---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If I wanted to play it safe, I'd get a…"
description: "\"If I wanted to play it safe, I'd get a normal job with a secure paycheck.\" — Emory Cohen"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a66/emory-cohen-20985_job_if-i-wanted-to-play-it-safe-i-d-get-a-no_2758544.jpg"
---

#  If I wanted to play it safe, I'd get a normal job with a…

![“If I wanted to play it safe, I'd get a normal job with a secure paycheck.” quote by Emory Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a66/emory-cohen-20985_job_if-i-wanted-to-play-it-safe-i-d-get-a-no_2758544.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a66/emory-cohen-20985_job_if-i-wanted-to-play-it-safe-i-d-get-a-no_2758544.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a66/emory-cohen-20985_job_if-i-wanted-to-play-it-safe-i-d-get-a-no_2758544.jpg)

> “If I wanted to play it safe, I'd get a normal job with a secure paycheck.”

[Emory Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emory-cohen/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Choosing safety over passion leads to a conventional but unfulfilling life.

**In simple terms:** Playing safe can limit fulfillment.

Key Takeaway

Take calculated risks for personal growth.

Themes

risk career fulfillment

Mood

determined reflective

Type

advice motivational

When to use this quote

- career planning
- entrepreneurship
- creative pursuits

Key Concepts

psychology economics

Questions to Reflect On

- What does “playing it safe” mean to you?
- How might you balance risk and stability?

A Different Perspective

Security can be necessary for some.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Job](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/job/) [Job Secure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/job-secure-3152137/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Normal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/normal/) [Paycheck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paycheck/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Safe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/safe/) [Safe Normal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/safe-normal-3152138/) [Secure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secure/) [Secure Paycheck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secure-paycheck-3152136/)

## Related quotes

> [Your job is never secure as a football player - or coach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-pierre-paul/your-job-is-never-secure-as-a-football-player-or-coach/)

[Jason Pierre-Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-pierre-paul/)

> [Fire made us human, fossil fuels made us modern, but now we need a new fire that makes us safe, secure, healthy and durable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amory-lovins/fire-made-us-human-fossil-fuels-made-us-modern-but-now-we-need-a-new/)

[Amory Lovins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amory-lovins/)

> [Marriage is very secure. It is safe. There is no growth in it. One is simply stuck. Marriage is a sexual arrangement; intimacy is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/marriage-is-very-secure-it-is-safe-there-is-no-growth-in-it-one-is/)

[Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/)

> [What can I do to make sure that middle-class families are feeling more secure, that more young people are able to access opportunity, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/what-can-i-do-to-make-sure-that-middle-class-families-are-feeling/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [A nuclear armed Iran makes the world less safe, less stable, less secure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barrasso/a-nuclear-armed-iran-makes-the-world-less-safe-less-stable-less-secure/)

[John Barrasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barrasso/)

> [Tension means hurry, fear, doubt. Tension means a constant effort to protect, to be secure, to be safe. Tension means preparing for the tomorrow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/tension-means-hurry-fear-doubt-tension-means-a-constant-effort-to/)

[Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/)

> ['Middle class' used to be synonymous with secure, with steady, with boring, because middle-class people were people who were pretty much safe from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/middle-class-used-to-be-synonymous-with-secure-with-steady-with/)

[Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/)

> [We want our streets and communities to be safe and secure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-britt/we-want-our-streets-and-communities-to-be-safe-and-secure/)

[Katie Britt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-britt/)

> [My family life reads a bit like 'Little House on the Prairie.' I was big sister to Joan, Renee, and brother William, and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maeve-binchy/my-family-life-reads-a-bit-like-little-house-on-the-prairie-i-was-big/)

[Maeve Binchy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maeve-binchy/)

> [Jobs are a centuries-old concept created during the Industrial Revolution. Despite the reality that we're now deep in the Information Age, many people are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/jobs-are-a-centuries-old-concept-created-during-the-industrial/)

[Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/)

> [He that's secure is not safe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/he-that-s-secure-is-not-safe/)

[Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/)

> [Of course, learning is strengthened and solidified when it occurs in a safe, secure and normal environment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-bertrand-aristide/of-course-learning-is-strengthened-and-solidified-when-it-occurs-in-a/)

[Jean-Bertrand Aristide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-bertrand-aristide/)

