--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In the end it all comes down to this: you…" description: "\"In the end it all comes down to this: you have a choice (or more accurately a rolling tangle of choices) between giving your work your best shot and ri..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ab/david-bayles-13995_best-shot_in-the-end-it-all-comes-down-to-this-you_3113355.jpg" --- # In the end it all comes down to this: you have a choice… ![“In the end it all comes down to this: you have a choice (or more accurately a rolling tangle of choices) between giving your work your best shot and risking that it will not make you happy, or not giving it your best shot - and thereby guaranteeing that it will not make you happy. It becomes a…” quote by David Bayles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ab/david-bayles-13995_best-shot_in-the-end-it-all-comes-down-to-this-you_3113355.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ab/david-bayles-13995_best-shot_in-the-end-it-all-comes-down-to-this-you_3113355.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ab/david-bayles-13995_best-shot_in-the-end-it-all-comes-down-to-this-you_3113355.jpg) > “In the end it all comes down to this: you have a choice (or more accurately a rolling tangle of choices) between giving your work your best shot and risking that it will not make you happy, or not giving it your best shot - and thereby guaranteeing that it will not make you happy. It becomes a choice between certainty and uncertainty. And curiously, uncertainty is the comforting choice.” [David Bayles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bayles/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He argues that choosing effort over certainty leads to uncertainty, which can be oddly comforting. **In simple terms:** Choosing effort brings uncertainty, which can feel safe. Key Takeaway Embrace effort despite unknown outcomes. Themes creativity choice uncertainty Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career planning - creative projects - risk assessment Key Concepts risk personal fulfillment work ethic Questions to Reflect On - What does certainty mean to you? - How can you balance effort with realistic expectations? A Different Perspective Uncertainty may mask fear of failure rather than true comfort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Best shot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-shot/) [Certainty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certainty/) [Choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice/) [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Comforting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comforting/) [Doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubt/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Uncertainty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/uncertainty/) ## Related quotes > [The only certainty is uncertainty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pliny-the-elder/the-only-certainty-is-uncertainty/) [Pliny the Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pliny-the-elder/) > [He is no wise man that will quit a certainty for an uncertainty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/he-is-no-wise-man-that-will-quit-a-certainty-for-an-uncertainty/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The greatest loss of time is delay and expectation, which depend upon the future. We let go the present, which we have in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-greatest-loss-of-time-is-delay-and-expectation-which-depend-upon/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In an economy where the only certainty is uncertainty, the one sure source of lasting competitive advantage is knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ikujiro-nonaka/in-an-economy-where-the-only-certainty-is-uncertainty-the-one-sure/) Ikujiro Nonaka > [He is no wise man who will quit a certainty for an uncertainty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/he-is-no-wise-man-who-will-quit-a-certainty-for-an-uncertainty/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“Because God is trustworthy, you need not let worry steal your joy for one more day. With God as your leader, even when confusion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-morrison/because-god-is-trustworthy-you-need-not-let-worry-steal-your-joy-for/) [Jon Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-morrison/) > [Art is a high calling - fears are coincidental. Coincidental, sneaky and disruptive, we might add, disguising themselves variously as laziness, resistance to deadlines,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bayles/art-is-a-high-calling-fears-are-coincidental-coincidental-sneaky-and/) [David Bayles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bayles/) > [Life is too short to spend your precious time trying to convince the person who wants to live in gloom and doom otherwise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zig-ziglar/life-is-too-short-to-spend-your-precious-time-trying-to-convince-the/) [Zig Ziglar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zig-ziglar/) > [Competing for Wales in the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne 2006 at the age of 16 was daunting for me. It was my first major…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jazmin-carlin/competing-for-wales-in-the-commonwealth-games-in-melbourne-2006-at/) [Jazmin Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jazmin-carlin/) > [Many shots are spoiled at the last instant by efforts to add a few more yards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-jones/many-shots-are-spoiled-at-the-last-instant-by-efforts-to-add-a-few/) [Bobby Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-jones/) > [Life is not rehearsal, each day is a new show , no repeat no rewind, so give your best shot