--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Brilliant thinking is rare, but courage…" description: "\"Brilliant thinking is rare, but courage is in even shorter supply than genius.\" — Peter Thiel" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5db/peter-thiel-1311_brilliant_brilliant-thinking-is-rare-but-courage-i_2989773.png" --- # Brilliant thinking is rare, but courage is in even shorter… ![“Brilliant thinking is rare, but courage is in even shorter supply than genius.” quote by Peter Thiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5db/peter-thiel-1311_brilliant_brilliant-thinking-is-rare-but-courage-i_2989773.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5db/peter-thiel-1311_brilliant_brilliant-thinking-is-rare-but-courage-i_2989773.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5db/peter-thiel-1311_brilliant_brilliant-thinking-is-rare-but-courage-i_2989773.png) > “Brilliant thinking is rare, but courage is in even shorter supply than genius.” [Peter Thiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Brilliant ideas are rare; courage is even rarer, emphasizing that daring action is essential for innovation. **In simple terms:** Courage is rarer than brilliance. Key Takeaway Act boldly despite uncertainty. Themes innovation courage genius Mood motivational strategic Type business philosophical When to use this quote - startup founding - product development - strategic planning - leadership Key Concepts entrepreneurship risk management Questions to Reflect On - What risks are worth taking? - How do you balance brilliance with bravery? A Different Perspective Courage alone may not compensate for lack of skill. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brilliant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brilliant/) [Brilliant Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brilliant-thinking-4692122/) [Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) [Courage Shorter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage-shorter-4692121/) [Genius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genius/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Intelligence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligence/) [Rare Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rare-courage-675378/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Thinking Rare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking-rare-635821/) ## Related quotes > [Kind thoughts are rarer than either kind words or deeds. They imply a great deal of thinking about others. This in itself is rare.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-william-faber/kind-thoughts-are-rarer-than-either-kind-words-or-deeds-they-imply-a/) [Frederick William Faber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-william-faber/) > [Long term thinking is so rare anywhere, but especially in startups. This is a huge advantage if you do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/long-term-thinking-is-so-rare-anywhere-but-especially-in-startups/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [When your thinking is brilliant, you will be brilliant, but if your thinking is not brilliant you will not be brilliant, no matter how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-d-larson/when-your-thinking-is-brilliant-you-will-be-brilliant-but-if-your/) [Christian D. Larson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-d-larson/) > [“Your opinion of your mental capacity may be great, but if your idea of intelligence is crude, your intelligence-producing thought will also be crude,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-d-larson/your-opinion-of-your-mental-capacity-may-be-great-but-if-your-idea-of/) [Christian D. Larson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-d-larson/) > [Success is less rare than the courage to attempt it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-rossio/success-is-less-rare-than-the-courage-to-attempt-it/) [Terry Rossio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-rossio/) > [A courage which looks easy and yet is rare; the courage of a teacher repeating day after day the same lessons - the least…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/a-courage-which-looks-easy-and-yet-is-rare-the-courage-of-a-teacher/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [“Everyone has talent. 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Others, genius bordering on madness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-segal/some-were-brilliant-bordering-on-genius-others-genius-bordering-on/) [Erich Segal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-segal/) > [R.I.P. Alexander McQueen, a kind soul and brilliant creative genius. Sad and shocking. You've touched us all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-zee/r-i-p-alexander-mcqueen-a-kind-soul-and-brilliant-creative-genius-sad/) [Joe Zee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-zee/) > [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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [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/) ## More by Peter Thiel > [People don't want to believe that technology is broken. Pharmaceuticals, robotics, artificial intelligence, nanotechnology - all these areas where the progress has been a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thiel/people-don-t-want-to-believe-that-technology-is-broken/) [Peter Thiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/) > [If you think about basic science or coming up with new theories of mathematics, these are not the kinds of things which are necessarily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thiel/if-you-think-about-basic-science-or-coming-up-with-new-theories-of/) [Peter Thiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/) > [I think we have a bubble in the US in government bonds, because of the quantitative easing and the negative real interest rates, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thiel/i-think-we-have-a-bubble-in-the-us-in-government-bonds-because-of-the/) [Peter Thiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/) > [“Time and decision-making themselves follow a power law, and some moments matter far more than others”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thiel/time-and-decision-making-themselves-follow-a-power-law-and-some/) [Peter Thiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/) > [“Today, we exaggerate the differences between left-liberal egalitarianism and libertarian individualism because almost everyone shares their common indefinite attitude. 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Competition means no profits for anybody, no meaningful differentiation, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thiel/creative-monopoly-means-new-products-that-benefit-everybody-and/) [Peter Thiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/) > [“we have given up our sense of wonder at secrets left to be discovered.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thiel/we-have-given-up-our-sense-of-wonder-at-secrets-left-to-be-discovered/) [Peter Thiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/) > [“Today our society is permeated by the twin ideas that death is both inevitable and random.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thiel/today-our-society-is-permeated-by-the-twin-ideas-that-death-is-both/) [Peter Thiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/) > [“if your company can be summed up by its opposition to already existing firms, it can’t be completely new and it’s probably not going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thiel/if-your-company-can-be-summed-up-by-its-opposition-to-already/) [Peter Thiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/) > [“Is a lukewarm attitude to one’s work a sign of mental health? Is a merely professional attitude the only sane approach?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thiel/is-a-lukewarm-attitude-to-one-s-work-a-sign-of-mental-health-is-a/) [Peter Thiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/) > [“If you’ve invented something new but you haven’t invented an effective way to sell it, you have a bad business—no matter how good the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thiel/if-you-ve-invented-something-new-but-you-haven-t-invented-an/) [Peter Thiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/) > [The business model piece is we're always talking about competing more effectively. If you're starting a company or career you don't want to compete.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thiel/the-business-model-piece-is-we-re-always-talking-about-competing-more/) [Peter Thiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/) > [If you invest in Microsoft or Oracle, or a number of other companies for that matter, you're fundamentally making a bet that there's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thiel/if-you-invest-in-microsoft-or-oracle-or-a-number-of-other-companies/) [Peter Thiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/) > [Our economy is broken. I'm not a politician, but neither is Donald Trump. He is a builder, and it's time to rebuild America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thiel/our-economy-is-broken-i-m-not-a-politician-but-neither-is-donald/) [Peter Thiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/) [Explore all 257 Peter Thiel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/) ## More Brilliant quotes > [And you can't complain about kissing Emma Watson. Isn't that what everyone in the world wants to do? 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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. 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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": "Brilliant thinking is rare, but courage is in even shorter supply than genius.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Peter Thiel" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thiel/brilliant-thinking-is-rare-but-courage-is-in-even-shorter-supply-than/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Brilliant" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thiel/brilliant-thinking-is-rare-but-courage-is-in-even-shorter-supply-than/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5db/peter-thiel-1311_brilliant_brilliant-thinking-is-rare-but-courage-i_2989773.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5db/peter-thiel-1311_brilliant_brilliant-thinking-is-rare-but-courage-i_2989773.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5db/peter-thiel-1311_brilliant_brilliant-thinking-is-rare-but-courage-i_2989773.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Brilliant thinking is rare, but courage is in even shorter supply than genius.” — Peter Thiel", "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": "Peter Thiel", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Brilliant thinking is rare, but courage...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thiel/brilliant-thinking-is-rare-but-courage-is-in-even-shorter-supply-than/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thiel/brilliant-thinking-is-rare-but-courage-is-in-even-shorter-supply-than/#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 } } ] } ```