You can improve your talent, but your talent is a given, a mysterious constant. You must make it the best of its kind.
Interpretation
Talent is inherent, but it requires effort to reach its full potential.
Gore Vidal's quote highlights the idea that while talent is an innate trait that each individual possesses, it is essential to cultivate and refine that talent to achieve excellence. It suggests that improvement and success depend not only on the talent itself but also on the dedication and work put into it.
In practice
In a motivational speech to students about the importance of hard work and skill development.
We must declare ourselves, become known; allow the world to discover this subterranean life of ours which connects kings and farm boys, artists and clerks. Let them see that the important thing is not the object of love, but the emotion itself.
American writers want to be not good but great; and so are neither.
Writing fiction has become a priestly business in countries that have lost their faith.
The important thing is not the object of love, but the emotion itself.
For the average American, freedom of speech is simply the freedom to repeat what everyone else is saying and no more.
Ayn Rand's 'philosophy' is nearly perfect in its immorality, which makes the size of her audience all the more ominous and symptomatic as we enter a curious new phase in our society.... To justify and extol human greed and egotism is to my mind not only immoral, but evil.
Forgiveness is setting the prisoner free, only to find out that the prisoner was me.
If you want to learn the craft of war, ponder over this book. The teacher is as a needle, the disciple is as thread. You must practice constantly.
'Tis healthy to be sick sometimes.
There is no creation without faith and hope. There is no faith and hope that does not express itself in creation.
Donβt be vain because you happen to have talent. You are not responsible for that; it was not of your doing. What you do with your talent is what matters.
I have never regretted my silence. As for my speech, I have regretted it over and over again.
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