--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It’s not that I’m so smart,” said…" description: "\"“It’s not that I’m so smart,” said Einstein, who was a consummate introvert. “It’s that I stay with problems longer.”\" — Susan Cain" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71e/susan-cain-647_quote_it-s-not-that-i-m-so-smart-said-einstein_1665559.jpg" --- # It’s not that I’m so smart,” said Einstein, who was a… ![“It’s not that I’m so smart,” said Einstein, who was a consummate introvert. “It’s that I stay with problems longer.” quote by Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71e/susan-cain-647_quote_it-s-not-that-i-m-so-smart-said-einstein_1665559.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71e/susan-cain-647_quote_it-s-not-that-i-m-so-smart-said-einstein_1665559.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71e/susan-cain-647_quote_it-s-not-that-i-m-so-smart-said-einstein_1665559.jpg) > ““It’s not that I’m so smart,” said Einstein, who was a consummate introvert. “It’s that I stay with problems longer.”” [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Einstein’s introversion helped him persist with problems longer than others. **In simple terms:** Introverts can excel through persistence. Key Takeaway Leverage quiet focus. Themes introversion perseverance problem solving Mood thoughtful insightful Type educational inspirational When to use this quote - research - creative writing - academic study Key Concepts longevity deep work Questions to Reflect On - How does introversion aid persistence? - When is collaboration essential? A Different Perspective May overlook collaborative benefits. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Introvert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/introvert/) ## Related quotes > [“A human being,’ said Einstein, ‘is part of the whole, which we call the Universe; a part limited in time and space. He experiences…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-parke/a-human-being-said-einstein-is-part-of-the-whole-which-we-call-the/) [Simon Parke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-parke/) > [“In Anton Chekhov’s play the Three Sisters, sister Masha refuses ‘to live and not know why the cranes fly, why children are born, why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chet-raymo/in-anton-chekhov-s-play-the-three-sisters-sister-masha-refuses-to/) [Chet Raymo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chet-raymo/) > [“where we fall on the introvert-extrovert spectrum. Our place on this continuum influences our choice of friends and mates, and how we make conversation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/where-we-fall-on-the-introvert-extrovert-spectrum-our-place-on-this/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [“But the most interesting part of Thorne’s experiment was how much the two types appreciated each other. Introverts talking to extroverts chose cheerier topics,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/but-the-most-interesting-part-of-thorne-s-experiment-was-how-much-the/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [“Introverts are drawn to the inner world of thought and feeling, said Jung, extroverts to the external life of people and activities. Introverts focus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/introverts-are-drawn-to-the-inner-world-of-thought-and-feeling-said/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [Solitude matters, and for some people, it's the air they breathe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/solitude-matters-and-for-some-people-it-s-the-air-they-breathe/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [Introverts, in contrast, may have strong social skills and enjoy parties and business meetings, but after a while wish they were home in their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/introverts-in-contrast-may-have-strong-social-skills-and-enjoy/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [“introverts are uniquely good at leading initiative-takers. Because of their inclination to listen to others and lack of interest in dominating social situations, introverts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/introverts-are-uniquely-good-at-leading-initiative-takers-because-of/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [INTROVERTS are especially vulnerable to challenges like marital tension, a parent’s death, or abuse. They’re more likely than their peers to react to these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/introverts-are-especially-vulnerable-to-challenges-like-marital/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [You're told that you're in your head too much, a phrase that's often deployed against the quiet and cerebral. Or maybe there's another word…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/you-re-told-that-you-re-in-your-head-too-much-a-phrase-that-s-often/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [“Extroverts are more likely to take a quick-and-dirty approach to problem-solving, trading accuracy for speed, making increasing numbers of mistakes as they go, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/extroverts-are-more-likely-to-take-a-quick-and-dirty-approach-to/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [“If you’re an introvert, find your flow by using your gifts. You have the power of persistence, the tenacity to solve complex problems, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/if-you-re-an-introvert-find-your-flow-by-using-your-gifts-you-have/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [“introverts prefer to work independently, and solitude can be a catalyst to innovation. As the influential psychologist Hans Eysenck once observed, introversion “concentrates