--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A professional is an amateur who has been…" description: "\"A professional is an amateur who has been working for a long time.\" — Serge Lutens" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/923/serge-lutens-76932_amateur_a-professional-is-an-amateur-who-has-bee_400043.png" --- # A professional is an amateur who has been working for a… ![“A professional is an amateur who has been working for a long time.” quote by Serge Lutens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/923/serge-lutens-76932_amateur_a-professional-is-an-amateur-who-has-bee_400043.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/923/serge-lutens-76932_amateur_a-professional-is-an-amateur-who-has-bee_400043.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/923/serge-lutens-76932_amateur_a-professional-is-an-amateur-who-has-bee_400043.png) > “A professional is an amateur who has been working for a long time.” [Serge Lutens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/serge-lutens/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Expertise emerges from long‑term practice; professionalism is a deep, practiced skill. **In simple terms:** Professionals are seasoned amateurs. Key Takeaway Commit to continual practice. Themes skill development mastery experience humility Mood inspirational thoughtful Type philosophical educational When to use this quote - career advancement - craftsmanship - education Key Concepts deliberate practice expertise formation learning curves Questions to Reflect On - What skill will you practice daily? - How does humility aid mastery? A Different Perspective Time and resources limit deep practice for many. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Amateur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amateur/) [Amateur Working](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amateur-working-3589219/) [Career](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/career/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Long time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-time/) [Professional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/professional/) [Professional Amateur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/professional-amateur-999373/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Working Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/working-long-373770/) ## Related quotes > [If there was no fame involved and very minimal money - which is the case for most actors - I'd still be doing it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rylance/if-there-was-no-fame-involved-and-very-minimal-money-which-is-the/) [Mark Rylance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rylance/) > [Every honest researcher I know admits he's just a professional amateur. He's doing whatever he's doing for the first time. That makes him an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-kettering/every-honest-researcher-i-know-admits-he-s-just-a-professional/) [Charles Kettering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-kettering/) > [Every professional was once an amateur.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-pope/every-professional-was-once-an-amateur/) [Alexander Pope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-pope/) > [By the time I was 22, I was a professional. A young and flawed professional, but not an amateur.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-sondheim/by-the-time-i-was-22-i-was-a-professional-a-young-and-flawed/) [Stephen Sondheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-sondheim/) > [“I am not a professionally trained professional. I am an amateur professional!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-am-not-a-professionally-trained-professional-i-am-an-amateur/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [I think the greatest photographers are the amateur photographers who do it because they love it. Arnold Newman is a good example; he is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sexton/i-think-the-greatest-photographers-are-the-amateur-photographers-who/) [John Sexton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sexton/) > [One major difference I observe between professional and amateur writers is that pros can take constructive criticism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-major-difference-i-observe-between-professional-and-amateur/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A professional is a person who can do his best at a time when he doesn't particularly feel like it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alistair-cooke/a-professional-is-a-person-who-can-do-his-best-at-a-time-when-he/) [Alistair Cooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alistair-cooke/) > [Who is a professional? A professional is someone who has a combination of competence, confidence and belief. A water diviner is a professional. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bunker-roy/who-is-a-professional-a-professional-is-someone-who-has-a-combination/) [Bunker Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bunker-roy/) > [I've been privy to many athletic environments, both amateur and professional.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabe-kapler/i-ve-been-privy-to-many-athletic-environments-both-amateur-and/) [Gabe Kapler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabe-kapler/) > [An amateur is someone who supports himself with outside jobs which enable him to paint. A professional is someone whose wife works to enable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shahn/an-amateur-is-someone-who-supports-himself-with-outside-jobs-which/) [Ben Shahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shahn/) > [“The professional respects his craft. He does not consider himself superior to it. He recognizes the contributions of those who have gone before him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pressfield/the-professional-respects-his-craft-he-does-not-consider-himself-2/) [Steven Pressfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pressfield/) > [You count a man's U.S. Amateur titles after he starts winning professional majors. That's something any intelligent golf writer with a sense of history…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-jenkins/you-count-a-man-s-u-s-amateur-titles-after-he-starts-winning/) [Dan Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-jenkins/) > [“The definition of a professional is one who does a job well even when they don't like it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-sheinwald/the-definition-of-a-professional-is-one-who-does-a-job-well-even-when/) [Alan Sheinwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-sheinwald/) > [A professional is a man who can do his job when he doesn't feel like it. An amateur is a man who can't do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-agate/a-professional-is-a-man-who-can-do-his-job-when-he-doesn-t-feel-like/) [James Agate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-agate/) ## More by Serge Lutens > [Perfume is a form of writing, an ink, a choice made in the first person, the dot on the i, a weapon, a courteous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serge-lutens/perfume-is-a-form-of-writing-an-ink-a-choice-made-in-the-first-person/) [Serge Lutens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/serge-lutens/) > [To create a perfume you have to be the servant of the unconscious. Each idea evolves and transforms, but there should be a surprise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serge-lutens/to-create-a-perfume-you-have-to-be-the-servant-of-the-unconscious/) [Serge Lutens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/serge-lutens/) [Explore all 3 Serge Lutens quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/serge-lutens/) ## More Amateur quotes > [“The amateur doesn't appreciate the need for experimentation. He wants his experts to know.