--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It wasn't an excuse. It was a fact. He'd…" description: "\"It wasn't an excuse. It was a fact. He'd had to make his way alone, and no one—not rock stars, not professional athletes, not software billionaires, an..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a3/malcolm-gladwell-348_athlete_it-wasn-t-an-excuse-it-was-a-fact-he-d-h_1960104.png" --- # It wasn't an excuse. It was a fact. He'd had to make his… ![“It wasn't an excuse. It was a fact. He'd had to make his way alone, and no one—not rock stars, not professional athletes, not software billionaires, and not even geniuses — ever makes it alone.” quote by Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a3/malcolm-gladwell-348_athlete_it-wasn-t-an-excuse-it-was-a-fact-he-d-h_1960104.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a3/malcolm-gladwell-348_athlete_it-wasn-t-an-excuse-it-was-a-fact-he-d-h_1960104.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a3/malcolm-gladwell-348_athlete_it-wasn-t-an-excuse-it-was-a-fact-he-d-h_1960104.png) > “It wasn't an excuse. It was a fact. He'd had to make his way alone, and no one—not rock stars, not professional athletes, not software billionaires, and not even geniuses — ever makes it alone.” [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. Success is rarely solitary; even the most talented rely on networks, opportunities, and support. **In simple terms:** No one succeeds alone. Key Takeaway Seek collaborative support. Themes success networking humility Mood motivational thoughtful Type inspirational analytical When to use this quote - career development - sports - entrepreneurship - creative fields Key Concepts social capital opportunity collaboration Questions to Reflect On - Who have you helped in your own success? - How do you give back to your network? A Different Perspective Individual talent alone is insufficient without external help. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Athlete](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athlete/) [Billionaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/billionaire/) [Billionaires Geniuses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/billionaires-geniuses-680727/) [Excuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excuse/) [Excuse Fact](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excuse-fact-3230567/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Genius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genius/) [Geniuses Makes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/geniuses-makes-680728/) [Professional athlete](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/professional-athlete/) [Programming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/programming/) [Rock star](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rock-star/) [Rock stars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rock-stars/) [Rocks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rocks/) [Software](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/software/) [Stars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stars/) [Wasn Excuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wasn-excuse-3230566/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [“No one-not rock stars, not professional athletes, not software billionaires, and not even geniuses-ever makes it alone”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/no-one-not-rock-stars-not-professional-athletes-not-software/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [“He’d had to make his way alone, and no one—not rock stars, not professional athletes, not software billionaires, and not even geniuses—ever makes it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/he-d-had-to-make-his-way-alone-and-no-one-not-rock-stars-not/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [“Maybe Laney's right. Maybe June did love me. But I'm far less certain that she knew I loved her. Did she realise how much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-harrington/maybe-laney-s-right-maybe-june-did-love-me-but-i-m-far-less-certain/) [Hannah Harrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-harrington/) > [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/) > [“It was an admission of defeat. ... He knew he needed to do a better job of navigating the world, but he didn't know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/it-was-an-admission-of-defeat-he-knew-he-needed-to-do-a-better-job-of/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [When I stepped away two springs ago, I just really wanted to shift my priorities to be able to be more available and present…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-moore/when-i-stepped-away-two-springs-ago-i-just-really-wanted-to-shift-my/) [Maya Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-moore/) > [I am a National Football League player of American Samoan heritage. Because of my status as a professional athlete, I have been blessed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/troy-polamalu/i-am-a-national-football-league-player-of-american-samoan-heritage/) [Troy Polamalu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/troy-polamalu/) > [Even if you don't become a professional athlete, the experience of working with a team, knowing how to set goals, and working every day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-moore/even-if-you-don-t-become-a-professional-athlete-the-experience-of/) [Maya Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-moore/) > [My heritage is something that I have always been aware of, however, some would say that there is a disproportionately low number of Asians…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-adrian/my-heritage-is-something-that-i-have-always-been-aware-of-however/) [Nathan Adrian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-adrian/) > [Losing is the bane and bugbear of every professional athlete's existence, but in baseball the monster seems to hang closer than in other