--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When one can do better than everyone else…" description: "\"When one can do better than everyone else in the same walk, one does not make any very painful exertions to outdo oneself. The progress of improvement ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78a/william-hazlitt-326_can-do_when-one-can-do-better-than-everyone-els_1314124.jpg" --- # When one can do better than everyone else in the same… ![“When one can do better than everyone else in the same walk, one does not make any very painful exertions to outdo oneself. The progress of improvement ceases nearly at the point where competition ends.” quote by William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78a/william-hazlitt-326_can-do_when-one-can-do-better-than-everyone-els_1314124.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78a/william-hazlitt-326_can-do_when-one-can-do-better-than-everyone-els_1314124.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78a/william-hazlitt-326_can-do_when-one-can-do-better-than-everyone-els_1314124.jpg) > “When one can do better than everyone else in the same walk, one does not make any very painful exertions to outdo oneself. The progress of improvement ceases nearly at the point where competition ends.” [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Excellence reduces the need for self‑imposed strain; when competition fades, improvement stalls. **In simple terms:** Being the best lessens personal struggle; growth stops without rivalry. Key Takeaway Seek intrinsic motivation beyond competition. Themes competition self‑improvement motivation excellence Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - sports training - academic research - creative work - career advancement Key Concepts psychology human behavior performance dynamics Questions to Reflect On - What internal goals sustain you when external competition ends? - How can you create self‑challenge? A Different Perspective Even without rivals, personal standards can drive progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Competition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competition/) [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Improvement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/improvement/) [Progress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/progress/) ## Related quotes > [Progress is made by the improvement of people, not the improvement of machines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-tchaikovsky/progress-is-made-by-the-improvement-of-people-not-the-improvement-of/) [Adrian Tchaikovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-tchaikovsky/) > [People are the common denominator of progress; no improvement is possible with unimproved people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/people-are-the-common-denominator-of-progress-no-improvement-is/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [There is no practice more dangerous than that of borrowing money; for when money can be had in this way, repayment is seldom thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/there-is-no-practice-more-dangerous-than-that-of-borrowing-money-for/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [If the term education may be understood in so large a sense as to include all that belongs to the improvement of the mind,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-faraday/if-the-term-education-may-be-understood-in-so-large-a-sense-as-to/) [Michael Faraday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-faraday/) > [We never do anything well till we cease to think about the manner doing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/we-never-do-anything-well-till-we-cease-to-think-about-the-manner/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [The diffusion of taste is not the same thing as the improvement of taste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/the-diffusion-of-taste-is-not-the-same-thing-as-the-improvement-of/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [customary interruptions are not only gratifying and cheering, but they are also really necessary in order to gain breath and voice to carry one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-siddons/customary-interruptions-are-not-only-gratifying-and-cheering-but-they/) [Sarah Siddons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-siddons/) > [Perhaps the chief cause which has retarded the progress of poetry in America, is the want of that exclusive cultivation, which so noble a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/perhaps-the-chief-cause-which-has-retarded-the-progress-of-poetry-in/) [Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/) > [Before thou callest a man hero or genius, investigate whether his exertion has features of indelibility; for all that is celestial, all genius, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-kaspar-lavater/before-thou-callest-a-man-hero-or-genius-investigate-whether-his/) [Johann Kaspar Lavater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-kaspar-lavater/) > [Nowledge is not a passion from without the mind, but an active exertion of the inward strength, vigor and power of the mind, displaying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-cudworth/nowledge-is-not-a-passion-from-without-the-mind-but-an-active/) [Ralph Cudworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-cudworth/) > [“He was dangerous. 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My attitude is always let it keep rolling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-malick/changes-before-your-eyes-things-you-can-do-and-things-you-can-t-my/) [Terrence Malick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-malick/) > [The happy medium is television. And if you find a good suitor, you can do it for years. With movies, you roll the dice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-campbell/the-happy-medium-is-television-and-if-you-find-a-good-suitor-you-can/) [Bruce Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-campbell/) > [If I had a million dollars, I just wouldn't just completely set back. I'd have to get out there and show my face to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muddy-waters/if-i-had-a-million-dollars-i-just-wouldn-t-just-completely-set-back-i/) [Muddy Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muddy-waters/) > [Anybody can be Prince Charming one day a year, with the dinner and the flowers and all that. But you know what impresses me?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-howard/anybody-can-be-prince-charming-one-day-a-year-with-the-dinner-and-the/) [Ryan Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-howard/) > [And if the mind thinks with a believing attitude one can do amazing things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/and-if-the-mind-thinks-with-a-believing-attitude-one-can-do-amazing/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [The amount of things you can do with a kettlebell is unsurpassed by any other training equipment - dumbbells, resistance machines, free weights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laird-hamilton/the-amount-of-things-you-can-do-with-a-kettlebell-is-unsurpassed-by/) [Laird Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laird-hamilton/) > [It's nice when you've done enough movies that you can do your own anthology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lithgow/it-s-nice-when-you-ve-done-enough-movies-that-you-can-do-your-own/) [John Lithgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lithgow/) > [If people don't have their own vision, all they can do is 'sign-up' for someone else's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/if-people-don-t-have-their-own-vision-all-they-can-do-is-sign-up-for/) [Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) > [The one thing that flies in the face of all human history and experience, is that the government can do a superior job than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cook/the-one-thing-that-flies-in-the-face-of-all-human-history-and/) [James Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cook/) > [...what I can do is offer myself, wholehearted and present, to walk with the people I love through the fear and the mess. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shauna-niequist/what-i-can-do-is-offer-myself-wholehearted-and-present-to-walk-with/) [Shauna Niequist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shauna-niequist/) > [Whether that's speaking up in your job or asking for a promotion or saying, 'I think I can do that.' Using your voice in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-shriver/whether-that-s-speaking-up-in-your-job-or-asking-for-a-promotion-or/) [Maria Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-shriver/) > [The average ordinary citizen can do a lot of different things when it comes to the climate crisis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-bender/the-average-ordinary-citizen-can-do-a-lot-of-different-things-when-it/) [Lawrence Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-bender/) > [A professional is a man who can do his job when he doesn't feel like it. 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