--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's impossible for us to forecast what's…" description: "\"It's impossible for us to forecast what's going to happen ten years from now and make a decision today to say what we're going to do.\" — Charles Rangel" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78e/charles-rangel-33582_decision_it-s-impossible-for-us-to-forecast-what_62140.jpg" --- # It's impossible for us to forecast what's going to happen… ![“It's impossible for us to forecast what's going to happen ten years from now and make a decision today to say what we're going to do.” quote by Charles Rangel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78e/charles-rangel-33582_decision_it-s-impossible-for-us-to-forecast-what_62140.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78e/charles-rangel-33582_decision_it-s-impossible-for-us-to-forecast-what_62140.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78e/charles-rangel-33582_decision_it-s-impossible-for-us-to-forecast-what_62140.jpg) > “It's impossible for us to forecast what's going to happen ten years from now and make a decision today to say what we're going to do.” [Charles Rangel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-rangel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Future events are inherently uncertain, so decisions must be made without relying on precise long‑term predictions. **In simple terms:** Uncertainty limits forecasting. Key Takeaway Plan with flexibility, not certainty. Themes uncertainty decision‑making future‑planning risk adaptability Mood cautious pragmatic thoughtful Type advice observation philosophical When to use this quote - business strategy - public policy - investment decisions - career planning - technology development Key Concepts forecasting strategic planning probability Practical Applications - scenario planning - contingency budgeting Questions to Reflect On - How can you build resilience into decisions made today? - What methods help balance flexibility with long‑term goals? A Different Perspective Some argue that long‑term forecasts, while imperfect, can still guide strategic direction. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) [Impossibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impossibility/) [Prediction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prediction/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) ## Related quotes > [Make a decision today to do something wonderful with your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/make-a-decision-today-to-do-something-wonderful-with-your-life/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Make a decision today to be a blessing to someone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/make-a-decision-today-to-be-a-blessing-to-someone-else/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) > [Forecasts are difficult to make-particularly those about the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-goldwyn/forecasts-are-difficult-to-make-particularly-those-about-the-future/) [Samuel Goldwyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-goldwyn/) > [I believe that only short-term price swings can be predicted with any precision. The accuracy of a prediction drops off dramatically, the more distant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-bradford-raschke/i-believe-that-only-short-term-price-swings-can-be-predicted-with-any/) [Linda Bradford Raschke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-bradford-raschke/) > [The MD is well aware that the forecasts are no good but he needs them for planning purposes ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-arrow/the-md-is-well-aware-that-the-forecasts-are-no-good-but-he-needs-them/) [Kenneth Arrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-arrow/) > [The future is better dealt with using assumptions than forecasts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-l-ackoff/the-future-is-better-dealt-with-using-assumptions-than-forecasts/) [Russell L. 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We have the best and fairest tax-collection system in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-rangel/im-sick-and-tired-of-politicians-beating-up-on-the-irs-we-have-the/) [Charles Rangel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-rangel/) > [If a young fella has an option of having a decent career or joining the army to fight in Iraq, you can bet your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-rangel/if-a-young-fella-has-an-option-of-having-a-decent-career-or-joining/) [Charles Rangel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-rangel/) > [My president will boldly throw 1 million into poverty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-rangel/my-president-will-boldly-throw-1-million-into-poverty/) [Charles Rangel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-rangel/) > [I assume the president's going to say he got bad intelligence... I think that wherever you see poverty, whether it's in the white rural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-rangel/i-assume-the-president-s-going-to-say-he-got-bad-intelligence-i-think/) [Charles Rangel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-rangel/) > [We all have a large stake in preserving our democracy, but I maintain that those without power in our society, the black, the brown,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-rangel/we-all-have-a-large-stake-in-preserving-our-democracy-but-i-maintain/) [Charles Rangel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-rangel/) > [I was motivated to join in large part because my family needed the money. I would like to say how patriotic we were, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-rangel/i-was-motivated-to-join-in-large-part-because-my-family-needed-the/) [Charles Rangel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-rangel/) > [Mississippi gets more than their fair share back in federal money, but who the hell wants to live in Mississippi?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-rangel/mississippi-gets-more-than-their-fair-share-back-in-federal-money-but/) [Charles Rangel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-rangel/) > [The use of our military in combat should first require declaration of war. I have long called for reinstating the military draft, simply because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-rangel/the-use-of-our-military-in-combat-should-first-require-declaration-of/) [Charles Rangel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-rangel/) > [Well, I really think that shatters the myth of white supremacy once and for all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-rangel/well-i-really-think-that-shatters-the-myth-of-white-supremacy-once/) [Charles Rangel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-rangel/) > [Enough is enough. This is how we get started in Vietnam.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-rangel/enough-is-enough-this-is-how-we-get-started-in-vietnam/) [Charles Rangel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-rangel/) > [ From a high-tech point of view, an agriculture point of view, a goods-and-services point of view, a great deal of \[committee Democrats\] have no… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-rangel/from-a-high-tech-point-of-view-an-agriculture-point-of-view-a-goods/) [Charles Rangel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-rangel/) > [ I never thought I'd miss Nancy Reagan. There can't be a rating \[on the Clinton drug policy\] when there hasn't been a performance. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-rangel/i-never-thought-i-d-miss-nancy-reagan-there-can-t-be-a-rating-on-the/) [Charles Rangel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-rangel/) > [“I would like to believe he's sick rather than just mean and evil.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-rangel/i-would-like-to-believe-he-s-sick-rather-than-just-mean-and-evil/) [Charles Rangel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-rangel/) [Explore all 14 Charles Rangel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-rangel/) ## More Decision 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/) > [Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/elections-belong-to-the-people-it-s-their-decision-if-they-decide-to/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [“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/) > [Love is the foundation from which your decisions about your life should be made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-the-foundation-from-which-your-decisions-about-your-life/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [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/) > [It was a conscious decision on my part to take up fewer films. And if you're not seen that often on screen, nobody calls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-lever/it-was-a-conscious-decision-on-my-part-to-take-up-fewer-films-and-if/) [Johnny Lever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-lever/) > [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/) > [“it is either you happen to life or life happens to you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sesan-kareem/it-is-either-you-happen-to-life-or-life-happens-to-you/) [Sesan Kareem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sesan-kareem/) > [How strange that something so simple could have been instrumental in my decision to ruin one of my most relationships and friendships, and damage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/how-strange-that-something-so-simple-could-have-been-instrumental-in/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [I am encouraged President Obama now says he will fulfill his constitutional obligation to seek authorization for any potential military action in Syria. 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