-and/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [A man starts upon a sudden, takes Pen, Ink, and Paper, and without ever having had a thought of it before, resolves within himself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/a-man-starts-upon-a-sudden-takes-pen-ink-and-paper-and-without-ever/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [Born merely for the purpose of digestion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/born-merely-for-the-purpose-of-digestion/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [A man of variable mind is not one man, but several men in one; he multiplies himself as often as he changes his taste…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/a-man-of-variable-mind-is-not-one-man-but-several-men-in-one-he/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [He who knows how to wait for what he desires does not feel very desperate if he fails in obtaining it; and he, on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/he-who-knows-how-to-wait-for-what-he-desires-does-not-feel-very/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [The court is like a palace built of marble; I mean that it is made up of very hard but very polished people. \[Fr.,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/the-court-is-like-a-palace-built-of-marble-i-mean-that-it-is-made-up/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [Grief that is dazed and speechless is out of fashion: the modern woman mourns her husband loudly and tells you the whole story of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/grief-that-is-dazed-and-speechless-is-out-of-fashion-the-modern-woman/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [Every hour in itself, as it respects us in particular, is the only one we can call our own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/every-hour-in-itself-as-it-respects-us-in-particular-is-the-only-one/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [To express truth is to write naturally, forcibly, and delicately.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/to-express-truth-is-to-write-naturally-forcibly-and-delicately/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [We perceive wen love begins and wen it declines by our embarrassment when alone together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/we-perceive-wen-love-begins-and-wen-it-declines-by-our-embarrassment/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [I call those men worldly, earthly, or coarse, whose hearts and minds are wholly fixed on this earth, that small part of the universe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/i-call-those-men-worldly-earthly-or-coarse-whose-hearts-and-minds-are/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) [Explore all 464 Jean de la Bruyere quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) ## More Mark quotes > [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/) [Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/) > [A man cannot speak but he judges himself. 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I was nervous,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-ann-womack/my-first-big-show-was-with-tim-mcgraw-and-mark-chesnutt-and-that-was/) [Lee Ann Womack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-ann-womack/) > [Jesus taught that the mark of the Christian is the observable love shown among all true believers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/jesus-taught-that-the-mark-of-the-christian-is-the-observable-love/) [Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/) > [“Scattered among these things are reminders that sound once existed: a metronome, a drumming pad, a guitar pick, a trumpet mouthpiece, a music stand,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-o-brien/scattered-among-these-things-are-reminders-that-sound-once-existed-a/) [Geoffrey O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-o-brien/) > [You perceive, now, that these things are all impossible except in a dream. You perceive that they are pure and puerile insanities, the silly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/you-perceive-now-that-these-things-are-all-impossible-except-in-a/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [O! many a shaft, at random sent, Finds mark the archer little meant! And many a word, at random spoken, May soothe or wound…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-scott/o-many-a-shaft-at-random-sent-finds-mark-the-archer-little-meant-and/) [Walter Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-scott/) > [I look upon The Animals, they were a great band initially, we left our mark, but thing was it was a band that couldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-burdon/i-look-upon-the-animals-they-were-a-great-band-initially-we-left-our/) [Eric Burdon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-burdon/) > [I admire Mark Zuckerberg... for not selling out, for wanting to make a company. I admire that a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/i-admire-mark-zuckerberg-for-not-selling-out-for-wanting-to-make-a/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [Whatever we may say against collections, which present authors in a disjointed form, they nevertheless bring about many excellent results. We are not always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/whatever-we-may-say-against-collections-which-present-authors-in-a/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [But it is the mark of all movements, however well-intentioned, that their pioneers tend, by much lashing of themselves into excitement, to lose sight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/but-it-is-the-mark-of-all-movements-however-well-intentioned-that/) [Dorothy L. 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