--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He is not bad, I don't think. Perhaps he…" description: "\"He is not bad, I don't think. Perhaps he is simply too lazy to be good.\" — Patrick deWitt" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d2/patrick-dewitt-3545_be-good_he-is-not-bad-i-don-t-think-perhaps-he-i_1542962.png" --- # He is not bad, I don't think. Perhaps he is simply too… ![“He is not bad, I don't think. Perhaps he is simply too lazy to be good.” quote by Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d2/patrick-dewitt-3545_be-good_he-is-not-bad-i-don-t-think-perhaps-he-i_1542962.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d2/patrick-dewitt-3545_be-good_he-is-not-bad-i-don-t-think-perhaps-he-i_1542962.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d2/patrick-dewitt-3545_be-good_he-is-not-bad-i-don-t-think-perhaps-he-i_1542962.png) > “He is not bad, I don't think. Perhaps he is simply too lazy to be good.” [Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He suggests the subject’s laziness may be the reason for mediocrity, not inherent lack of ability. **In simple terms:** Laziness can hinder talent from becoming good. Key Takeaway Address effort gaps to unlock potential. Themes motivation potential effort Mood candid thoughtful Type reflective analytical When to use this quote - career coaching - personal growth - performance reviews - training programs Key Concepts self-discipline skill development Questions to Reflect On - What motivates you to overcome laziness? - How can you identify hidden potential? A Different Perspective External factors may also limit performance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [“Like, I'm lazy, but I'm also good at not-doing things I'm not supposed to do...Being funny is a way of not-doing. Sit around and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/like-i-m-lazy-but-i-m-also-good-at-not-doing-things-i-m-not-supposed/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Thank you lord, Because if it weren't for you, I would have been simply nothing,but a lazy and lazy addicted pig,with no direction what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-jack-kabasu/thank-you-lord-because-if-it-weren-t-for-you-i-would-have-been-simply/) [Lord Jack Kabasu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-jack-kabasu/) > [We Greeks believe that a man who takes no part in public affairs is not merely lazy, but good for nothing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thucydides/we-greeks-believe-that-a-man-who-takes-no-part-in-public-affairs-is/) [Thucydides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thucydides/) > [There's such cultural rot taking place, such a disintegration throughout our culture. Values, morality, you name it. Standards have been relaxed, and people are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/there-s-such-cultural-rot-taking-place-such-a-disintegration/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [All will concede that in order to have good neighbors, we must also be good neighbors. That applies in every field of human endeavor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/all-will-concede-that-in-order-to-have-good-neighbors-we-must-also-be/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [If you don't think about or deal with an issue, it gets bigger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-heughan/if-you-don-t-think-about-or-deal-with-an-issue-it-gets-bigger/) [Sam Heughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-heughan/) > [“If you can’t successfully do something, don’t think you can tell others how it should be done”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/if-you-can-t-successfully-do-something-don-t-think-you-can-tell/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [I don't think filmmakers want me in their projects.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/urfi-javed/i-don-t-think-filmmakers-want-me-in-their-projects/) [Urfi Javed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/urfi-javed/) > [I don't think marijuana should be illegal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/i-don-t-think-marijuana-should-be-illegal/) [Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/) > [I don't think anyone wants to do the same thing over and over again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-bachmann/i-don-t-think-anyone-wants-to-do-the-same-thing-over-and-over-again/) [Eric Bachmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-bachmann/) > [You don't think. It's all instinct. If you stop to think, you're gone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sugar-ray-robinson/you-don-t-think-it-s-all-instinct-if-you-stop-to-think-you-re-gone/) [Sugar Ray Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sugar-ray-robinson/) > [I don't think we need a featuring though , because five of us are enough .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-hyun-joong/i-don-t-think-we-need-a-featuring-though-because-five-of-us-are-enough/) [Kim Hyun-joong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-hyun-joong/) > [I don't think about who the audience is for my books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/i-don-t-think-about-who-the-audience-is-for-my-books/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [Don't even think for a moment that you are not going to die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dzongsar-jamyang-khyentse-rinpoche/don-t-even-think-for-a-moment-that-you-are-not-going-to-die/) [Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dzongsar-jamyang-khyentse-rinpoche/) > [Don't think OF the market. Think AS the market.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-fishman/don-t-think-of-the-market-think-as-the-market/) Michael Fishman ## More by Patrick deWitt > [“I had nowhere to go and did not wish to be seen by anyone for fear they would recognize my sadness and so for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/i-had-nowhere-to-go-and-did-not-wish-to-be-seen-by-anyone-for-fear/) [Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/) > [I come by writing dialogue fairly naturally, I've got a chatty family; I'm a bit of a voyeur, and if I'm ever in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/i-come-by-writing-dialogue-fairly-naturally-i-ve-got-a-chatty-family/) [Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/) > [“Beware of the plygs of Colorado City, Arizona. They have no cups of coffee for the likes of you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/beware-of-the-plygs-of-colorado-city-arizona-they-have-no-cups-of/) [Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/) > [“When you sleep, your dreams are those of a dullard”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/when-you-sleep-your-dreams-are-those-of-a-dullard/) [Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/) > [The nice thing about writing at home is that it's almost as though I'm doing it already. I get out of bed thinking of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/the-nice-thing-about-writing-at-home-is-that-it-s-almost-as-though-i/) [Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/) > [I am increasingly unimpressed by works of art that require a college degree to understand. I think that art should be for everyone. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/i-am-increasingly-unimpressed-by-works-of-art-that-require-a-college/) [Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/) > [I carry a small spiral notebook with me at all times and have been doing this for many years. There's a shoe box in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/i-carry-a-small-spiral-notebook-with-me-at-all-times-and-have-been/) [Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/) > ['The Sisters Brothers' started out as a little bit of dialogue between these two men who became Eli and Charlie Sisters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/the-sisters-brothers-started-out-as-a-little-bit-of-dialogue-between/) [Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/) > [I was halfway through a rough draft of 'The Sisters Brothers' when it came time to start the 'Terri' adaptation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/i-was-halfway-through-a-rough-draft-of-the-sisters-brothers-when-it/) [Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/) > [The impetus for 'The Sisters Brothers' was it occurred to me that there was no neurosis in westerns, or there's a minimal amount of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/the-impetus-for-the-sisters-brothers-was-it-occurred-to-me-that-there/) [Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/) > [I haven't read hardly any Westerns, to tell you the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/i-haven-t-read-hardly-any-westerns-to-tell-you-the-truth/) [Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/) > [Lies can be wonderful things, and when a lie is told artfully, if it's done with a degree of craftsmanship, I can't help but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/lies-can-be-wonderful-things-and-when-a-lie-is-told-artfully-if-it-s/) [Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/) > [I'm not an enormous proponent of plot as a reader. It's about other things; my reading has become specialized over the years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/i-m-not-an-enormous-proponent-of-plot-as-a-reader-it-s-about-other/) [Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/) > [“You are afraid of hell. But that’s all religion is, really. Fear of a place we’d rather not be, and where there’s no such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/you-are-afraid-of-hell-but-that-s-all-religion-is-really-fear-of-a/) [Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/) > [I've been surprised at how much an unknown like myself can accomplish just by reaching out to people and pleading my case. Quotes for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/i-ve-been-surprised-at-how-much-an-unknown-like-myself-can-accomplish/) [Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/) [Explore all 128 Patrick deWitt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/) ## More Be good quotes > [Passion is what you need to be good, an unforgiving passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-easton/passion-is-what-you-need-to-be-good-an-unforgiving-passion/) [David Easton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-easton/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [Peace is the result of love, and if love were easy we'd all be good at it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colman-mccarthy/peace-is-the-result-of-love-and-if-love-were-easy-we-d-all-be-good-at/) [Colman McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colman-mccarthy/) > [Therefore, I see whatever exists as good, death is to me like life, sin like holiness, wisdom like foolishness, everything has to be as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/therefore-i-see-whatever-exists-as-good-death-is-to-me-like-life-sin/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Most of us want to live in harmony and peace and be good to others. Right now, however, the world is in a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hany-abu-assad/most-of-us-want-to-live-in-harmony-and-peace-and-be-good-to-others/) [Hany Abu-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hany-abu-assad/) > [I've never had any desire to be good. I don't like goodness particularly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanif-kureishi/i-ve-never-had-any-desire-to-be-good-i-don-t-like-goodness/) [Hanif Kureishi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanif-kureishi/) > [To become a classical ballerina, you have to move to New York when you're 12 or 11 and that becomes your life. I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-garner/to-become-a-classical-ballerina-you-have-to-move-to-new-york-when-you/) [Jennifer Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-garner/) > [The producers felt that 24 would be good for the audience, to really get to know who these 12 and 12 are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-abdul/the-producers-felt-that-24-would-be-good-for-the-audience-to-really/) [Paula Abdul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-abdul/) > [All will concede that in order to have good neighbors, we must also be good neighbors. That applies in every field of human endeavor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/all-will-concede-that-in-order-to-have-good-neighbors-we-must-also-be/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [Everybody wants to be good, but not many are prepared to make the sacrifices it takes to be great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-arden/everybody-wants-to-be-good-but-not-many-are-prepared-to-make-the/) [Paul Arden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-arden/) > [There's such cultural rot taking place, such a disintegration throughout our culture. Values, morality, you name it. Standards have been relaxed, and people are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/there-s-such-cultural-rot-taking-place-such-a-disintegration/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [The difference in being good at some thing and being great at something is usually found in the little things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-anderson/the-difference-in-being-good-at-some-thing-and-being-great-at/) Randy Anderson > [It doesn't matter if your lead character is good or bad. He just has to be interesting, and he has to be good at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chase/it-doesn-t-matter-if-your-lead-character-is-good-or-bad-he-just-has/) [David Chase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chase/) > [What's good for the very rich might not be good for anybody but them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-jackson/what-s-good-for-the-very-rich-might-not-be-good-for-anybody-but-them/) [Jesse Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-jackson/) > [“Living in the middle of beauty like this, we've no call to have puny ideas about God. Why do you suppose His world is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-marshall/living-in-the-middle-of-beauty-like-this-we-ve-no-call-to-have-puny/) [Catherine Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-marshall/) Browse all 1,747 Be good quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "He is not bad, I don't think. 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