"Unless a capacity for thinking be accompanied by a capacity for action, a superior mind exists in torture"

This quote by Charles Horton Cooley recommends that having an exceptional mind is not enough to be successful. It is essential to have the capacity to believe and the capability to act. Without the capability to act on one's thoughts, a remarkable mind is basically useless and can cause feelings of disappointment and suffering. Cooley is highlighting the importance of doing something about it in order to take advantage of one's intellectual abilities. He is recommending that having a remarkable mind is inadequate to be effective, which one need to also have the capability to act upon their thoughts in order to make the most of their intellectual abilities. This quote is a pointer that having a superior mind is not enough to be successful, and that one must likewise have the capacity to act in order to make the most of their intellectual abilities.