--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Rather than consider personality to be an…" description: "\"“Rather than consider personality to be an excuse for their success, men tend to see it for what it is—a form of competence.”\" — Valerie Young" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bcf/valerie-young-14730_competence_rather-than-consider-personality-to-be-a_182587.jpg" --- # Rather than consider personality to be an excuse for their… ![“Rather than consider personality to be an excuse for their success, men tend to see it for what it is—a form of competence.” quote by Valerie Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bcf/valerie-young-14730_competence_rather-than-consider-personality-to-be-a_182587.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bcf/valerie-young-14730_competence_rather-than-consider-personality-to-be-a_182587.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bcf/valerie-young-14730_competence_rather-than-consider-personality-to-be-a_182587.jpg) > ““Rather than consider personality to be an excuse for their success, men tend to see it for what it is—a form of competence.”” [Valerie Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-young/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Success is attributed to competence rather than personality; personality is a skill set, not an excuse. **In simple terms:** Competence, not personality, drives success. Key Takeaway Focus on building competence. Themes achievement competence personality mindset Mood determined analytical Type motivational practical When to use this quote - career advancement - team projects - leadership roles - personal branding Key Concepts skill development self-efficacy Questions to Reflect On - How can you develop competence in your field? - What personality traits might hinder competence? A Different Perspective Personality can still impact perception and opportunities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Competence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competence/) [Consider Personality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consider-personality-1948844/) [Greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatness/) [Men Tend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-tend-407099/) [Personality Excuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personality-excuse-1948845/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Success Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success-men-1948843/) ## Related quotes > [Much of what we now consider 'personality' will be explained away as structural and chemical functions of the brain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/much-of-what-we-now-consider-personality-will-be-explained-away-as/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [It has always seemed strange to me... the things we admire in men, kindness and generosity, openness, honesty, understanding and feeling, are the concomitants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/it-has-always-seemed-strange-to-me-the-things-we-admire-in-men/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“There's always a price to pay for success, and it's the men who are willing to pay that price that determines the greats of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-wilson/there-s-always-a-price-to-pay-for-success-and-it-s-the-men-who-are/) [Mitch Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-wilson/) > [“It has always seemed strange to me,” said Doc. “The things we admire in men, kindness and generosity, openness, honesty, understanding and feeling are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-has-always-seemed-strange-to-me-said-doc-the-things-we-admire-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Men tend to feel threatened; women tend to feel guilty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-louis-cole/men-tend-to-feel-threatened-women-tend-to-feel-guilty/) [Edwin Louis Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-louis-cole/) > [Neither gender is routinely more jealous - although women are more willing to work to win back a lover, while men tend to flaunt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fisher/neither-gender-is-routinely-more-jealous-although-women-are-more/) [Helen Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fisher/) > [Men do tend to talk about things on a much higher level.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renee-ellmers/men-do-tend-to-talk-about-things-on-a-much-higher-level/) [Renee Ellmers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renee-ellmers/) > [Men tend to try to struggle to be more rational and reduce things to simplicity more and are more impatient with ambiguity than women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-crowley/men-tend-to-try-to-struggle-to-be-more-rational-and-reduce-things-to/) [John Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-crowley/) > [Soft men tend to be born from soft countries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herodotus/soft-men-tend-to-be-born-from-soft-countries/) [Herodotus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herodotus/) > [Men tend to listen in what I call a reductive way, which is to say for a point, for a solution. You know, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-treasure/men-tend-to-listen-in-what-i-call-a-reductive-way-which-is-to-say-for/) [Julian Treasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-treasure/) > [Men tend to define themselves by what they do, and so if you're dealing with a character who's trying to figure that out, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/men-tend-to-define-themselves-by-what-they-do-and-so-if-you-re/) [Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/) > [Men tend to be selfish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caprice-bourret/men-tend-to-be-selfish/) [Caprice Bourret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caprice-bourret/) > [“Men tend to die when you slide steel beneath their skin and wiggle it around. Even priests.