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-f-skinner-2/the-amateur-doesn-t-appreciate-the-need-for-experimentation-he-wants/) [B.F. Skinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-f-skinner-2/) > [A professional is a man who can do his job when he doesn't feel like it. An amateur is a man who can't do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-agate/a-professional-is-a-man-who-can-do-his-job-when-he-doesn-t-feel-like/) [James Agate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-agate/) > [My father was a GP; my mother was a teacher and amateur actress. My father was a bit of a storyteller, but the acting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ciaran-hinds/my-father-was-a-gp-my-mother-was-a-teacher-and-amateur-actress-my/) [Ciaran Hinds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ciaran-hinds/) > [I did a musical when I was 17, an amateur show, and I loved it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taron-egerton/i-did-a-musical-when-i-was-17-an-amateur-show-and-i-loved-it/) [Taron Egerton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taron-egerton/) > [Every artist was first an amateur.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/every-artist-was-first-an-amateur/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“The definition of a professional is one who does a job well even when they don't like it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-sheinwald/the-definition-of-a-professional-is-one-who-does-a-job-well-even-when/) [Alan Sheinwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-sheinwald/) > [I think most amateurs dread playing a 180-plus-yard par 3 even more than a hard par 4. Part of it is psychological: You think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-els/i-think-most-amateurs-dread-playing-a-180-plus-yard-par-3-even-more/) [Ernie Els](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-els/) > [I read a lot of 'Nancy Drew' books as a kid and considered myself a bit of an amateur detective.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-cain/i-read-a-lot-of-nancy-drew-books-as-a-kid-and-considered-myself-a-bit/) [Chelsea Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-cain/) > [Professionalism is environmental. Amateurism is anti-environmental. Professionalism merges the individual into patterns of total environment. Amateurism seeks the development of the total awareness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-mcluhan/professionalism-is-environmental-amateurism-is-anti-environmental/) [Marshall McLuhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-mcluhan/) > [You count a man's U.S. Amateur titles after he starts winning professional majors. That's something any intelligent golf writer with a sense of history…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-jenkins/you-count-a-man-s-u-s-amateur-titles-after-he-starts-winning/) [Dan Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-jenkins/) > [Most amateurs are so worried about mis-hitting the shot or hitting it off line, they don't make an aggressive move. You'd be surprised how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keegan-bradley/most-amateurs-are-so-worried-about-mis-hitting-the-shot-or-hitting-it/) [Keegan Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keegan-bradley/) > [Amateur boxing is one of the safest sports around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-calzaghe/amateur-boxing-is-one-of-the-safest-sports-around/) [Joe Calzaghe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-calzaghe/) > [“Amateur: One reckless enough to risk being interesting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-barringer/amateur-one-reckless-enough-to-risk-being-interesting/) [David Barringer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-barringer/) > [Time management is probably the biggest thing I've had to learn to deal with being on the PGA Tour, whether it be media or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rickie-fowler/time-management-is-probably-the-biggest-thing-i-ve-had-to-learn-to/) [Rickie Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rickie-fowler/) > [When people buy, rescue, or otherwise acquire a dog from unscrupulous breeders or amateur rescue groups, they are making a decision with ethical consequences.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-katz/when-people-buy-rescue-or-otherwise-acquire-a-dog-from-unscrupulous/) [Jon Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-katz/) [Browse all 352 Amateur quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amateur/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A professional is an amateur who has been working for a long time.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Serge Lutens" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serge-lutens/a-professional-is-an-amateur-who-has-been-working-for-a-long-time/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Amateur" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serge-lutens/a-professional-is-an-amateur-who-has-been-working-for-a-long-time/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/923/serge-lutens-76932_amateur_a-professional-is-an-amateur-who-has-bee_400043.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/923/serge-lutens-76932_amateur_a-professional-is-an-amateur-who-has-bee_400043.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/923/serge-lutens-76932_amateur_a-professional-is-an-amateur-who-has-bee_400043.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A professional is an amateur who has been working for a long time.” — Serge Lutens", "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": "Serge Lutens", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/serge-lutens/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A professional is an amateur who...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serge-lutens/a-professional-is-an-amateur-who-has-been-working-for-a-long-time/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serge-lutens/a-professional-is-an-amateur-who-has-been-working-for-a-long-time/#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 } } ] } ```