AtomicQuote

Sarah Vowell Quote

A gifted violin player in danger of becoming a virtuoso and thus too attached to his instrument handed it over to the Oneida authorities and never played again. When a visiting Canadian teacher complained that the community did not foster genius or special talent, Noyes was delighted, replying, We never expected or desired to produce a Byron, a Napoleon, or a Michelangelo. You know you've reached a new plateau of group mediocrity when even a Canadian is alarmed by your lack of individuality.

Sarah Vowell

A gifted violin player in danger of becoming a virtuoso and thus too attached to his instrument handed it over to the Oneida authorities and never played again. When a visiting Canadian teacher complained that the community did not foster genius or special talent, Noyes was delighted, replying, We never expected or desired to produce a Byron, a Napoleon, or a Michelangelo. You know you've reached a new plateau of group mediocrity when even a Canadian is alarmed by your lack of individuality.

Tags: individuality, mediocrity, oneida, talent

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About Sarah Vowell

Sarah Jane Vowell (born December 27, 1969) is an American historian, author, journalist, essayist, social commentator and actress. She has written seven nonfiction books on American history and culture. Vowell was a contributing editor for the radio program This American Life on Public Radio International from 1996 to 2008, where she produced numerous commentaries and documentaries. She was also the voice of Violet Parr in the 2004 animated film The Incredibles and its 2018 sequel.