People
Great success is commoner than great abilities.
— Luc de Clapiers Vauvenargues
Behind the line May contain spoilers.
Our reading
An editorial interpretation.
The speaker claims that exceptional success occurs more often than exceptional ability. That comparison questions any simple equation between achievement and talent. Its sharpness comes from leaving the implication unstated: success alone, in this view, cannot establish how able someone really is.
Context reviewed