Life is made up of a series of judgments on insufficient data, and if we waited to run down all our doubts, it would flow past us.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Life requires making decisions without complete information; waiting for certainty means missing the moment.
- In plain terms
- You have to make choices without knowing everything or life passes you by.
- What can you take from it?
- Decide despite uncertainty to keep moving forward.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What decisions have you delayed due to fear of the unknown?
- How much uncertainty can you tolerate?
Another view
Some high-stakes decisions genuinely require more data to avoid harm.
More from Learned Hand
Like John Stuart Mill, he would often begin by stating the other side better than its advocate had stated it himself.
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