--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There's a tremendous bias against taking…" description: "\"There's a tremendous bias against taking risks. Everyone is trying to optimize their ass-covering.\" — Elon Musk" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/303/elon-musk-1138_ass_there-s-a-tremendous-bias-against-taking_540752.jpg" --- # There's a tremendous bias against taking risks. Everyone… ![“There's a tremendous bias against taking risks. Everyone is trying to optimize their ass-covering.” quote by Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/303/elon-musk-1138_ass_there-s-a-tremendous-bias-against-taking_540752.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/303/elon-musk-1138_ass_there-s-a-tremendous-bias-against-taking_540752.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/303/elon-musk-1138_ass_there-s-a-tremendous-bias-against-taking_540752.jpg) > “There's a tremendous bias against taking risks. Everyone is trying to optimize their ass-covering.” [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Risk aversion dominates because people prioritize protecting reputation over pursuing bold opportunities. **In simple terms:** Bias against risk due to reputation protection. Key Takeaway Embrace calculated risks despite fear of judgment. Themes risk reputation innovation Mood motivational cautionary Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - business - investment - personal growth - leadership Key Concepts risk tolerance social pressure entrepreneurship Questions to Reflect On - What risks are you avoiding? - How can you mitigate reputation concerns? A Different Perspective Too much risk can lead to failure; balance is needed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ass/) [Bias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bias/) [Bias Taking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bias-taking-4522197/) [Covering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/covering/) [Risk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risk/) [Risks Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risks-trying-655789/) [Taking risks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taking-risks/) [Tremendous Bias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tremendous-bias-4522198/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) ## Related quotes > [“Be strong and courageous to take risks. Without trying and taking risks, you will miss great opportunities in life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-giftyakita/be-strong-and-courageous-to-take-risks-without-trying-and-taking/) [Lailah GiftyAkita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-giftyakita/) > [I am an artist, and, through my eye, must confess to a tremendous bias. 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So you need to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-mccluskey/but-if-you-stray-too-far-on-the-side-of-distance-and-strictness-you/) [Alan McCluskey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-mccluskey/) > [Failure is not an option. If you are determined to do something, take risks and keep trying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/failure-is-not-an-option-if-you-are-determined-to-do-something-take/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Embrace risk-taking: Challenge yourself to take calculated risks, whether it’s trying a new approach at work or taking on a new hobby that stretches…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-edwards-holt/embrace-risk-taking-challenge-yourself-to-take-calculated-risks/) [J. Edwards Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-edwards-holt/) > [A Pitiful person who is afraid of taking risks, will never be disappointed or disillusioned; perhaps he won't suffer the way people do when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-pitiful-person-who-is-afraid-of-taking-risks-will-never-be/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If the head man in a company is not working 12 hours a day, doing things, taking risks, but also standing with his people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-murdoch/if-the-head-man-in-a-company-is-not-working-12-hours-a-day-doing/) [Rupert Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-murdoch/) > [The biggest risk is not taking any risk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-zuckerberg/the-biggest-risk-is-not-taking-any-risk/) [Mark Zuckerberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-zuckerberg/) > [Most people can do extraordinary things if they have the confidence or take the risks. Yet most people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillip-adams/most-people-can-do-extraordinary-things-if-they-have-the-confidence/) [Phillip Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillip-adams/) > [Do one thing everyday that scares you... Taking risks takes practice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shumate/do-one-thing-everyday-that-scares-you-taking-risks-takes-practice/) [John Shumate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shumate/) > [In today's rapidly changing world, the people who are not taking risk are the risk takers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/in-today-s-rapidly-changing-world-the-people-who-are-not-taking-risk/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [“doing good required taking risks.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dekker/doing-good-required-taking-risks/) [Ted Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dekker/) > [Love is I rather be poor and in the gutters than rich and with out you Love is selfish Love is hope love is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gracesel-balangue-collado/love-is-i-rather-be-poor-and-in-the-gutters-than-rich-and-with-out/) [Gracesel Balangue Collado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gracesel-balangue-collado/) ## More by Elon Musk > [Nobody wants to buy a $60,000 electric Civic. But people will pay $90,000 for an electric sports car.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/nobody-wants-to-buy-a-60-000-electric-civic-but-people-will-pay-90/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [I think we should be very careful about artificial intelligence. If I had to guess at what our biggest existential threat is, it's probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/i-think-we-should-be-very-careful-about-artificial-intelligence-if-i/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [Most people can learn a lot more than they think they can. They sell themselves short without trying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/most-people-can-learn-a-lot-more-than-they-think-they-can-they-sell/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [Some companies out there quote a start of production that is substantially in advance of when customers get their cars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/some-companies-out-there-quote-a-start-of-production-that-is/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [A company is a group organized to create a product or service, and it is only as good as its people and how excited…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/a-company-is-a-group-organized-to-create-a-product-or-service-and-it/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [I'm glad to see that BMW is