--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We are often too late with our…" description: "\"We are often too late with our brilliance. We are on time delay. The only instant gratification comes in the form of potato chips. The rest will find u..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f08/richard-schiff-18142_brilliance_we-are-often-too-late-with-our-brillianc_2905757.jpg" --- # We are often too late with our brilliance. We are on time… ![“We are often too late with our brilliance. We are on time delay. The only instant gratification comes in the form of potato chips. The rest will find us by surprise somewhere down the road maybe as we sleep and dream of other things.” quote by Richard Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f08/richard-schiff-18142_brilliance_we-are-often-too-late-with-our-brillianc_2905757.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f08/richard-schiff-18142_brilliance_we-are-often-too-late-with-our-brillianc_2905757.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f08/richard-schiff-18142_brilliance_we-are-often-too-late-with-our-brillianc_2905757.jpg) > “We are often too late with our brilliance. We are on time delay. The only instant gratification comes in the form of potato chips. The rest will find us by surprise somewhere down the road maybe as we sleep and dream of other things.” [Richard Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-schiff/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Brilliance often arrives late; immediate gratification is fleeting, while deeper rewards emerge unexpectedly later. **In simple terms:** Great ideas come later, not instantly. Key Takeaway Value patience over quick fixes. Themes creativity patience gratification surprise Mood reflective motivational Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - career - art - personal growth Key Concepts psychology of motivation future orientation Questions to Reflect On - What delayed successes have you experienced? - How to resist short‑term temptations? A Different Perspective Instant rewards can distract from long‑term goals. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brilliance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brilliance/) [Brilliance Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brilliance-time-4156814/) [Chips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chips/) [Delay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delay/) [Down](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/down/) [Down the road](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/down-the-road/) [Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) [Find](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/find/) [Form](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/form/) [Gratification](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gratification/) [Instant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/instant/) [Instant gratification](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/instant-gratification/) [Late](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/late/) [Late Brilliance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/late-brilliance-4156813/) [Maybe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/maybe/) [Often](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/often/) [Only](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/only/) [Other](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/other/) [Our](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our/) [Potato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/potato/) [Potato Chip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/potato-chip/) [Potato chips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/potato-chips/) [Potatoes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/potatoes/) [Procrastination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/procrastination/) [Rest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rest/) [Road](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/road/) [Sleep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sleep/) [Sleep and dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sleep-and-dream/) [Somewhere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/somewhere/) [Somewhere down the road](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/somewhere-down-the-road/) [Surprise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprise/) [Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Too](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too/) [Too late](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too-late/) [Us](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/us/) [Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/will/) ## Related quotes > [I get superstitious. I always have to have some form of potato, either chips or mashed potato or roast potatoes on a show day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadine-coyle/i-get-superstitious-i-always-have-to-have-some-form-of-potato-either/) [Nadine Coyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadine-coyle/) > [What is it to keep kosher? Is it eating kosher potato chips? Kosher is a bigger idea. I think it's about being healthy. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matisyahu/what-is-it-to-keep-kosher-is-it-eating-kosher-potato-chips-kosher-is/) [Matisyahu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matisyahu/) > [Nothing was planned in my career. I just went with the flow and took everything that came to me. Selling potato chips was obvious,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boman-irani/nothing-was-planned-in-my-career-i-just-went-with-the-flow-and-took/) [Boman Irani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boman-irani/) > [There's a deli around the corner from my office where I'd get a bag of chips with my sandwich, and I was hiding them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-belling/there-s-a-deli-around-the-corner-from-my-office-where-i-d-get-a-bag/) [Keith Belling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-belling/) > [It is true that there comes a time when I do literally dream about McDonald's. I dream of supermarkets and drug stores, potato chips…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dian-fossey/it-is-true-that-there-comes-a-time-when-i-do-literally-dream-about/) [Dian Fossey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dian-fossey/) > [I love all Puerto Rican food. I love rice and beans. I like anything with steak, chicken, pork. But I like chocolate and potato…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-posada/i-love-all-puerto-rican-food-i-love-rice-and-beans-i-like-anything/) [Jorge Posada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-posada/) > [Stars make money on real movies. They make big money on real movies. To come into my world, I've got some M&Ms and some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-daniels/stars-make-money-on-real-movies-they-make-big-money-on-real-movies-to/) [Lee Daniels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-daniels/) > [I love cake. I love pie. I love potato chips. I love salt. I do not want yogurt, plain yogurt. It's healthy. 