― Calvin Coolidge
- Bryan Rasmussen
People who persevere but fail are also very common, so this does not prove its claim.
Also, there are other examples of success without perseverance. Obvious ones are inherited success: e.g. just being born as king makes one - well, a king. No perseverance necessary. FWIW, I do think it's a game of probabilities - all these traits (education, IQ, perseverance etc) increase your odds of success to certain degree - and none of them guarantee it.
I feel our culture currently holds a strange definition of success, that of wealth mostly. So in that sense, ya, IQ might not matter that much.
So Picasso agreed to sketch her. After studying her for a moment, he used a single pencil stroke to create her portrait. He handed the women his work of art.
“It’s perfect!” she gushed. “You managed to capture my essence with one stroke, in one moment. Thank you! How much do I owe you?”
“Five thousand dollars,” the artist replied.
“But, what?” the woman sputtered. “How could you want so much money for this picture? It only took you a second to draw it!”
To which Picasso responded, “Madame, it took me my entire life.”
> Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence.
Luck and circumstance can.
> Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.
The world is also full of persistent failures as well.
> Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.
The Axis powers in ww2 were as persistent and determined as the allies. You could argue they were even more persistent and determined. They failed. Has there been a more persistent and determined presidential candidate than Hillary Clinton? She failed twice. If persistence was all it took, Hillary would have been president.
People love to pat themselves on the back for their successes. If coolidge was born into a black family in the 1800s rather than into an elite new england family, I wonder how much persistence and determination would have mattered.
Persistence is an important characteristic in life, but there are far more to success than persistence.
Preparation comes from persistence.
"Your parents have funny names for their genitals"
I think that luck is the only one you can't replace.
Being persistent will never give you the facial features to become a male model.
But at this day and age of modern cosmetic surgery, yes it does. (At least you need persistence to get the money to afford it)
>>> Being persistent will never give you the facial features to become a male model.
>> Yes it does!
> Okay. nods
Conversely, being 7 feet tall isn't enough on its own. You still need persistence to get into the NBA.
Those born with the right skull shape still need persistence and discipline with diet and exercise to make it as a model.
Persistence is still critical to rise above the crowd with most things.
Me and my sister are polar opposites in everything, I’m lazy. She’s motivated. I tended to be above average when tested. She tended to be below average when tested. She wanted nothing more than being outside in nature and I wanted nothing more than being inside and messing with my computer.
Hell. Even down to the fact she has a boys name and I have a girls name (I’m a guy) and that I was skinny and she was not.
She is now a barrister, something that I could never have become. I was close to being a shelf-stocker at the UK equivalent of wal-mart but ironically they wouldn’t have me. If not for the fact that this industry is a huge bubble I would be on my arse. And why? Because I’m lazy and smart. And she is persistent and dumb.
I have tremendous respect for my sister, but it’s a fact that her success is down to her persistence. She never gives up. Even when people dump all over her for being slow or sounding thick. She’s awesome. We could all learn something from her.
As an example: I once had a tax dispute where I was represented by a lawyer who I felt was not very sharp. We were losing / going to lose the case.
Realising the mistake I had made retaining him, I swapped to a senior lawyer of a named tax law firm. He was extremely sharp and experienced, and would think 10 steps ahead. He was also a bit lazy though (which is fine, so am I at times). But he's hands down the best professional I have ever worked with -- the only person I would ever trust without having to double check his work.
I prefer the smart lawyer, as opposed to any person with a law degree. The fact that the first guy in my example persevered and got a law degree says absolutely nothing about his ability.
Things like charisma, gravitas, luck / right place and time, attractiveness, height, inherited wealth or relationships, etc.
Shortfalls in any of these can be made up by excesses in others.
Nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent, but also, there are plenty of persistent people around who are unsuccessful.
That’s arguable. I would hazard a guess that unsuccessful men without talent may be a larger group.