Skills quotes
2.4K quotes on this topic — from poets, philosophers, and thinkers across history.
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Browse quotes that often appear alongside skills — connected by shared ideas and recurring themes.
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"I never feared about my skills because I put in the work. Work ethic eliminates fear. So if you put forth the work, what are you fearing? You know what you're capable of doing and what you're not."
"Communication is a skill that you can learn. It's like riding a bicycle or typing. If you're willing to work at it, you can rapidly improve the quality of every part of your life."
"My speaking style was criticised by no less an authority than Arnold Schwarzenegger. It was a low moment, my friends, to have my rhetorical skills denounced by a monosyllabic Austrian cyborg."
"My height doesn't define my skill set. To be a great quarterback, you have to have great leadership, great attention to detail and a relentless competitive nature - and I try to bring that on a daily basis."
"Boxing isn't just about brute strength; it's about skill and outwitting your opponent."
"We rely more on enthusiasm than actual skill. Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically and people will like it more."
"For success in life you need yukti (skill) and shakti (strength), Bhakti (Devotion ) and Mukti (Freedom)."
"Journalist: a person without any ideas but with an ability to express them; a writer whose skill is improved by a deadline: the more time he has, the worse he writes."
"Most poets are elitist dregs more concerned with proving their skill with a dictionary than communicating ideas with impact."
"Now that practical skills have developed enough to provide adequately for material needs, one of these sciences which are not devoted to utilitarian ends [mathematics] has been able to arise in Egypt, the priestly caste there having the leisure necessary for disinterested research."
"Talent you have naturally. Skill is only developed by hours and hours and hours of beating on your craft."
"Unless you’re continually improving your skills, you’re quickly becoming irrelevant."
"The Mississippi River will always have its own way; no engineering skill can persuade it to do otherwise."
"Sam Vimes could parallel process. Most husbands can. They learn to follow their own line of thought while at the same time listening to what their wives say. And the listening is important, because at any time they could be challenged and must be ready to quote the last sentence in full. A vital additional skill is being able to scan the dialogue for telltale phrases such as "and they can deliver it tomorrow" or "so I've invited them for dinner?" or "they can do it in blue, really quite cheaply."
"Before I put brush to canvas, I question, 'Is this mine? ...Is it influenced by some idea which I have acquired from some man? ...I am trying with all my skill to do a painting that is all of women, as well as all of me."
"Business, labor and civil society organizations have skills and resources that are vital in helping to build a more robust global community."
"Listening (the first competence of leadership) is not a skill, it is a discipline. All you have to do is keep your mouth shut."
"I am a big believer that everybody has unusual, and certainly untapped, potential. The more people like that we can line up with their skill set and with their abilities, the more success we get to have."
"Whether you want to uncover the secrets of the universe, or you just want to pursue a career in the 21st century, basic computer programming is an essential skill to learn"
"Most people believe that great leaders are distinguished by their ability to give compelling answers. This profound book shatters that assumption, showing that the more vital skill is asking the right questions…. Berger poses many fascinating questions, including this one: What if companies had mission questions rather than mission statements? This is a book everyone ought to read—without question."
