Men take on the nature and the habits and the power of thought of those with whom they associate in a spirit of sympathy and harmony.
Napoleon HillRead
A genius is simply one who has taken full possession of his own mind and directed it toward objectives of his own choosing, without permitting outside influences to discourage or mislead him.
Interpretation
What this quote means
A genius effectively uses their mind to pursue their own goals, disregarding outside distractions and discouragements.
This quote by Napoleon Hill emphasizes that true genius lies in the ability to harness one's mental faculties wholeheartedly toward self-determined goals. It suggests that a person's success in realizing their potential is influenced by their focus and the discipline to ignore external detractors, which is a hallmark of personal empowerment and self-direction.
Themes
GeniusMindObjectivesFocusSelf-Direction
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about pursuing dreams, one might use this quote to inspire individuals to follow their aspirations without being swayed by others.
More from Napoleon Hill
All quotes βNature yields her most profound secrets to the person who is determined to uncover them.
Napoleon HillRead
Man, alone, has the power to transform his thoughts into physical reality; man, alone, can dream and make his dreams come true.
Napoleon HillRead
One of the most common causes of failure is the habit of quitting when one is overtaken by temporary defeat.
Napoleon HillRead
Let nobody bribe you away from being yourself.
Napoleon HillRead
Every person who wins in any undertaking must be willing to cut all sources of retreat. Only by doing so can one be sure of maintaining that state of mind known as a burning desire to win - essential to success.
Napoleon HillRead
Similar quotes
[T]he values to which people cling most stubbornly under inappropriate conditions are those values that were previously the source of their greatest triumphs.
Jared DiamondRead
When you are famous it is hard to work on small problems. This is what did [Claude Elwood] Shannon in. After information theory, what do you do for an encore? The great scientists often make this error. They fail to continue to plant the little acorns from which the mighty oak trees grow. They try to get the big thing right off. And that isn't the way things go. So that is another reason why you find that when you get early recognition it seems to sterilize you.
Richard HammingRead
There are no makeovers in my books. The ugly duckling does not become a beautiful swan. She becomes a confident duck able to take charge of her own life and problems.
Maeve BinchyRead
Maturity: knowing where you're crazy, trying to warn others of the fact and striving to keep yourself under control.
Alain De BottonRead
In our world of big names, curiously, our true heroes tend to be anonymous. In this life of illusion and quasi-illusion, the person of solid virtues who can be admired for something more substantial than his well-knownness often proves to be the unsung hero: the teacher, the nurse, the mother, the honest cop, the hard worker at lonely, underpaid, unglamorous, unpublicized jobs.
Daniel J. BoorstinRead
I'm not going to get involved in a debate with you. Just remember this: the gods give, and the gods take away. Even if you are not aware of having been granted what you posses, the gods remember what they gave you. They don't forget a thing. You should use the abilities you have been granted with the utmost care.
Haruki MurakamiRead