bringing an electric car to market. That's cool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/i-m-glad-to-see-that-bmw-is-bringing-an-electric-car-to-market-that-s/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [When we got Tesla going at the very beginning, if you asked me what I thought the odds of success were, I would have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/when-we-got-tesla-going-at-the-very-beginning-if-you-asked-me-what-i/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [If we drive down the cost of transportation in space, we can do great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/if-we-drive-down-the-cost-of-transportation-in-space-we-can-do-great/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [In order for us to have a future that's exciting and inspiring, it has to be one where we're a space-bearing civilization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/in-order-for-us-to-have-a-future-that-s-exciting-and-inspiring-it-has/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [The lessons of history would suggest that civilisations move in cycles. You can track that back quite far - the Babylonians, the Sumerians, followed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/the-lessons-of-history-would-suggest-that-civilisations-move-in/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [The value of beauty and inspiration is very much underrated, no question. But I want to be clear: I'm not trying to be anyone's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/the-value-of-beauty-and-inspiration-is-very-much-underrated-no/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [If something's important enough, you should try. Even if - the probable outcome is failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/if-something-s-important-enough-you-should-try-even-if-the-probable/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [You should be innovating so fast that you're invalidating your prior patents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/you-should-be-innovating-so-fast-that-you-re-invalidating-your-prior/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [I could either watch it happen or be a part of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/i-could-either-watch-it-happen-or-be-a-part-of-it/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [I'm anti-tax, but I'm pro-carbon tax.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/i-m-anti-tax-but-i-m-pro-carbon-tax/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) [Explore all 284 Elon Musk quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) ## More Ass quotes > [I can skate beautifully. While performing on ice I always try to please the audience and to win as well. Being artistic is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeni-plushenko/i-can-skate-beautifully-while-performing-on-ice-i-always-try-to/) [Evgeni Plushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeni-plushenko/) > [When you go to a club it's not about being black or white or heavy or thick. I'm shaking my ass because I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miley-cyrus/when-you-go-to-a-club-it-s-not-about-being-black-or-white-or-heavy-or/) [Miley Cyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miley-cyrus/) > [In the movie, the stars above the ship bear no correspondence to any constellations in a real sky. Worse yet, while the heroine bobs...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/in-the-movie-the-stars-above-the-ship-bear-no-correspondence-to-any/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [“There was once an old but clever donkey, who never liked the sting of any bee, Nor for all the Slung mud, did he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priyavrat-thareja/there-was-once-an-old-but-clever-donkey-who-never-liked-the-sting-of/) [Priyavrat Thareja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priyavrat-thareja/) > [I named my son Noah for the same reason Chris Martin named his apple: we're asses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-yorke/i-named-my-son-noah-for-the-same-reason-chris-martin-named-his-apple/) [Thom Yorke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-yorke/) > [Apuleius married a rich widow, then wrote \_The Golden Ass\_.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/apuleius-married-a-rich-widow-then-wrote-the-golden-ass/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [What is this world?--A term which men have got, To signify not one in ten knows what; A term, which with no more precision…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-churchill/what-is-this-world-a-term-which-men-have-got-to-signify-not-one-in/) [Charles Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-churchill/) > [I can tell you this. It is not going to be evenly constituted and when she was Speaker Pelosi, she certainly showed no interests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trey-gowdy/i-can-tell-you-this-it-is-not-going-to-be-evenly-constituted-and-when/) [Trey Gowdy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trey-gowdy/) > [Whoa. He had ghouls on speed dial. My lawyer kicks so much ass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hearne/whoa-he-had-ghouls-on-speed-dial-my-lawyer-kicks-so-much-ass/) [Kevin Hearne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hearne/) > [Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-prescott/don-t-fire-until-you-see-the-whites-of-their-eyes/) [William H. Prescott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-prescott/) > [“Employment is an employee’s kissing of an employer’s ass. A salary is the employer’s pretense to be cleaning his ass.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/employment-is-an-employee-s-kissing-of-an-employer-s-ass-a-salary-is/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [I just had a pedicure. My feet are soft like a baby's behind. If his ass was covered in calluses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-saget/i-just-had-a-pedicure-my-feet-are-soft-like-a-baby-s-behind-if-his/) [Bob Saget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-saget/) > [Now people are really inspired to do a lot, and the fire got lit under our asses to be more politically aware and be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sasheer-zamata/now-people-are-really-inspired-to-do-a-lot-and-the-fire-got-lit-under/) [Sasheer Zamata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sasheer-zamata/) > [Friends, haters, it's Twitter poll time. What do you think most holds back justice and equality for women? All thoughts welcome!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-wilde/friends-haters-it-s-twitter-poll-time-what-do-you-think-most-holds/) [Olivia Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-wilde/) > [Held in the palms of thousands of disgruntled people over the centuries have been ideas worth millions - if they only had taken the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hayes/held-in-the-palms-of-thousands-of-disgruntled-people-over-the/) [Robert M. Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hayes/) [Browse all 1,551 Ass quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ass/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There's a tremendous bias against taking risks. 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