--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If I had to choose, I would always take…" description: "\"If I had to choose, I would always take the less dynamic, indeed even the lazy person who knows what's right than the zealot in the cause of error. He ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0a/antonin-scalia-2855_always_if-i-had-to-choose-i-would-always-take-t_2056682.png" --- # If I had to choose, I would always take the less dynamic… ![“If I had to choose, I would always take the less dynamic, indeed even the lazy person who knows what's right than the zealot in the cause of error. He may move slower, but he's headed in the right direction.” quote by Antonin Scalia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0a/antonin-scalia-2855_always_if-i-had-to-choose-i-would-always-take-t_2056682.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0a/antonin-scalia-2855_always_if-i-had-to-choose-i-would-always-take-t_2056682.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0a/antonin-scalia-2855_always_if-i-had-to-choose-i-would-always-take-t_2056682.png) > “If I had to choose, I would always take the less dynamic, indeed even the lazy person who knows what's right than the zealot in the cause of error. He may move slower, but he's headed in the right direction.” [Antonin Scalia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonin-scalia/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Choosing a slower but correct person over an enthusiastic but mistaken one emphasizes correctness over speed. **In simple terms:** Prefer correctness over speed. Key Takeaway Value correctness, not haste. Themes wisdom leadership decision making Mood cautious reflective Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - political appointments - team hiring - project leadership - ethical dilemmas Key Concepts ethics critical thinking prudence Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance speed and accuracy? - When is it worth waiting for the right person? A Different Perspective A slower pace may delay outcomes, risking missed opportunities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Direction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/direction/) [Right direction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-direction/) ## Related quotes > [Being a good person begins with being a wise person. Then, when you follow your conscience, will you be headed in the right direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonin-scalia/being-a-good-person-begins-with-being-a-wise-person-then-when-you/) [Antonin Scalia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonin-scalia/) > [“No matter how many times you get turned around,you will still find yourself going in the right direction \*B\*”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-easley/no-matter-how-many-times-you-get-turned-around-you-will-still-find/) [B. Easley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-easley/) > [The fight for equal rights or pay has become this thing where people expect actresses to talk about it. Why they feel that a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaya-scodelario/the-fight-for-equal-rights-or-pay-has-become-this-thing-where-people/) [Kaya Scodelario](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaya-scodelario/) > [Mistakes and failures are just signs that point you in the right direction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/mistakes-and-failures-are-just-signs-that-point-you-in-the-right/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [The question is: Are you going in the right direction? not How far along am I?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-premodaya/the-question-is-are-you-going-in-the-right-direction-not-how-far/) [Swami Premodaya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-premodaya/) > [I don't save people. God saves people. I can point them in the right direction. I can say, 'There's that door. I think if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-boyle/i-don-t-save-people-god-saves-people-i-can-point-them-in-the-right/) [Greg Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-boyle/) > [Art can help steer important conversations in the right direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arjun-mathur/art-can-help-steer-important-conversations-in-the-right-direction/) [Arjun Mathur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arjun-mathur/) > [Part of what makes America strong is our resilience, tenacity, innovation and our willingness to be optimistic about our future. I know that President…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-jarrett/part-of-what-makes-america-strong-is-our-resilience-tenacity/) [Valerie Jarrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-jarrett/) > [It is your soul that whispers your truth. Pay attention because it loves you and will stir you in the right direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-esperanza-espaillat/it-is-your-soul-that-whispers-your-truth-pay-attention-because-it/) [Leslie Esperanza Espaillat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-esperanza-espaillat/) > [It's never too late to take a step in the right direction. It's never to late to become the person you are capable of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-never-too-late-to-take-a-step-in-the-right-direction-it-s-never/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I love being a private company. I don't ever want to be forced to not do the things I need to do to keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendra-scott/i-love-being-a-private-company-i-don-t-ever-want-to-be-forced-to-not/) [Kendra Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendra-scott/) > [Even in 'Hollyoaks,' we were known as 'the black family' as opposed to just 'the new family.' But that's where we are in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-whittle/even-in-hollyoaks-we-were-known-as-the-black-family-as-opposed-to/) [Ricky Whittle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-whittle/) > [When I see Mario Gotze, his development does not go in the right direction. He has outstanding qualities, but he has not reached his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ballack/when-i-see-mario-gotze-his-development-does-not-go-in-the-right/) [Michael Ballack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ballack/) > [Vote SNP for a party that always stands up for Scotland, that is stronger for Scotland, and a government that will keep the country…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-sturgeon/vote-snp-for-a-party-that-always-stands-up-for-scotland-that-is/) [Nicola Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-sturgeon/) > [It's moving in the right direction for Arab actors but very slowly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haaz-sleiman/it-s-moving-in-the-right-direction-for-arab-actors-but-very-slowly/) [Haaz Sleiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haaz-sleiman/) ## More by Antonin Scalia > [What is a moderate interpretation of the text? Halfway between what it really means and what you'd like it to mean?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonin-scalia/what-is-a-moderate-interpretation-of-the-text-halfway-between-what-it/) [Antonin Scalia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonin-scalia/) > [If you think aficionados of a living Constitution want to bring you flexibility, think again. You think the death penalty is a good idea?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonin-scalia/if-you-think-aficionados-of-a-living-constitution-want-to-bring-you/) [Antonin Scalia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonin-scalia/) > [More importantly, the Court forgets that ours is a government of laws and not of men. That means we are governed by the terms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonin-scalia/more-importantly-the-court-forgets-that-ours-is-a-government-of-laws/) [Antonin Scalia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonin-scalia/) > [Wringing your hands about states' rights, forget it. They're gone. Basically, the federal government can do whatever it wants. Who's going to protect the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonin-scalia/wringing-your-hands-about-states-rights-forget-it-they-re-gone/) [Antonin Scalia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonin-scalia/) > [If you condemn someone who has committed a crime to be tortured, that would be unconstitutional.