'Why don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/i-love-cake-i-love-pie-i-love-potato-chips-i-love-salt-i-do-not-want/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [Soy sauce and seaweed go really well with potato chips.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/soy-sauce-and-seaweed-go-really-well-with-potato-chips/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“They’re your guilty pleasure. You have some tucked away in your office at work, and all over your house... you can never get enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loretta-lost/they-re-your-guilty-pleasure-you-have-some-tucked-away-in-your-office/) [Loretta Lost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loretta-lost/) > [I don't really like sweets, so that's never been a problem. Instead I'll have Kettle potato chips, which are gluten-free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-michael-foster/i-don-t-really-like-sweets-so-that-s-never-been-a-problem-instead-i/) [Scott Michael Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-michael-foster/) > [If you had asked me when I was 28 and in my wedding dress if I ever thought I would end up in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenna-mccarthy/if-you-had-asked-me-when-i-was-28-and-in-my-wedding-dress-if-i-ever/) [Jenna McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenna-mccarthy/) > [No one is guaranteed a spot at the top, no one is guaranteed a title shot, but all you can do is win your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-mir/no-one-is-guaranteed-a-spot-at-the-top-no-one-is-guaranteed-a-title/) [Frank Mir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-mir/) > [“When children of any age learn of a parent’s infidelity, they usually find it extremely difficult—if not impossible— to trust that someone they love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-nogales/when-children-of-any-age-learn-of-a-parent-s-infidelity-they-usually/) [Ana Nogales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-nogales/) > [“When you stand up for yourself, you never know if you’re standing up for someone who isn’t ready to do the same. And you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-j-klune/when-you-stand-up-for-yourself-you-never-know-if-you-re-standing-up/) [T.J. Klune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-j-klune/) ## More by Richard Schiff > [I was happy to spend time with my family, get to know my daughter, who was born during The West Wing. I missed her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-schiff/i-was-happy-to-spend-time-with-my-family-get-to-know-my-daughter-who/) [Richard Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-schiff/) > [Families are like puzzles. They fit together in a certain way, and if one piece is missing, it throws everything off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-schiff/families-are-like-puzzles-they-fit-together-in-a-certain-way-and-if/) [Richard Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-schiff/) > [Things happen to us and reaction is sometimes tough to measure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-schiff/things-happen-to-us-and-reaction-is-sometimes-tough-to-measure/) [Richard Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-schiff/) > [Most actors, unless they're big movie stars and can carve out huge chunks of time to focus on one movie that takes six months…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-schiff/most-actors-unless-they-re-big-movie-stars-and-can-carve-out-huge/) [Richard Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-schiff/) > [I have to admit I've rarely been happier in my life. I have been absolutely thrilled to be back in New York and living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-schiff/i-have-to-admit-i-ve-rarely-been-happier-in-my-life-i-have-been/) [Richard Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-schiff/) > [If you go to the real West Wing in the White House it looks like a boring law office; there's really not a whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-schiff/if-you-go-to-the-real-west-wing-in-the-white-house-it-looks-like-a/) [Richard Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-schiff/) > [I would love to be in the position where the role is challenging enough that I need three months to prepare for it and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-schiff/i-would-love-to-be-in-the-position-where-the-role-is-challenging/) [Richard Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-schiff/) > [My parents grew up in the Depression. Despite the success that they both had in their lives, there's a certain mentality that tells you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-schiff/my-parents-grew-up-in-the-depression-despite-the-success-that-they/) [Richard Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-schiff/) > [Every role is challenging in its own way, but the most challenging roles are the ones that are badly written - then it's completely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-schiff/every-role-is-challenging-in-its-own-way-but-the-most-challenging/) [Richard Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-schiff/) > [I still have the mentality of someone who doesn't know where he's going to sleep and doesn't know if he has enough money for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-schiff/i-still-have-the-mentality-of-someone-who-doesn-t-know-where-he-s/) [Richard Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-schiff/) > [I love David Fincher - even though it was just two scenes, I loved the way we worked and could tell by