It is a socialist idea that making profits is a vice; I consider the real vice is making losses.
Winston ChurchillRead
I don't like standing near the edge of a platform when an express train is passing through. I like to stand right back and if possible get a pillar between me and the train. I don't like to stand by the side of a ship and look down into the water. A second's action would end everything. A few drops of desperation.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses a fear of dangerous situations and the instinct to avoid risk for safety.
Winston Churchill's quote reflects a deep-seated apprehension towards perilous scenarios, emphasizing a desire for self-preservation. By describing his cautious behavior in potentially dangerous environments, such as standing by the edge of a train platform or looking down from a ship, Churchill illustrates the importance of recognizing and respecting fear. He underscores that a moment of reckless actions could lead to dire consequences, presenting a sobering reminder of the fragility of life and the need for caution.
Themes
FearSafetyCautionDangerLife
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about risk management, I can refer to Churchill's quote to emphasize the importance of caution.
More from Winston Churchill
All quotes →The United States is like a gigantic boiler. Once the fire is lit under it, there's no limit to the power it can generate.
Winston ChurchillRead
Politics is almost as exciting as war, and quite as dangerous. In war you can only be killed once, but in politics many times.
Winston ChurchillRead
I will not pretend that if I had to choose between communism and Nazism I would choose communism.
Winston ChurchillRead
Mountaintops inspire leaders but valleys mature them.
Winston ChurchillRead
True genius resides in the capacity for evaluation of uncertain, hazardous, and conflicting information.
Winston ChurchillRead
Similar quotes
There is one front and one battle where everyone in the United States-every man, woman, and child-is in action, and will be privileged to remain in action throughout this war. That front is right here at home, in our daily lives, and in our daily tasks.
Franklin D. RooseveltRead
Stand up like a mountain; have faith like a rock; love like an avalanche
Bob GoffRead
Don't be ashamed to need help. Like a soldier storming a wall, you have a mission to accomplish. And if you've been wounded and you need a comrade to pull you up? So what?
Marcus AureliusRead
During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.
Nelson MandelaRead
As a black, you find you have to be two or three times better than a white even to play. And when it comes to front-office jobs, management believes you'll never be as good.
Frank RobinsonRead
In so many places in the world, women have been prisoners for so long that they feel they have to scream about their rights. But when you scream, nobody listens to you. Real authority comes when you no longer need to scream - and that's something we women still need to learn.
Monica BellucciRead