Talent Misuse Quotes

If we're not a good steward of what God gives us, he takes it away. I think that's what happened. I wasn't a good steward of the gift that he gave me in this line of work. I abused it, so he took it away.

My dear Smollett ... disgraces his talent by writing those stupid romances called history.

It's a very odd thing with Hollywood, where you do stand-up, you're good at it, then they go, 'How would you like to be a horrible actor?' Then you say, 'All right, that sounds good. I'll do that.'

A man with great talents, but void of discretion, is like Polyphemus in the fable, strong and blind, endued with an irresistible force, which for want of sight is of no use to him.

When you're in Hollywood and you're a comedian, everybody wants you to do other things. All right, you're a stand-up comedian, can you write us a script? That's not fair. That's like if I worked hard to become a cook, and I'm a really good cook, they'd say, "OK, you're a cook. Can you farm?"

To misuse one's talent, to be cavalier about it, to set it aside because of fear or sloth is unpardonable.

It is painful to behold a man employing his talents to corrupt himself.

For me, it is the worst kind of sacrilege if you are given some of special talent and you don't take advantage of this gift.

They don't want you until you have made a name, and by the time you have made a name, you have developed some kind of talent they can't use. All they will do is spoil it, if you let them.

Only 20 percent of employees working in large organizations surveyed feel their strengths are in play every day. Thus, eight our of ten employees surveyed feel somewhat miscast in their role.

It's no fun to be miscast. The times I've done parts that I don't feel, in retrospect, I was great for - it's a very bad feeling.