Neal Stephenson Quotes

A woman's gifts will make room for her.

Many incredible artists die before they were famous.

Natural ability without education has more often raised a man to glory and virtue than education without natural ability.

I think there's a million talented people out there, it's just a matter of luck a lot of the time.

There are many people that struggle and struggle and have all the talent in the world, but for some reason they are not successful. You never know why those things happen.

If you have talent, then success will come to you.

In order to get as much fame as one's father one has to much more able than he.

We start with gifts. Merit comes from what we make of them.

Wood burns because it has the proper stuff in it; and a man becomes famous because he has the proper stuff in him.

I don't think success is harmful, as so many people say. Rather, I believe it indispensable to talent, if for nothing else than to increase the talent.

There are lots of actors out there who are hugely, hugely talented and haven't got the breaks I've had.

Things happen to you out of luck, and if you get to stick around it's because you're talented.

Just because you're not famous, doesn't mean you're not good.

Ability is nothing without opportunity.

Natural ability without education has more often attained to glory and virtue than education without natural ability.

It is a very rare thing for a man of talent to succeed by his talent.

People don't believe this, but Hollywood really is a meritocracy.

I worked a long time to get good at what I'm doing, and nobody handed me a recording contract because of who my father is.

It's the thing that you do well that brings you to prominence. The very thing that brings you to success can also be like a curse, because then people think that's all you can do.

Let the path be open to talent.

It's society that disables an individual by not investing in enough creativity to allow for someone to show us the quality that makes them rare and valuable and capable.

Fame is as much about luck as it is about talent, perhaps more.

I've known people with exceptional talent - and some have wasted it. Ambition spurs a man on.

Ability is of little account without opportunity.

There are many talented people.