Jacques Barzun Quotes

You cannot use the democratic process for the procurement of excellence.

Where we can compete on merit, we do very well.

Professionalism is not sportsmanship. If you don't succeed, you won't be in your profession for long. In our society, it's not about good or bad. It's about who's on top.

It is a privileged school with beautiful buildings in a beautiful setting. But the only justification for privilege is that it should help people develop themselves to the full. We are elitist, but not exclusive. And I'm not in ashamed in the least of being elitist. All that means is aiming at the highest standards you can achieve.

We have been taught by experience the danger of the levelling spirit.

In any democracy, there is always a tug-of-war between policies to achieve equality and policies to promote excellence. I am certain that Canada can achieve both equality and excellence.

We're all conditioned to think we have to get to the top and be the best.

I think we have enough trouble finding community in this country, and sport does provide that. It is a mediocrisy, the greatest mediocrisy. If you're the best, it shows in sports. Nobody can say, 'Well, he's only there because of his connections,' or whatever. In that sense, I suppose it upholds democracy and the best in us.

The expectations are high, so we know: If we do not meet them, there is criticism. We have high expectations ourselves. We are not happy with fourth, third, or second, either.

I appreciate good work no matter where it's coming from.

To encourage excellence is to go beyond the encouraged mediocrity of our society

When one of a culture's guiding credos is that "all men are created equal," any person who, say, becomes an expert on, say, nuclear weapons or, say, ecology, i.e., anyone who distinguishes himself through mental excellence, is a nuisance.

To me, elitism means a love of excellence and superiority, but America has declared war on both and developed a sick love of the lowest common denominator to make sure no-one becomes too fine for our touted democracy. We are almost at the point of regarding every virtue as elitist.

Obviously, you have to play well to keep your spot.

I wanted to be one of the best in the business, whether it was male or female.

My whole freshman year at Duke, it was drilled into me that nothing was given to you, and you have to earn it, and this is a dog-eat-dog world, and blah blah blah, and blah blah blah. And you buy into it, 100 percent. You end up loving it. That's the way it should be, right?

All men are created equal. Some work harder in preseason.

Democracy represents the disbelief in all great men and in all elite societies: everybody is everybody's equal.

I don't mind the high price of stardom. I just don't like the high price of mediocrity.

The meek may inherit the earth, but they don't get in to Harvard.

Greatness has nothing to do with diversity, skin color, race, ethnicity, nothing to do with it.

First we become the best, then we'll become first.

What keeps the democracy alive at all but the hatred of excellence; the desire of the base to see no head higher than their own?

Elitism is the slur directed at merit by mediocrity.

It's about being the very best you can be. Nothing else matters as long as you're working and striving to be your best. Always compete. It's truly that simple. Find the way to do your best. Compete in everything you do.