> [We have held forums here at the White House on workplace flexibility, and the first major bill signed into law by President Obama was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-jarrett/we-have-held-forums-here-at-the-white-house-on-workplace-flexibility/)

[Valerie Jarrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-jarrett/)

> [As a prosecutor, I got a paycheck for coming to work every day. I didn't get a promotion when I won, and I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-grace/as-a-prosecutor-i-got-a-paycheck-for-coming-to-work-every-day-i-didn/)

[Nancy Grace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-grace/)

> [George Jones, Johnny Paycheck all them dudes they're respected and they were twice as crazy as I'll ever be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hank-williams-iii/george-jones-johnny-paycheck-all-them-dudes-they-re-respected-and/)

[Hank Williams III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hank-williams-iii/)

## More by Emory Cohen

> [After I did 'Brooklyn,' I did about five or six violent films in one way or another, and not always with me being the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emory-cohen/after-i-did-brooklyn-i-did-about-five-or-six-violent-films-in-one-way/)

[Emory Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emory-cohen/)

> [I'm zero to a hundred in almost every facet of my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emory-cohen/i-m-zero-to-a-hundred-in-almost-every-facet-of-my-life/)

[Emory Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emory-cohen/)

> [My first two or three films, all I was trying to do was look cool. That's all I knew acting was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emory-cohen/my-first-two-or-three-films-all-i-was-trying-to-do-was-look-cool-that/)

[Emory Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emory-cohen/)

> [When it comes to a love story, you're like, 'I've been in love before.' So it's closer to you than the other stuff, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emory-cohen/when-it-comes-to-a-love-story-you-re-like-i-ve-been-in-love-before-so/)

[Emory Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emory-cohen/)

> [I'm just trying to be Emory Cohen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emory-cohen/i-m-just-trying-to-be-emory-cohen/)

[Emory Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emory-cohen/)

> [I come from an intense family - like, we're just intense people. Not bad people or anything, we are just very intense, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emory-cohen/i-come-from-an-intense-family-like-we-re-just-intense-people-not-bad/)

[Emory Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emory-cohen/)

> [I told my father I wanted to act, and he stared renting all these classic films for me to watch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emory-cohen/i-told-my-father-i-wanted-to-act-and-he-stared-renting-all-these/)

[Emory Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emory-cohen/)

> [I'm glad I chose more vulnerable work about what is love and what is freedom and those kinds of things. But there's something innate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emory-cohen/i-m-glad-i-chose-more-vulnerable-work-about-what-is-love-and-what-is/)

[Emory Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emory-cohen/)

> [I'm a fourth-generation New Yorker. My family has been in New York for many, many years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emory-cohen/i-m-a-fourth-generation-new-yorker-my-family-has-been-in-new-york-for/)

[Emory Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emory-cohen/)

> [I was 16 when I linked up with my manager - first person I ever auditioned for - and I've been in this ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emory-cohen/i-was-16-when-i-linked-up-with-my-manager-first-person-i-ever/)

[Emory Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emory-cohen/)

> [That's what separates actors - I'll take any risk for a performance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emory-cohen/that-s-what-separates-actors-i-ll-take-any-risk-for-a-performance/)

[Emory Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emory-cohen/)

> [I love a good loser.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emory-cohen/i-love-a-good-loser/)

[Emory Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emory-cohen/)

> [I did 'Pines,' and everybody wanted me to be the bad boy. Then I did Tony in 'Brooklyn,' and everybody wanted me to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emory-cohen/i-did-pines-and-everybody-wanted-me-to-be-the-bad-boy-then-i-did-tony/)

[Emory Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emory-cohen/)

> [My family has artists, but they are all working artists. They are not movie stars. They don't get paid. I really respect that blue-collared…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emory-cohen/my-family-has-artists-but-they-are-all-working-artists-they-are-not/)

[Emory Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emory-cohen/)

> [I want to do a rom-com. For me, where I come from, it would be such a stretch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emory-cohen/i-want-to-do-a-rom-com-for-me-where-i-come-from-it-would-be-such-a/)

[Emory Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emory-cohen/)

[Explore all 30 Emory Cohen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emory-cohen/)

## More Job quotes

> [When I came to Chelsea, it was clear that, like many other players, I would first be loaned out. So I went to Belgium…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thorgan-hazard/when-i-came-to-chelsea-it-was-clear-that-like-many-other-players-i/)