sports,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-angell/losing-is-the-bane-and-bugbear-of-every-professional-athlete-s/) [Roger Angell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-angell/) > [Colin Kaepernick is the latest professional athlete to spark a national debate about the meaning behind the American flag and the national anthem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahmoud-abdul-rauf/colin-kaepernick-is-the-latest-professional-athlete-to-spark-a/) [Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahmoud-abdul-rauf/) > [There's far more that goes into being a professional athlete than being a college athlete. So many differences that people don't realize. It's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-griffin-iii/there-s-far-more-that-goes-into-being-a-professional-athlete-than/) [Robert Griffin III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-griffin-iii/) > [I'm a successful professional athlete, and whatever I'm going through in my private life would never impact my performance on court.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enes-kanter/i-m-a-successful-professional-athlete-and-whatever-i-m-going-through/) [Enes Kanter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enes-kanter/) > [Professional athletes die twice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-nash/professional-athletes-die-twice/) [Steve Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-nash/) > [As a professional athlete and someone who has spent almost his entire life in boxing, not a day goes by when I don't think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-de-la-hoya/as-a-professional-athlete-and-someone-who-has-spent-almost-his-entire/) [Oscar De La Hoya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-de-la-hoya/) ## More by Malcolm Gladwell > [When I go to my health club, and it's in the basement, you have to take the elevator down. And this drives me crazy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/when-i-go-to-my-health-club-and-it-s-in-the-basement-you-have-to-take/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-tipping-point-is-that-magic-moment-when-an-idea-trend-or-social/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [“The scholars who research happiness suggest that more money stops making people happier at a family income of around seventy-five thousand dollars a year.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-scholars-who-research-happiness-suggest-that-more-money-stops/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [We need to be clear when we venerate entrepreneurs what we are venerating.They are not moral leaders. If they were moral leaders, they wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/we-need-to-be-clear-when-we-venerate-entrepreneurs-what-we-are/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [“Some people look like they sound better than they actually sound, because they look confident and have good posture," once musician, a veteran of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/some-people-look-like-they-sound-better-than-they-actually-sound/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [A handicap is like trying to race and you have a ten pound weight stuck to your waist. That is a handicap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/a-handicap-is-like-trying-to-race-and-you-have-a-ten-pound-weight/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [“neighborhood was filled with engineers from Hewlett-Packard, then as now one of”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/neighborhood-was-filled-with-engineers-from-hewlett-packard-then-as/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [“People are ruined by challenged economic lives. But they are ruined by wealth as well because they lose their ambition and they lose their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/people-are-ruined-by-challenged-economic-lives-but-they-are-ruined-by/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [The single most important thing a city can do is provide a community where interesting, smart people want to live with their families.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-single-most-important-thing-a-city-can-do-is-provide-a-community/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [ \[Norden\] said, with the Mark 15 Norden bombsight, he could drop a bomb into a pickle barrel at 20,000 feet. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/norden-said-with-the-mark-15-norden-bombsight-he-could-drop-a-bomb/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [The willingness to be self-critical in England is much greater than the willingness to be self-critical in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-willingness-to-be-self-critical-in-england-is-much-greater-than/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [The conventional explanation for Jewish success, of course, is that Jews come from a literate, intellectual culture. They are famously "the people of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-conventional-explanation-for-jewish-success-of-course-is-that/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [“An archway to one side leads to a church, the Madonna del Carmine—Our Lady of Mount Carmine. Narrow”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/an-archway-to-one-side-leads-to-a-church-the-madonna-del-carmine-our/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [People are experience-rich and theory-poor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/people-are-experience-rich-and-theory-poor/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [“Most psychologists believe that nature—genetics—accounts for about half of the reason why we tend to act the way we do. His point is simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/most-psychologists-believe-that-nature-genetics-accounts-for-about/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) [Explore all 647 Malcolm Gladwell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) ## More Athlete quotes > [As a professional athlete and someone who