--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Having made the decision, do not revise…" description: "\"“Having made the decision, do not revise it unless some new fact comes to your knowledge. Nothing is so exhausting as indecision, and nothing is so fut..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b72/bertrand-russell-69_decision-making_having-made-the-decision-do-not-revise-i_176287.jpg" --- # Having made the decision, do not revise it unless some new… ![“Having made the decision, do not revise it unless some new fact comes to your knowledge. Nothing is so exhausting as indecision, and nothing is so futile.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b72/bertrand-russell-69_decision-making_having-made-the-decision-do-not-revise-i_176287.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b72/bertrand-russell-69_decision-making_having-made-the-decision-do-not-revise-i_176287.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b72/bertrand-russell-69_decision-making_having-made-the-decision-do-not-revise-i_176287.jpg) > ““Having made the decision, do not revise it unless some new fact comes to your knowledge. Nothing is so exhausting as indecision, and nothing is so futile.”” [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Once a decision is made, stick to it unless new evidence emerges; indecision drains energy and is pointless. **In simple terms:** Commit to decisions unless facts change. Key Takeaway Avoid endless wavering; act decisively. Themes decision‑making commitment efficiency Mood determined analytical Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - business leadership - personal life - project management Key Concepts rationalism clarity psychology Questions to Reflect On - What facts would justify revisiting a decision? - How do you balance commitment with adaptability? A Different Perspective Changing circumstances may require flexibility. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Decision making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision-making/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Indecision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indecision/) ## Related quotes > [“When a difficult or worrying decision has to be reached, as soon as all the data are available give the matter your best thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/when-a-difficult-or-worrying-decision-has-to-be-reached-as-soon-as/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Nothing is so exhausting as indecision, and nothing is so futile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/nothing-is-so-exhausting-as-indecision-and-nothing-is-so-futile/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [One of the painful things about our time is that those who feel certainty are stupid, and those with any imagination and understanding are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/one-of-the-painful-things-about-our-time-is-that-those-who-feel/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [The worst part of this all is not knowing if you are going to make the right decision, listening to your heart or your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lmonika-geidane/the-worst-part-of-this-all-is-not-knowing-if-you-are-going-to-make/) [LMonika Geidane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lmonika-geidane/) > [“Even indecision is a decision.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-sorenson/even-indecision-is-a-decision/) [Toni Sorenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-sorenson/) > [“We’re making decisions right now that shape our lives. Even indecision is a decision. What’s going on today is a result of the choices…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-sorenson/we-re-making-decisions-right-now-that-shape-our-lives-even-indecision/) [Toni Sorenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-sorenson/) > [Making the right decision is hard,telling someone your decision is even harder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/making-the-right-decision-is-hard-telling-someone-your-decision-is/) [Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/) > [Indecision is a decision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/indecision-is-a-decision/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ “And while \[we\] do have possibilities that are vast and magnificent and almost infinite in scope, it's important to remember that our choice-rich lives… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/and-while-we-do-have-possibilities-that-are-vast-and-magnificent-and/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [Indecision becomes decision with time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/indecision-becomes-decision-with-time/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“To him, a stilted geometric love of arrangement was “system,” and indefatigable and feverish interest in the pettiest facets of day-to-day bureaucracy was “industry”,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-asimov/to-him-a-stilted-geometric-love-of-arrangement-was-system-and/) [Isaac Asimov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-asimov/) > [The only thing we don't do together is get in front of an actor and show any indecision at all about what we think.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-farrelly/the-only-thing-we-don-t-do-together-is-get-in-front-of-an-actor-and/) [Bobby Farrelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-farrelly/) > [ \[On being indecisive and changeable:\] On my gravestone I want inscribed: 'On the other hand, maybe I should have lived. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-walters/on-being-indecisive-and-changeable-on-my-gravestone-i-want-inscribed/) [Barbara Walters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-walters/) > [Follow your heart, but don't leave your brain behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-van-zyl/follow-your-heart-but-don-t-leave-your-brain-behind/) [Matthew Van Zyl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-van-zyl/) > [“The past tense of regret is indecision.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/welcome-to-nightvale-podcast/the-past-tense-of-regret-is-indecision/) Welcome to Nightvale Podcast ## More by Bertrand Russell > [ If the State does not acquire supremacy over \[vast private\] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy-over-vast-private-enterprises/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [That the world is in a bad shape is undeniable, but there is not the faintest reason in history to suppose that Christianity offers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/that-the-world-is-in-a-bad-shape-is-undeniable-but-there-is-not-the/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [All movements go too far.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/all-movements-go-too-far/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Those who advocate common usage in philosophy sometimes speak in a manner that suggests the mystique of the 'common man.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/those-who-advocate-common-usage-in-philosophy-sometimes-speak-in-a/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [“Such, in outline, but even more purposeless, more void of meaning, is the world which Science presents for our belief. Amid such a world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/such-in-outline-but-even-more-purposeless-more-void-of-meaning-is-the/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Dr. Arnold . . . the admired reformer of public schools, came across some cranks who thought it a mistake to flog boys. Anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/dr-arnold-the-admired-reformer-of-public-schools-came-across-some/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Of all evils of war the greatest is the purely spiritual evil: the hatred, the injustice, the repudiation of truth, the artificial conflict.