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonin-scalia/if-you-condemn-someone-who-has-committed-a-crime-to-be-tortured-that/) [Antonin Scalia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonin-scalia/) > [Burning the flag is a form of expression. Speech doesn't just mean written words or oral words. It could be semaphore. And burning a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonin-scalia/burning-the-flag-is-a-form-of-expression-speech-doesn-t-just-mean/) [Antonin Scalia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonin-scalia/) > [Being a good person begins with being a wise person. Then, when you follow your conscience, will you be headed in the right direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonin-scalia/being-a-good-person-begins-with-being-a-wise-person-then-when-you/) [Antonin Scalia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonin-scalia/) > [The court's job is to uphold the Constitution and you don't call that off in times of crisis. Would the framers have allowed this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonin-scalia/the-court-s-job-is-to-uphold-the-constitution-and-you-don-t-call-that/) [Antonin Scalia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonin-scalia/) > [We have laws against torture. The Constitution says nothing whatever about torture. It speaks of punishment; 'cruel and unusual' punishments are forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonin-scalia/we-have-laws-against-torture-the-constitution-says-nothing-whatever/) [Antonin Scalia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonin-scalia/) > [If I have brought any message today, it is this: Have the courage to have your wisdom regarded as stupidity. Be fools for Christ.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonin-scalia/if-i-have-brought-any-message-today-it-is-this-have-the-courage-to/) [Antonin Scalia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonin-scalia/) > [Many think it not only inevitable but entirely proper that liberty give way to security in times of national crisis--that, at the extremes of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonin-scalia/many-think-it-not-only-inevitable-but-entirely-proper-that-liberty/) [Antonin Scalia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonin-scalia/) > [That's the argument of flexibility and it goes something like this: The Constitution is over 200 years old and societies change. It has to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonin-scalia/that-s-the-argument-of-flexibility-and-it-goes-something-like-this/) [Antonin Scalia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonin-scalia/) > [Why in the world would you have it interpreted by nine lawyers?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonin-scalia/why-in-the-world-would-you-have-it-interpreted-by-nine-lawyers/) [Antonin Scalia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonin-scalia/) > [ Who ever thought that intimacy and spirituality \[whatever that means\] were freedoms? And if intimacy is, one would think Freedom of Intimacy is abridged… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonin-scalia/who-ever-thought-that-intimacy-and-spirituality-whatever-that-means/) [Antonin Scalia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonin-scalia/) > [I'm nervous about our civic culture. I'm not sure the Internet is largely the cause of it. It's certainly the cause of careless writing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonin-scalia/i-m-nervous-about-our-civic-culture-i-m-not-sure-the-internet-is/) [Antonin Scalia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonin-scalia/) [Explore all 146 Antonin Scalia quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonin-scalia/) ## More Always quotes > [I think performing has pretty much always been a part of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isa-briones/i-think-performing-has-pretty-much-always-been-a-part-of-me/) [Isa Briones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isa-briones/) > [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/) [Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [It's always great to see old friends, especially those I have not been able to see in 15 months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-regal/it-s-always-great-to-see-old-friends-especially-those-i-have-not-been/) [William Regal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-regal/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I have really good lateral movement. I've always had quick lateral movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-rivers/i-have-really-good-lateral-movement-i-ve-always-had-quick-lateral/) [Austin Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-rivers/) > [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/) [Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/) > [Mythology is something that always has opportunities to explore. 'It' has been on Earth for millions of years. He's been in contact with humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-muschietti/mythology-is-something-that-always-has-opportunities-to-explore-it/) [Andy Muschietti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-muschietti/) > [It's not writing in the traditional sense, but I've always said that the writing process continues on the set and even into the editing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-weide/it-s-not-writing-in-the-traditional-sense-but-i-ve-always-said-that/) [Robert B. Weide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-weide/) > [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [I've always been of the idea that is doesn't really matter where you are geographically - with 'Lonerism,' we made half the album in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-parker/i-ve-always-been-of-the-idea-that-is-doesn-t-really-matter-where-you/) [Kevin Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-parker/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [Bayern is always a team that can win the Champions League title in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lothar-matthaus/bayern-is-always-a-team-that-can-win-the-champions-league-title-in/) [Lothar Matthaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lothar-matthaus/) Browse all 36,048 Always quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If I had to choose, I would always take the less dynamic, indeed even the lazy person who knows what's right than the zealot in the cause of error. He may move slower, but he's headed in the right direction.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Antonin Scalia" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonin-scalia/if-i-had-to-choose-i-would-always-take-the-less-dynamic-indeed-even/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Always" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonin-scalia/if-i-had-to-choose-i-would-always-take-the-less-dynamic-indeed-even/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0a/antonin-scalia-2855_always_if-i-had-to-choose-i-would-always-take-t_2056682.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0a/antonin-scalia-2855_always_if-i-had-to-choose-i-would-always-take-t_2056682.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0a/antonin-scalia-2855_always_if-i-had-to-choose-i-would-always-take-t_2056682.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If I had to choose, I would always take the less dynamic, indeed even the lazy person who knows what's right…” — Antonin Scalia", "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": "Antonin Scalia", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonin-scalia/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If I had to choose, I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonin-scalia/if-i-had-to-choose-i-would-always-take-the-less-dynamic-indeed-even/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonin-scalia/if-i-had-to-choose-i-would-always-take-the-less-dynamic-indeed-even/#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 } } ] } ```