# Quotes about mediocrity - Quotes: 18 - Authors: 15 - Broader topic: [Quotes about human nature](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/human-nature.md) - Topic page: https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/mediocrity - JSON version (same data): https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/mediocrity.json ## Quotes > There was a common saying in the biz/tech world that “A's hire A's, and B's hire C's,” the point being that as long as you continued to recruit only the very best people, they would attract others, but as soon as you let your standards slip, the second-raters would begin to sign up third-raters to act as their minions and advance their agendas. [Neal Stephenson](https://www.leafyquotes.com/neal-stephenson.md) · [Reamde](https://www.leafyquotes.com/neal-stephenson/reamde.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/neal-stephenson/reamde/there-was-a-common.md) Topics: [work](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/work.md), [mediocrity](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/mediocrity.md) > The world is mediocre. About that there is no mistake. Well then, has the world been mediocre since time immemorial? No. In the beginning, the world was chaos, and chaos is not mediocre. The mediocratization began when people separated the means of production from daily life. [Haruki Murakami](https://www.leafyquotes.com/haruki-murakami.md) · [A Wild Sheep Chase](https://www.leafyquotes.com/haruki-murakami/a-wild-sheep-chase.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/haruki-murakami/a-wild-sheep-chase/the-world-is-mediocre.md) Topics: [chaos](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/chaos.md), [mediocrity](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/mediocrity.md) > Mediocrity is a constant, as one Russian writer put it. Russians have a way with aphorisms. They probably spend all winter thinking them up. [Haruki Murakami](https://www.leafyquotes.com/haruki-murakami.md) · [A Wild Sheep Chase](https://www.leafyquotes.com/haruki-murakami/a-wild-sheep-chase.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/haruki-murakami/a-wild-sheep-chase/mediocrity-is-a-constant.md) Topics: [humor](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/humor.md), [mediocrity](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/mediocrity.md) > You have an interesting history. Now people can generally be classified in to two groups: the mediocre realists and the mediocre dreamers. You clearly belong to the latter. Your fate is and will always be the fate of dreamers. [Haruki Murakami](https://www.leafyquotes.com/haruki-murakami.md) · [A Wild Sheep Chase](https://www.leafyquotes.com/haruki-murakami/a-wild-sheep-chase.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/haruki-murakami/a-wild-sheep-chase/you-have-an-interesting.md) Topics: [dreams and aspirations](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/dreams-and-aspirations.md), [mediocrity](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/mediocrity.md) > The world cannot live at the level of its great men. [James George Frazer](https://www.leafyquotes.com/james-george-frazer.md) · [The Golden Bough](https://www.leafyquotes.com/james-george-frazer/the-golden-bough.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/james-george-frazer/the-golden-bough/the-world-cannot.md) Topics: [human nature](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/human-nature.md), [mediocrity](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/mediocrity.md) > Gregariousness is always the refuge of mediocrities, whether they swear by Solovyov or Kant or Marx. Only individuals seek the truth. [Boris Pasternak](https://www.leafyquotes.com/boris-pasternak.md) · [Doctor Zhivago](https://www.leafyquotes.com/boris-pasternak/doctor-zhivago.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/boris-pasternak/doctor-zhivago/gregariousness-is-always.md) Topics: [truth](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/truth.md), [mediocrity](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/mediocrity.md) > A well proportioned mind is one which shows no particular bias; one of which we may safely say that it will never cause its owner to be confined as a madman, tortured as a heretic, or crucified as a blasphemer. Also, on the other hand, that it will never cause him to be applauded as a prophet, revered as a priest, or exalted as a king. Its usual blessings are happiness and mediocrity. [Thomas Hardy](https://www.leafyquotes.com/thomas-hardy.md) · [The Return of the Native](https://www.leafyquotes.com/thomas-hardy/the-return-of-the-native.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/thomas-hardy/the-return-of-the-native/a-well-proportioned.md) Topics: [happiness](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/happiness.md), [mediocrity](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/mediocrity.md) > "Don't set out to raze all shrines—you'll frighten men. Enshrine mediocrity—and the shrines are razed." [Ayn Rand](https://www.leafyquotes.com/ayn-rand.md) · [The Fountainhead](https://www.leafyquotes.com/ayn-rand/the-fountainhead.md) · p. 691 — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/ayn-rand/the-fountainhead/dont-set-out.md) Topics: [mediocrity](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/mediocrity.md) > "Miss Taggart, do you know the hallmark of the second-rater? It's resentment of another man's achievement. Those touchy mediocrities who sit trembling lest someone's work prove greater than their own—they have no inkling of the loneliness that comes when you reach the top. The loneliness for an equal— for a mind to respect and an achievement to admire. They bare their teeth at you from out of their rat holes, thinking that you take pleasure in letting your brilliance dim them—while you'd give a year of your life to see a flicker of talent anywhere among them. They envy achievement, and their dream of