has spent almost his entire life in boxing, not a day goes by when I don't think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-de-la-hoya/as-a-professional-athlete-and-someone-who-has-spent-almost-his-entire/) [Oscar De La Hoya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-de-la-hoya/) > [I'd noticed him watching me for a year or so, especially when we'd play games where there was running or jumping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-owens/i-d-noticed-him-watching-me-for-a-year-or-so-especially-when-we-d/) [Jesse Owens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-owens/) > [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 think cricket is there in Usain Bolt's blood. Since I got to watch from close quarters, it was amazing to see him run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harbhajan-singh/i-think-cricket-is-there-in-usain-bolt-s-blood-since-i-got-to-watch/) [Harbhajan Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harbhajan-singh/) > [I think what bothers us about fighting sports isn't the damage to the athlete but the fact that you win by doing more harm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-gottschall/i-think-what-bothers-us-about-fighting-sports-isn-t-the-damage-to-the/) [Jonathan Gottschall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-gottschall/) > [Athletes at all ages are bigger and stronger than ever before. And they are being encouraged - sometimes even incentivized, as we recently learned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naveen-jain/athletes-at-all-ages-are-bigger-and-stronger-than-ever-before-and/) [Naveen Jain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naveen-jain/) > [I think life is full of challenges and problems. I don't believe that anyone is perfect. We all make mistakes. It's not a bed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-mansell/i-think-life-is-full-of-challenges-and-problems-i-don-t-believe-that/) [Nigel Mansell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-mansell/) > [I'd never been much of an athlete, due to a physical condition I'd had since birth (unathleticism). Perhaps if there were a sport centered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/i-d-never-been-much-of-an-athlete-due-to-a-physical-condition-i-d-had/) [Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) > [I didn't set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-collins/i-didn-t-set-out-to-be-the-first-openly-gay-athlete-playing-in-a/) [Jason Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-collins/) > [I like to push characters to extremes so they have to make really tough decisions and there is no life more extreme than that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-cleave/i-like-to-push-characters-to-extremes-so-they-have-to-make-really/) [Chris Cleave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-cleave/) > [I don't want to say names, but there are certain companies I won't work with because of previous people they've worked with. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-morgan/i-don-t-want-to-say-names-but-there-are-certain-companies-i-won-t/) [Alex Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-morgan/) > [We are like highly trained athletes, who never run a race.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-samuelson/we-are-like-highly-trained-athletes-who-never-run-a-race/) [Paul Samuelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-samuelson/) > [There are only two options regarding commitment; you’re either in or you’re out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-riley/there-are-only-two-options-regarding-commitment-you-re-either-in-or/) [Pat Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-riley/) > [I didn't aspire to be a good sport; 'champion' was good enough for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-perry/i-didn-t-aspire-to-be-a-good-sport-champion-was-good-enough-for-me/) [Fred Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-perry/) > [Treat yourself like an overweight, out of shape person and that's what you will be. Why not train and treat yourself like an athlete?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalene-johnson/treat-yourself-like-an-overweight-out-of-shape-person-and-that-s-what/) [Chalene Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalene-johnson/) [Browse all 2,455 Athlete quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athlete/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It wasn't an excuse. It was a fact. He'd had to make his way alone, and no one—not rock stars, not professional athletes, not software billionaires, and not even geniuses — ever makes it alone.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Malcolm Gladwell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/it-wasn-t-an-excuse-it-was-a-fact-he-d-had-to-make-his-way-alone-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Athlete" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/it-wasn-t-an-excuse-it-was-a-fact-he-d-had-to-make-his-way-alone-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a3/malcolm-gladwell-348_athlete_it-wasn-t-an-excuse-it-was-a-fact-he-d-h_1960104.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a3/malcolm-gladwell-348_athlete_it-wasn-t-an-excuse-it-was-a-fact-he-d-h_1960104.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a3/malcolm-gladwell-348_athlete_it-wasn-t-an-excuse-it-was-a-fact-he-d-h_1960104.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It wasn't an excuse. It was a fact. He'd had to make his way alone, and no one—not rock stars, not…” — Malcolm Gladwell", "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": "Malcolm Gladwell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It wasn't an excuse. It was...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/it-wasn-t-an-excuse-it-was-a-fact-he-d-had-to-make-his-way-alone-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/it-wasn-t-an-excuse-it-was-a-fact-he-d-had-to-make-his-way-alone-and/#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 } } ] } ```