--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you don't know what to do, do what's…" description: "\"When you don't know what to do, do what's right and do what's in front of you. But not necessarily what's right in front of you.\" — Brent Weeks" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/652/brent-weeks-1256_fronts_when-you-don-t-know-what-to-do-do-what-s_106537.png" --- # When you don't know what to do, do what's right and do… ![“When you don't know what to do, do what's right and do what's in front of you. But not necessarily what's right in front of you.” quote by Brent Weeks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/652/brent-weeks-1256_fronts_when-you-don-t-know-what-to-do-do-what-s_106537.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/652/brent-weeks-1256_fronts_when-you-don-t-know-what-to-do-do-what-s_106537.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/652/brent-weeks-1256_fronts_when-you-don-t-know-what-to-do-do-what-s_106537.png) > “When you don't know what to do, do what's right and do what's in front of you. But not necessarily what's right in front of you.” [Brent Weeks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-weeks/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When uncertain, act ethically and focus on immediate tasks, but recognize that the obvious front‑line choice may not be the morally optimal one. **In simple terms:** Do right now, but think beyond the obvious. Key Takeaway Ethical action vs immediate practicality. Themes ethics decision‑making uncertainty action reflection Mood pragmatic thoughtful Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - career crossroads - ethical dilemmas at work - personal crisis decisions Key Concepts moral philosophy cognitive bias Practical Applications - Adopt a two‑step decision process: act, then reassess - Create a quick ethical checklist Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance speed with moral depth? - When is the “right” front‑line action misleading? A Different Perspective May encourage impulsive actions without thorough evaluation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Don Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/don-know/) [Fronts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fronts/) [Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know/) [Know Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-right/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Necessarily Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/necessarily-right-1276699/) [Right Necessarily](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-necessarily-415475/) ## Related quotes > [It's essential that we do what's right - not necessarily what appears to be immediately popular.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/it-s-essential-that-we-do-what-s-right-not-necessarily-what-appears/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [“What's legal isn't necessarily right and what's right, isn't necessarily legal”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-july/what-s-legal-isn-t-necessarily-right-and-what-s-right-isn-t/) [Jack July](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-july/) > [“What's fair ain't necessarily right.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/what-s-fair-ain-t-necessarily-right/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“Everyone is right in his/her point of view but not necessarily on "RIGHT".”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-ali-shaukat/everyone-is-right-in-his-her-point-of-view-but-not-necessarily-on/) [Mohsin Ali Shaukat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-ali-shaukat/) > [I just feel it's important to do what's right and not necessarily what is right for you but right for everybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carmella/i-just-feel-it-s-important-to-do-what-s-right-and-not-necessarily/) [Carmella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carmella/) > [I don't need to explain myself, I know I'm right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mac/i-don-t-need-to-explain-myself-i-know-i-m-right/) [Mac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mac/) > [“The truth of the matter is that we know the right thing to do. The hard part is doing it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-jio/the-truth-of-the-matter-is-that-we-know-the-right-thing-to-do-the/) [Sarah Jio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-jio/) > [True strength is doing what you know is right when you really don't want to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-joseph/true-strength-is-doing-what-you-know-is-right-when-you-really-don-t/) [Jesse Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-joseph/) > [How will you know if its the right decision if you never make it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/how-will-you-know-if-its-the-right-decision-if-you-never-make-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [But it remains the case that you know what is wrong with a lot more confidence than you know what is right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/but-it-remains-the-case-that-you-know-what-is-wrong-with-a-lot-more/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [You will know when the right one comes because he won't try to leave you for sum1 different or better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-will-know-when-the-right-one-comes-because-he-won-t-try-to-leave/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The right to know is the right to live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aruna-roy/the-right-to-know-is-the-right-to-live/) [Aruna Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aruna-roy/) > [Most of the time most people know the right thing to do ...its the doing of it that gives them trouble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/most-of-the-time-most-people-know-the-right-thing-to-do-its-the-doing/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [When You Are Looking For Answers You Can't Find Stop Looking… Your Answers Will Show Itself And You'll Know It's Right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-are-looking-for-answers-you-can-t-find-stop-looking-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [All I know is that I truly I love you. If you think that's wrong, then I don't know what is right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/na/all-i-know-is-that-i-truly-i-love-you-if-you-think-that-s-wrong-then/) [NA](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/na/) ## More by Brent Weeks > [“Highest marks of the day. And don’t ever do it again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-weeks/highest-marks-of-the-day-and-don-t-ever-do-it-again/) [Brent