Alexander Canby

“So if you think that when you are better, it means that you can smash ahead and mate the guy, you are wrong, that is not what better means. What better means is that your position has the potential, if played correctly, to turn out well. So do not think that when you are better and when you are attacking that you can just force mate. That is not what it is about. Often the way to play best, the way to play within the position, is to maintain it.”
― Josh Waitzkin

“One of the most critical strengths of a superior competitor in any discipline—whether we are speaking about sports, business negotiations, or even presidential debates—is the ability to dictate the tone of the battle.”
― Josh Waitzkin, The Art of Learning: A Journey in the Pursuit of Excellence

“Of course there were plateaus, periods when my results leveled off while I internalized the information necessary for my next growth spurt, but I didn’t mind.”
― Josh Waitzkin, The Art of Learning: A Journey in the Pursuit of Excellence

“Just as the yin-yang symbol possesses a kernel of light in the dark, and of dark in the light, creative leaps are grounded in a technical foundation.”
― Josh Waitzkin, The Art of Learning: A Journey in the Pursuit of Excellence