---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You could do math early, but there are no…"
description: "\"You could do math early, but there are no brilliant 16-year-old novelists. They don't know the human condition yet.\" — Neil deGrasse Tyson"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e22/neil-degrasse-tyson-143_brilliant_you-could-do-math-early-but-there-are-no_1723774.png"
---

#  You could do math early, but there are no brilliant…

![“You could do math early, but there are no brilliant 16-year-old novelists. They don't know the human condition yet.” quote by Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e22/neil-degrasse-tyson-143_brilliant_you-could-do-math-early-but-there-are-no_1723774.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e22/neil-degrasse-tyson-143_brilliant_you-could-do-math-early-but-there-are-no_1723774.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e22/neil-degrasse-tyson-143_brilliant_you-could-do-math-early-but-there-are-no_1723774.png)

> “You could do math early, but there are no brilliant 16-year-old novelists. They don't know the human condition yet.”

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

## About This Quote

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

Youth lacks the lived experience to capture deep human truths in literature.

**In simple terms:** Young writers miss mature perspective.

Key Takeaway

Value life experience.

Themes

literature experience human condition

Mood

thoughtful encouraging

Type

educational reflective

When to use this quote

- writing workshops
- mentorship
- life lessons

Key Concepts

storytelling empathy

Questions to Reflect On

- How can young writers gain deeper insight?
- What experiences enrich storytelling?

A Different Perspective

Age alone doesn't guarantee insight; talent matters too.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Brilliant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brilliant/) [Human condition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-condition/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Math](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/math/) [Novelists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novelists/)

## Related quotes

> [“They shouldn't be allowed to teach math so early in the morning.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendare-blake/they-shouldn-t-be-allowed-to-teach-math-so-early-in-the-morning/)

[Kendare Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendare-blake/)

> [I was a 16-year-old girl at one point, so of course I wrote poetry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-edwards/i-was-a-16-year-old-girl-at-one-point-so-of-course-i-wrote-poetry/)

[Elizabeth Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-edwards/)

> [I can't maintain the body of a 16-year-old anymore. That's just a really boring life to me. You really just cannot do anything fun,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-heatherton/i-can-t-maintain-the-body-of-a-16-year-old-anymore-that-s-just-a/)

[Erin Heatherton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-heatherton/)

> [I've been playing rock and roll since I was 16 years old, and now I have a 16-year-old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billie-joe-armstrong/i-ve-been-playing-rock-and-roll-since-i-was-16-years-old-and-now-i/)

[Billie Joe Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billie-joe-armstrong/)

> [They sell you this present of rainbows and butterflies, and as a 16-year-old, that's what I bought. It's why I did 'X Factor' and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-jauregui/they-sell-you-this-present-of-rainbows-and-butterflies-and-as-a-16/)

[Lauren Jauregui](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-jauregui/)

> [I think that every man has a 16-year-old girl inside of him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-winding-refn/i-think-that-every-man-has-a-16-year-old-girl-inside-of-him/)

[Nicolas Winding Refn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-winding-refn/)

> [When I go out with my 16-year-old friends, I don't wear Chanel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bridget-hall/when-i-go-out-with-my-16-year-old-friends-i-don-t-wear-chanel/)

[Bridget Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bridget-hall/)

> [I've never been a 16-year-old girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-lilley/i-ve-never-been-a-16-year-old-girl/)

[Chris Lilley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-lilley/)

> [It's surprising how you can behave like a 16-year-old in your 60s, or a 17-year-old in your 70s. You know, it's exactly the same.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prue-leith/it-s-surprising-how-you-can-behave-like-a-16-year-old-in-your-60s-or/)

[Prue Leith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prue-leith/)

> [The first time I went to Helene Hanff's apartment at 305 East 72nd Street, it was 1977, and I was a 16-year-old girl who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-hanff-korelitz/the-first-time-i-went-to-helene-hanff-s-apartment-at-305-east-72nd/)

[Jean Hanff Korelitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-hanff-korelitz/)

> [I'd tell my 16-year-old self, 'Don't take yourself so seriously, and just have fun.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronan-keating/i-d-tell-my-16-year-old-self-don-t-take-yourself-so-seriously-and/)

[Ronan Keating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronan-keating/)