Weeks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-weeks/) > [“life is our battlefield. We must do what we know to do, not what we want to do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-weeks/life-is-our-battlefield-we-must-do-what-we-know-to-do-not-what-we/) [Brent Weeks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-weeks/) > [Why is it, my shadow-striding friend, that we don't fear dreams? We lose consciousness, lose control, things happen with no apparent logic and abiding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-weeks/why-is-it-my-shadow-striding-friend-that-we-don-t-fear-dreams-we-lose/) [Brent Weeks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-weeks/) > [Sometimes after a compliment about my characterization skills, I'm asked if I model my characters on real people. Emphatically, no. And sort of, yes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-weeks/sometimes-after-a-compliment-about-my-characterization-skills-i-m/) [Brent Weeks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-weeks/) > [“In suffering, we find the true measure of our strength.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-weeks/in-suffering-we-find-the-true-measure-of-our-strength/) [Brent Weeks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-weeks/) > [“Non takuulam. I shall not serve.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-weeks/non-takuulam-i-shall-not-serve/) [Brent Weeks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-weeks/) > [“And on a difference of three minutes, all of history changes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-weeks/and-on-a-difference-of-three-minutes-all-of-history-changes/) [Brent Weeks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-weeks/) > [“An oath you only keep when it's convenient isn't an oath at all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-weeks/an-oath-you-only-keep-when-it-s-convenient-isn-t-an-oath-at-all/) [Brent Weeks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-weeks/) > [It's easier for me to write certain character types because of my own life experiences, but I find it too artistically limiting to only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-weeks/it-s-easier-for-me-to-write-certain-character-types-because-of-my-own/) [Brent Weeks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-weeks/) > [The God gives simpler problems to lesser men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-weeks/the-god-gives-simpler-problems-to-lesser-men/) [Brent Weeks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-weeks/) > [“At some point, you have to decide not merely what you're going to believe, but how you're going to believe. Are you going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-weeks/at-some-point-you-have-to-decide-not-merely-what-you-re-going-to/) [Brent Weeks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-weeks/) > [“You are a god clad in flesh, Gaelan Starfire, and you're more fragile than you know. Be ware.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-weeks/you-are-a-god-clad-in-flesh-gaelan-starfire-and-you-re-more-fragile/) [Brent Weeks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-weeks/) > [“Might doesn’t make right. Might makes reality.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-weeks/might-doesn-t-make-right-might-makes-reality/) [Brent Weeks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-weeks/) > [“What happens if you do nothing, nothing, there's a price and a terrible freedom to that”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-weeks/what-happens-if-you-do-nothing-nothing-there-s-a-price-and-a-terrible/) [Brent Weeks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-weeks/) > [“I've taken lives, and I've taken my own life in my hands and trusted a friend with it. Yes, sir, I'd say that makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-weeks/i-ve-taken-lives-and-i-ve-taken-my-own-life-in-my-hands-and-trusted-a/) [Brent Weeks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-weeks/) [Explore all 235 Brent Weeks quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-weeks/) ## More Fronts quotes > [I didn't get how big it was until I went home, turned on the television and saw it on all the news, and later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/i-didn-t-get-how-big-it-was-until-i-went-home-turned-on-the/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [I'm in a business where there's complete anarchy. You can't control it - you can only react to it. The control that people traditionally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-sorrell/i-m-in-a-business-where-there-s-complete-anarchy-you-can-t-control-it/) [Martin Sorrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-sorrell/) > [It's something he used to say when he was happy. 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It was bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-pain/i-used-to-sit-in-front-of-mcdonald-s-and-ask-people-for-dollars-to/) [T-Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-pain/) > [Success is like a mountain in front of you that keeps growing. If you're not careful, it will take up your whole life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/success-is-like-a-mountain-in-front-of-you-that-keeps-growing-if-you/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [ I love doing sitcoms and I love performing in front of a live audience, so \[Payne\] was a really fun experience. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-benz/i-love-doing-sitcoms-and-i-love-performing-in-front-of-a-live/) [Julie Benz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-benz/) > [Nerves are always a big problem for me, which is why I loved doing American sitcoms. 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I had a single mom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-didn-t-have-a-lot-of-exposure-to-films-as-a-kid-and-i-never-went-to/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [Whether Theresa May had stabbed has stabbed the former Mayor of London in the back and Michael Gove had stabbed him in the front.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-evans/whether-theresa-may-had-stabbed-has-stabbed-the-former-mayor-of/) [Nigel Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-evans/) > [If people are kicking you in the behind, at least you're in front of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/if-people-are-kicking-you-in-the-behind-at-least-you-re-in-front-of/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [So many people are on the front lines of this fossil fuel frenzy. 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