A ship is safest at the harbor, but that is not where it is supposed to be.
—N. R. Narayana Murthy (b.1946) Indian Businessperson, Philanthropist
He who stays in the valley will never see over the hill.
—Unknown
Fortune befriends the bold.
—John Dryden (1631–1700) English Poet, Literary Critic, Playwright
The policy of being too cautious is the greatest risk of all.
—Jawaharlal Nehru (1889–1964) Indian Head of State
There is not any memory with less satisfaction than the memory of some temptation we resisted.
—James Branch Cabell (1879–1958) American Author of Fantasy Fiction
The men who have done big things are those who were not afraid to attempt big things, who were not afraid to risk failure in order to gain success.
—B. C. Forbes (1880–1954) Scottish-born American Journalist, Publisher
He who dares nothing need hope for nothing.
—Unknown
Somebody must take a chance. The monkeys who became men, and the monkeys who didn’t are still jumping around in trees making faces at the monkeys who did.
—Lincoln Steffens (1846–1936) American Journalist, Academic, Political Philosopher
There could be no honor in a sure success, but much might be wrested from a sure defeat.
—T. E. Lawrence (1888–1935) British Soldier, Scholar, Writer
Risk comes from not knowing what you’re doing.
—Warren Buffett (b.1930) American Investor
If you limit your actions in life to things that nobody can possibly find fault with, you will not do much.
—Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) (1832–98) British Anglican Author, Mathematician, Clergyman, Photographer, Logician
Every minute of life I take a risk; it’s part of the enjoyment.
—Otto Preminger (1906–86) American Film Director, Producer
I am a writer who came of a sheltered life. A sheltered life can be a daring life as well. For all serious daring starts from within.
—Eudora Welty (1909–2001) American Short Story Writer, Novelist
Daring is not safe against daring men.
—Ovid (Publius Ovidius Naso) (c.43 BCE–c.18 CE) Roman Poet
Happy is he who dares courageously to defend what he loves.
—Ovid (Publius Ovidius Naso) (c.43 BCE–c.18 CE) Roman Poet
Boldness, without the rules of propriety, becomes insubordination.
—Confucius (551–479 BCE) Chinese Philosopher
As Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor, Nobel laureate, and supporter of the Tibetan people, “We must understand that there can be no life without risk—and when your spirit is strong, everything else is secondary, even the risks.
—Robert Cooper (b.1947) British Diplomat
Run for daylight.
—Vince Lombardi (1913–70) American Football Coach
Men are wise in proportion, not to their experience, but to their capacity for experience.
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) Irish Playwright
Audacity augments courage; hesitation, fear.
—Publilius Syrus (fl.85–43 BCE) Syrian-born Roman Latin Writer
Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. The fearful are caught as often as the bold.
—Helen Keller (1880–1968) American Author
What is life, but one long risk?
—Dorothy Canfield Fisher (1879–1958) American Novelist
Who bravely dares must sometimes risk a fall.
—Tobias Smollett (1721–71) Scottish Poet, Novelist
Prudence is an attitude that keeps life safe, but does not often make it happy.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
However well organized the foundations of life may be, life must always be full of risks.
—Havelock Ellis (1859–1939) British Sexologist, Physician, Social Reformer
If you want to launch big ships you have to go where the water is deep.
—Unknown
One ought never to turn one’s back on a threatened danger and try to run away from it. If you do that, you will double the danger. But if you meet it promptly and without flinching, you will reduce the danger by half. Never run away from anything. Never.
—Winston Churchill (1874–1965) British Head of State, Political leader, Historian, Journalist, Author
Be bold, be bold, and everywhere be bold.
—Herbert Spencer (1820–1903) English Polymath, Philosopher, Sociologist, Political Theorist
What kind of man would live where there is no daring?. I don’t believe in taking foolish chances but nothing can be accomplished without taking any chance at all.
—Charles Lindbergh (1902–74) American Aviator, Inventor, Conservationist
The loving are the daring.
—Bayard Taylor (1825–78) American Poet, Literary Critic, Translator, Translator
Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.
—Robert F. Kennedy (1925–68) American Politician, Civil Rights Activist
As the band got more successful, it was increasingly difficult to get people to take a risk with something that might jeopardize their livelihood. On Genesis
—Peter Gabriel (b.1950) English Singer-Songwriter
Necessity is the mother of taking chances.
—Mark Twain (1835–1910) American Humorist
Are you willing to work sixteen hours a day? Rich people are. Are you willing to work seven days a week and five up most of your weekends? Rich people are. Are you willing to sacrifice seeing your family, your friends, and give up your recreations and hobbies? Rich people are. Are you willing to risk all your time, energy and start-up capital with no guarantee of returns? Rich people are.
—T. Harv Eker (b.1954) American Motivational Speaker, Lecturer, Author
Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.
—Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919) American Head of State, Political leader, Historian, Explorer
God will not have his work made manifest by cowards.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
Most successful people are people who take risks—calculated risks—but nevertheless, risks.
—Indian Proverb
Calculation never made a hero.
—John Henry Newman (1801–90) British Theologian, Poet
Few are they who have never had the chance to achieve happiness … and fewer those who have taken that chance.
—Andre Maurois (1885–1967) French Novelist, Biographer
The knowledge that you can handle anything that comes your way is the key to allowing yourself to take healthy, life-affirming risks.
—Susan Jeffers (1938–2012) American Psychologist, Self-Help Author
They are surely to be esteemed the bravest spirits who, having the clearest sense of both the pains and pleasures of life, do not on that account shrink from danger.
—Thucydides (c.455?c.400 BCE) Greek Historian
Do not yield to misfortunes, but advance more boldly to meet them, as your fortune permits you.
—Virgil (70–19 BCE) Roman Poet
There is no security in life, only opportunity.
—Douglas MacArthur (1880–1964) American Military Leader
If one has to jump a stream and knows how wide it is, he will not jump. If he does not know how wide it is, he will jump, and six times out of ten he will make it.
—Persian Proverb
The more thou dost advance, the more thy feet pitfalls will meet. The Path that leadeth on is lighted by one fire—the light of daring burning in the heart. The more one dares, the more he shall obtain. The more he fears, the more that light shall pale
—Helena Blavatsky (1831–91) Ukrainian-born American Theosophist, Spiritual Leader, Philosopher, Mystic
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
—Common Proverb
To live differently, to love differently, to think differently, or to try to. Is the danger of beauty so great that it is better to live without it (the standard model)? Or to fall into her arms fire to fire? There is no discovery without risk and what you risk reveals what you value.
—Jeanette Winterson (b.1959) English Novelist, Journalist
We must risk going too far to discover just how far we can go.
—Jim Rohn (1930–2009) American Entrepreneur, Author, Motivational Speaker
All courses of action are risky, so prudence is not in avoiding danger (it’s possible), but calculating risk and acting decisively. Make mistakes of ambition and not mistakes of sloth. Develop the strength to do bold things, not the strength to suffer.
—Niccolo Machiavelli (1469–1527) Florentine Political Philosopher
No guts, no glory.
—Unknown