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About this quote

What does it mean?
True style is a result of professional discipline, not natural birthright.
In plain terms
Doing things perfectly requires hard work, not just natural talent.
What can you take from it?
Style is learned through practice.

Where it applies

  • performance
  • career
  • social climbing

Putting it to work

  • practice until perfect
  • value skill over status

Questions to consider

  • Is style natural or learned?
  • Does hard work always pay off?

Another view

It undervalues innate talent in some fields.

More from George Bernard Shaw

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  2. Time enough to think of the future when you haven't any future to think of.

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  3. I don't want to talk grammar, I want to talk like a lady.

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