> [My musical taste is like a 16-year-old girl's when it comes to working out - Rihanna, Black Eyed Peas, Miley Cyrus. I love it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-capshaw/my-musical-taste-is-like-a-16-year-old-girl-s-when-it-comes-to/)

[Jessica Capshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-capshaw/)

> [In 1957, I was a 16-year-old office boy for the Dodgers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marv-albert/in-1957-i-was-a-16-year-old-office-boy-for-the-dodgers/)

[Marv Albert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marv-albert/)

> [Usually for a movie, if you want a 13-year-old, you get a 16-year-old who looks 13, because 13-year-olds dont have that level of self-awareness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robbie-coltraine/usually-for-a-movie-if-you-want-a-13-year-old-you-get-a-16-year-old/)

[Robbie Coltraine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robbie-coltraine/)

> [It's true. somewhere inside us we are all the ages we have ever been. We're the 3 year old who got bit by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/it-s-true-somewhere-inside-us-we-are-all-the-ages-we-have-ever-been/)

[Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/)

## More by Neil deGrasse Tyson

> [I don't want to go into space because of war. I think we would if it was triggered. If China said they want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/i-don-t-want-to-go-into-space-because-of-war-i-think-we-would-if-it/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [Quantum physics fluctuates all the time. But now the fluctuations are not just particles coming into and out of existence, which happens all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/quantum-physics-fluctuates-all-the-time-but-now-the-fluctuations-are/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [In the movie, the stars above the ship bear no correspondence to any constellations in a real sky. Worse yet, while the heroine bobs...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/in-the-movie-the-stars-above-the-ship-bear-no-correspondence-to-any/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [The Pacific is the best toilet for satellites.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/the-pacific-is-the-best-toilet-for-satellites/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [... informed ignorance provides the natural state of mind for research scientists at the ever-shifting frontiers of knowledge. People who believe themselves ignorant of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/informed-ignorance-provides-the-natural-state-of-mind-for-research/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [If you seek only easy problems to solve, then ultimately, there'll be nothing about you to distinguish yourself from others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/if-you-seek-only-easy-problems-to-solve-then-ultimately-there-ll-be/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [The caricature of science is that we hold tight to the theories we have, and shun challenges to them. That's just not true. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/the-caricature-of-science-is-that-we-hold-tight-to-the-theories-we/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [New generations of humans inherit the acquired discoveries of generations past, allowing cosmic insight to accumulate without limit. Each discovery of science therefore adds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/new-generations-of-humans-inherit-the-acquired-discoveries-of/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [I've said multiple times that the world's first trillionaire is going to be the person who exploits the resources of asteroids, the natural resources…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/i-ve-said-multiple-times-that-the-world-s-first-trillionaire-is-going/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [ They \[scientists of centuries past\] call on God only from the lonely and precarious edge of incomprehension. Where they feel certain about their explanations,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/they-scientists-of-centuries-past-call-on-god-only-from-the-lonely/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [We explore our environment, more than we are compelled to utter poetry, when we're toddlers. We start doing that later. Before that happens, every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/we-explore-our-environment-more-than-we-are-compelled-to-utter-poetry/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [You can't have people making decisions about the future of the world who are scientifically illiterate. That's a recipe for disaster. And I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/you-can-t-have-people-making-decisions-about-the-future-of-the-world/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [Science surrounds you. It's not something that you can step aside, step over or push out of your way because you were never good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/science-surrounds-you-it-s-not-something-that-you-can-step-aside-step/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [The idea that God resides in the unknown is what philosophers call the God of the gaps. And we have this thing called science,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/the-idea-that-god-resides-in-the-unknown-is-what-philosophers-call/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [Everybody's got money for vacation time. Look at how much we all spend just to get - well, I get sick on the loop-the-loop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/everybody-s-got-money-for-vacation-time-look-at-how-much-we-all-spend/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

[Explore all 1,143 Neil deGrasse Tyson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

## More Brilliant quotes

> [And you can't complain about kissing Emma Watson. Isn't that what everyone in the world wants to do? I've known Emma for a few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-redmayne/and-you-can-t-complain-about-kissing-emma-watson-isn-t-that-what/)

[Eddie Redmayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-redmayne/)

> [failure in the theater is more public, more brilliant, more unreal than in any other field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/failure-in-the-theater-is-more-public-more-brilliant-more-unreal-than/)

[Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/)

