--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You and I and everyone else are a bit…" description: "\"“You and I and everyone else are a bit like turtles: we only make progress when we stick our necks out a little.”\" — Alan Garner" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a74/alan-garner-16067_turtle_you-and-i-and-everyone-else-are-a-bit-li_2731839.png" --- # You and I and everyone else are a bit like turtles: we… ![“You and I and everyone else are a bit like turtles: we only make progress when we stick our necks out a little.” quote by Alan Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a74/alan-garner-16067_turtle_you-and-i-and-everyone-else-are-a-bit-li_2731839.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a74/alan-garner-16067_turtle_you-and-i-and-everyone-else-are-a-bit-li_2731839.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a74/alan-garner-16067_turtle_you-and-i-and-everyone-else-are-a-bit-li_2731839.png) > ““You and I and everyone else are a bit like turtles: we only make progress when we stick our necks out a little.”” [Alan Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-garner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Progress occurs when we risk exposing ourselves, like turtles extending their necks. **In simple terms:** Progress needs risk. Key Takeaway Take small risks to grow. Themes risk growth vulnerability Mood cautious encouraging Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - career advancement - creative endeavors - personal relationships Key Concepts psychology evolutionary biology Questions to Reflect On - What small risk could you take today? - How do you handle fear of exposure? A Different Perspective Risk can lead to failure or loss. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Turtle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turtle/) [Turtles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turtles/) ## Related quotes > [“I like turtles.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-like-turtles/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Joad rolled the coat up more tightly. “An old turtle,’’ he said. “Picked him up on the road. An old bulldozer. Thought I’d take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/joad-rolled-the-coat-up-more-tightly-an-old-turtle-he-said-picked-him/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [I like turtles because they're so chill. They don't hurt anyone. They're just like, 'Hey man, I want to swim, and maybe eat some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-like-turtles-because-they-re-so-chill-they-don-t-hurt-anyone-they/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Just like a turtle, we only make progress if we stick our neck out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bryant-conant/just-like-a-turtle-we-only-make-progress-if-we-stick-our-neck-out/) [James Bryant Conant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bryant-conant/) > [Men should be like turtles. They have a tough exterior for protection and longevity; but they can stick their necks out and reveal their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-riley/men-should-be-like-turtles-they-have-a-tough-exterior-for-protection/) [S Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-riley/) > [“Men are like turtles; they are classified and valued according to their shells. 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Nowadays it's all about the turtles. Tell them it's a ninja, they'll freak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etgar-keret/rabbits-are-played-nowadays-it-s-all-about-the-turtles-tell-them-it-s/) [Etgar Keret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etgar-keret/) > [Be like the turtle. If he didn't stick his neck out, he wouldn't get anywhere at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-mackay/be-like-the-turtle-if-he-didn-t-stick-his-neck-out-he-wouldn-t-get/) [Harvey Mackay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-mackay/) > [“I wonder about turtles.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut-jr/i-wonder-about-turtles/) [Kurt Vonnegut Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut-jr/) ## More by Alan Garner > [I loathe crowds. I especially don't like cities. A city involves biomass. And biomass gets to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-garner/i-loathe-crowds-i-especially-don-t-like-cities-a-city-involves/) [Alan Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-garner/) > [If you are going to write, nothing will stop you, and if you are not going to write, nothing will make you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-garner/if-you-are-going-to-write-nothing-will-stop-you-and-if-you-are-not/) [Alan Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-garner/) > [My background is deep and set in deep time, and in a narrow space, oral traditions going back a long, long time, which I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-garner/my-background-is-deep-and-set-in-deep-time-and-in-a-narrow-space-oral/) [Alan Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-garner/) > [I've learned never to try and force words to come.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-garner/i-ve-learned-never-to-try-and-force-words-to-come/) [Alan Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-garner/) > [My primary tongue, I would call North-West Mercian.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-garner/my-primary-tongue-i-would-call-north-west-mercian/) [Alan Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-garner/) > [It's where I keep all my things. Get a lot of compliments on this. Plus it's not a purse, it's called a satchel. Indiana…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-garner/it-s-where-i-keep-all-my-things-get-a-lot-of-compliments-on-this-plus/) [Alan Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-garner/) > [“It's not a job but a condition. (Alan Garner on writing)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-garner/it-s-not-a-job-but-a-condition-alan-garner-on-writing/) [Alan Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-garner/) > [“Everybody thinks some people are born with the "gift of gab" and some people aren't. But the truth is there is no "gift of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-garner/everybody-thinks-some-people-are-born-with-the-gift-of-gab-and-some/) [Alan Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-garner/) > [She wants to be flowers, but you make her owls. You must not complain, then, if she goes hunting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-garner/she-wants-to-be-flowers-but-you-make-her-owls-you-must-not-complain/) [Alan Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-garner/) > [“Lleu is a hard lord,” said Huw, “He is killing Gronw without anger, without love, without mercy. He is hurt too much by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-garner/lleu-is-a-hard-lord-said-huw-he-is-killing-gronw-without-anger/) [Alan Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-garner/) > [“I wanted us to have a holiday, not a ruddy breakdown.