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Whatever I did, there was always someone around who was better qualified. They just didn't bother to do it.
James A. Michener
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Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote highlights the idea that often others are more qualified, yet do not take action.

James A. Michener's quote reflects the common observation that in any field, there are always individuals who possess greater qualifications and capabilities, yet they may choose not to engage in certain tasks or responsibilities. This suggests that action and initiative are as important, if not more so, than mere qualifications, and that success often comes from those who are willing to step forward despite the presence of more qualified individuals.

Themes

MotivationActionQualificationsInitiativeSuccess

In practice

Example use cases

In a motivational speech to encourage employees to take initiative.

More from James A. Michener

I have never thought of myself as a good writer. Anyone who wants reassurance of that should read one of my first drafts. But I'm one of the world's great rewriters.
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Whenever I start a book, I swear it's going to be a short one. But then it's, 'Who was his grandfather? And how did he get there in the first place? And what kind of animals is he chasing?'
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Rampaging horsemen can conquer; only the city can civilize.
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I think the crucial thing in the writing career is to find what you want to do and how you fit in. What somebody else does is of no concern whatever except as an interesting variation.
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If a man happens to find himself, he has a mansion which he can inhabit with dignity all the days of his life.
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I was brought up in the great tradition of the late nineteenth century: that a writer never complains, never explains and never disdains.
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