> [For someone to ask 'Who did you play for' and to be able to answer a single name 'Liverpool' that would be brilliant...I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-carragher/for-someone-to-ask-who-did-you-play-for-and-to-be-able-to-answer-a/)

[Jamie Carragher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-carragher/)

> [Ideal for the child and society in the best of times, Rudolf Steiner's brilliant process of education is critically needed and profoundly relevant now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-chilton-pearce/ideal-for-the-child-and-society-in-the-best-of-times-rudolf-steiner-s/)

[Joseph Chilton Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-chilton-pearce/)

> [Bruce Katz is a spectacular talent! He's a brilliant composer and arranger who uses uncommon and unique musical intelligence to redefine jazz and blues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-coryell/bruce-katz-is-a-spectacular-talent-he-s-a-brilliant-composer-and/)

[Larry Coryell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-coryell/)

> [No matter how brilliant an actor is, there's always a point where they let you down, but that's all part of their journey. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-hale/no-matter-how-brilliant-an-actor-is-there-s-always-a-point-where-they/)

[Amanda Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-hale/)

> [I enjoy working with Deborah Ann, I think she's brilliant. It's been a joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutina-wesley/i-enjoy-working-with-deborah-ann-i-think-she-s-brilliant-it-s-been-a/)

[Rutina Wesley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutina-wesley/)

> [Gravity Falls' didn't just appear overnight - every spooky cave and moss covered tree was created by a team of brilliant artists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-hirsch/gravity-falls-didn-t-just-appear-overnight-every-spooky-cave-and-moss/)

[Alex Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-hirsch/)

> [I like men who are very cool but who are also so brilliant that they are almost insane. Sean Penn, Gary Oldman, Bob Dylan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jolene-blalock/i-like-men-who-are-very-cool-but-who-are-also-so-brilliant-that-they/)

[Jolene Blalock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jolene-blalock/)

> [Without a trace of irony I can say I have been blessed with brilliant enemies. I owe them a great debt, because they redoubled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/without-a-trace-of-irony-i-can-say-i-have-been-blessed-with-brilliant/)

[E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/)

> [One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' is a movie that I just find flawless. Jack Nicholson... I just saw 'The Shining' again the other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-biehn/one-flew-over-the-cuckoo-s-nest-is-a-movie-that-i-just-find-flawless/)

[Michael Biehn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-biehn/)

> [“You deicde, and you make our night what you want. Brilliant and ours. Stupid and theirs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-phillips/you-deicde-and-you-make-our-night-what-you-want-brilliant-and-ours/)

[Arthur Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-phillips/)

> [Whatever we may say against collections, which present authors in a disjointed form, they nevertheless bring about many excellent results. We are not always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/whatever-we-may-say-against-collections-which-present-authors-in-a/)

[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/)

> [I look at Starbucks, Howard Schultz has made many brilliant decisions, and one of the things that they did was they invented the third…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/i-look-at-starbucks-howard-schultz-has-made-many-brilliant-decisions/)

[Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/)

> [Tom Stafford was an odd character, you know - a brilliant guy. He looked weird and I think he took a really defensive attitude…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donnie-fritts/tom-stafford-was-an-odd-character-you-know-a-brilliant-guy-he-looked/)

[Donnie Fritts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnie-fritts/)

[Browse all 2,403 Brilliant quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brilliant/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "You could do math early, but there are no brilliant 16-year-old novelists. They don't know the human condition yet.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Neil deGrasse Tyson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/you-could-do-math-early-but-there-are-no-brilliant-16-year-old/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Brilliant"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/you-could-do-math-early-but-there-are-no-brilliant-16-year-old/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e22/neil-degrasse-tyson-143_brilliant_you-could-do-math-early-but-there-are-no_1723774.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e22/neil-degrasse-tyson-143_brilliant_you-could-do-math-early-but-there-are-no_1723774.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e22/neil-degrasse-tyson-143_brilliant_you-could-do-math-early-but-there-are-no_1723774.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“You could do math early, but there are no brilliant 16-year-old novelists. They don't know the human…” — Neil deGrasse Tyson",
                "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": "Neil deGrasse Tyson",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "You could do math early, but...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/you-could-do-math-early-but-there-are-no-brilliant-16-year-old/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/you-could-do-math-early-but-there-are-no-brilliant-16-year-old/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
