--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When a great ship is in harbor and…" description: "\"When a great ship is in harbor and moored, it is safe, there can be no doubt. But that is not what great ships are built for.\" — Clarissa Pinkola Estes" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24c/clarissa-pinkola-estes-1461_built_when-a-great-ship-is-in-harbor-and-moore_2269461.png" --- # When a great ship is in harbor and moored, it is safe… ![“When a great ship is in harbor and moored, it is safe, there can be no doubt. But that is not what great ships are built for.” quote by Clarissa Pinkola Estes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24c/clarissa-pinkola-estes-1461_built_when-a-great-ship-is-in-harbor-and-moore_2269461.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24c/clarissa-pinkola-estes-1461_built_when-a-great-ship-is-in-harbor-and-moore_2269461.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24c/clarissa-pinkola-estes-1461_built_when-a-great-ship-is-in-harbor-and-moore_2269461.png) > “When a great ship is in harbor and moored, it is safe, there can be no doubt. But that is not what great ships are built for.” [Clarissa Pinkola Estes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarissa-pinkola-estes/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Great potential is meant for action, not safe stagnation; staying idle defeats purpose. **In simple terms:** Great ships are built to sail, not stay docked. Key Takeaway Take risks and pursue your purpose. Themes risk purpose growth adventure potential Mood motivational challenging Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - career change - creative projects - personal development - entrepreneurship Key Concepts self‑actualization courage exploration Questions to Reflect On - What safe harbor are you clinging to? - How can you set sail toward your purpose? A Different Perspective Safety can become a trap that limits growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubt/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [River](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/river/) ## Related quotes > [Great people are not affected by each puff of wind that blows ill. Like great ships, they sail serenely on, in a calm sea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/great-people-are-not-affected-by-each-puff-of-wind-that-blows-ill/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [Take from my palms, to soothe your heart, a little honey, a little sun, in obedience to Persephone's bees. You can't untie a boat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osip-mandelstam/take-from-my-palms-to-soothe-your-heart-a-little-honey-a-little-sun/) [Osip Mandelstam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osip-mandelstam/) > [The coward wants resolution, which the brave man can do without. He recognizes no faith above a creed, thinking this straw by which he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-coward-wants-resolution-which-the-brave-man-can-do-without-he/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I struggle with enormous discrepancies: between the reality of motherhood and the image of it, between my love for my home and the need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-mann/i-struggle-with-enormous-discrepancies-between-the-reality-of-2/) [Sally Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-mann/) > [“I am safe. For one night at least. Safe, moored to this man.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-gillard/i-am-safe-for-one-night-at-least-safe-moored-to-this-man/) [Linda Gillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-gillard/) > [Slowly, but with no doubt or hesitation whatever, and in something of a solemn expectancy, the two animals passed through the broken tumultuous water…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-grahame/slowly-but-with-no-doubt-or-hesitation-whatever-and-in-something-of-a/) [Kenneth Grahame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-grahame/) > [“A small leak will sink a great ship.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/a-small-leak-will-sink-a-great-ship/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“Friendship is a great ship but not a titanic ship…”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/self/friendship-is-a-great-ship-but-not-a-titanic-ship/) self > [A small leak can sink a great ship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/a-small-leak-can-sink-a-great-ship/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [The ship is safest when it is in port, but that’s not what ships were built for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-ship-is-safest-when-it-is-in-port-but-that-s-not-what-ships-were/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“The captain of a ship can run a great ship, but he can't do anything about the tides.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-norman-2/the-captain-of-a-ship-can-run-a-great-ship-but-he-can-t-do-anything/) Matthew Norman 2 > [A great ship asks deep water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/a-great-ship-asks-deep-water/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [“A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for. —John A. Shedd”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-silvera/a-ship-in-harbor-is-safe-but-that-is-not-what-ships-are-built-for/) [Adam Silvera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-silvera/) > [A FOOLS MIND IS ONLY AS GREAT AS THE SHIP STUCK IN THE SAND](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cedric-rhynes/a-fools-mind-is-only-as-great-as-the-ship-stuck-in-the-sand/) [CEDRIC RHYNES](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cedric-rhynes/) > [A ship in port is safe, but that's not what ships are built for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-hopper/a-ship-in-port-is-safe-but-that-s-not-what-ships-are-built-for/) [Grace Hopper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-hopper/) ## More by Clarissa Pinkola Estes > [Tell the truth about your wound, and then you will get a truthful picture of the remedy to apply to it. 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If you have a deep scar, that is a door, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarissa-pinkola-estes/the-doors-to-the-world-of-the-wild-self-are-few-but-precious-if-you/) [Clarissa Pinkola Estes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarissa-pinkola-estes/) > [Friends who love you and have warmth for your creative life are the very best suns in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarissa-pinkola-estes/friends-who-love-you-and-have-warmth-for-your-creative-life-are-the/) [Clarissa Pinkola Estes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarissa-pinkola-estes/) > [Creativity is not a solitary movement. That is its power. 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There is yet time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarissa-pinkola-estes/if-you-have-never-been-called-a-defiant-incorrigible-impossible-woman/) [Clarissa Pinkola Estes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarissa-pinkola-estes/) > [we all begin the process before we are ready, before we are strong enough, before we know enough; we begin a dialogue with thoughts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarissa-pinkola-estes/we-all-begin-the-process-before-we-are-ready-before-we-are-strong/) [Clarissa Pinkola Estes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarissa-pinkola-estes/) > [“To love a woman, the mate must also love her wildish nature.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarissa-pinkola-estes/to-love-a-woman-the-mate-must-also-love-her-wildish-nature/) [Clarissa Pinkola Estés](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarissa-pinkola-estes/) [Explore all 223 Clarissa Pinkola Estes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarissa-pinkola-estes/) ## More Built quotes > [It's really fun and challenging to build things that have never been built before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mason/it-s-really-fun-and-challenging-to-build-things-that-have-never-been/) [Hilary Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mason/) > [Astronomers have built telescopes which can show myriads of stars unseen before; but when a man looks through a tear in his own eye,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/astronomers-have-built-telescopes-which-can-show-myriads-of-stars/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [So I concentrated on the rhythmic side of things, and therefore left a lot of holes. 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