“There is no such thing as a great talent without great will-power.”
This quote has no known author and is recorded as an anonymous proverb.
About this quote
Balzac's line separates ability from character, and it flatters nobody in the process: a talent that is never exercised stays a capacity. It is a humbling thing to hold next to the usual accounts of success, and it is also the argument for practising a thing long enough for nerve to turn into habit.