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Time, place, and action may with pains be wrought, but genius must be born; and never can be taught.
John Dryden
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Genius is innate and cannot be taught like skills or actions that can be learned over time.

This quote emphasizes the belief that while circumstances like time, place, and actions can be influenced or developed through effort, true genius is a natural gift that one is born with. It suggests that creative brilliance is not something that can be instilled through education or practice, but rather, it is an inherent quality that some individuals possess.

Themes

GeniusTalentEducationInspirationCreativity

In practice

Example use cases

In a discussion about talent vs. hard work, you might quote this to emphasize the unique nature of genius.

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Quote by John Dryden | QuoteProject