---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As near as I can make out, geniuses think…"
description: "\"“As near as I can make out, geniuses think they know it all, and so they won't take people's advice, but always go their own way, which makes everybody..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ddf/mark-twain-22_genius_as-near-as-i-can-make-out-geniuses-think_100956.png"
---

#  As near as I can make out, geniuses think they know it…

![“As near as I can make out, geniuses think they know it all, and so they won't take people's advice, but always go their own way, which makes everybody forsake them and despise them, and that is perfectly natural. If they was humbler, and listened and tried to learn, it would be better for them.” quote by Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ddf/mark-twain-22_genius_as-near-as-i-can-make-out-geniuses-think_100956.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ddf/mark-twain-22_genius_as-near-as-i-can-make-out-geniuses-think_100956.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ddf/mark-twain-22_genius_as-near-as-i-can-make-out-geniuses-think_100956.png)

> ““As near as I can make out, geniuses think they know it all, and so they won't take people's advice, but always go their own way, which makes everybody forsake them and despise them, and that is perfectly natural. If they was humbler, and listened and tried to learn, it would be better for them.””

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Geniuses often overestimate their knowledge, reject advice, and isolate themselves, which is natural; humility and openness would improve their outcomes.

**In simple terms:** Arrogant brilliance leads to isolation; humility helps.

Key Takeaway

Pride hinders growth; humility aids learning.

Themes

genius humility advice social isolation self‑awareness

Mood

critical cautionary

Type

advice cautionary

When to use this quote

- a startup founder ignoring market feedback
- a scholar refusing peer review
- an athlete dismissing coaching

Key Concepts

ego psychology social dynamics of expertise

Practical Applications

- seek diverse perspectives regularly
- cultivate humility through reflection

Questions to Reflect On

- When does confidence become detrimental?
- How can experts balance self‑trust with openness?

A Different Perspective

Sometimes unconventional paths require defying conventional advice to achieve breakthroughs.

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[Genius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genius/) [Geniuses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/geniuses/) [Humility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humility/) [Intelligence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligence/)

## Related quotes

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> [Geniuses always think it's easier than we make it out to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lipton/geniuses-always-think-it-s-easier-than-we-make-it-out-to-be/)

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> [“geniuses think they’re not bound by the rules of common people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elif-shafak/geniuses-think-they-re-not-bound-by-the-rules-of-common-people/)

[Elif Shafak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elif-shafak/)

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[R. Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-kelly/)

> [“We stood silent. After a moment I said, "Real Geniuses never think they're geniuses." "Who says?" "Me." "Because why?" "Because genius is nine-tenths perspiration.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/we-stood-silent-after-a-moment-i-said-real-geniuses-never-think-they/)

[Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/)

> [My books are like water; those of the great geniuses are wine. (Fortunately) everybody drinks water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/my-books-are-like-water-those-of-the-great-geniuses-are-wine/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [My books are water; those of great geniuses are wine everybody drinks water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/my-books-are-water-those-of-great-geniuses-are-wine-everybody-drinks/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [Geniuses are people who dash off weird, wild, incomprehensible poems with astonishing facility, & then go & get booming drunk & sleep in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/geniuses-are-people-who-dash-off-weird-wild-incomprehensible-poems/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [Thousands of geniuses live and die undiscovered - either by themselves or by others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/thousands-of-geniuses-live-and-die-undiscovered-either-by-themselves/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [All children are born geniuses, and we spend the first six years of their lives degeniusing them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-buckminster-fuller/all-children-are-born-geniuses-and-we-spend-the-first-six-years-of/)

[R. Buckminster Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-buckminster-fuller/)

> [Geniuses are people who notice things and connections between things which others haven't noticed. Genius must be a surprise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-ricks/geniuses-are-people-who-notice-things-and-connections-between-things/)

[Christopher Ricks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-ricks/)

> [The great spiritual geniuses, whether it was Moses, Buddha, Plato, Socrates, Jesus, or Emerson… have taught man to look within himself to find God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-holmes/the-great-spiritual-geniuses-whether-it-was-moses-buddha-plato/)

[Ernest Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-holmes/)

> [You look around the world at geniuses, and they don't appear randomly, they appear in genius clusters. Athens in 50 BC, Florence 1500, Silicon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-weiner/you-look-around-the-world-at-geniuses-and-they-don-t-appear-randomly/)

[Eric Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-weiner/)

> [I am the life-force power of the universe. I am the life-force power of the 50 trillion beautiful molecular geniuses that make up my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-bolte-taylor/i-am-the-life-force-power-of-the-universe-i-am-the-life-force-power/)

[Jill Bolte Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-bolte-taylor/)

> [The art music of the West has developed through out its history by means of individual geniuses, and out of the soil supporting them;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toru-takemitsu/the-art-music-of-the-west-has-developed-through-out-its-history-by/)

[Toru Takemitsu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toru-takemitsu/)

