"Talent, lying in the understanding, is often inherited; genius, being the action of reason or imagination, rarely or never"
- Samuel Taylor Coleridge
About this Quote
This quote by Samuel Taylor Coleridge speaks to the difference in between skill and genius. Skill is something that is acquired, something that lies within the understanding. It is something that is natural and can be developed over time. Genius, on the other hand, is something that is the result of reason or imagination. It is something that is not acquired, but rather something that is developed through effort and commitment. Coleridge is suggesting that genius is something that is seldom or never inherited, however rather something that is earned through effort and commitment. This quote speaks with the concept that talent is something that is natural, while genius is something that is earned. It is a suggestion that hard work and devotion can lead to excellent things, and that genius is something that is not acquired, but rather something that is made.
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