--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Talent was not rare; the ability to…" description: "\"Talent was not rare; the ability to survive having it was.\" — Neal Stephenson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c3/neal-stephenson-362_ability_talent-was-not-rare-the-ability-to-survi_2834177.png" --- # Talent was not rare; the ability to survive having it was. ![“Talent was not rare; the ability to survive having it was.” quote by Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c3/neal-stephenson-362_ability_talent-was-not-rare-the-ability-to-survi_2834177.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c3/neal-stephenson-362_ability_talent-was-not-rare-the-ability-to-survi_2834177.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c3/neal-stephenson-362_ability_talent-was-not-rare-the-ability-to-survi_2834177.png) > “Talent was not rare; the ability to survive having it was.” [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Talent is common, but surviving with it—overcoming obstacles—is rare. **In simple terms:** Surviving with talent is rare. Key Takeaway Develop resilience alongside skill. Themes talent survival resilience adversity achievement Mood reflective motivational Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - career advancement - entrepreneurship - personal growth Key Concepts psychology sociology self-efficacy Questions to Reflect On - What challenges have you faced with your talent? - How do you build resilience? A Different Perspective Talent alone may not guarantee success. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Talent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talent/) ## Related quotes > [“He was an artist of rare ability, a self-taught artist, without teachers or schools, principles and rules, carried away only by the thirst for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolai-gogol/he-was-an-artist-of-rare-ability-a-self-taught-artist-without/) [Nikolai Gogol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikolai-gogol/) > [“An extraordinarily rare ability is in your possession. Hone the skills so you effectively utilize your gift. As we speak and as you wile…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-z-marie/an-extraordinarily-rare-ability-is-in-your-possession-hone-the-skills/) L.Z. Marie > [“We have the ability to survive anything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-courtney/we-have-the-ability-to-survive-anything/) [Bill Courtney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-courtney/) > [There are evils that have the ability to survive identification and go on for ever... money, for instance, or war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/there-are-evils-that-have-the-ability-to-survive-identification-and/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [“A “good friend” was well…. Like your teeth. You had a limited number of them to last you an entire lifetime. You could survive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-wood/a-good-friend-was-well-like-your-teeth-you-had-a-limited-number-of/) [Rob Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-wood/) > [“If I die on my way to the dance, it will be better than to survive having never lifted my feet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnostic-zetetic/if-i-die-on-my-way-to-the-dance-it-will-be-better-than-to-survive/) Agnostic Zetetic > [Fear is good…it gives you the drive to survive...but having too much of it will leave you confused and corrupt your valuable mind...So use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasari/fear-is-good-it-gives-you-the-drive-to-survive-but-having-too-much-of/) [Jasari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasari/) > [We can survive without having to be consumer-based all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhumika-chawla/we-can-survive-without-having-to-be-consumer-based-all-the-time/) [Bhumika Chawla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhumika-chawla/) > [A real talent is a rare character having a judicious composition of latent and blatant level of personality traits and attributes like competency, courage,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anuj-somany/a-real-talent-is-a-rare-character-having-a-judicious-composition-of/) [Anuj Somany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anuj-somany/) > [“Everyone has talent. What's rare is the courage to follow it to the dark places where it leads.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/everyone-has-talent-what-s-rare-is-the-courage-to-follow-it-to-the/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [Skills are common. Talent is rare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-clark/skills-are-common-talent-is-rare/) [Colin Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-clark/) > [Everyone has talent. What is rare is the courage to follow the talent to the dark place where it leads.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/everyone-has-talent-what-is-rare-is-the-courage-to-follow-the-talent/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [Everyone has talent. What's rare is the courage to follow it to the dark places it leads.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/everyone-has-talent-what-s-rare-is-the-courage-to-follow-it-to-the-2/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [“Talent is something rare and beautiful and precious, and it must not be allowed to go to waste.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-selden/talent-is-something-rare-and-beautiful-and-precious-and-it-must-not/) [George Selden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-selden/) > [“Even if your company continues to thrive, your ability to survive in it depends on your capacity and willingness to innovate. Job security these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-rottenberg/even-if-your-company-continues-to-thrive-your-ability-to-survive-in/) [Linda Rottenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-rottenberg/) ## More by Neal Stephenson > [“I study dead languages for a living,” I said. “That’s why you hired me. Why should I be up to speed on your line…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/i-study-dead-languages-for-a-living-i-said-that-s-why-you-hired-me/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“Other people - store clerks, burger flippers, software engineers, the whole vocabulary of meaningless jobs that make up Life in America - other people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/other-people-store-clerks-burger-flippers-software-engineers-the/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“It is what you don’t expect,” he’d said, “that most needs looking for.” “Do”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/it-is-what-you-don-t-expect-he-d-said-that-most-needs-looking-for-do/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“...the insects here see you as a big slab of animated but not very well defended food. The ability to move, far from being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/the-insects-here-see-you-as-a-big-slab-of-animated-but-not-very-well/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“There was no way that these guys were going to let a bleeding, barefoot woman simply wander off alone into the streets. Two of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/there-was-no-way-that-these-guys-were-going-to-let-a-bleeding/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“Space and Time! Two minor omissions that no one is likely to notice," grumbled Newton.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/space-and-time-two-minor-omissions-that-no-one-is-likely-to-notice/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [See, the world is full of things more powerful than us. But if you know how to catch a ride, you can go places,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/see-the-world-is-full-of-things-more-powerful-than-us-but-if-you-know/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“Hey,” Shaftoe says, “if we surrender to you, you’ll kill us. Right?” “Yes.” “If you guys surrender to us, we won’t kill you. Promise.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/hey-shaftoe-says-if-we-surrender-to-you-you-ll-kill-us-right-yes-if/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“My men think you are dead now, and won’t waste balls on you,” Jack said. “In fact I have let you live, but for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/my-men-think-you-are-dead-now-and-won-t-waste-balls-on-you-jack-said/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“You’ve probably heard the expression that the Industry feeds off of biomass, like a whale straining krill from the ocean.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/you-ve-probably-heard-the-expression-that-the-industry-feeds-off-of/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“The Deliverator belongs to an elite order, a hallowed subcategory. He’s got esprit up to here. Right now, he is preparing to carry out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/the-deliverator-belongs-to-an-elite-order-a-hallowed-subcategory-he-s/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [Interesting things happen along borders - transitions - not in the middle where everything is the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/interesting-things-happen-along-borders-transitions-not-in-the-middle/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“and people could only make sense of complicated matters through stories. Likewise”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/and-people-could-only-make-sense-of-complicated-matters-through/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“Van Eck phreaking,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/van-eck-phreaking/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“When the Deliverator puts the hammer down, shit happens.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/when-the-deliverator-puts-the-hammer-down-shit-happens/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) [Explore all 633 Neal Stephenson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) ## 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": "Talent was not rare; the ability to survive having it was.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Neal Stephenson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/talent-was-not-rare-the-ability-to-survive-having-it-was/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ability" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/talent-was-not-rare-the-ability-to-survive-having-it-was/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c3/neal-stephenson-362_ability_talent-was-not-rare-the-ability-to-survi_2834177.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c3/neal-stephenson-362_ability_talent-was-not-rare-the-ability-to-survi_2834177.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c3/neal-stephenson-362_ability_talent-was-not-rare-the-ability-to-survi_2834177.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Talent was not rare; the ability to survive having it was.” — Neal Stephenson", "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": "Neal Stephenson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Talent was not rare; the ability...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/talent-was-not-rare-the-ability-to-survive-having-it-was/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/talent-was-not-rare-the-ability-to-survive-having-it-was/#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 } } ] } ```