--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't think you could teach someone to…" description: "\"I don't think you could teach someone to be a genius, but you can certainly teach them to not make rookie mistakes and to look at writing the way a wri..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/339/michael-chabon-627_failure_i-don-t-think-you-could-teach-someone-to_854917.jpg" --- # I don't think you could teach someone to be a genius, but… ![“I don't think you could teach someone to be a genius, but you can certainly teach them to not make rookie mistakes and to look at writing the way a writer looks at writing, and not just the way a reader looks at writing. There are a lot of techniques and skills that can be taught that will be…” quote by Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/339/michael-chabon-627_failure_i-don-t-think-you-could-teach-someone-to_854917.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/339/michael-chabon-627_failure_i-don-t-think-you-could-teach-someone-to_854917.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/339/michael-chabon-627_failure_i-don-t-think-you-could-teach-someone-to_854917.jpg) > “I don't think you could teach someone to be a genius, but you can certainly teach them to not make rookie mistakes and to look at writing the way a writer looks at writing, and not just the way a reader looks at writing. There are a lot of techniques and skills that can be taught that will be helpful to anybody, no matter how gifted they are, and I think writing programs can be very good for people.” [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing can be taught through technique, not innate genius; focus on avoiding common errors and seeing text as a writer does. **In simple terms:** Writing skills can be learned, not just talent. Key Takeaway Teach technique, avoid rookie mistakes. Themes education writing skill development Mood inquisitive encouraging Type instructional practical When to use this quote - creative writing classes - workshops - self‑study - editing practice - peer review Key Concepts Pedagogy craft cognitive apprenticeship Questions to Reflect On - How can you practice writing like a writer rather than a reader? - What techniques most reduce rookie mistakes? A Different Perspective Limited if practice may not replace deep, personal insight. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Genius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genius/) [Intelligence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligence/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Rookies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rookies/) [Skills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skills/) [Technique](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technique/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Some creative writing programs seem evil, but my experience at Irvine was totally the opposite, where I feel like they were really good at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-bender/some-creative-writing-programs-seem-evil-but-my-experience-at-irvine/) [Aimee Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-bender/) > [The only way to learn a new programming language is by writing programs in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-ritchie/the-only-way-to-learn-a-new-programming-language-is-by-writing/) [Dennis Ritchie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-ritchie/) > [Much of my work has come from being lazy. I didn't like writing programs, and so, when I was working on the IBM 701…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-backus/much-of-my-work-has-come-from-being-lazy-i-didn-t-like-writing/) [John Backus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-backus/) > [For example, many colleges in their writing programs teach some of my work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gay-talese/for-example-many-colleges-in-their-writing-programs-teach-some-of-my/) [Gay Talese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gay-talese/) > [The problem, for me, with the writing programs is that they produce a terrible uniformity of product.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-davison/the-problem-for-me-with-the-writing-programs-is-that-they-produce-a/) [Peter Davison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-davison/) > [I don't know much about creative writing programs. 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I believe in rookies doing stuff as rookies. Getting coffee. Getting donuts. Picking up a tab. Not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-jackson/i-don-t-believe-in-rookie-hazing-i-believe-in-rookies-doing-stuff-as/) [Mark Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-jackson/) > [I didn't always know, but I always wanted to. I always wanted to be the very best receiver the Cowboys ever had. That was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-irvin/i-didn-t-always-know-but-i-always-wanted-to-i-always-wanted-to-be-the/) [Michael Irvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-irvin/) ## More by Michael Chabon > [Entertainment is a sacred pursuit when done well. When done well, it raises the quality of human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/entertainment-is-a-sacred-pursuit-when-done-well-when-done-well-it/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“Anyway, it's a pretty good story," I said. "You have to admit." "Yeah?" He crumpled up the Kleenex, having dispatched the solitary tear. "You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/anyway-it-s-a-pretty-good-story-i-said-you-have-to-admit-yeah-he/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [There were so many Pittsburgh poets in my hallway that if, at that instant, a meteorite had come smashing through my roof, there would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/there-were-so-many-pittsburgh-poets-in-my-hallway-that-if-at-that/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“Badass.'" My grandfather sampled the flavor of the word. It did not seem to revolt him, but it was nothing he needed ever to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/badass-my-grandfather-sampled-the-flavor-of-the-word-it-did-not-seem/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [See you in the funny papers," he said. Jaunty, he reminded himself; always jaunty. 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He's blind and we figure he just wandered off and maybe got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/we-figure-he-must-have-let-him-out-the-perpetrator-i-mean-he-s-blind/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“Then I reminded myself that I was always willing to listen to arguments in favor of avoiding an unpleasant chore, and I shook my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/then-i-reminded-myself-that-i-was-always-willing-to-listen-to/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“Love great first lines and paragraphs. 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Nothing makes failure acceptable, so you might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/rhiannon-s-law-28-if-you-re-going-to-fuck-up-be-sure-to-fuck-up-good/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Failure is a part of life and you have to learn to deal with it. Failure is something that is part of life's cycle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/failure-is-a-part-of-life-and-you-have-to-learn-to-deal-with-it/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [First action was a mistake. What about the second? third? fourth and fifth?...Mehn you are bad...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/first-action-was-a-mistake-what-about-the-second-third-fourth-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God's love never fail :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-s-love-never-fail/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Don’t you just hate nights like that, when you think over every mistake you’ve made, every hurt you’ve received, every bit of meanness you’ve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/don-t-you-just-hate-nights-like-that-when-you-think-over-every/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [“Our failure to understand another being's inner reality doesn't make that reality any less real, or any less valuable to that being. 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