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The Wright Brothers
My favorite quotes from The Wright Brothers by David McCullough
Ben Wilson
October 24, 2023
Hey šš¼
Welcome to Take Over Tuesday, the newsletter so good that it occasionally takes over Wednesday.
The Wright Brothers Part 2 comes out later this week. If you havenāt caught the first half, you can listen here.
In all of my time doing this podcast, I donāt know that a story has left me feeling more inspired, or more proud to be an American. Here are five of my favorite quotes from the book The Wright Brothers by David McCullough:
Top Quotes
On Wilbur Wrightās ability to focus:
āSuch were Wilbur's powers of concentration that to some he seemed a little strange. He could cut himself off from everyoneā¦ a classmate said āThe strongest impression one gets of Wilbur Wright is of a man who lives largely in a world of his own.āā
On the Wright household (and the power of a home that emphasizes learning):
āEveryone in the [Wright] house read all the time.ā
A quote from Wilbur on how he was thinking about the problem of flight. The way the Wright Brothers framed the problem differently led them to innovate much faster than their rivals:
āI have my machine nearly finished. It does not have a motor and is not expected to fly in any true sense of the word. My idea is merely to experiment and practice with a view of solving the problem of equilibrium... Once a machine is under proper control under all conditions, the motor problem will be quickly solved."
A good quote from Wilbur on risk:
"Carelessness and overconfidence are usually more dangerous than deliberately accepted risks."
A local from Kitty Hawk, North Carolina on the Wright Brothersā ability to work hard:
ā[They were] two of the workingest boys, and when they worked, they worked. They had their whole heart and soul in what they were doing.ā
A few thoughts:
No one believed in the Wright Brothers. But they were able to shrug off that doubt because they had a plan and they stuck to it.
Orville was the heart, Wilbur was the brain. To grow a really successful company, you need bothĀ extreme talent and extreme obsession. If you have one of those things but not the other, go find someone who complements you.
Can you imagine what it must have felt like to fly for the first time? WOW. Thinking about that makes me want to work on something really ambitious.
By the way, you can now access all endnotes and bonus episodes by signing up for How to Take Over the World premium for $7 per month. Thank you so much to all of you who have already supported the show with your hard-earned money. I canāt tell you how much I appreciate it.
