--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was not much interested in school, and…" description: "\"I was not much interested in school, and both at secondary school and at university, I only just scraped through, with as little effort as I judged pos..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1c/nikolaas-tinbergen-53050_effort_i-was-not-much-interested-in-school-and_1907219.jpg" --- # I was not much interested in school, and both at secondary… ![“I was not much interested in school, and both at secondary school and at university, I only just scraped through, with as little effort as I judged possible without failing.” quote by Nikolaas Tinbergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1c/nikolaas-tinbergen-53050_effort_i-was-not-much-interested-in-school-and_1907219.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1c/nikolaas-tinbergen-53050_effort_i-was-not-much-interested-in-school-and_1907219.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1c/nikolaas-tinbergen-53050_effort_i-was-not-much-interested-in-school-and_1907219.jpg) > “I was not much interested in school, and both at secondary school and at university, I only just scraped through, with as little effort as I judged possible without failing.” [Nikolaas Tinbergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikolaas-tinbergen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He minimized effort in education, doing just enough to avoid failure. **In simple terms:** He barely tried in school. Key Takeaway Avoid complacency; seek deeper learning. Themes education effort achievement Mood reflective critical Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - academic performance - career development - personal growth Key Concepts motivation self‑discipline Questions to Reflect On - What could you achieve with more effort? - How does low effort affect self‑esteem? A Different Perspective Minimal effort limits potential and future opportunities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effort/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [University](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/university/) ## Related quotes > [“Let’s say you have an ax. Just a cheap one, from Home Depot. On one bitter winter day, you use said ax to behead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/let-s-say-you-have-an-ax-just-a-cheap-one-from-home-depot-on-one/) [David Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/) > [Canadians have an abiding interest in surprising those Americans who have historically made little effort to learn about their neighbour to the North.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-jennings/canadians-have-an-abiding-interest-in-surprising-those-americans-who/) [Peter Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-jennings/) > [“Loretta’s shoulders slumped in defeat. With numb hands she lowered the rifle to the dirt. A nasty grin twisted Hunter’s mouth. “So it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-anderson/loretta-s-shoulders-slumped-in-defeat-with-numb-hands-she-lowered-the/) [Catherine Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-anderson/) > [“You know, of course, that as prophesied by Moroni, there are those whose research relating to Joseph Smith is not for the purpose of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-todd-christofferson/you-know-of-course-that-as-prophesied-by-moroni-there-are-those-whose/) [D. Todd Christofferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-todd-christofferson/) > [Spread the word about good music. Don't just listen to what's on the radio. If you put in a little effort, you can find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikka-costa/spread-the-word-about-good-music-don-t-just-listen-to-what-s-on-the/) [Nikka Costa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikka-costa/) > [ “clinical literature is virtually unanimous that full MPD \[Multiple Personality Disorder\] cannot be created iatrogenically. There is no evidence that such a case has… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-kluft/clinical-literature-is-virtually-unanimous-that-full-mpd-multiple/) [Richard P. Kluft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-kluft/) > [It may take a little effort to get out of your own head and into what's happening around you. Engage with all kinds of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-may-take-a-little-effort-to-get-out-of-your-own-head-and-into-what/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [With a little effort we can turn anything which we thing of no value, to something which is a head turner… :-p](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gokul/with-a-little-effort-we-can-turn-anything-which-we-thing-of-no-value/) [Gokul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gokul/) > [“The human eye is a wonderful device,” I quoted from Poems and Other Prevarications absently. “With a little effort, it can fail to see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-k-morgan/the-human-eye-is-a-wonderful-device-i-quoted-from-poems-and-other/) [Richard K. Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-k-morgan/) > [The hard discipline, with the exception of one great good point, is fraught with evil. The good point is that men can do one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/the-hard-discipline-with-the-exception-of-one-great-good-point-is/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [Someone has said it is better to appreciate the things you don't own than to own things you don't appreciate. I hope we will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-taft-benson/someone-has-said-it-is-better-to-appreciate-the-things-you-don-t-own/) [Ezra Taft Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-taft-benson/) > [“They put forth as little effort as possible and then step it up when you try to disengage.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackson-mackenzie/they-put-forth-as-little-effort-as-possible-and-then-step-it-up-when/) [Jackson MacKenzie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackson-mackenzie/) > [“Even now, after years of screaming and fighting, of cold shoulders and spiteful moves, cutting words and harmful actions, I’d never let him see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santino-hassell/even-now-after-years-of-screaming-and-fighting-of-cold-shoulders-and/) [Santino Hassell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santino-hassell/) > [“With a little effort, anything can be shown to connect with anything else: existence is infinitely cross-referenced. And everything has more than one definition. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-cooley/with-a-little-effort-anything-can-be-shown-to-connect-with-anything/) [Martha Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-cooley/) > [My whole philosophy is working smarter and not harder. And making sure I'm using little effort and getting a huge effect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-pettis/my-whole-philosophy-is-working-smarter-and-not-harder-and-making-sure/) [Anthony Pettis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-pettis/) ## More by Nikolaas Tinbergen > [Relatively many autists are first-born children. There is also a pretty widespread conviction that the parents of autists are somehow different - for instance,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolaas-tinbergen/relatively-many-autists-are-first-born-children-there-is-also-a/) [Nikolaas Tinbergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikolaas-tinbergen/) > [As a boy, I had two small aquaria in our backyard in which I watched, each spring, the nest building and other fascinating behaviours…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolaas-tinbergen/as-a-boy-i-had-two-small-aquaria-in-our-backyard-in-which-i-watched/) [Nikolaas Tinbergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikolaas-tinbergen/) > [The majority of autists - as well as