--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We vary greatly in the natural advantages…" description: "\"We vary greatly in the natural advantages that we've been given. The world's not fair\" — Malcolm Gladwell" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d1/malcolm-gladwell-348_ability_we-vary-greatly-in-the-natural-advantage_905099.png" --- # We vary greatly in the natural advantages that we've been… ![“We vary greatly in the natural advantages that we've been given. The world's not fair” quote by Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d1/malcolm-gladwell-348_ability_we-vary-greatly-in-the-natural-advantage_905099.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d1/malcolm-gladwell-348_ability_we-vary-greatly-in-the-natural-advantage_905099.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d1/malcolm-gladwell-348_ability_we-vary-greatly-in-the-natural-advantage_905099.png) > “We vary greatly in the natural advantages that we've been given. The world's not fair” [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. People are born with unequal natural talents, making life inherently unfair. **In simple terms:** Life is unequal due to differing natural talents. Key Takeaway Recognize and address systemic inequities. Themes inequality talent fairness Mood analytical concerned Type sociological critical When to use this quote - education policy - employment hiring - resource distribution Key Concepts social justice meritocracy opportunity Questions to Reflect On - How can societies mitigate talent‑based inequities? - What role does effort play in success? A Different Perspective Talent differences are not the only source of unfairness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Advantage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advantage/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Not fair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/not-fair/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [Every role varies greatly, just as emotions vary greatly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corin-nemec/every-role-varies-greatly-just-as-emotions-vary-greatly/) [Corin Nemec](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corin-nemec/) > [Of course, individuals vary greatly within each racial group and should be treated as such.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-philippe-rushton/of-course-individuals-vary-greatly-within-each-racial-group-and/) [J. Philippe Rushton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-philippe-rushton/) > [When we say anything is possible or nothing is impossible, we definitely exclude fantasies. Next, we should also take into account the gifts of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-joseph-benziger/when-we-say-anything-is-possible-or-nothing-is-impossible-we/) [T Joseph Benziger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-joseph-benziger/) > [“What the world gives us.. what we given to the world.. Life is beyond us.. nobody ask to live.. \\”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dhamo/what-the-world-gives-us-what-we-given-to-the-world-life-is-beyond-us/) G.dhamo > [There's one form of immortality I like to think about. It's that all those who from the very first have given anything to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-glaspell/there-s-one-form-of-immortality-i-like-to-think-about-it-s-that-all/) [Susan Glaspell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-glaspell/) > [Together we have given the world the possibility of one day living on a truly mine-free planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jody-williams/together-we-have-given-the-world-the-possibility-of-one-day-living-on/) [Jody Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jody-williams/) > [The description you have been given of the world is an aberrant one. It does not accept and give proper place to the nagual,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/the-description-you-have-been-given-of-the-world-is-an-aberrant-one/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Dont blame me. I was given this world, I didn't take it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/dont-blame-me-i-was-given-this-world-i-didn-t-take-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Nothing is given to you in this world, so you have to work hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cain-velasquez/nothing-is-given-to-you-in-this-world-so-you-have-to-work-hard/) [Cain Velasquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cain-velasquez/) > [“In you, we have given this world a great gift—and of that, I have no doubt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-del-toro/in-you-we-have-given-this-world-a-great-gift-and-of-that-i-have-no/) [Guillermo del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-del-toro/) > [I would have given you the world if you'd have given me the chance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-would-have-given-you-the-world-if-you-d-have-given-me-the-chance/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“We are alive and we resonate with idea of life elsewhere, but only careful accumulation and assessment of the evidence can tell us whether…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/we-are-alive-and-we-resonate-with-idea-of-life-elsewhere-but-only/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“She had given herself to the world in her entirety and then found nothing was left”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-carter/she-had-given-herself-to-the-world-in-her-entirety-and-then-found/) [Angela Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-carter/) > [I would have given you the world if you had given me the chance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jess-collins/i-would-have-given-you-the-world-if-you-had-given-me-the-chance/) Jess Collins > [And if a person were given all of the world and what is in it, it would not fill his emptiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-qayyim-al-jawziyya/and-if-a-person-were-given-all-of-the-world-and-what-is-in-it-it/) [Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-qayyim-al-jawziyya/) ## 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 Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [You can only do the work to the very best of your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/you-can-only-do-the-work-to-the-very-best-of-your-ability/) [Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Bobby had faith in my ability as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-had-faith-in-my-ability-as-a-singer/) [Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/) [Browse all 9,990 Ability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We vary greatly in the natural advantages that we've been given. The world's not fair", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Malcolm Gladwell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/we-vary-greatly-in-the-natural-advantages-that-we-ve-been-given-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ability" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/we-vary-greatly-in-the-natural-advantages-that-we-ve-been-given-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d1/malcolm-gladwell-348_ability_we-vary-greatly-in-the-natural-advantage_905099.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d1/malcolm-gladwell-348_ability_we-vary-greatly-in-the-natural-advantage_905099.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d1/malcolm-gladwell-348_ability_we-vary-greatly-in-the-natural-advantage_905099.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We vary greatly in the natural advantages that we've been given. The world's not fair” — 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": "We vary greatly in the natural...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/we-vary-greatly-in-the-natural-advantages-that-we-ve-been-given-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/we-vary-greatly-in-the-natural-advantages-that-we-ve-been-given-the/#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 } } ] } ```