---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But don't forget my ideas are only what's…"
description: "\"But don't forget my ideas are only what's been written down in history by the great people of the world who've gone before. All I've done is condense t..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/497/percy-cerutty-26921_athletics_but-don-t-forget-my-ideas-are-only-what_2647923.png"
---

#  But don't forget my ideas are only what's been written…

![“But don't forget my ideas are only what's been written down in history by the great people of the world who've gone before. All I've done is condense the wisdom of the world into an attitude for athletics. Athletics aren't just running, it's a way of life” quote by Percy Cerutty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/497/percy-cerutty-26921_athletics_but-don-t-forget-my-ideas-are-only-what_2647923.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/497/percy-cerutty-26921_athletics_but-don-t-forget-my-ideas-are-only-what_2647923.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/497/percy-cerutty-26921_athletics_but-don-t-forget-my-ideas-are-only-what_2647923.png)

> “But don't forget my ideas are only what's been written down in history by the great people of the world who've gone before. All I've done is condense the wisdom of the world into an attitude for athletics. Athletics aren't just running, it's a way of life”

[Percy Cerutty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-cerutty/)

## About This Quote

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

The speaker claims their athletic philosophy condenses historic wisdom, positioning sport as a holistic lifestyle rather than mere activity.

**In simple terms:** Athletics embody historic wisdom as a lifestyle.

Key Takeaway

Live sportfully.

Themes

sports philosophy legacy

Mood

inspirational reflective

Type

philosophical motivational

When to use this quote

- coaching
- personal development
- team building

Key Concepts

cultural transmission mind‑body integration

Questions to Reflect On

- What does “athletic lifestyle” mean to you?
- How can sport reflect broader cultural values?

A Different Perspective

Historical wisdom may be selective or romanticized.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Athletics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athletics/) [Attitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attitude/) [Great people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-people/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) [Sports](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sports/) [Way of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way-of-life/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/)

## Related quotes

> [You see a lot of good ideas or well-written scripts that are bad ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mctiernan/you-see-a-lot-of-good-ideas-or-well-written-scripts-that-are-bad-ideas/)

[John McTiernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mctiernan/)

> [I have ideas written down some places, but usually I can't find them. I'm not very organized.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-kaufman/i-have-ideas-written-down-some-places-but-usually-i-can-t-find-them-i/)

[Charlie Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-kaufman/)

> [“Writing is not about ideas, it is about the expression of ideas - a written expression.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-raymond-martin/writing-is-not-about-ideas-it-is-about-the-expression-of-ideas-a/)

Paul Raymond Martin

> [When you are reading, someone has done a lot of work on your behalf, someone has had ideas and has then written and corrected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mahy/when-you-are-reading-someone-has-done-a-lot-of-work-on-your-behalf/)

[Margaret Mahy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mahy/)

> [I've always found that working through ideas in written form really changes the thinking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-d-anthony/i-ve-always-found-that-working-through-ideas-in-written-form-really/)

[Scott D. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-d-anthony/)

> [When you view your world with an attitude of gratitude, you are training yourself to focus on the good in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-j-meyer/when-you-view-your-world-with-an-attitude-of-gratitude-you-are/)

[Paul J. Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-j-meyer/)

> [“Fuck the world with your attitude, to live for, needed for this life!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shivi-goyal/fuck-the-world-with-your-attitude-to-live-for-needed-for-this-life/)

Shivi Goyal

> [“Cynics have observed that those who have benefited the most from “progress”—the citizens of the First World—are the people most inclined to disdain it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-h-keeley/cynics-have-observed-that-those-who-have-benefited-the-most-from/)

[Lawrence H. Keeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-h-keeley/)

> [“In the light of the world's attitude toward woman and her duties, the nature of Carrie's mental state deserves consideration. Actions such as hers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-dreiser/in-the-light-of-the-world-s-attitude-toward-woman-and-her-duties-the/)

[Theodore Dreiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-dreiser/)

> [“You know, there was a time at the beginning of the 50's when this nuclear threat hung over the world, but the attitude of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-solzhenitsyn/you-know-there-was-a-time-at-the-beginning-of-the-50-s-when-this/)

[Alexander Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-solzhenitsyn/)

> [Don't walk as if you rule the world.. walk as if you don't care who rules the world. And that's ATTITUDE! :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/punkinhead-abhishek/don-t-walk-as-if-you-rule-the-world-walk-as-if-you-don-t-care-who/)

