#mediocrity

Mediocrity is now, as formerly, dangerous, commonly fatal, to the poet; but among even the successful writers of prose, those who rise sensibly above it are the very rarest exceptions. ↗

— William E. Gladstone

#among #commonly #dangerous #even #exceptions

Mediocrity is Death. ↗

— Suleman Abdullah

#brands #creative-profession #ideas #inspirational #life-lessons

However, Nick acted as much as possible under the circumstances, and that was rectifying — it brought with it enjoyment and a working faith. He had not gone counter to the axiom that in a case of doubt one was to hold off; for that applied to choice, and he had not at present the slightest pretension to choosing. He knew he was lifted along, that what he was doing was not first-rate, that nothing was settled by it and that if there was essentially a problem in his life it would only grow tougher with keeping. But if doing one's sum to-morrow instead of to-day does not make the sum easier it at least makes to-day so. ↗

— Henry James

#muddling-through #procrastination #faith

A talent somewhat above mediocrity, shrewd and not too sensitive, is more likely to rise in the world than genius. ↗

— Charles Horton Cooley

#genius #likely #mediocrity #more #rise

Great artists are people who find the way to be themselves in their art. Any sort of pretension induces mediocrity in art and life alike. ↗

— Margot Fonteyn

#any #art #artists #find #great

Politicians fascinate because they constitute such a paradox; they are an elite that accomplishes mediocrity for the public good. ↗

— George Will

#because #constitute #elite #fascinate #good

Apathetic people sit back and wait for things to get better before they move. Radical people make things get better by how they move. ↗

— Shannon L. Alder

#apathy #inspiration #mediocrity #passiveness #success

All good is hard. All evil is easy. Dying, losing, cheating, and mediocrity is easy. Stay away from easy. ↗

— Scott Alexander

#cheating #dying #easy #evil #good

Often people that settle in life are those that only do what they can with what they have and where they are. Never settle for someone that didn't know your worth from the beginning or build a life without God in it. Live beyond your low expectations. ↗

— Shannon L. Alder

#purpose #settling #life

It's a disease. Nobody thinks or feels or cares any more; nobody gets excited or believes in anything except their own comfortable little God damn mediocrity. ↗

— Richard Yates

#mediocrity #comfort