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-staveley/men-tend-to-die-when-you-slide-steel-beneath-their-skin-and-wiggle-it/) [Brian Staveley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-staveley/) > [“Men tend to be more orthodox in belief. Their concern for the rules keeps a congregation from drifting toward mushy moral relativism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-murrow/men-tend-to-be-more-orthodox-in-belief-their-concern-for-the-rules/) [David Murrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-murrow/) > [“Men tend to think all of their points were good, and they sure as hell didn’t need me to boost their already inflated egos.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-rain/men-tend-to-think-all-of-their-points-were-good-and-they-sure-as-hell/) [J.R. Rain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-rain/) ## More by Valerie Young > [“Of the offer, Myers says, “Suddenly, I found myself staring down the barrel of a predicament that I knew was all too common among…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-young/of-the-offer-myers-says-suddenly-i-found-myself-staring-down-the/) [Valerie Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-young/) > [“In spite of all the progress, the fact remains that being “too” anything that’s considered unfeminine can cause people of both genders to perceive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-young/in-spite-of-all-the-progress-the-fact-remains-that-being-too-anything/) [Valerie Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-young/) > [“No matter how old you are, you never fully outgrow the need for your family’s acknowledgment and approval.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-young/no-matter-how-old-you-are-you-never-fully-outgrow-the-need-for-your/) [Valerie Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-young/) > [“irritability in men is regarded as a sign of status. But when women lose their temper they’re seen as less competent.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-young/irritability-in-men-is-regarded-as-a-sign-of-status-but-when-women/) [Valerie Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-young/) > [“The more typically female compulsion to “go by the book” credential-wise is partly a function of insecurity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-young/the-more-typically-female-compulsion-to-go-by-the-book-credential/) [Valerie Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-young/) > [“To the fixed-mindset person, intelligence and skill are seen as a sum game. Either you can do math or you can’t. You’re artistic or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-young/to-the-fixed-mindset-person-intelligence-and-skill-are-seen-as-a-sum/) [Valerie Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-young/) > [“Simply changing how you talk to yourself about a difficulty or a challenge changes how you approach it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-young/simply-changing-how-you-talk-to-yourself-about-a-difficulty-or-a/) [Valerie Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-young/) > [“Studies repeatedly show that if you attended a women’s college, you are likely to have higher self-esteem and more intellectual self-confidence than your counterparts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-young/studies-repeatedly-show-that-if-you-attended-a-women-s-college-you/) [Valerie Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-young/) > [“Time blocking, as it’s called, helps ensure that you don’t schedule other things on the days—or part of a day—you’ve set aside to work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-young/time-blocking-as-it-s-called-helps-ensure-that-you-don-t-schedule/) [Valerie Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-young/) > [“Partly this has to do with the tendency for females to blame failure on a lack of ability. Males do just the opposite. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-young/partly-this-has-to-do-with-the-tendency-for-females-to-blame-failure/) [Valerie Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-young/) > [“When you see yourself as a work-in-progress, you’re automatically less likely to experience feelings of inadequacy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-young/when-you-see-yourself-as-a-work-in-progress-you-re-automatically-less/) [Valerie Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-young/) > [“So it’s not without reason that you’ve come to believe that you need to know 150 percent before you consider yourself even remotely up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-young/so-it-s-not-without-reason-that-you-ve-come-to-believe-that-you-need/) [Valerie Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-young/) > [“Research has found that people are more likely to attribute a man’s success to ability and yours to luck.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-young/research-has-found-that-people-are-more-likely-to-attribute-a-man-s/) [Valerie Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-young/) > [“Upon her retirement, Supreme Court justice Sandra Day O’Connor reflected on her pioneer status. “My concern was whether I could do the job of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-young/upon-her-retirement-supreme-court-justice-sandra-day-o-connor/) [Valerie Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-young/) > [“Women scientists had to produce 2.5 times more research and/or published work to receive the same competence scores as male applicants.3”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-young/women-scientists-had-to-produce-2-5-times-more-research-and-or/) [Valerie Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-young/) [Explore all 45 Valerie Young quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-young/) ## More Competence quotes > [A bad artist almost always tries to conceal his incompetence by whooping up a new formula.