--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A person who is brilliantly talented and…" description: "\"“A person who is brilliantly talented and successful at work but irrational and irresponsible in his or her private life may want to believe that the s..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12a/nathaniel-branden-2125_children_a-person-who-is-brilliantly-talented-and_844932.jpg" --- # A person who is brilliantly talented and successful at… ![“A person who is brilliantly talented and successful at work but irrational and irresponsible in his or her private life may want to believe that the sole criterion of virtue is productive performance and that no other sphere of action has moral or self-esteem significance. Such a person may hide…” quote by Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12a/nathaniel-branden-2125_children_a-person-who-is-brilliantly-talented-and_844932.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12a/nathaniel-branden-2125_children_a-person-who-is-brilliantly-talented-and_844932.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12a/nathaniel-branden-2125_children_a-person-who-is-brilliantly-talented-and_844932.jpg) > ““A person who is brilliantly talented and successful at work but irrational and irresponsible in his or her private life may want to believe that the sole criterion of virtue is productive performance and that no other sphere of action has moral or self-esteem significance. Such a person may hide behind work in order to evade feelings of shame and guilt stemming from other areas of life (or from painful childhood experiences), so that productive work becomes not so much a healthy passion as an avoidance strategy, a refuge from realities one feels frightened to face. In addition, if a person makes the error of identifying self with his work (rather than with the internal virtues that make the work possible), if self-esteem is tied primarily to accomplishments, success, income, or being a good family provider, the danger is that economic circumstances beyond the individual’s control may lead to the failure of the business or the loss of a job, flinging him into depression or acute demoralization.”” [Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Success at work can become a shield to avoid confronting personal flaws, leading to fragile self‑esteem tied to external achievements. **In simple terms:** Work can hide personal issues, making self‑worth fragile. Key Takeaway Separate identity from achievements. Themes self‑esteem work identity avoidance psychology Mood reflective concerned Type analytical psychological When to use this quote - career counseling - therapy sessions - personal development workshops - family discussions Key Concepts self‑worth defense mechanisms role of work Questions to Reflect On - How do you define yourself beyond your job? - What healthier sources of self‑worth can you cultivate? A Different Perspective If work is the only source of validation, any setback can cause severe emotional collapse. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Criterion Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criterion-virtue-683519/) [Esteem Significance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/esteem-significance-683518/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Internal Virtues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internal-virtues-683516/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Loss Of A Job](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loss-of-a-job/) [Moral Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral-self-683520/) [Private life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/private-life/) [Shame and guilt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shame-and-guilt/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Virtue Productive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtue-productive-683517/) ## Related quotes > [Humanistic ethics is based on the principle that only humans themselves can determine the criterion for virtue and not an authority transcending us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/humanistic-ethics-is-based-on-the-principle-that-only-humans/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [What is guilt? 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A frightening diagnosis, a marriage, a move, loss of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/every-one-of-us-is-called-upon-perhaps-many-times-to-start-a-new-life/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) ## More by Nathaniel Branden > [To preserve an unclouded capacity for the enjoyment of life is an unusual moral and psychological achievement. 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When man rejects reason as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/faith-is-the-commitment-of-one-s-consciousness-to-beliefs-for-which/) [Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/) > [In the nature of our existence, we must act to achieve values. And in order to act appropriately, we need to value the beneficiary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/in-the-nature-of-our-existence-we-must-act-to-achieve-values-and-in/) [Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/) > [I cannot remember a time when the question of why people behave as they do was not intensely interesting to me. The desire to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/i-cannot-remember-a-time-when-the-question-of-why-people-behave-as/) [Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/) > [Suppose you feel you cannot accept some fact about yourself. Then own your refusal to accept. Own the block. Embrace it fully. And watch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/suppose-you-feel-you-cannot-accept-some-fact-about-yourself-then-own/) [Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/) > [Doing more of what doesn't work doesn't work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/doing-more-of-what-doesn-t-work-doesn-t-work/) [Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/) > [“Out of fear, out of the desire for approval, out of misguided notions of duty, people surrender themselves--their convictions and their aspirations--every day. 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We rarely know it, but we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/when-we-bury-our-feelings-we-also-bury-ourselves-it-means-we-exist-in/) [Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/) [Explore all 183 Nathaniel Branden quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/) ## More Children quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/) [Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/) > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. 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Such a person may hide behind work in order to evade feelings of shame and guilt stemming from other areas of life (or from painful childhood experiences), so that productive work becomes not so much a healthy passion as an avoidance strategy, a refuge from realities one feels frightened to face. 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