--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Few have abilities so much needed by the…" description: "\"Few have abilities so much needed by the rest of the world as to be caressed on their own terms; and he that will not condescend to recommend himself b..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/507/samuel-johnson-50_ability_few-have-abilities-so-much-needed-by-the_93495.png" --- # Few have abilities so much needed by the rest of the world… ![“Few have abilities so much needed by the rest of the world as to be caressed on their own terms; and he that will not condescend to recommend himself by external embellishments must submit to the fate of just sentiment meanly expressed, and be ridiculed and forgotten before he is understood.” quote by Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/507/samuel-johnson-50_ability_few-have-abilities-so-much-needed-by-the_93495.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/507/samuel-johnson-50_ability_few-have-abilities-so-much-needed-by-the_93495.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/507/samuel-johnson-50_ability_few-have-abilities-so-much-needed-by-the_93495.png) > “Few have abilities so much needed by the rest of the world as to be caressed on their own terms; and he that will not condescend to recommend himself by external embellishments must submit to the fate of just sentiment meanly expressed, and be ridiculed and forgotten before he is understood.” [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage warns that true talent must be humble and avoid self‑promotion, lest it be misunderstood and dismissed. **In simple terms:** Humility vs. self‑promotion Key Takeaway True skill needs modesty Themes humility recognition misunderstanding pride authenticity Mood reflective cautious Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - public speaking - artistic debut - academic presentation - leadership - media interview Key Concepts self‑esteem social perception Practical Applications - coaching on personal branding - advice for introverted professionals Questions to Reflect On - How can one showcase ability without appearing boastful? - What risks arise from excessive self‑promotion? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Arrogance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arrogance/) [Fate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fate/) [Sentiments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sentiments/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [You'll understand when you've forgotten what you understood before](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italo-calvino/you-ll-understand-when-you-ve-forgotten-what-you-understood-before/) [Italo Calvino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italo-calvino/) > [Among the numerous requisites that must concur to complete an author, few are of more importance than an early entrance into the living world.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/among-the-numerous-requisites-that-must-concur-to-complete-an-author/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [I loved fairy tales as a kid. I've always been drawn to fantasy. They're always exciting. There's never a dull moment. I just love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-carson-levine/i-loved-fairy-tales-as-a-kid-i-ve-always-been-drawn-to-fantasy-they/) [Gail Carson Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-carson-levine/) > [At a distance from the theatre of action, truth is not always related without embellishment, and sometimes is entirely perverted, from a misconception of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/at-a-distance-from-the-theatre-of-action-truth-is-not-always-related/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [Southerners have this love of embellishment. Even when you read a police report, there's some backstory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/southerners-have-this-love-of-embellishment-even-when-you-read-a/) [Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/) > [The inspiration starts with the armor my parents collected. The references are subtle, whether in the mix of textures (woven, quilted, pleated) or in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tory-burch/the-inspiration-starts-with-the-armor-my-parents-collected-the/) [Tory Burch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tory-burch/) > [Punctuality is an essential trait of the teacher. It is a foundation, not an embellishment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boyd-k-packer/punctuality-is-an-essential-trait-of-the-teacher-it-is-a-foundation/) [Boyd K. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boyd-k-packer/) > [Beauty has so many charms, one knows not how to speak against it; and when it happens that a graceful figure is the habitation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-sterne/beauty-has-so-many-charms-one-knows-not-how-to-speak-against-it-and/) [Laurence Sterne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-sterne/) > [But if there was embellishment, it only had to do with the facts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/but-if-there-was-embellishment-it-only-had-to-do-with-the-facts/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [You come by your style by learning what to leave out. At first you tend to overwrite—embellishment instead of insight. You either continue to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-collins/you-come-by-your-style-by-learning-what-to-leave-out-at-first-you/) [Billy Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-collins/) > [The intricate engraving, fine lines, beading and milgrain accents echo an era defined by elaborate embellishments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-wang/the-intricate-engraving-fine-lines-beading-and-milgrain-accents-echo/) [Vera Wang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-wang/) > [I’ve always been very detail orientated, but I have gone from embellishment to nudity - from designing for a woman that likes to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-louboutin/i-ve-always-been-very-detail-orientated-but-i-have-gone-from/) [Christian Louboutin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-louboutin/) > [I am fond of history and am very well contented to take the false with the true. In the principal facts they have sources…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/i-am-fond-of-history-and-am-very-well-contented-to-take-the-false/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [If you come up with the original idea on your laptop, anything else is an embellishment of that idea. It's nice to