## More by Mark Twain

> [Sing like no one's listening, love like you've never been hurt, dance like nobody's watching, and live like its heaven on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/sing-like-no-one-s-listening-love-like-you-ve-never-been-hurt-dance/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [If you had made the acquiring of ignorance the study of your life, you could not have graduated with higher honor than you could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/if-you-had-made-the-acquiring-of-ignorance-the-study-of-your-life-you/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [“The Creator sat upon the throne, thinking. Behind him stretched the illimitable continent of heaven, steeped in a glory of light and color; before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/the-creator-sat-upon-the-throne-thinking-behind-him-stretched-the/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [It's easy to quit smoking. I've done it hundreds of times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/it-s-easy-to-quit-smoking-i-ve-done-it-hundreds-of-times/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [“It is never wrong to do the right thing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/it-is-never-wrong-to-do-the-right-thing/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [A man accustomed to American food and American domestic cookery would not starve to death suddenly in Europe, but I think he would gradually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/a-man-accustomed-to-american-food-and-american-domestic-cookery-would/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [There is nothing training can't cannot do. Nothing is above its reach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/there-is-nothing-training-can-t-cannot-do-nothing-is-above-its-reach/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [I never write Metropolis for seven cents because I can get the same price for city. I never write policeman because I can get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/i-never-write-metropolis-for-seven-cents-because-i-can-get-the-same/)

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> [The higher animals get their teeth without pain or inconvenience. Man gets his through months and months of cruel torture; he will never get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/the-higher-animals-get-their-teeth-without-pain-or-inconvenience-man/)

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> [Begin with the determination to succeed and the work is half done already.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/begin-with-the-determination-to-succeed-and-the-work-is-half-done/)

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> [Many public-school children seem to know only two dates—1492 and 4th of July; and as a rule they don't know what happened on either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/many-public-school-children-seem-to-know-only-two-dates-1492-and-4th/)

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[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [Lord save us all from a hope tree that has lost the faculty of putting out blossoms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/lord-save-us-all-from-a-hope-tree-that-has-lost-the-faculty-of/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

[Explore all 3,277 Mark Twain quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

## More Genius quotes

> [“If people fully understand you, they will think of you as a normal, if they half understand you, will think of you as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/if-people-fully-understand-you-they-will-think-of-you-as-a-normal-if/)

[M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/)

> [Woman, in short, has an unconscious life, man a conscious life, and the genius the most conscious life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-weininger/woman-in-short-has-an-unconscious-life-man-a-conscious-life-and-the/)

[Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/)

> [ Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then \[these?\],… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in-england-in-1624-and-in-this/)

[Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/)

> [The truth is I've just never had any kind of plan at all for my career, which is probably not a very flattering thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ty-burrell/the-truth-is-i-ve-just-never-had-any-kind-of-plan-at-all-for-my/)

[Ty Burrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ty-burrell/)

> [What we shall need is not geniuses, or cynics, or misanthropes, or clever tacticians, but plain, honest, straghtforward men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/what-we-shall-need-is-not-geniuses-or-cynics-or-misanthropes-or/)

[Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/)

> [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 have known many chess players, but among them there has been only one genius - Capablanca!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emanuel-lasker/i-have-known-many-chess-players-but-among-them-there-has-been-only/)

[Emanuel Lasker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emanuel-lasker/)

> [A time will come when the science of destruction shall bend before the arts of peace; when the genius which multiplies our powers, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-arago/a-time-will-come-when-the-science-of-destruction-shall-bend-before/)

[Francois Arago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-arago/)

> [One is not born a genius, one becomes a genius; and the feminine situation has up to the present rendered this becoming practically impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/one-is-not-born-a-genius-one-becomes-a-genius-and-the-feminine/)

[Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/)

> [The beginning of genius is being scared shitless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-ferdinand-celine/the-beginning-of-genius-is-being-scared-shitless/)

[Louis-Ferdinand Celine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-ferdinand-celine/)

> [Treason implies responsibility for something, control over something, influence upon something, knowledge of something. Treason in our time is a proof of genius. Why,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/treason-implies-responsibility-for-something-control-over-something/)

[Antoine de Saint-Exupery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/)

> [Mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself, but talent instantly recognizes genius.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/mediocrity-knows-nothing-higher-than-itself-but-talent-instantly/)

[Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/)

> [With the proper training, I could've been an evil genius.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/with-the-proper-training-i-could-ve-been-an-evil-genius/)

[George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/)

> [Never try to judge any one](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajat-dogra/never-try-to-judge-any-one/)

[Rajat Dogra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajat-dogra/)

> [“genius is a path that we can all take and derive much benefit, happiness, fulfillment, and success from...not a genetic windfall or divine gift.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-patrick/genius-is-a-path-that-we-can-all-take-and-derive-much-benefit/)

[Sean Patrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-patrick/)

[Browse all 5,125 Genius quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genius/)

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