[Thorgan Hazard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thorgan-hazard/)

> [Usually male directors have to use foul language to get the job done. But I never came down to that level as being a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-khosla-kumar/usually-male-directors-have-to-use-foul-language-to-get-the-job-done/)

[Divya Khosla Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-khosla-kumar/)

> [I guess I've never really wanted to be anything else. I've never even thought about having another job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-farrell/i-guess-i-ve-never-really-wanted-to-be-anything-else-i-ve-never-even/)

[Owen Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-farrell/)

> [My very first real job in the industry was as a production assistant on a show called 'Infinity Factory' in 1976.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-hammer/my-very-first-real-job-in-the-industry-was-as-a-production-assistant/)

[Bonnie Hammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-hammer/)

> [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/)

[Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/)

> [My favorite job is the next one. Its such a gratifying experience getting to creatively keep trying something new and push things in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-craig-smith/my-favorite-job-is-the-next-one-its-such-a-gratifying-experience/)

[Roger Craig Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-craig-smith/)

> [As much as you want to improve or help the team, as a centre-back your job is to go under the radar and keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyrone-mings/as-much-as-you-want-to-improve-or-help-the-team-as-a-centre-back-your/)

[Tyrone Mings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyrone-mings/)

> [Every coach in the league does an unbelievable job, and they're prepared and think you're going to outcoach people, or you think that you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-d-antoni/every-coach-in-the-league-does-an-unbelievable-job-and-they-re/)

[Mike D'Antoni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-d-antoni/)

> [In 2008, Barack Obama did a phenomenal job of reaching out to minority groups, to younger people, and a lot of newer voters, Hispanics…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-p-bush/in-2008-barack-obama-did-a-phenomenal-job-of-reaching-out-to-minority/)

[George P. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-p-bush/)

> [Politics only makes the difficult challenge of marriage even harder, with the demands of the job and the public spotlight it casts on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/politics-only-makes-the-difficult-challenge-of-marriage-even-harder/)

[Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/)

> [I was with Dre when he was just selling tapes. He didn't have a car, a license or a job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-le/i-was-with-dre-when-he-was-just-selling-tapes-he-didn-t-have-a-car-a/)

[Michel'le](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-le/)

> [I have to justify my job every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-silva/i-have-to-justify-my-job-every-day/)

[Marco Silva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-silva/)

> [People take years learning how to act; it's a skill, not just a job. If I tried it out and thought I'd be OK,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-fimmel/people-take-years-learning-how-to-act-it-s-a-skill-not-just-a-job-if/)

[Travis Fimmel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-fimmel/)

> [An actor doesn't have a regular job. He is dependent upon the roles which are given him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-heflin/an-actor-doesn-t-have-a-regular-job-he-is-dependent-upon-the-roles/)

[Van Heflin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-heflin/)

> [When it really comes down to it, the job you do is more important and is more representative of who you are than your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cudlitz/when-it-really-comes-down-to-it-the-job-you-do-is-more-important-and/)

[Michael Cudlitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cudlitz/)

[Browse all 7,753 Job quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/job/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "If I wanted to play it safe, I'd get a normal job with a secure paycheck.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Emory Cohen"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emory-cohen/if-i-wanted-to-play-it-safe-i-d-get-a-normal-job-with-a-secure/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Job"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emory-cohen/if-i-wanted-to-play-it-safe-i-d-get-a-normal-job-with-a-secure/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a66/emory-cohen-20985_job_if-i-wanted-to-play-it-safe-i-d-get-a-no_2758544.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a66/emory-cohen-20985_job_if-i-wanted-to-play-it-safe-i-d-get-a-no_2758544.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a66/emory-cohen-20985_job_if-i-wanted-to-play-it-safe-i-d-get-a-no_2758544.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“If I wanted to play it safe, I'd get a normal job with a secure paycheck.” — Emory Cohen",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Emory Cohen",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emory-cohen/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "If I wanted to play it...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emory-cohen/if-i-wanted-to-play-it-safe-i-d-get-a-normal-job-with-a-secure/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emory-cohen/if-i-wanted-to-play-it-safe-i-d-get-a-normal-job-with-a-secure/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
