“I claim to be no more than the average person with less than average ability. I have not the shadow of a doubt that any man or woman can achieve what I have, if he or she would make the same effort and cultivate the same hope and faith.”
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Probable attribution
This saying is widely associated with Mahatma Gandhi, but the attribution is not supported by a reliable primary source.
Likely origin: Mahatma Gandhi, Harijan, 3 October 1936, p.269. Primary wording is 'an average man with less than average ability'; the candidate modernizes 'man' to 'person'.
About this quote
The claim shifts credit away from inborn talent toward things anyone can supply: steady effort, plus a stubborn belief that the work will pay off. It reframes 'they were just gifted' as 'they kept going,' which quietly turns a comfortable excuse into an invitation.
When to use it
- A late bloomer learning to code at forty by practicing one focused hour every morning.
- A shy person becoming a capable speaker after two years in a weekly club.
- A runner with no athletic past finishing a marathon on months of slow, patient mileage.