have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hudson-mohawke/if-you-come-up-with-the-original-idea-on-your-laptop-anything-else-is/) Hudson Mohawke > [“Ivy waved the wet handkerchief, as much as to say, words cannot possibly articulate my profound distress. Then, because Ivy never settled for meaningful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-carriger/ivy-waved-the-wet-handkerchief-as-much-as-to-say-words-cannot/) [Gail Carriger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-carriger/) ## More by Samuel Johnson > [The size of a man's understanding might always be justly measured by his mirth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-size-of-a-man-s-understanding-might-always-be-justly-measured-by/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Pound St. Paul's Church into atoms, and consider any single atom; it is to be sure, good for nothing; but put all these atoms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/pound-st-paul-s-church-into-atoms-and-consider-any-single-atom-it-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [You can never be wise unless you love reading.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/you-can-never-be-wise-unless-you-love-reading/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [If our aim is to praise, we should forget to criticize; if our aim is to criticize, we should remember to praise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/if-our-aim-is-to-praise-we-should-forget-to-criticize-if-our-aim-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [All theory is against free will; all experience is for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/all-theory-is-against-free-will-all-experience-is-for-it/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Had I learned to fiddle, I should have done nothing else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/had-i-learned-to-fiddle-i-should-have-done-nothing-else/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [It is as foolish to make experiments upon the constancy of a friend, as upon the chastity of a wife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/it-is-as-foolish-to-make-experiments-upon-the-constancy-of-a-friend/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Resolve not to be poor: whatever you have, spend less. Poverty is a great enemy to human happiness; it certainly destroys liberty, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/resolve-not-to-be-poor-whatever-you-have-spend-less-poverty-is-a/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The basis of all excellence is truth: he that professes love ought to feel its power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-basis-of-all-excellence-is-truth-he-that-professes-love-ought-to/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Words are daughters of earth but ideas are sons of heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/words-are-daughters-of-earth-but-ideas-are-sons-of-heaven/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“The composition of Shakespeare is a forest, in which oaks extend in the air, interspersed sometimes with weeds and brambles, and sometimes giving shelting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-composition-of-shakespeare-is-a-forest-in-which-oaks-extend-in/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“The cherubim were never intended as an object of worship, because they were only the appendices to another thing. But a thing is then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-cherubim-were-never-intended-as-an-object-of-worship-because-they/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Nobody has the right to put another under such a difficulty that he must either hurt the person by telling the truth or hurt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/nobody-has-the-right-to-put-another-under-such-a-difficulty-that-he/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [That kind of life is most happy which affords us most opportunities of gaining our own self-esteem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/that-kind-of-life-is-most-happy-which-affords-us-most-opportunities/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The time will come to every human being when it must be known how well he can bear to die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-time-will-come-to-every-human-being-when-it-must-be-known-how/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) [Explore all 1,998 Samuel Johnson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) ## More Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [You can only do the work to the very best of your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/you-can-only-do-the-work-to-the-very-best-of-your-ability/) [Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Bobby had faith in my ability as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-had-faith-in-my-ability-as-a-singer/) [Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/) [Browse all 9,990 Ability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Few have abilities so much needed by the rest of the world as to be caressed on their own terms; and he that will not condescend to recommend himself by external embellishments must submit to the fate of just sentiment meanly expressed, and be ridiculed and forgotten before he is understood.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Samuel Johnson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/few-have-abilities-so-much-needed-by-the-rest-of-the-world-as-to-be/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ability" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/few-have-abilities-so-much-needed-by-the-rest-of-the-world-as-to-be/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/507/samuel-johnson-50_ability_few-have-abilities-so-much-needed-by-the_93495.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/507/samuel-johnson-50_ability_few-have-abilities-so-much-needed-by-the_93495.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/507/samuel-johnson-50_ability_few-have-abilities-so-much-needed-by-the_93495.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Few have abilities so much needed by the rest of the world as to be caressed on their own terms; and he that…” — Samuel Johnson", "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": "Samuel Johnson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Few have abilities so much needed...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/few-have-abilities-so-much-needed-by-the-rest-of-the-world-as-to-be/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/few-have-abilities-so-much-needed-by-the-rest-of-the-world-as-to-be/#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 } } ] } ```