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/of-all-evils-of-war-the-greatest-is-the-purely-spiritual-evil-the/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Aristotle maintained that women have fewer teeth than men; although he was twice married, it never occurred to him to verify this statement by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/aristotle-maintained-that-women-have-fewer-teeth-than-men-although-he/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [If an opinion contrary to your own makes you angry, that is a sign that you are subconsciously aware of having no good reason…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/if-an-opinion-contrary-to-your-own-makes-you-angry-that-is-a-sign/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [I cannot escape from the conclusion that the great ages of progress have depended upon a small number of individuals of transcendent ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/i-cannot-escape-from-the-conclusion-that-the-great-ages-of-progress/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [I think it would be just to say the most essential characteristic of mind is memory, using this word in its broadest sense to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/i-think-it-would-be-just-to-say-the-most-essential-characteristic-of/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [The newspapers at one time said that I was dead but after carefully examining the evidence I came to the conclusion that this statement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/the-newspapers-at-one-time-said-that-i-was-dead-but-after-carefully/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [“Persecution is used in theology, not in arithmetic, because in arithmetic there is knowledge, but in theology there is only opinion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/persecution-is-used-in-theology-not-in-arithmetic-because-in/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [“Many orthodox people speak as though it were the business of sceptics to disprove received dogmas rather than of dogmatists to prove them. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/many-orthodox-people-speak-as-though-it-were-the-business-of-sceptics/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [There is no greater reason for children to honour parents than for parents to honour children except, that while the children are young, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/there-is-no-greater-reason-for-children-to-honour-parents-than-for/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) [Explore all 1,620 Bertrand Russell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) ## More Decision making quotes > [Making the right decision is hard,telling someone your decision is even harder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/making-the-right-decision-is-hard-telling-someone-your-decision-is/) [Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/) > [It is said that history turns on small hinges. A human career, too, results from an accumulating series of decisions about large and small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/it-is-said-that-history-turns-on-small-hinges-a-human-career-too/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [“Exactly. So, what can't you take? Decide which of the two options is harder, and do the other. That way, no matter how hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-angelini/exactly-so-what-can-t-you-take-decide-which-of-the-two-options-is/) [Josephine Angelini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-angelini/) > [“How can you make an informed decision about whether to save the world if you never leave your tiny part of it?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-david-hutchinson/how-can-you-make-an-informed-decision-about-whether-to-save-the-world/) [Shaun David Hutchinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-david-hutchinson/) > [Indecision becomes decision with time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/indecision-becomes-decision-with-time/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you think of people as making decisions actively, every time we think about the cup of coffee, we say, "How much will I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/if-you-think-of-people-as-making-decisions-actively-every-time-we/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [Decision is a risk rooted in the courage of being free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/decision-is-a-risk-rooted-in-the-courage-of-being-free/) [Paul Tillich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tillich/) > [I never think of things rationally or intellectually. I swear, every single decision I make is just instinct and my instincts tend to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neill-blomkamp/i-never-think-of-things-rationally-or-intellectually-i-swear-every/) [Neill Blomkamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neill-blomkamp/) > [“Slow down your thinking so you can note the criteria you are using to make your decision. 2. Write the criteria down as a principle.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/slow-down-your-thinking-so-you-can-note-the-criteria-you-are-using-to/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [My best business decision was to be independent as a musician and artist. My worst was compromising on certain aspects of a deal for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ziggy-marley/my-best-business-decision-was-to-be-independent-as-a-musician-and/) [Ziggy Marley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ziggy-marley/) > [“Making a decision takes a moment, living a decision takes a life-time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherif-a-el-mawardy/making-a-decision-takes-a-moment-living-a-decision-takes-a-life-time/) [Sherif A. El-Mawardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherif-a-el-mawardy/) > [Cheshvan starts tonight," Rixon said, "What are you doing arsing around in a graveyard?" "Thinking." "Thinking?" "A process by which I use my brain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becca-fitzpatrick/cheshvan-starts-tonight-rixon-said-what-are-you-doing-arsing-around/) [Becca Fitzpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becca-fitzpatrick/) > [The right decision is the wrong decision if it's made too late.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-iacocca/the-right-decision-is-the-wrong-decision-if-it-s-made-too-late/) [Lee Iacocca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-iacocca/) > [“The decisions we take reflects our belief and our charachter”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajnish-borah/the-decisions-we-take-reflects-our-belief-and-our-charachter/) Rajnish Borah > [I think most of us are raised with preconceived notions of the choices we're supposed to make. We waste so much time making decisions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-bullock/i-think-most-of-us-are-raised-with-preconceived-notions-of-the/) [Sandra Bullock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-bullock/) [Browse all 4,912 Decision making quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision-making/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Having made the decision, do not revise it unless some new fact comes to your knowledge. Nothing is so exhausting as indecision, and nothing is so futile.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bertrand Russell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/having-made-the-decision-do-not-revise-it-unless-some-new-fact-comes/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Decision making" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/having-made-the-decision-do-not-revise-it-unless-some-new-fact-comes/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b72/bertrand-russell-69_decision-making_having-made-the-decision-do-not-revise-i_176287.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b72/bertrand-russell-69_decision-making_having-made-the-decision-do-not-revise-i_176287.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b72/bertrand-russell-69_decision-making_having-made-the-decision-do-not-revise-i_176287.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Having made the decision, do not revise it unless some new fact comes to your knowledge. Nothing is so…” — Bertrand Russell", "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": "Bertrand Russell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Having made the decision, do not...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/having-made-the-decision-do-not-revise-it-unless-some-new-fact-comes/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/having-made-the-decision-do-not-revise-it-unless-some-new-fact-comes/#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 } } ] } ```