--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If there is one thing I learned by…" description: "\"If there is one thing I learned by reading Epstein's \"The Sports Gene\" it is that world-class athletes are, by definition, abnormal: that is, the kind ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d15/malcolm-gladwell-348_abnormal_if-there-is-one-thing-i-learned-by-readi_216595.jpg" --- # If there is one thing I learned by reading Epstein's "The… ![“If there is one thing I learned by reading Epstein's "The Sports Gene" it is that world-class athletes are, by definition, abnormal: that is, the kind of person capable of competing at that level is necessarily very different from the rest of us physiologically. They are outliers.” quote by Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d15/malcolm-gladwell-348_abnormal_if-there-is-one-thing-i-learned-by-readi_216595.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d15/malcolm-gladwell-348_abnormal_if-there-is-one-thing-i-learned-by-readi_216595.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d15/malcolm-gladwell-348_abnormal_if-there-is-one-thing-i-learned-by-readi_216595.jpg) > “If there is one thing I learned by reading Epstein's "The Sports Gene" it is that world-class athletes are, by definition, abnormal: that is, the kind of person capable of competing at that level is necessarily very different from the rest of us physiologically. They are outliers.” [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Elite athletes are physiological outliers, fundamentally different from average people, which explains their exceptional performance. **In simple terms:** Top athletes are biologically unique. Key Takeaway Recognize innate limits and strengths. Themes performance biology exceptionality Mood analytical informative Type scientific motivational When to use this quote - sports training - talent identification - education policy Key Concepts genetics statistics Questions to Reflect On - How much does biology dictate achievement? - Can training overcome innate differences? A Different Perspective Not all success is solely due to effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Athlete](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athlete/) [Class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/class/) [Competing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competing/) [Outliers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outliers/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [Sports](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sports/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [David Epstein, the author of the best book on athletics in recent memory - "The Sports Gene" - wrote to me to say that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/david-epstein-the-author-of-the-best-book-on-athletics-in-recent/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [My whole family is missing that sports gene. 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