[Punkinhead Abhishek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/punkinhead-abhishek/)

> [One of the things I'm most proud of about myself is my ability to fail in front of the world. You have to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solange-knowles/one-of-the-things-i-m-most-proud-of-about-myself-is-my-ability-to/)

[Solange Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solange-knowles/)

> [We live in an age when you can prowl the streets of major cities and find human beings offering themselves in store windows, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-scully/we-live-in-an-age-when-you-can-prowl-the-streets-of-major-cities-and/)

[Matthew Scully](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-scully/)

> [The mastery of the true self, and the refusal to permit others to dominate us, is the ultimate in living and self-expression in athletics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-cerutty/the-mastery-of-the-true-self-and-the-refusal-to-permit-others-to/)

[Percy Cerutty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-cerutty/)

> [I'm not interested in athletics, I'm only interested in achievement. Fix your goal and work for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-cerutty/i-m-not-interested-in-athletics-i-m-only-interested-in-achievement/)

[Percy Cerutty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-cerutty/)

## More by Percy Cerutty

> [Endurance? You've only got to get out there and do it. Face up to it: man was meant to run.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-cerutty/endurance-you-ve-only-got-to-get-out-there-and-do-it-face-up-to-it/)

[Percy Cerutty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-cerutty/)

> [Pain is the purifier. Love pain. Embrace pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-cerutty/pain-is-the-purifier-love-pain-embrace-pain/)

[Percy Cerutty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-cerutty/)

> [Hard things take time to do. Impossible things take a little longer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-cerutty/hard-things-take-time-to-do-impossible-things-take-a-little-longer/)

[Percy Cerutty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-cerutty/)

> [Run hard, be strong, think big!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-cerutty/run-hard-be-strong-think-big/)

[Percy Cerutty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-cerutty/)

> [I'm not interested in athletics, I'm only interested in achievement. Fix your goal and work for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-cerutty/i-m-not-interested-in-athletics-i-m-only-interested-in-achievement/)

[Percy Cerutty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-cerutty/)

> [Thus I urge you to go onto your greatness if you believe it is in you. Think deeply and separate what you wish from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-cerutty/thus-i-urge-you-to-go-onto-your-greatness-if-you-believe-it-is-in-you/)

[Percy Cerutty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-cerutty/)

> [“You only ever grow as a human being if you're outside your comfort zone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-cerutty/you-only-ever-grow-as-a-human-being-if-you-re-outside-your-comfort/)

[Percy Cerutty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-cerutty/)

> [To be great, one does not have to be mad, but definitely it helps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-cerutty/to-be-great-one-does-not-have-to-be-mad-but-definitely-it-helps/)

[Percy Cerutty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-cerutty/)

> [Runners don't run with their legs, they run ON their legs. In reality, they run with their Arms!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-cerutty/runners-don-t-run-with-their-legs-they-run-on-their-legs-in-reality/)

[Percy Cerutty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-cerutty/)

> [Let the smokers and the gluttons die... and leave the living to us who know how to use it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-cerutty/let-the-smokers-and-the-gluttons-die-and-leave-the-living-to-us-who/)

[Percy Cerutty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-cerutty/)

> [Ignore, then, whether you are tall and thin or short and stocky- whether they laughed at you at home (where they are often unkind)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-cerutty/ignore-then-whether-you-are-tall-and-thin-or-short-and-stocky-whether/)

[Percy Cerutty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-cerutty/)

> [If it hurts, make it hurt more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-cerutty/if-it-hurts-make-it-hurt-more/)

[Percy Cerutty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-cerutty/)

> [The mastery of the true self, and the refusal to permit others to dominate us, is the ultimate in living and self-expression in athletics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-cerutty/the-mastery-of-the-true-self-and-the-refusal-to-permit-others-to/)

[Percy Cerutty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-cerutty/)

> [I have found life highly competitive. I accept it. It is useless, merely a hypocritical humbug, to sincerely wish your opponent to win. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-cerutty/i-have-found-life-highly-competitive-i-accept-it-it-is-useless-merely/)

[Percy Cerutty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-cerutty/)

> [If the coach cannot do it, he cannot 'teach' it-only talk about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-cerutty/if-the-coach-cannot-do-it-he-cannot-teach-it-only-talk-about-it/)

[Percy Cerutty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-cerutty/)

[Explore all 21 Percy Cerutty quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-cerutty/)