the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/introverts-prefer-to-work-independently-and-solitude-can-be-a/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [“So when introverts assume the observer role, as when they write novels, or contemplate unified field theory- or fall quiet at dinner parties- they’re…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/so-when-introverts-assume-the-observer-role-as-when-they-write-novels/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [ \[Introverts,\] the world needs you and it needs the things you carry. So I wish you the best of all possible journeys and the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/introverts-the-world-needs-you-and-it-needs-the-things-you-carry-so-i/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) ## More by Susan Cain > [“Proverbs from the East: The wind howls, but the mountain remains still. Even though I make no special attempt to observe the discipline of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/proverbs-from-the-east-the-wind-howls-but-the-mountain-remains-still/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [“where we fall on the introvert-extrovert spectrum. Our place on this continuum influences our choice of friends and mates, and how we make conversation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/where-we-fall-on-the-introvert-extrovert-spectrum-our-place-on-this/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [“I worry that there are people who are put in positions of authority because they’re good talkers, but they don’t have good ideas,” he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/i-worry-that-there-are-people-who-are-put-in-positions-of-authority/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [“He believes, as most of us do, that venting anger lets off steam. The “catharsis hypothesis”—that aggression builds up inside us until it’s healthily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/he-believes-as-most-of-us-do-that-venting-anger-lets-off-steam-the/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [“Soft power is not limited to moral exemplars like Mahatma Gandhi. Consider, for example, the much-ballyhooed excellence of Asians in fields like math and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/soft-power-is-not-limited-to-moral-exemplars-like-mahatma-gandhi/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [“Events like this don't give me the sense of oneness others seem to enjoy; it's always been private occasions that make me feel connected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/events-like-this-don-t-give-me-the-sense-of-oneness-others-seem-to/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [“Social anxiety disorder”—which essentially means pathological shyness—is now thought to afflict nearly one in five of us. The most recent version of the Diagnostic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/social-anxiety-disorder-which-essentially-means-pathological-shyness/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [“Potential clients would walk out of Charlie’s office scared”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/potential-clients-would-walk-out-of-charlie-s-office-scared/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [“So when introverts assume the observer role, as when they write novels, or contemplate unified field theory- or fall quiet at dinner parties- they’re…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/so-when-introverts-assume-the-observer-role-as-when-they-write-novels/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [“Osborn’s theory had great impact, and company leaders took up brainstorming with enthusiasm. To this day, it’s common for anyone who spends time in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/osborn-s-theory-had-great-impact-and-company-leaders-took-up/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [Extroversion is an enormously appealing personality style, but we've turned it into an oppressive standard to which most of us feel we must conform.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/extroversion-is-an-enormously-appealing-personality-style-but-we-ve/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [“But as the word satyagraha implies, Gandhi’s passivity was not weakness at all. It meant focusing on an ultimate goal and refusing to divert…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/but-as-the-word-satyagraha-implies-gandhi-s-passivity-was-not/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [“The Extrovert Ideal has been documented in many studies, though this research has never been grouped under a single name. Talkative people, for example,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/the-extrovert-ideal-has-been-documented-in-many-studies-though-this/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [“introverts prefer to work independently, and solitude can be a catalyst to innovation. As the influential psychologist Hans Eysenck once observed, introversion “concentrates the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/introverts-prefer-to-work-independently-and-solitude-can-be-a/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [ “People who tend to \[suppress their negative emotions\] regularly,” concludes Grob, “might start to see the world in a more negative light.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/people-who-tend-to-suppress-their-negative-emotions-regularly/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) [Explore all 428 Susan Cain quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) ## More Einstein quotes > [Even Einstein had to rely for his time on his clock.