their parents - seem to be genuine victims of environmental stress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolaas-tinbergen/the-majority-of-autists-as-well-as-their-parents-seem-to-be-genuine/) [Nikolaas Tinbergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikolaas-tinbergen/) > [I can do no more than characterise, and recommend, the Alexander treatment as an extremely sophisticated form of rehabilition, or rather of re-deployment, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolaas-tinbergen/i-can-do-no-more-than-characterise-and-recommend-the-alexander/) [Nikolaas Tinbergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikolaas-tinbergen/) > [Whenever a gentle pressure is used to make a slight change in leg posture, the neck muscles react immediately. Conversely, when the therapist helps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolaas-tinbergen/whenever-a-gentle-pressure-is-used-to-make-a-slight-change-in-leg/) [Nikolaas Tinbergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikolaas-tinbergen/) > [Proper stance and movement are obviously genetically old, environment-resistant behaviours. Misuse, with all its psychosomatic or, rather, somato-psychic consequences, must therefore be considered a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolaas-tinbergen/proper-stance-and-movement-are-obviously-genetically-old-environment/) [Nikolaas Tinbergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikolaas-tinbergen/) [Explore all 7 Nikolaas Tinbergen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikolaas-tinbergen/) ## More Effort quotes > [I value the experiences that come with life too much to sit by and not put my full effort into them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-miller/i-value-the-experiences-that-come-with-life-too-much-to-sit-by-and/) [Jim Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-miller/) > [An enlightened awareness is within each one of us, right at this moment. This enlightened awareness is truly unborn and marvellously illuminating; and everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bankei-yotaku/an-enlightened-awareness-is-within-each-one-of-us-right-at-this/) [Bankei Yotaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bankei-yotaku/) > [Now I try to make efforts, you know, I'm just, the best effort I can do is just stay sober myself. I can at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-dick/now-i-try-to-make-efforts-you-know-i-m-just-the-best-effort-i-can-do/) [Andy Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-dick/) > [Reading counts as partying, even if you're not enjoying it! Even if someone's forcing you to read, you can find a way to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-w-k/reading-counts-as-partying-even-if-you-re-not-enjoying-it-even-if/) [Andrew W.K](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-w-k/) > [ Bernie \[Ecclestone\] is the commercial rights holder so the more outgoing the champion is, the better. Of course. I also do think about our… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-ecclestone/bernie-ecclestone-is-the-commercial-rights-holder-so-the-more/) [Bernie Ecclestone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-ecclestone/) > [All efforts to render politics aesthetic culminate in one thing: war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-benjamin/all-efforts-to-render-politics-aesthetic-culminate-in-one-thing-war/) [Walter Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-benjamin/) > [Im tired, tired of putting more effort than you do. Im tired of always having to start the conversation and if I dont, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-tired-tired-of-putting-more-effort-than-you-do-im-tired-of-always/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It is for the superfluous we sweat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/it-is-for-the-superfluous-we-sweat/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [Only alone can you go into eternity. Only alone can you feel the transcendental light. It is not a shared experience because if it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/only-alone-can-you-go-into-eternity-only-alone-can-you-feel-the/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [I love a pocket. I'm about helping women look as good as possible on the least amount of effort. I want versatility and comfort.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stella-mccartney/i-love-a-pocket-i-m-about-helping-women-look-as-good-as-possible-on/) [Stella McCartney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stella-mccartney/) > [I have often spoken of integrity as the most important of these values, realizing that integrity – and personal integrity, at that – is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/verghese-kurien/i-have-often-spoken-of-integrity-as-the-most-important-of-these/) [Verghese Kurien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/verghese-kurien/) > [Grace is the power of the Holy Spirit coming to us free of charge to enable you to do with ease what you could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/grace-is-the-power-of-the-holy-spirit-coming-to-us-free-of-charge-to/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) > [ No wonder that Churchill described this effort \[the British codebreakers working at Bletchley Park\] as "Britian"s secret weapon," a weapon far more effective than… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hilton/no-wonder-that-churchill-described-this-effort-the-british/) [Peter Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hilton/) > [“Dreams will come true as long as you give some effort towards your goal”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dayana/dreams-will-come-true-as-long-as-you-give-some-effort-towards-your/) Dayana > [I should have liked to get married, but over many decades I have lived essentially alone. I go to sleep when I'm tired, get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-dennis/i-should-have-liked-to-get-married-but-over-many-decades-i-have-lived/) [Felix Dennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-dennis/) [Browse all 8,602 Effort quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effort/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I was not much interested in school, and both at secondary school and at university, I only just scraped through, with as little effort as I judged possible without failing.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nikolaas Tinbergen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolaas-tinbergen/i-was-not-much-interested-in-school-and-both-at-secondary-school-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Effort" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolaas-tinbergen/i-was-not-much-interested-in-school-and-both-at-secondary-school-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1c/nikolaas-tinbergen-53050_effort_i-was-not-much-interested-in-school-and_1907219.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1c/nikolaas-tinbergen-53050_effort_i-was-not-much-interested-in-school-and_1907219.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1c/nikolaas-tinbergen-53050_effort_i-was-not-much-interested-in-school-and_1907219.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I was not much interested in school, and both at secondary school and at university, I only just scraped…” — Nikolaas Tinbergen", "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": "Nikolaas Tinbergen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikolaas-tinbergen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I was not much interested in...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolaas-tinbergen/i-was-not-much-interested-in-school-and-both-at-secondary-school-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolaas-tinbergen/i-was-not-much-interested-in-school-and-both-at-secondary-school-and/#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 } } ] } ```