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-garner/i-wanted-us-to-have-a-holiday-not-a-ruddy-breakdown/) [Alan Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-garner/) > [I wish Monkeys could Skype. Maybe one day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-garner/i-wish-monkeys-could-skype-maybe-one-day/) [Alan Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-garner/) > [I don't think I've ever frightened myself before when writing, but there were areas where there was terror, as though I was looking into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-garner/i-don-t-think-i-ve-ever-frightened-myself-before-when-writing-but/) [Alan Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-garner/) > [Ive learned never to try and force words to come.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-garner/ive-learned-never-to-try-and-force-words-to-come/) [Alan Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-garner/) > [My attitude is that if anybody of any age wants to read a book, let them, but I do think that no child would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-garner/my-attitude-is-that-if-anybody-of-any-age-wants-to-read-a-book-let/) [Alan Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-garner/) [Explore all 41 Alan Garner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-garner/) ## More Turtle quotes > [“I wonder about turtles.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut-jr/i-wonder-about-turtles/) [Kurt Vonnegut Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut-jr/) > [Be like the turtle. If he didn't stick his neck out, he wouldn't get anywhere at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-mackay/be-like-the-turtle-if-he-didn-t-stick-his-neck-out-he-wouldn-t-get/) [Harvey Mackay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-mackay/) > [Rabbits are played. Nowadays it's all about the turtles. Tell them it's a ninja, they'll freak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etgar-keret/rabbits-are-played-nowadays-it-s-all-about-the-turtles-tell-them-it-s/) [Etgar Keret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etgar-keret/) > [“Naturally I left the turtle on its back in the baking sun.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-brookes/naturally-i-left-the-turtle-on-its-back-in-the-baking-sun/) Michael Brookes > [“The Serpent raises its head from the water and slides onto the ice, the stars blazing above in the night sky. The Turtle sinks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kylie-chan/the-serpent-raises-its-head-from-the-water-and-slides-onto-the-ice/) [Kylie Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kylie-chan/) > [“See the TURTLE of enormous girth! On his shell he holds the earth. His thought is slow but always kind; He holds us all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/see-the-turtle-of-enormous-girth-on-his-shell-he-holds-the-earth-his/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [It's okay to play turtle for a while, as long as you don't get too fond of your shell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-wilks/it-s-okay-to-play-turtle-for-a-while-as-long-as-you-don-t-get-too/) [Eileen Wilks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-wilks/) > [“Don't insult me. Everyone knows a turtle is a crustacean on its mother's side.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-marra/don-t-insult-me-everyone-knows-a-turtle-is-a-crustacean-on-its-mother/) [Anthony Marra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-marra/) > [the body is simple as a turtle / and straight as a dog: / the body cannot lie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marge-piercy/the-body-is-simple-as-a-turtle-and-straight-as-a-dog-the-body-cannot/) [Marge Piercy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marge-piercy/) > [First of all, Turtle Island is the name of this continent we live on... that's right, not 'America... as in North America,' but the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-densmore/first-of-all-turtle-island-is-the-name-of-this-continent-we-live-on/) [John Densmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-densmore/) > [No turtle can be a revolutionist, because revolution requires high speed!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/no-turtle-can-be-a-revolutionist-because-revolution-requires-high/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“It's turtles all the way down.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/it-s-turtles-all-the-way-down/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [Turtle backpack turtle spin. Turtle backpack turtle pushup.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenna-marbles/turtle-backpack-turtle-spin-turtle-backpack-turtle-pushup/) [Jenna Marbles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenna-marbles/) > [“A lizard fucks a crab and nine months later a turtle pops out. It's called evolution.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-marra/a-lizard-fucks-a-crab-and-nine-months-later-a-turtle-pops-out-it-s/) [Anthony Marra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-marra/) > [“A rat is more alive than a turtle. A turtle is slow, cold, mechanical, nearly a toy, a shell with legs. Their deaths didn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/a-rat-is-more-alive-than-a-turtle-a-turtle-is-slow-cold-mechanical/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) [Browse all 177 Turtle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turtle/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“You and I and everyone else are a bit like turtles: we only make progress when we stick our necks out a little.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alan Garner" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-garner/you-and-i-and-everyone-else-are-a-bit-like-turtles-we-only-make/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Turtle" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-garner/you-and-i-and-everyone-else-are-a-bit-like-turtles-we-only-make/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a74/alan-garner-16067_turtle_you-and-i-and-everyone-else-are-a-bit-li_2731839.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a74/alan-garner-16067_turtle_you-and-i-and-everyone-else-are-a-bit-li_2731839.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a74/alan-garner-16067_turtle_you-and-i-and-everyone-else-are-a-bit-li_2731839.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You and I and everyone else are a bit like turtles: we only make progress when we stick our necks out a…” — Alan Garner", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Alan Garner", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-garner/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“You and I and everyone else...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-garner/you-and-i-and-everyone-else-are-a-bit-like-turtles-we-only-make/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-garner/you-and-i-and-everyone-else-are-a-bit-like-turtles-we-only-make/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```