--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've been at this for 40 years. And, as…" description: "\"I've been at this for 40 years. And, as an academic, I've been content with relatively small audiences, with the thought that the audience I long for w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/603/stephen-greenblatt-10786_academic_i-ve-been-at-this-for-40-years-and-as-an_2266881.jpg" --- # I've been at this for 40 years. And, as an academic, I've… ![“I've been at this for 40 years. And, as an academic, I've been content with relatively small audiences, with the thought that the audience I long for will find its way eventually to what I have written, provided that what I have written is good enough.” quote by Stephen Greenblatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/603/stephen-greenblatt-10786_academic_i-ve-been-at-this-for-40-years-and-as-an_2266881.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/603/stephen-greenblatt-10786_academic_i-ve-been-at-this-for-40-years-and-as-an_2266881.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/603/stephen-greenblatt-10786_academic_i-ve-been-at-this-for-40-years-and-as-an_2266881.jpg) > “I've been at this for 40 years. And, as an academic, I've been content with relatively small audiences, with the thought that the audience I long for will find its way eventually to what I have written, provided that what I have written is good enough.” [Stephen Greenblatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-greenblatt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He believes quality work will eventually attract the right audience despite modest exposure. **In simple terms:** Good work finds its audience over time. Key Takeaway Focus on creating excellence. Themes patience audience quality longevity Mood reflective optimistic Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - publishing - academic lectures - online blogs Key Concepts literary merit reputation building Questions to Reflect On - How do you measure success beyond audience size? - What defines “good enough” for you? A Different Perspective Success may be delayed and not guaranteed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Academic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/academic/) [Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) [Audiences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audiences/) [Good enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-enough/) [Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought/) ## Related quotes > [You could say I'd rewritten the same novel three times and I thought I had to move on. 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