A Quote by John W. Gardner

Some people have greatness thrust upon them. Very few have excellence thrust upon them.

John W. Gardner

Quote Topics

Excellence Few Greatness People Some Some People Them Thrust Very

Quote Author

John W. Gardner
American - Educator
October 8, 1912 - February 16, 2002

Some people may have greatness thrust upon them. Very few have excellence thrust upon them. They achieve it. They do not achieve it unwittingly, by “doin' what comes naturally”; and they don't stumble into it in the course of amusing themselves. All excellence involves discipline and tenacity of purpose.

John W. Gardner

Some people are born great and some have greatness thrust upon them

Monica Lewinsky

Some have greatness thrust upon them, but not lately.

Frank Dane

Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.

William Shakespeare

I want to be known as 'The Big Shakespeare.' It was Shakespeare that said, 'Some men are born great, some achieve greatness, some have greatness thrust upon them.'

Shaquille O'Neal

With due apologies to Shakespeare, some people are born writers, some people achieve it after a lot of hard work, some people have a writing career thrust upon them. I am in that last group.

Amish Tripathi

Some are born to fail. Others have it thrust upon them.

Strother Martin

Some girls are apparently born with dates; some through much personal activity, achieve them; but others seem by necessity to have dates thrust upon them.

Bess Streeter Aldrich

Some people are born to trains, and some have trains thrust upon them. Fortunately, I can be included in this latter category.

Michael Portillo

Some are born weird, some achieve it, others have weirdness thrust upon them.

Dick Francis

I assume there must be some kind of genetic thrust. My two grandmothers were very different, but both of them were frustrated musicians.

Joni Mitchell

I think that happens to a lot of people who find themselves thrust into the spotlight and becoming famous before they recognize what's happening to them. Life becomes a little distorted for them.