John Bartlett (1820–1905). Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. 1919.
6002 Thomas Carlyle 1795-1881 John Bartlett
| NUMBER: | 6002 |
| AUTHOR: | Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881) |
| QUOTATION: | Genius … means the transcendent capacity of taking trouble. 1 |
| ATTRIBUTION: | Life of Frederick the Great. Book iv. Chap. iii. |
| Note 1. Buffon says:—“La génie n’est autre chose qu’une grande aptitude à la patience. (Genius is nothing else than a great aptitude for patience).” There is also a popular proverb: “Genius is patience.” See also Disraeli, p. 627: “Patience is a necessary ingredient of genius.” See Leslie Stephen: “Genius is a capacity for taking trouble.” Jan Walæus also says: “Genius is an intuitive talent for labor.” [back] |