greatness is a world where all men have become their acknowledged inferiors. They don't know that that dream is the infallible proof of mediocrity, because that sort of world is what the man of achievement would not be able to bear." [Ayn Rand](https://www.leafyquotes.com/ayn-rand.md) · [Atlas Shrugged](https://www.leafyquotes.com/ayn-rand/atlas-shrugged.md) · p. 358 — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/ayn-rand/atlas-shrugged/miss-taggart-do-you.md) Topics: [loneliness](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/loneliness.md), [jealousy](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/jealousy.md), [mediocrity](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/mediocrity.md) > Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them. With Major Major it had been all three. [Joseph Heller](https://www.leafyquotes.com/joseph-heller.md) · [Catch-22](https://www.leafyquotes.com/joseph-heller/catch-22.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/joseph-heller/catch-22/some-men-are.md) Topics: [humor](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/humor.md), [mediocrity](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/mediocrity.md) > They did not murmur the [ Canadian ] national prayer: "O God, grant me mediocrity and comfort; protect me from the radiance of Thy light." [Robertson Davies](https://www.leafyquotes.com/robertson-davies.md) · [The Cornish Trilogy](https://www.leafyquotes.com/robertson-davies/the-cornish-trilogy.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/robertson-davies/the-cornish-trilogy/they-did-not.md) Topics: [humor](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/humor.md), [mediocrity](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/mediocrity.md) > All passion is lost now. The world is mediocre, limp, without force. And madness and despair are a force. And force is a crime in the eyes of the fools, the weak and the silly who rule the roost. You are mediocre. Verloc, whose affair the police has managed to smother so nicely, was mediocre. And the police murdered him. He was mediocre. Everybody is mediocre. Madness and despair! Give me that for a lever, and I'll move the world. Ossipon, you have my cordial scorn. You are incapable of conceiving even what the fat-fed citizen would call a crime. You have no force. [Joseph Conrad](https://www.leafyquotes.com/joseph-conrad.md) · [The Secret Agent](https://www.leafyquotes.com/joseph-conrad/the-secret-agent.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/joseph-conrad/the-secret-agent/all-passion-is-lost.md) Topics: [madness](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/madness.md), [mediocrity](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/mediocrity.md) > Mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself; but talent instantly recognizes genius. [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://www.leafyquotes.com/arthur-conan-doyle.md) · [The Valley of Fear](https://www.leafyquotes.com/arthur-conan-doyle/the-valley-of-fear.md) · p. 773 — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/arthur-conan-doyle/the-valley-of-fear/mediocrity-knows-nothing.md) Topics: [talent](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/talent.md), [genius](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/genius.md), [mediocrity](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/mediocrity.md) > "I'm going to rub your faces in things you try to avoid. I don't find it strange that all you want to believe is only that which comforts you. How else do humans invent the traps which betray us into mediocrity? How else do we define cowardice?" [Frank Herbert](https://www.leafyquotes.com/frank-herbert.md) · [Children Of Dune](https://www.leafyquotes.com/frank-herbert/children-of-dune.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/frank-herbert/children-of-dune/im-going-to-rub.md) Topics: [cowardice](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/cowardice.md), [mediocrity](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/mediocrity.md) > It is cruel to discover one's mediocrity only when it is too late. [William Somerset Maugham](https://www.leafyquotes.com/william-somerset-maugham.md) · [Of Human Bondage](https://www.leafyquotes.com/william-somerset-maugham/of-human-bondage.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/william-somerset-maugham/of-human-bondage/it-is-cruel.md) Topics: [mediocrity](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/mediocrity.md) > He had talents equal to business, and aspired no higher. [Tacitus](https://www.leafyquotes.com/tacitus.md) · [Annals](https://www.leafyquotes.com/tacitus/annals.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/tacitus/annals/he-had-talents.md) Topics: [ambition](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/ambition.md), [mediocrity](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/mediocrity.md) > What we really desire of any man conducting any business is that the full force of an ordinary man should be put into that particular study. We do not desire that the full force of that study should be put into an ordinary man. [G. Chesterton](https://www.leafyquotes.com/g-chesterton.md) · [Heretics](https://www.leafyquotes.com/g-chesterton/heretics.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/g-chesterton/heretics/what-we-really.md) Topics: [work](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/work.md), [mediocrity](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/mediocrity.md) > Idleness is only fatal to the mediocre. [Albert Camus](https://www.leafyquotes.com/albert-camus.md) · [A Happy Death](https://www.leafyquotes.com/albert-camus/a-happy-death.md) — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/albert-camus/a-happy-death/idleness-is-only.md) Topics: [laziness](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/laziness.md), [mediocrity](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/mediocrity.md)