The deepest quality of a work of art will always be the quality of the mind of the producer...No good novel will ever proceed from a superficial mind.
Henry JamesRead
Take the word for it of a man who has made his way inch by inch, and does not believe that we'll wake up to find our work done because we've lain all night a-dreaming of it; anything worth doing is devilish hard to do!
Interpretation
What this quote means
Hard work is essential for achieving anything worthwhile in life.
Henry James emphasizes that success does not come from idle dreaming but from diligent effort. The quote highlights the importance of perseverance and the recognition that meaningful achievements require hard work and dedication, rather than expecting results to manifest without effort.
Themes
Hard WorkSuccessEffortDedicationPerseverance
In practice
Example use cases
During a motivational speech to students about pursuing their dreams.
More from Henry James
All quotes →What is character but the determination of incident? What is incident but the illustration of character?
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We care what happens to people only in proportion as we know what people are.
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A swift carriage, of a dark night, rattling with four horses over roads that one can’t see--that’s my idea of happiness.
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