Who said “It takes a lot of time to be a genius. You have to sit around so much doing nothing,…”?

Verified

Gertrude Stein. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceEverybody’s Autobiography (1937)

Find Everybody’s Autobiography on Amazon · paid link

Evidence: Wikiquote · How we check

Source checked · Something wrong? Report a correction

Authors A–Z
“It takes a lot of time to be a genius. You have to sit around so much doing nothing, really doing nothing.”
— Gertrude Stein
VerifiedEverybody’s Autobiography (1937) · evidenceGenius
Report

Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: Everybody’s Autobiography (1937).

APA

Stein, G. (n.d.). It takes a lot of time to be a genius. You have to sit around so much doing nothing, really doing nothing. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/19626-it-takes-a-lot-of-time-to-be/

MLA

Stein, Gertrude. “It takes a lot of time to be a genius. You have to sit around so much doing nothing, really doing nothing.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/19626-it-takes-a-lot-of-time-to-be/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Stein, Gertrude. “It takes a lot of time to be a genius. You have to sit around so much doing nothing, really doing nothing.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/19626-it-takes-a-lot-of-time-to-be/.

Related quotes

More quotes by Gertrude Stein

“One does not get better but different and older and that is always a pleasure.”
VerifiedLetter to F. Scott Fitzgerald (22 May 1925), published in Fitzgerald's The Crack-Up (1945) · evidenceDetails & citeMaturity
Report
“The two things most men are proudest of is the thing that any man can do and doing does in the same way, that is being drunk and being the father of their son.”
VerifiedEverybody’s Autobiography (1937) · evidenceDetails & citeMen
Report
All 20 Gertrude Stein quotes →