--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you have an ability, you want to…" description: "\"If you have an ability, you want to exercise it, not anesthetize it.\" — Marty Nemko" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bb/marty-nemko-20791_ability_if-you-have-an-ability-you-want-to-exerc_2550268.jpg" --- # If you have an ability, you want to exercise it, not… ![“If you have an ability, you want to exercise it, not anesthetize it.” quote by Marty Nemko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bb/marty-nemko-20791_ability_if-you-have-an-ability-you-want-to-exerc_2550268.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bb/marty-nemko-20791_ability_if-you-have-an-ability-you-want-to-exerc_2550268.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bb/marty-nemko-20791_ability_if-you-have-an-ability-you-want-to-exerc_2550268.jpg) > “If you have an ability, you want to exercise it, not anesthetize it.” [Marty Nemko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-nemko/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Cultivating a skill requires active use, not suppression or over‑protection. **In simple terms:** Use abilities, don’t numb them. Key Takeaway Practice your talents regularly. Themes personal growth skill development mindset Mood motivational reflective Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - career advancement - creative projects - learning new hobbies - team leadership Key Concepts self‑actualization active engagement Questions to Reflect On - How do you ensure regular practice without exhaustion? - What signs show you’re neglecting a skill? A Different Perspective Over‑use can lead to burnout if not balanced. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Exercise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exercise/) [Fitness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fitness/) ## Related quotes > [We live in an age where many things are working hard to conk us out and anesthetize us. Anything we can do to shake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devendra-banhart/we-live-in-an-age-where-many-things-are-working-hard-to-conk-us-out/) [Devendra Banhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devendra-banhart/) > [Images anesthetize. An event known through photographs certainly becomes more real than it would have been if one had never seen the photographs ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sontag/images-anesthetize-an-event-known-through-photographs-certainly/) [Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sontag/) > [Everybody is dealing with how much of their own aliveness they can bear and how much they need to anesthetize themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-phillips/everybody-is-dealing-with-how-much-of-their-own-aliveness-they-can/) [Adam Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-phillips/) > [Living in a culture that prefers to shut out the dark, avoid shadows, and anesthetize pain means that many people are isolated. ... Family,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-wittig-albert/living-in-a-culture-that-prefers-to-shut-out-the-dark-avoid-shadows/) [Susan Wittig Albert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-wittig-albert/) > [I might only have half an hour when I get home after a long day, and the last thing I want to do is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hoy/i-might-only-have-half-an-hour-when-i-get-home-after-a-long-day-and/) [Chris Hoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hoy/) > [“Anyone can use this basic formula to create habits of her or his own. Want to exercise more? Choose a cue, such as going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/anyone-can-use-this-basic-formula-to-create-habits-of-her-or-his-own/) [Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/) > [“My muscles informed me they did not want to go through any more exercise today. So I suggest that maybe he should let me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/my-muscles-informed-me-they-did-not-want-to-go-through-any-more/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [No, I don't want to exercise all the time. I still despise it, not at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/star-jones/no-i-don-t-want-to-exercise-all-the-time-i-still-despise-it-not-at-all/) [Star Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/star-jones/) > [They dont want you to exercise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-khaled/they-dont-want-you-to-exercise/) [DJ Khaled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-khaled/) > [Someone will write a resolution that says, 'I want to exercise more,' or 'I want to lose 15 pounds' - which is great, that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/someone-will-write-a-resolution-that-says-i-want-to-exercise-more-or/) [Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/) > [Whether you want to exercise more often, or you're hoping to become debt-free, real change happens in stages. Slow and steady progress is great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-morin/whether-you-want-to-exercise-more-often-or-you-re-hoping-to-become/) [Amy Morin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-morin/) > [Since becoming an alleged adult, I've always felt like I should exercise - or should at least want to exercise - and make a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-liebegott/since-becoming-an-alleged-adult-i-ve-always-felt-like-i-should/) [Ali Liebegott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-liebegott/) > [The older I get, the less jarring I want my exercise to be, and I find that a long walk is equally as helpful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-cattrall/the-older-i-get-the-less-jarring-i-want-my-exercise-to-be-and-i-find/) [Kim Cattrall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-cattrall/) > [I want to exercise all my muscles. I want to do plays. I want to do everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okieriete-onaodowan/i-want-to-exercise-all-my-muscles-i-want-to-do-plays-i-want-to-do/) [Okieriete Onaodowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okieriete-onaodowan/) > [I am persuaded that the greater part of our complaints arise from want of exercise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-de-rabutin-chantal-marquise-de-sevigne/i-am-persuaded-that-the-greater-part-of-our-complaints-arise-from/) [Marie de Rabutin-Chantal, marquise de Sevigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-de-rabutin-chantal-marquise-de-sevigne/) ## More by Marty Nemko > [Senescence is an inevitability. All we can do is try to strike the balance between graceful acceptance and raging against the dying light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-nemko/senescence-is-an-inevitability-all-we-can-do-is-try-to-strike-the/) [Marty Nemko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-nemko/) > [The lack of crispness comes significantly from a societal change in what's valued: a replacement of bold individual initiative with collaboration, consensus, teamwork etc.