## More Athletics quotes

> [We want to promote the great quality of athletics - and maintain it's integrity - all over the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-juantorena/we-want-to-promote-the-great-quality-of-athletics-and-maintain-it-s/)

[Alberto Juantorena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-juantorena/)

> [Combining the experience of a seasoned university president with the analysis of a respected legal scholar, Derek Bok explores what he concludes are 'signs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-h-t-rhodes/combining-the-experience-of-a-seasoned-university-president-with-the/)

Frank H. T. Rhodes

> [There are only two options regarding commitment; you’re either in or you’re out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-riley/there-are-only-two-options-regarding-commitment-you-re-either-in-or/)

[Pat Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-riley/)

> [The Games have been decimated. If you take away the Eastern Bloc, you take away 50% of the medals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-pickering/the-games-have-been-decimated-if-you-take-away-the-eastern-bloc-you/)

[Ron Pickering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-pickering/)

> [If you have the sense of participation in sports or athletics, of being a player, then you are not really into the Zen mind.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/if-you-have-the-sense-of-participation-in-sports-or-athletics-of/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [While receiving radiation treatment for a thyroid illness, I had refused to take beta-blockers - a medication that would have eased its side effects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-devers/while-receiving-radiation-treatment-for-a-thyroid-illness-i-had/)

[Gail Devers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-devers/)

> [Everyone is an athlete. The only difference is that some of us are in training, and some are not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-a-sheehan/everyone-is-an-athlete-the-only-difference-is-that-some-of-us-are-in/)

[George A. Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-a-sheehan/)

> [And with alphabetical irony Nigeria follows New Zealand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-coleman/and-with-alphabetical-irony-nigeria-follows-new-zealand/)

[David Coleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-coleman/)

> [The very advanced practitioners of martial arts never had to raise a hand. They could knock an opponent down without physically touching them, just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/the-very-advanced-practitioners-of-martial-arts-never-had-to-raise-a/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [There's discussion in athletics about how sport - where they say 'SportsCenter' has ruined the fundamentals of basketball because it's - it only applauds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-pfeiffer/there-s-discussion-in-athletics-about-how-sport-where-they-say/)

[Dan Pfeiffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-pfeiffer/)

> [In the game of Frisbee you throw the disk to someone else. The point of Frisbee is perfect communication. The person at the other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/in-the-game-of-frisbee-you-throw-the-disk-to-someone-else-the-point/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [Physical perfection, working out, adds to your spiritual perfection if that is your intent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/physical-perfection-working-out-adds-to-your-spiritual-perfection-if/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [If you get a great wife who understands the demands of someone in athletics, I think that's important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-romo/if-you-get-a-great-wife-who-understands-the-demands-of-someone-in/)

[Tony Romo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-romo/)

> [Few would deny that blacks have become very dominant in athletics: football, basketball, track, now dominant in tennis and dominant in golf.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-jackson/few-would-deny-that-blacks-have-become-very-dominant-in-athletics/)

[Jesse Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-jackson/)

> [Participating in athletics gives all students an opportunity to learn about themselves, to compete, to negotiate with a team and learn skills that are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-cardona/participating-in-athletics-gives-all-students-an-opportunity-to-learn/)

[Miguel Cardona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-cardona/)

[Browse all 347 Athletics quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athletics/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "But don't forget my ideas are only what's been written down in history by the great people of the world who've gone before. All I've done is condense the wisdom of the world into an attitude for athletics. Athletics aren't just running, it's a way of life",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Percy Cerutty"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-cerutty/but-don-t-forget-my-ideas-are-only-what-s-been-written-down-in/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Athletics"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-cerutty/but-don-t-forget-my-ideas-are-only-what-s-been-written-down-in/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/497/percy-cerutty-26921_athletics_but-don-t-forget-my-ideas-are-only-what_2647923.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/497/percy-cerutty-26921_athletics_but-don-t-forget-my-ideas-are-only-what_2647923.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/497/percy-cerutty-26921_athletics_but-don-t-forget-my-ideas-are-only-what_2647923.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“But don't forget my ideas are only what's been written down in history by the great people of the world…” — Percy Cerutty",
                "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": "Percy Cerutty",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-cerutty/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "But don't forget my ideas are...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-cerutty/but-don-t-forget-my-ideas-are-only-what-s-been-written-down-in/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-cerutty/but-don-t-forget-my-ideas-are-only-what-s-been-written-down-in/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