in all your acts,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-not-rehearsal-each-day-is-a-new-show-no-repeat-no-rewind-so/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If things don't work out, it's fine as long as I've given my best shot, done all the preparations and put in the maximum…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mayank-agarwal/if-things-don-t-work-out-it-s-fine-as-long-as-i-ve-given-my-best-shot/) [Mayank Agarwal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mayank-agarwal/) > [ The debate was a chance for senator \[Bernie\] Sanders to have a game-changing moment to recapture the news cycle and build momentum going into… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-harris-perry/the-debate-was-a-chance-for-senator-bernie-sanders-to-have-a-game/) [Melissa Harris-Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-harris-perry/) > [“Whatever it is you are thinking of trying, go for it. Give it your best shot!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niklaus-mikaelson/whatever-it-is-you-are-thinking-of-trying-go-for-it-give-it-your-best/) Niklaus Mikaelson > [I hit Damian Fuller with a left hook that left him laid out for 30-45 minutes. They brought oxygen to him, they couldn't wake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diego-corrales/i-hit-damian-fuller-with-a-left-hook-that-left-him-laid-out-for-30-45/) [Diego Corrales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diego-corrales/) ## More by David Bayles > [The seed of your next artwork lies embedded in the imperfections of your current piece.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bayles/the-seed-of-your-next-artwork-lies-embedded-in-the-imperfections-of/) [David Bayles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bayles/) > [The seed of your next artwork lies embedded in the imperfections of your current piece. Such imperfections are your guides - valuable, objective, non-judgmental…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bayles/the-seed-of-your-next-artwork-lies-embedded-in-the-imperfections-of-2/) [David Bayles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bayles/) > [“But the important point here is not that you have — or don’t have — what other artists have, but rather that it doesn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bayles/but-the-important-point-here-is-not-that-you-have-or-don-t-have-what/) [David Bayles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bayles/) > [“In essence, art lies embedded in the conceptual leap between pieces, not in the pieces themselves. And simply put, there’s a greater conceptual jump…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bayles/in-essence-art-lies-embedded-in-the-conceptual-leap-between-pieces/) [David Bayles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bayles/) > [“But while mastering technique is difficult and time-consuming, it’s still inherently easier to reach an already defined goal — a “right answer” — than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bayles/but-while-mastering-technique-is-difficult-and-time-consuming-it-s/) [David Bayles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bayles/) > [“There were counter-protests, of course, and in the end Mapplethorpe’s work was exhibited, but the message to the arts community was clear: stray too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bayles/there-were-counter-protests-of-course-and-in-the-end-mapplethorpe-s/) [David Bayles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bayles/) > [Tolerance for uncertainty is the prerequisite to succeeding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bayles/tolerance-for-uncertainty-is-the-prerequisite-to-succeeding/) [David Bayles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bayles/) > [Art is a high calling - fears are coincidental. Coincidental, sneaky and disruptive, we might add, disguising themselves variously as laziness, resistance to deadlines,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bayles/art-is-a-high-calling-fears-are-coincidental-coincidental-sneaky-and/) [David Bayles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bayles/) > [“Sometimes to see your work’s rightful place you have to walk to the edge of the precipice and search the deep chasms. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bayles/sometimes-to-see-your-work-s-rightful-place-you-have-to-walk-to-the/) [David Bayles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bayles/) > [“Fears arise when you look back, and they arise when you look ahead. If you're prone to disaster fantasies, you may even find yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bayles/fears-arise-when-you-look-back-and-they-arise-when-you-look-ahead-if/) [David Bayles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bayles/) > [“But is the Mona Lisa really art? Well then, what about an undetectably perfect copy of the Mona Lisa? That comparison (however sneaky) points…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bayles/but-is-the-mona-lisa-really-art-well-then-what-about-an-undetectably/) [David Bayles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bayles/) > [The hardest part of art-making is living your life in such a way that your work gets done-over and over-and that means, among other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bayles/the-hardest-part-of-art-making-is-living-your-life-in-such-a-way-that/) [David Bayles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bayles/) > [“In making art you need to give yourself room to respond authentically, both to your subject matter and to your materials. Art happens between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bayles/in-making-art-you-need-to-give-yourself-room-to-respond-authentically/) [David Bayles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bayles/) > [“Uncertainty is the essential, inevitable and all-pervasive companion to your desire to make art. And tolerance for uncertainty is the prerequisite to succeeding.