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-nemko/the-lack-of-crispness-comes-significantly-from-a-societal-change-in/) [Marty Nemko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-nemko/) > [As a writer, you have control: You can play around with your own thoughts and when you find those insufficient, draw upon others': their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-nemko/as-a-writer-you-have-control-you-can-play-around-with-your-own/) [Marty Nemko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-nemko/) > [If you don't know what career you'd change to, I've come to believe in starting with your values. What do you care most about:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-nemko/if-you-don-t-know-what-career-you-d-change-to-i-ve-come-to-believe-in/) [Marty Nemko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-nemko/) > [When you're going to school primarily for career purposes, it's more important to focus on which program is best for you. In addition, your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-nemko/when-you-re-going-to-school-primarily-for-career-purposes-it-s-more/) [Marty Nemko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-nemko/) > [I believe that a core problem with undergraduate education, especially at research universities like Harvard, Stanford, NYU, etc, is that most teaching is done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-nemko/i-believe-that-a-core-problem-with-undergraduate-education-especially/) [Marty Nemko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-nemko/) > [Only someone who already knows and likes you is likely to give you a good job with modest relevant experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-nemko/only-someone-who-already-knows-and-likes-you-is-likely-to-give-you-a/) [Marty Nemko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-nemko/) > [I believe the personal essay is underrated for both writer and reader. It affords the writer great freedom: to speak personally yet invoke others'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-nemko/i-believe-the-personal-essay-is-underrated-for-both-writer-and-reader/) [Marty Nemko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-nemko/) > [Being a good writer may result in your being nicer to more people, having a bigger positive impact.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-nemko/being-a-good-writer-may-result-in-your-being-nicer-to-more-people/) [Marty Nemko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-nemko/) > [You might want to keep trying to rise, using a path that builds on your natural strengths: sales, analysis, managing people, whatever, and keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-nemko/you-might-want-to-keep-trying-to-rise-using-a-path-that-builds-on/) [Marty Nemko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-nemko/) > [Liberalism's key principle is to redistribute wealth from the haves to the have nots. That takes money from the entities with the greatest potential…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-nemko/liberalism-s-key-principle-is-to-redistribute-wealth-from-the-haves/) [Marty Nemko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-nemko/) > [Some people who are recovering from depression want to use the lessons they're learned in coping with depression and their empathy for people with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-nemko/some-people-who-are-recovering-from-depression-want-to-use-the/) [Marty Nemko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-nemko/) > [Sometimes, low-level jobs are challenging even to someone with CEO potential.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-nemko/sometimes-low-level-jobs-are-challenging-even-to-someone-with-ceo/) [Marty Nemko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-nemko/) > [What may create even more jobs is to develop more entrepreneurs, of course, ethical ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-nemko/what-may-create-even-more-jobs-is-to-develop-more-entrepreneurs-of/) [Marty Nemko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-nemko/) > [You need to create a 30-minute buffer between the end of your work time and sleep time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-nemko/you-need-to-create-a-30-minute-buffer-between-the-end-of-your-work/) [Marty Nemko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-nemko/) [Explore all 30 Marty Nemko quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-nemko/) ## 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": "If you have an ability, you want to exercise it, not anesthetize it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Marty Nemko" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-nemko/if-you-have-an-ability-you-want-to-exercise-it-not-anesthetize-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ability" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-nemko/if-you-have-an-ability-you-want-to-exercise-it-not-anesthetize-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bb/marty-nemko-20791_ability_if-you-have-an-ability-you-want-to-exerc_2550268.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bb/marty-nemko-20791_ability_if-you-have-an-ability-you-want-to-exerc_2550268.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bb/marty-nemko-20791_ability_if-you-have-an-ability-you-want-to-exerc_2550268.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you have an ability, you want to exercise it, not anesthetize it.” — Marty Nemko", "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": "Marty Nemko", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-nemko/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If you have an ability, you...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-nemko/if-you-have-an-ability-you-want-to-exercise-it-not-anesthetize-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-nemko/if-you-have-an-ability-you-want-to-exercise-it-not-anesthetize-it/#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 } } ] } ```