the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-schiff/i-love-david-fincher-even-though-it-was-just-two-scenes-i-loved-the/) [Richard Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-schiff/) > [I've been very lucky not to have turned down too many roles that I've later regretted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-schiff/i-ve-been-very-lucky-not-to-have-turned-down-too-many-roles-that-i-ve/) [Richard Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-schiff/) > [It seems not to matter that we are at the brink of a war that may spread beyond Afghanistan and Iraq to Iran and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-schiff/it-seems-not-to-matter-that-we-are-at-the-brink-of-a-war-that-may/) [Richard Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-schiff/) > [I go in to Warner Brothers to test and in the waiting area I saw Allison Janney sitting there, who I did not know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-schiff/i-go-in-to-warner-brothers-to-test-and-in-the-waiting-area-i-saw/) [Richard Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-schiff/) > [The political nonsense of network television and the culture of a set and all the problems that that can create, I can take. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-schiff/the-political-nonsense-of-network-television-and-the-culture-of-a-set/) [Richard Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-schiff/) [Explore all 35 Richard Schiff quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-schiff/) ## More Brilliance quotes > [Asanas bring perfection in body, beauty in form, grace, strength, compactness, and the hardness and brilliance of a diamond.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patanjali/asanas-bring-perfection-in-body-beauty-in-form-grace-strength/) [Patanjali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patanjali/) > [Evil may mar the divine image and cloud its brilliance, but it cannot destroy it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul/evil-may-mar-the-divine-image-and-cloud-its-brilliance-but-it-cannot/) [R. C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul/) > [Knowledge is merely brilliance in organization of ideas and not wisdom. The truly wise person goes beyond knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/knowledge-is-merely-brilliance-in-organization-of-ideas-and-not/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Sensual pleasures have the fleeting brilliance of a comet; a happy marriage has the tranquillity of a lovely sunset.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-landers/sensual-pleasures-have-the-fleeting-brilliance-of-a-comet-a-happy/) [Ann Landers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-landers/) > [What is writing, no matter how lavish the pieces, if it says nothing of the truth, cares little for the heart, and is merely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muriel-barbery/what-is-writing-no-matter-how-lavish-the-pieces-if-it-says-nothing-of/) [Muriel Barbery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muriel-barbery/) > [I love the idea of a movie hero in a thriller who is able to get ahead by just his brilliance, and not with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-strong/i-love-the-idea-of-a-movie-hero-in-a-thriller-who-is-able-to-get/) [Danny Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-strong/) > [Most brilliance arises from ordinary people working together in extraordinary ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-von-oech/most-brilliance-arises-from-ordinary-people-working-together-in/) [Roger von Oech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-von-oech/) > [A man doesn't need brilliance or genius, all he needs is energy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-m-greenfield/a-man-doesn-t-need-brilliance-or-genius-all-he-needs-is-energy/) [Albert M. Greenfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-m-greenfield/) > [We aren't suggesting that mental instability or unhappiness makes one a better poet, or a poet at all; and contrary to the romantic notion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorianne-laux/we-aren-t-suggesting-that-mental-instability-or-unhappiness-makes-one/) [Dorianne Laux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorianne-laux/) > [Enlightenment is like witnessing the brilliant sun for the first time in the morning. It is like seeing the beautiful flowers that grow in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chogyam-trungpa/enlightenment-is-like-witnessing-the-brilliant-sun-for-the-first-time/) [Chogyam Trungpa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chogyam-trungpa/) > [Too much brilliance has its disadvantages, and misplaced wit may raise a laugh, but often beheads a topic of profound interest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-asquith/too-much-brilliance-has-its-disadvantages-and-misplaced-wit-may-raise/) [Margot Asquith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-asquith/) > [It is not brilliance or facility that is necessary, but the determination to bear and even enjoy the dull process of wading into one's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-o-nan/it-is-not-brilliance-or-facility-that-is-necessary-but-the/) [Stewart O'Nan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-o-nan/) > [Our humanity is trapped by moral adolescents. We have too many men of science, too few men of God. The world has achieved brilliance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omar-n-bradley/our-humanity-is-trapped-by-moral-adolescents-we-have-too-many-men-of/) [Omar N. Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omar-n-bradley/) > [Here is just emptiness. There is no getting my ego out of the way, and all that stuff. There is just the seeing, shining…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-harding/here-is-just-emptiness-there-is-no-getting-my-ego-out-of-the-way-and/) [Douglas Harding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-harding/) > [“You can't stop the future. All you can do is pick a side”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-sakey/you-can-t-stop-the-future-all-you-can-do-is-pick-a-side/) [Markus Sakey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-sakey/) [Browse all 411 Brilliance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brilliance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We are often too late with our brilliance. 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