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanislaw-jerzy-lec/even-einstein-had-to-rely-for-his-time-on-his-clock/) [Stanislaw Jerzy Lec](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanislaw-jerzy-lec/) > [“The generalized theory of relativity has furnished still more remarkable results. This considers not only uniform but also accelerated motion. In particular, it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-michelson/the-generalized-theory-of-relativity-has-furnished-still-more/) A.A. Michelson > [“Eddie saw great things and near misses. Albert Einstein as a child, not quite struck by a run-away milk-wagon as he crossed a street.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/eddie-saw-great-things-and-near-misses-albert-einstein-as-a-child-not/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [If I could have anyone's mind for a day, I really can't think of anyone other than Einstein.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bellamy-young/if-i-could-have-anyone-s-mind-for-a-day-i-really-can-t-think-of/) [Bellamy Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bellamy-young/) > [“La vie c’est comme la bicyclette : quand on arrête de pédaler on tombe.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/la-vie-c-est-comme-la-bicyclette-quand-on-arr-te-de-p-daler-on-tombe/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [“A human being,’ said Einstein, ‘is part of the whole, which we call the Universe; a part limited in time and space. He experiences…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-parke/a-human-being-said-einstein-is-part-of-the-whole-which-we-call-the/) [Simon Parke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-parke/) > [He has a brain like Einstein's - dead since 1955](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-perret/he-has-a-brain-like-einstein-s-dead-since-1955/) [Gene Perret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-perret/) > [In my downtime, you'll mostly find me curled up with a book. I love reading biographies. My favourites are those of Dalai Lama, Osama…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madhur-bhandarkar/in-my-downtime-you-ll-mostly-find-me-curled-up-with-a-book-i-love/) [Madhur Bhandarkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madhur-bhandarkar/) > [“I thought of Einstein, and his insistence that no particular point of view was more privileged than any other: in other words his ‘general…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-charles-wilson/i-thought-of-einstein-and-his-insistence-that-no-particular-point-of/) [Robert Charles Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-charles-wilson/) > [“Einstein is one of our robots who controls the substitution division, we had to develop a robotic scientist as the tasks required were beyond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-thrussell/einstein-is-one-of-our-robots-who-controls-the-substitution-division/) [Jill Thrussell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-thrussell/) > [Bob Dylan has and Einstein had their own way of perceiving the universe and translating it for us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-flynn/bob-dylan-has-and-einstein-had-their-own-way-of-perceiving-the/) [Johnny Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-flynn/) > [Was Einstein's theory good? Relatively.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bo-burnham/was-einstein-s-theory-good-relatively/) [Bo Burnham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bo-burnham/) > [“In theory, theory and practice are the same. In practice, they are not. —Albert Einstein”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-tegmark/in-theory-theory-and-practice-are-the-same-in-practice-they-are-not/) [Max Tegmark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-tegmark/) > [I am even grateful to Einstein and others because through their erroneous theories they lead mankind away from that dangerous path I followed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikola-tesla/i-am-even-grateful-to-einstein-and-others-because-through-their/) [Nikola Tesla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikola-tesla/) > [“Imagination is more important than knowledge”, with due respect to Mr. Einstein, I beg to differ! “Imagination is not possible without knowledge.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i-are/imagination-is-more-important-than-knowledge-with-due-respect-to-mr/) I are Browse all 425 Einstein quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It’s not that I’m so smart,” said Einstein, who was a consummate introvert. “It’s that I stay with problems longer.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Susan Cain" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/it-s-not-that-i-m-so-smart-said-einstein-who-was-a-consummate/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Einstein" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/it-s-not-that-i-m-so-smart-said-einstein-who-was-a-consummate/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71e/susan-cain-647_quote_it-s-not-that-i-m-so-smart-said-einstein_1665559.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71e/susan-cain-647_quote_it-s-not-that-i-m-so-smart-said-einstein_1665559.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71e/susan-cain-647_quote_it-s-not-that-i-m-so-smart-said-einstein_1665559.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It’s not that I’m so smart,” said Einstein, who was a consummate introvert. “It’s that I stay with problems…” — Susan Cain", "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": "Susan Cain", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“It’s not that I’m so smart,”...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/it-s-not-that-i-m-so-smart-said-einstein-who-was-a-consummate/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/it-s-not-that-i-m-so-smart-said-einstein-who-was-a-consummate/#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 } } ] } ```