--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Medicine has an immediate impact, the…" description: "\"Medicine has an immediate impact, the ability to do good. Writing is such a solitary activity.\" — Uzodinma Iweala" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/921/uzodinma-iweala-7990_ability_medicine-has-an-immediate-impact-the-abi_262013.jpg" --- # Medicine has an immediate impact, the ability to do good… ![“Medicine has an immediate impact, the ability to do good. Writing is such a solitary activity.” quote by Uzodinma Iweala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/921/uzodinma-iweala-7990_ability_medicine-has-an-immediate-impact-the-abi_262013.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/921/uzodinma-iweala-7990_ability_medicine-has-an-immediate-impact-the-abi_262013.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/921/uzodinma-iweala-7990_ability_medicine-has-an-immediate-impact-the-abi_262013.jpg) > “Medicine has an immediate impact, the ability to do good. Writing is such a solitary activity.” [Uzodinma Iweala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzodinma-iweala/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Medicine offers immediate tangible benefits, while writing is a solitary pursuit that can be equally impactful in less direct ways. **In simple terms:** Medicine helps quickly; writing helps quietly but profoundly. Key Takeaway Balance direct service with reflective creation. Themes medicine writing solitude impact Mood thoughtful inspirational introspective Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - clinical practice - authoring a book - personal journaling - community workshop Key Concepts ethics creativity psychology Questions to Reflect On - How can writers measure their influence? - What role does solitude play in creative work? A Different Perspective Writing’s indirect impact may be harder to measure or value. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Impact](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impact/) [Medicine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medicine/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“The ability to be good is not the ability to do nothing. It is not negative or passive. It is the ability to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/the-ability-to-be-good-is-not-the-ability-to-do-nothing-it-is-not/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [The ability to see the good in others and the bad in ourselves is perfect vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/the-ability-to-see-the-good-in-others-and-the-bad-in-ourselves-is/) [John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/) > [I think if you're a good high school player that you have the ability to be a good college football player. If you're a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-griffin-iii/i-think-if-you-re-a-good-high-school-player-that-you-have-the-ability/) [Robert Griffin III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-griffin-iii/) > [I think the thing I had going for me is a good pedigree and joke-writing ability. But a good pedigree, for the audience, doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-brennan/i-think-the-thing-i-had-going-for-me-is-a-good-pedigree-and-joke/) [Neal Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-brennan/) > [Wicked people are always surprised to find ability in those that are good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/wicked-people-are-always-surprised-to-find-ability-in-those-that-are/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The wicked are always surprised to find ability in the good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-wicked-are-always-surprised-to-find-ability-in-the-good/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's time to teach our daughters that their ability to be good people depends on their being good people, not on whether or not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-valenti/it-s-time-to-teach-our-daughters-that-their-ability-to-be-good-people/) [Jessica Valenti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-valenti/) > [I believe the greatest asset a head of state can have is the ability to get a good night's sleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-wilson/i-believe-the-greatest-asset-a-head-of-state-can-have-is-the-ability/) [Harold Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-wilson/) > [Well, any effort to maximize your potential and ability is a good thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/well-any-effort-to-maximize-your-potential-and-ability-is-a-good-thing/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [Every day remind yourself of your own ability, of your good mind and affirm that you can make something really good out of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/every-day-remind-yourself-of-your-own-ability-of-your-good-mind-and/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [Power is the ability to do good things for others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooke-astor/power-is-the-ability-to-do-good-things-for-others/) [Brooke Astor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brooke-astor/) > [In terms of confidence, whenever I go into a situation now if I'm not getting in somewhere or I'm not playing my best football,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-mctominay/in-terms-of-confidence-whenever-i-go-into-a-situation-now-if-i-m-not/) [Scott McTominay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-mctominay/) > [There never was a bad man that had ability for good service.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/there-never-was-a-bad-man-that-had-ability-for-good-service/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [Chicharito is a really good player, and his finishing ability is as good as there is anywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-moyes/chicharito-is-a-really-good-player-and-his-finishing-ability-is-as/) [David Moyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-moyes/) > [Some are blessed with musical ability, others with good looks. Myself, I was blessed with modesty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-moore/some-are-blessed-with-musical-ability-others-with-good-looks-myself-i/) [Roger Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-moore/) ## More by Uzodinma Iweala > [Lagos is a fascinatingly infuriating place that its residents love - and love to hate. Licence plates on cars here proudly display the state…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzodinma-iweala/lagos-is-a-fascinatingly-infuriating-place-that-its-residents-love/) [Uzodinma