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bayles/uncertainty-is-the-essential-inevitable-and-all-pervasive-companion/) [David Bayles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bayles/) > [“HENRY JAMES once proposed three questions you could productively put to an artist’s work. The first two were disarmingly straightforward: What was the artist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bayles/henry-james-once-proposed-three-questions-you-could-productively-put/) [David Bayles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bayles/) [Explore all 48 David Bayles quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bayles/) ## More Best shot quotes > [I hit Damian Fuller with a left hook that left him laid out for 30-45 minutes. They brought oxygen to him, they couldn't wake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diego-corrales/i-hit-damian-fuller-with-a-left-hook-that-left-him-laid-out-for-30-45/) [Diego Corrales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diego-corrales/) > [“Whatever it is you are thinking of trying, go for it. Give it your best shot!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niklaus-mikaelson/whatever-it-is-you-are-thinking-of-trying-go-for-it-give-it-your-best/) Niklaus Mikaelson > [ The debate was a chance for senator \[Bernie\] Sanders to have a game-changing moment to recapture the news cycle and build momentum going into… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-harris-perry/the-debate-was-a-chance-for-senator-bernie-sanders-to-have-a-game/) [Melissa Harris-Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-harris-perry/) > [If things don't work out, it's fine as long as I've given my best shot, done all the preparations and put in the maximum…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mayank-agarwal/if-things-don-t-work-out-it-s-fine-as-long-as-i-ve-given-my-best-shot/) [Mayank Agarwal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mayank-agarwal/) > [Life is not rehearsal, each day is a new show , no repeat no rewind, so give your best shot in all your acts,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-not-rehearsal-each-day-is-a-new-show-no-repeat-no-rewind-so/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Many shots are spoiled at the last instant by efforts to add a few more yards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-jones/many-shots-are-spoiled-at-the-last-instant-by-efforts-to-add-a-few/) [Bobby Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-jones/) > [Competing for Wales in the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne 2006 at the age of 16 was daunting for me. It was my first major…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jazmin-carlin/competing-for-wales-in-the-commonwealth-games-in-melbourne-2006-at/) [Jazmin Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jazmin-carlin/) > [Life is too short to spend your precious time trying to convince the person who wants to live in gloom and doom otherwise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zig-ziglar/life-is-too-short-to-spend-your-precious-time-trying-to-convince-the/) [Zig Ziglar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zig-ziglar/) > [“We've just lost our way, that's all. But what if you could give us a chance to do better? Just one chance? One single…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-elton/we-ve-just-lost-our-way-that-s-all-but-what-if-you-could-give-us-a/) [Ben Elton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-elton/) > [Do your best, one shot at a time, and then move on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-lopez/do-your-best-one-shot-at-a-time-and-then-move-on/) [Nancy Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-lopez/) > [Art is a high calling - fears are coincidental. Coincidental, sneaky and disruptive, we might add, disguising themselves variously as laziness, resistance to deadlines,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bayles/art-is-a-high-calling-fears-are-coincidental-coincidental-sneaky-and/) [David Bayles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bayles/) > [“But if you are hell-bent on persuading someone, or if your back is truly against the wall, you might as well give it your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-d-levitt/but-if-you-are-hell-bent-on-persuading-someone-or-if-your-back-is/) [Steven D. Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-d-levitt/) > [Give it your best shot. Go for it. If it's what you really want to do, go for it. Even if you don't make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carmen-rasmusen/give-it-your-best-shot-go-for-it-if-it-s-what-you-really-want-to-do/) [Carmen Rasmusen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carmen-rasmusen/) > [“As far as I’m concerned you have to give every relationship your all because if you’re going to get hurt, you’re going to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-green/as-far-as-i-m-concerned-you-have-to-give-every-relationship-your-all/) [Jane Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-green/) > [The mind messes up more shots than the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-bolt/the-mind-messes-up-more-shots-than-the-body/) [Tommy Bolt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-bolt/) [Browse all 95 Best shot quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-shot/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In the end it all comes down to this: you have a choice (or more accurately a rolling tangle of choices) between giving your work your best shot and risking that it will not make you happy, or not giving it your best shot - and thereby guaranteeing that it will not make you happy. 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