History Quotes / BrilliantButLazy

->The baronet had, it is true, no very great estimate of Robert's faculty for the business of this everyday life. He was in the habit of looking upon his nephew as a good-natured nonentity -- a man whose heart had been amply stocked by liberal nature with all the best things the generous goddess had to bestow, but whose brain had been somewhat overlooked in the distribution of intellectual gifts. Sir Michael Audley made that mistake which is very commonly made by easygoing, well-to-do observers, who have no occasion to look below the surface. He mistook laziness for incapacity. He thought because his nephew was idle, he must necessarily be stupid. He concluded that if Robert did not distinguish himself it was because he could not.

->"If the art of the detective began and ended in reasoning from an arm-chair, [[AlwaysSomeoneBetter my brother]] would be the greatest criminal agent that ever lived. But he has no ambition and no energy. He will not even go out of his way to verify his own solution, and would rather be considered wrong than take the trouble to prove himself right."
-->-- '''Literature/SherlockHolmes''' describing his brother Mycroft, ''The Adventure of the Greek Interpreter''

->'''Pike:''' You know that instinct to leap without looking, that was his nature too. And in my opinion it's something Starfleet's lost.

->''"Well, what about you? Stuck at home with your dad. And that car. You have all this talent and you waste it! And you do shit with it! And you say it's because you don't need all that and your happy, but really? Really, it's because you're scared!"''

->''"To think that you would squander such a talent on frivolous pursuit. You do not even realized what you have achieved, do you?"''

->'''Maxwell:''' The Sins of your pet Vampire are of greater concern.\\

'''Maxwell:''' Over the last couple of years, he's sent no less than Four-Hundred Death Threats to The Pope. By Carrier Pidgeon no less! They just ''fly'' right into The Vatican. The latest one read as such...\\

->'''Supernova:''' If I can continue, Rick. I anticipate sophisticated security measures. I trust you can be of service there.
->'''Rick:''' Well, let me check my list of powers and weaknesses. Ability to do anything, but only whenever I want. Yeah, that sounds like a job for me.
-->-- ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'', "Vindicators 3: The Return of Worldender"

-->-- '''Tony Heaton''', British sculptor and wheelchair user, whose sculptures were major decorations at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London.

-->-- '''Tony Heaton''', British sculptor and wheelchair user, whose sculptures were major decorations at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London

->''"I can't help but ponder the frightful headway we'd make if he put that sort of energy into his job."''
-->-- '''Integra''' (after hearing the latest of Alucard's 200+ elaborate death threats to the Pope), ''WebVideo/HellsingUltimateAbridged''

-->--'''Lance Armstrong''' to '''Babe ruth''', ''WebVideo/EpicRapBattlesOfHistory''

->''The baronet had, it is true, no very great estimate of Robert's faculty for the business of this everyday life. He was in the habit of looking upon his nephew as a good-natured nonentity -- a man whose heart had been amply stocked by liberal nature with all the best things the generous goddess had to bestow, but whose brain had been somewhat overlooked in the distribution of intellectual gifts. Sir Michael Audley made that mistake which is very commonly made by easygoing, well-to-do observers, who have no occasion to look below the surface. He mistook laziness for incapacity. He thought because his nephew was idle, he must necessarily be stupid. He concluded that if Robert did not distinguish himself it was because he could not.''
->''He forgot the mute inglorious [[Creator/JohnMilton Miltons]] who die voiceless and inarticulate for want of that dogged perseverance, that blind courage, which the poet must possess before he can find a publisher; he forgot the Cromwells, who see a noble vessel -- political economy -- floundering upon a sea of confusion, and going down in a tempest of noisy bewilderment, and who yet are powerless to get at the helm, forbidden even to send out a life-boat to the sinking ship. Surely it is a mistake to judge of what a man can do by that which he has done.''

->''He’d felt under tremendous pressure since birth. He was as close to being an übermensch as the law allowed since the Genomic War’s end. There should have been no opportunity denied him, his life a limitless vista of potential. He’d been told this so many times growing up—and had so many times and in so many ways inevitably failed to fulfill his mother’s colossal hubristic expectations for him—that he now lived his life in an indeterminate state between self-reverence and self-loathing (the two faces of self-absorption being close kin). He believed himself a loser who should have been a king. Not that he’d ever really seriously wanted a throne, but he felt guilty for not wanting it. So now he just scribbled some poems and art, partied as damn hard as he could, and said fuck-all to his supposed unfulfilled potential. He was ashamed of all this, even though he figured it was exactly what Fensty liked about him.''

->"A lot of work went into my education, a tiny bit of it even mine."

->"Anyone who is both clever and lazy is qualified for the highest leadership duties, because he possesses the intellectual clarity and the composure necessary for difficult decisions."

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->'''Ible''' (adj.)
--> Clever but lazy.

->''"[[CutLexLuthorACheck If only you'd put your mind to something useful.]] You're like ComicBook/LexLuthor!"''

'''Dr. Octavius:''' [[BrutalHonesty He also tells me you're lazy]].

->'''"Labria":''' My friend, [[WickedCultured this is all that I want]].

-->-- '''Sarah''' about Jim, ''Disney/TreasurePlanet''

-->- '''Bertrand Russell'''

-->-- ''Film/StarTrek''

->"I thought up the perfect strategy. It's...um...[[SleepyHead Zzz...]]"

'''Peter:''' ''(flattered look)''

->'''Dr. Octavius:''' Parker... Now I remember you. You're Dr. Connors' student. He tells me you're brilliant.\\
'''Peter:''' Thank you, sir!\\
'''Dr. Octavius:''' [[TropeNamers He also tells me you're lazy]].

->''"Literature/NeroWolfe is investigating the murder of Mrs. Fromm with his accustomed skill, vigor and laziness. He will not rest until he gets the bastard or until bedtime, whichever comes first."''

->''"Literature/NeroWolfe is investigating the murder of Mrs. Fromm with his accustomed skill, vigor and laziness. He will not rest until he gets the bastard or until bedtime, whichever comes first."