Iweala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzodinma-iweala/) > [Around the world, our cities are not the idealised open, accessible, and cosmopolitan spaces of our dreams. More often than not, they are sectioned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzodinma-iweala/around-the-world-our-cities-are-not-the-idealised-open-accessible-and/) [Uzodinma Iweala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzodinma-iweala/) > [We grew up going to church, and I believe in God. I don't know that I have the ability to define what or who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzodinma-iweala/we-grew-up-going-to-church-and-i-believe-in-god-i-don-t-know-that-i/) [Uzodinma Iweala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzodinma-iweala/) > [I've had great writing teachers and mentors and great success with my first book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzodinma-iweala/i-ve-had-great-writing-teachers-and-mentors-and-great-success-with-my/) [Uzodinma Iweala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzodinma-iweala/) > [I'm not a propaganda machine. I tell things how I see them. When I say, for example, that corruption is not the only thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzodinma-iweala/i-m-not-a-propaganda-machine-i-tell-things-how-i-see-them-when-i-say/) [Uzodinma Iweala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzodinma-iweala/) > ['Beasts of No Nation' began when I read an article about child soldiers in Sierra Leone during my final year of high school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzodinma-iweala/beasts-of-no-nation-began-when-i-read-an-article-about-child-soldiers/) [Uzodinma Iweala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzodinma-iweala/) > [Reading 'Search Sweet Country' is like reading a dream, and indeed, at times, it feels like the magical landscapes of writers like the Nigerian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzodinma-iweala/reading-search-sweet-country-is-like-reading-a-dream-and-indeed-at/) [Uzodinma Iweala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzodinma-iweala/) > [As an adult, I discovered Claritin, and my whole world changed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzodinma-iweala/as-an-adult-i-discovered-claritin-and-my-whole-world-changed/) [Uzodinma Iweala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzodinma-iweala/) > [When somebody says that six million people died in the Holocaust, there is nobody in the world who can understand that. It's only through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzodinma-iweala/when-somebody-says-that-six-million-people-died-in-the-holocaust/) [Uzodinma Iweala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzodinma-iweala/) > [I think, all too often, this society has too monolithic a definition of what a black American is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzodinma-iweala/i-think-all-too-often-this-society-has-too-monolithic-a-definition-of/) [Uzodinma Iweala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzodinma-iweala/) > [Right after undergrad, I started doing low-level work on health issues in sub-Saharan Africa, and what struck me was the disconnect between how people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzodinma-iweala/right-after-undergrad-i-started-doing-low-level-work-on-health-issues/) [Uzodinma Iweala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzodinma-iweala/) > [Africa wants the world to acknowledge that through fair partnerships with other members of the global community, we ourselves are capable of unprecedented growth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzodinma-iweala/africa-wants-the-world-to-acknowledge-that-through-fair-partnerships/) [Uzodinma Iweala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzodinma-iweala/) > [The first time I ever cast a vote in my 1992 Blessed Sacrament School poll, I voted for Ross Perot because - Ross Perot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzodinma-iweala/the-first-time-i-ever-cast-a-vote-in-my-1992-blessed-sacrament-school/) [Uzodinma Iweala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzodinma-iweala/) > [Sometimes you just wanna go out, see your action movie, be done with it, come home. You know, and, like, you see 'The Matrix'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzodinma-iweala/sometimes-you-just-wanna-go-out-see-your-action-movie-be-done-with-it/) [Uzodinma Iweala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzodinma-iweala/) > [It takes time for people to understand how, as an individual, I can have an impact on the way that society works.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzodinma-iweala/it-takes-time-for-people-to-understand-how-as-an-individual-i-can/) [Uzodinma Iweala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzodinma-iweala/) [Explore all 83 Uzodinma Iweala quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzodinma-iweala/) ## 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": "Medicine has an immediate impact, the ability to do good. Writing is such a solitary activity.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Uzodinma Iweala" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzodinma-iweala/medicine-has-an-immediate-impact-the-ability-to-do-good-writing-is/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ability" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzodinma-iweala/medicine-has-an-immediate-impact-the-ability-to-do-good-writing-is/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/921/uzodinma-iweala-7990_ability_medicine-has-an-immediate-impact-the-abi_262013.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/921/uzodinma-iweala-7990_ability_medicine-has-an-immediate-impact-the-abi_262013.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/921/uzodinma-iweala-7990_ability_medicine-has-an-immediate-impact-the-abi_262013.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Medicine has an immediate impact, the ability to do good. Writing is such a solitary activity.” — Uzodinma Iweala", "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": "Uzodinma Iweala", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzodinma-iweala/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Medicine has an immediate impact, the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzodinma-iweala/medicine-has-an-immediate-impact-the-ability-to-do-good-writing-is/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzodinma-iweala/medicine-has-an-immediate-impact-the-ability-to-do-good-writing-is/#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 } } ] } ```