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/a-bad-artist-almost-always-tries-to-conceal-his-incompetence-by/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [“You understand how much you know about a subject the moment you give explanations to someone who doesn't know anything about it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigina-sgarro/you-understand-how-much-you-know-about-a-subject-the-moment-you-give/) [Luigina Sgarro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigina-sgarro/) > [Bruce Katz is a spectacular talent! He's a brilliant composer and arranger who uses uncommon and unique musical intelligence to redefine jazz and blues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-coryell/bruce-katz-is-a-spectacular-talent-he-s-a-brilliant-composer-and/) [Larry Coryell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-coryell/) > [Let us be thankful for health and competence, and, above all, for a quiet conscience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/izaak-walton/let-us-be-thankful-for-health-and-competence-and-above-all-for-a/) [Izaak Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/izaak-walton/) > [“it is easier to do a job right than to explain why you didnt”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-van-buren/it-is-easier-to-do-a-job-right-than-to-explain-why-you-didnt/) [Martin Van Buren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-van-buren/) > [Can you understand why the Congress, most states and most cities refuse to pass legislation requiring the registration and licensing of any and all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/can-you-understand-why-the-congress-most-states-and-most-cities/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [You can't fake competence, creativity, or sexual arousal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/you-can-t-fake-competence-creativity-or-sexual-arousal/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [Everybody's got a different circle of competence. The important thing is not how big the circle is. The important thing is staying inside the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/everybody-s-got-a-different-circle-of-competence-the-important-thing/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [Friendships are nice. So is competence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/friendships-are-nice-so-is-competence/) [Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/) > [Having spent years ruining the housing markets with their interference, leading to a housing meltdown that has taken the whole economy down with it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/having-spent-years-ruining-the-housing-markets-with-their/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [ A nominee \[to Supreme Court\] must possess the competence, character and temperament to serve on the bench. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-kohl/a-nominee-to-supreme-court-must-possess-the-competence-character-and/) [Herb Kohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-kohl/) > [Over the first two weeks of the Donald Trump administration, Steve Bannon has emerged as one of the most powerful figures in the White…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-goodman/over-the-first-two-weeks-of-the-donald-trump-administration-steve/) [Amy Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-goodman/) > [The individual attributes of warmth and competence are often perceived to be negatively correlated. That doesn't mean they actually are, but that's how people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-pfeffer/the-individual-attributes-of-warmth-and-competence-are-often/) [Jeffrey Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-pfeffer/) > [Do not stop thinking of life as an adventure. You have no security unless you can live bravely, excitingly, imaginatively; unless you can choose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/do-not-stop-thinking-of-life-as-an-adventure-you-have-no-security/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [Great writers zealously learn the craft of their profession so they can release the power and the depth of their imagination and experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-bishop/great-writers-zealously-learn-the-craft-of-their-profession-so-they/) [Leonard Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-bishop/) [Browse all 452 Competence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competence/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Rather than consider personality to be an excuse for their success, men tend to see it for what it is—a form of competence.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Valerie Young" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-young/rather-than-consider-personality-to-be-an-excuse-for-their-success/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Competence" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-young/rather-than-consider-personality-to-be-an-excuse-for-their-success/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bcf/valerie-young-14730_competence_rather-than-consider-personality-to-be-a_182587.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bcf/valerie-young-14730_competence_rather-than-consider-personality-to-be-a_182587.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bcf/valerie-young-14730_competence_rather-than-consider-personality-to-be-a_182587.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Rather than consider personality to be an excuse for their success, men tend to see it for what it is—a form…” — Valerie Young", "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": "Valerie Young", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-young/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Rather than consider personality to be...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-young/rather-than-consider-personality-to-be-an-excuse-for-their-success/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-young/rather-than-consider-personality-to-be-an-excuse-for-their-success/#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 } } ] } ```