--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Skill is successfully walking a tightrope…" description: "\"Skill is successfully walking a tightrope over Niagara Falls. Intelligence is not trying.\" — Marilyn Vos Savant" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/083/marilyn-vos-savant-2806_humor_skill-is-successfully-walking-a-tightrop_1116278.png" --- # Skill is successfully walking a tightrope over Niagara… ![“Skill is successfully walking a tightrope over Niagara Falls. Intelligence is not trying.” quote by Marilyn Vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/083/marilyn-vos-savant-2806_humor_skill-is-successfully-walking-a-tightrop_1116278.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/083/marilyn-vos-savant-2806_humor_skill-is-successfully-walking-a-tightrop_1116278.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/083/marilyn-vos-savant-2806_humor_skill-is-successfully-walking-a-tightrop_1116278.png) > “Skill is successfully walking a tightrope over Niagara Falls. Intelligence is not trying.” [Marilyn Vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Skill requires daring action; intelligence alone isn’t enough to achieve feats. **In simple terms:** Skill needs bold action, not just intellect. Key Takeaway Take bold steps, not just think. Themes courage skill risk intelligence Mood determined adventurous Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - extreme sports - public speaking - entrepreneurship - artistic performance Key Concepts risk management confidence performance psychology Questions to Reflect On - What daring action will you take today? - How can you balance thought and risk? A Different Perspective Intelligence without action leads to stagnation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Falls Intelligence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/falls-intelligence-2997902/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Intelligence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligence/) [Niagara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/niagara/) [Niagara falls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/niagara-falls/) [Skill Successfully](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skill-successfully-2997901/) [Tightrope Niagara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tightrope-niagara-2997900/) ## Related quotes > [Skill is successfully walking a tightrope between the twin towers of New York's World Trade Center. Intelligence is not trying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/skill-is-successfully-walking-a-tightrope-between-the-twin-towers-of/) [Marilyn Vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/) > [All systems have failed me. In five minutes I'll be fine again for a while, but right now the inside of my head feels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/all-systems-have-failed-me-in-five-minutes-i-ll-be-fine-again-for-a/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [Sometimes you come to a fall and sometimes you come to white water. Your rowing has to adapt to the situation. You can't do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-glassman/sometimes-you-come-to-a-fall-and-sometimes-you-come-to-white-water/) [Bernie Glassman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-glassman/) > [“Niagara Falls Commission, which had been charged with developing a power plant that would harness the force of the falls. The commission had solicited…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-patrick/niagara-falls-commission-which-had-been-charged-with-developing-a/) [Sean Patrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-patrick/) > [“You cannot shoot your way a little bit into a war any more than you can go a little bit over Niagara Falls.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-bailey-and-paul-b-ryan/you-cannot-shoot-your-way-a-little-bit-into-a-war-any-more-than-you/) [Thomas A. Bailey and Paul B. Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-bailey-and-paul-b-ryan/) > [Maybe our best family trip started at Victoria Falls, which drenches you with spray and is so vast that it makes Niagara Falls seem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-kristof/maybe-our-best-family-trip-started-at-victoria-falls-which-drenches/) [Nicholas Kristof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-kristof/) > [As to scenery (giving my own thought and feeling), while I know the standard claim is that Yosemite, Niagara Falls, the Upper Yellowstone and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/as-to-scenery-giving-my-own-thought-and-feeling-while-i-know-the/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) > [I lived in a small town. It was 2,000 people in Canada. 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I had perused,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikola-tesla/how-extraordinary-was-my-life-an-incident-may-illustrate-as-a-youth-i/) [Nikola Tesla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikola-tesla/) > [I was born in Niagara Falls. The high school I went to had 500 kids and the school didn't have a lot of money.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murda-beatz/i-was-born-in-niagara-falls-the-high-school-i-went-to-had-500-kids/) [Murda Beatz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murda-beatz/) > [I have gone to Niagara-on-the-Lake. You know, Niagara Falls in Canada. It's this cute little quaint town, and it's just warm, and everyone is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-anderson/i-have-gone-to-niagara-on-the-lake-you-know-niagara-falls-in-canada/) [Nicole Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-anderson/) ## More by Marilyn Vos Savant > [There's plenty of intelligence in the world, but the courage to do things differently is in short supply.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/there-s-plenty-of-intelligence-in-the-world-but-the-courage-to-do/) [Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/) > [Society needs people who can manage projects in addition to handling individual tasks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/society-needs-people-who-can-manage-projects-in-addition-to-handling/) [Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/) > [If you never heard opportunity knock, maybe you're never at home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/if-you-never-heard-opportunity-knock-maybe-you-re-never-at-home/) [Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/) > [Email, instant messaging, and cell phones give us fabulous communication ability, but because we live and work in our own little worlds, that communication…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/email-instant-messaging-and-cell-phones-give-us-fabulous/) [Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/) > [Experts say you can't concentrate on more than one task at a time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/experts-say-you-can-t-concentrate-on-more-than-one-task-at-a-time/) [Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/) > [“If your head tells you one thing and your heart tells you another ,before you do anything,you should first decide wether you have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/if-your-head-tells-you-one-thing-and-your-heart-tells-you-another/) [Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/) > [What is the essence of America? Finding and maintaining that perfect, delicate balance between freedom 'to' and freedom 'from.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/what-is-the-essence-of-america-finding-and-maintaining-that-perfect/) [Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/) > [It is a lot easier to prove that you don't love someone than it is to prove that you do, but one of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/it-is-a-lot-easier-to-prove-that-you-don-t-love-someone-than-it-is-to/) [Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/) > [I suspect that some apparently homosexual people are really heterosexuals who deeply phobic about the opposite sex or have other emotional problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/i-suspect-that-some-apparently-homosexual-people-are-really/) [Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/) > [A friend is someone who stays by your side all through the troubles he's caused you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/a-friend-is-someone-who-stays-by-your-side-all-through-the-troubles/) [Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/) > [Loving behavior contributes to the group at the expense of the individual. Competition contributes to the survival of the individual at the expense of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/loving-behavior-contributes-to-the-group-at-the-expense-of-the/) [Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/) > [Be able to suffer wearing a necktie or slightly high heels for an entire evening without complaint or early removal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/be-able-to-suffer-wearing-a-necktie-or-slightly-high-heels-for-an/) [Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/) > [Be able to describe anything visual, such as a street scene, in words that convey your meaning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/be-able-to-describe-anything-visual-such-as-a-street-scene-in-words/) [Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/) > [Be able to sneeze without sounding ridiculous. That means neither stifling yourself or spraying your immediate vicinity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/be-able-to-sneeze-without-sounding-ridiculous-that-means-neither/) [Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/) > [At first, I only laughed at myself. Then I noticed that life itself is amusing. I've been in a generally good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/at-first-i-only-laughed-at-myself-then-i-noticed-that-life-itself-is/) [Marilyn Vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/) [Explore all 149 Marilyn Vos Savant quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/) ## More Humor quotes > ['Mad TV' is one of my most favorite shows of all time and is a huge part of my obsession with sketch comedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-dawson/mad-tv-is-one-of-my-most-favorite-shows-of-all-time-and-is-a-huge/) [Shane Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-dawson/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. 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