--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Before you get mugged by reality, take…" description: "\"Before you get mugged by reality, take out an insurance policy. It's the Reagan way.\" — George P. Shultz" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c8/george-p-shultz-18551_insurance-policy_before-you-get-mugged-by-reality-take-ou_1196180.jpg" --- # Before you get mugged by reality, take out an insurance… ![“Before you get mugged by reality, take out an insurance policy. It's the Reagan way.” quote by George P. Shultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c8/george-p-shultz-18551_insurance-policy_before-you-get-mugged-by-reality-take-ou_1196180.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c8/george-p-shultz-18551_insurance-policy_before-you-get-mugged-by-reality-take-ou_1196180.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c8/george-p-shultz-18551_insurance-policy_before-you-get-mugged-by-reality-take-ou_1196180.jpg) > “Before you get mugged by reality, take out an insurance policy. It's the Reagan way.” [George P. Shultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-p-shultz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Reality can be harsh; protect yourself by planning ahead like an insurance policy. **In simple terms:** Plan ahead to guard against harsh reality. Key Takeaway Prepare contingencies before problems arise. Themes risk management preparation political satire Mood cautious wry Type satirical political When to use this quote - business planning - financial budgeting - career risk assessment - healthcare planning Key Concepts insurance metaphor political critique personal resilience Questions to Reflect On - What risks have you ignored? - How could over‑insurance limit flexibility? A Different Perspective May oversimplify complex problems into a single solution. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Insurance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/insurance/) [Insurance policy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/insurance-policy/) [Policy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/policy/) [Policy Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/policy-reagan-3569478/) [Reagan Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reagan-way-3569480/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Reality Insurance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality-insurance-3569479/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [To care for the natural world is the most effective insurance policy we can have](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-harding/to-care-for-the-natural-world-is-the-most-effective-insurance-policy/) [Phil Harding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-harding/) > [Socialism is an insurance policy bought by all the members of a national economy to shield them from risk. But the result is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gilder/socialism-is-an-insurance-policy-bought-by-all-the-members-of-a/) [George Gilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gilder/) > [Turning God into some kind of celestial insurance policy is just mental.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-welby/turning-god-into-some-kind-of-celestial-insurance-policy-is-just/) [Justin Welby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-welby/) > [People would have a health care insurance policy they can call their own. They could choose one that exactly fits their families' needs and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-p-harris/people-would-have-a-health-care-insurance-policy-they-can-call-their/) [Andrew P. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-p-harris/) > [If an individual sticks up a bank and walks off with $25,000, there are consequences. If someone who really could have had an insurance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-williams/if-an-individual-sticks-up-a-bank-and-walks-off-with-25-000-there-are/) [Ron Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-williams/) > [I like gold because it is a stabilizer; it is an insurance policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-o-leary/i-like-gold-because-it-is-a-stabilizer-it-is-an-insurance-policy/) [Kevin O'Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-o-leary/) > [A pre-nup is an insurance policy or, in brokerage terms, a short hedge - meant to mitigate a high-risk investment. It safeguards the love-struck…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-shriver/a-pre-nup-is-an-insurance-policy-or-in-brokerage-terms-a-short-hedge/) [Lionel Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-shriver/) > [The arts are the best insurance policy a city can take on itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-w-dumas/the-arts-are-the-best-insurance-policy-a-city-can-take-on-itself/) [W. W. Dumas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-w-dumas/) > [Being good to people is the only insurance policy you need.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hodgkinson/being-good-to-people-is-the-only-insurance-policy-you-need/) [Tom Hodgkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hodgkinson/) > [I could never work out whether we were to view religion as a life-insurance policy or a life sentence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/i-could-never-work-out-whether-we-were-to-view-religion-as-a-life/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [For was that all, she thought bleakly, that love ever was? Something that saved one from loneliness? A sort of insurance policy against not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-waters/for-was-that-all-she-thought-bleakly-that-love-ever-was-something/) [Sarah Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-waters/) > [The search for God is a reversal of the normal, mundane worldly order. In search for God, you revert from what attracts you and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/the-search-for-god-is-a-reversal-of-the-normal-mundane-worldly-order/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [The chief beneficiary of life insurance policies for young, single people is the life insurance agent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-smith/the-chief-beneficiary-of-life-insurance-policies-for-young-single/) [Wes Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-smith/) > [Values are the best personal and organization insurance policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tasneem-hameed/values-are-the-best-personal-and-organization-insurance-policy/) [Tasneem Hameed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tasneem-hameed/) > [I know nothing about racing and any money I put on a horse is a sort of insurance policy to prevent it winning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-richardson/i-know-nothing-about-racing-and-any-money-i-put-on-a-horse-is-a-sort/) [Frank Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-richardson/) ## More by George P. Shultz > [Ideas matter a lot, the underlying ideas that stand behind policies. When you don't have ideas, your policies are flip-flopping all over the place.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-p-shultz/ideas-matter-a-lot-the-underlying-ideas-that-stand-behind-policies/) [George P. Shultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-p-shultz/) > [If they are too big to fail, make them smaller.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-p-shultz/if-they-are-too-big-to-fail-make-them-smaller/) [George P. Shultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-p-shultz/) > [I don't know how you define 'neoconservatism,' but I think it's associated with trying to spread open political systems and democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-p-shultz/i-don-t-know-how-you-define-neoconservatism-but-i-think-it-s/) [George P. Shultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-p-shultz/) > [Oh, you know. I am secretary of state. My trips aren't successful. I just talk to people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-p-shultz/oh-you-know-i-am-secretary-of-state-my-trips-aren-t-successful-i-just/) [George P. Shultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-p-shultz/) > [I like the life of ideas and applying ideas to action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-p-shultz/i-like-the-life-of-ideas-and-applying-ideas-to-action/) [George P. Shultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-p-shultz/) > [Nothing ever gets settled in this town. a seething debating society in which the debate never stops, in which people never give up, including…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-p-shultz/nothing-ever-gets-settled-in-this-town-a-seething-debating-society-in/) [George P. Shultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-p-shultz/) > [What we want is scientists who don't become part of the policy discussion: All they do is produce science. If someone becomes an advocate,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-p-shultz/what-we-want-is-scientists-who-don-t-become-part-of-the-policy/) [George P. Shultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-p-shultz/) > [We have struggled with terrorism for a long time. In the Reagan administration, I was a hawk on the subject. I said terrorism is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-p-shultz/we-have-struggled-with-terrorism-for-a-long-time-in-the-reagan/) [George P. Shultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-p-shultz/) > [The civilized world has a common stake in defeating the terrorists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-p-shultz/the-civilized-world-has-a-common-stake-in-defeating-the-terrorists/) [George P. Shultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-p-shultz/) > [Nothing ever gets settled in this town (Washington). It's not like running a company or even a university. It's a seething debating society, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-p-shultz/nothing-ever-gets-settled-in-this-town-washington-it-s-not-like/) [George P. Shultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-p-shultz/) > [I think the idea that you would do everything you can to prevent what is coming at you by way of something very disruptive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-p-shultz/i-think-the-idea-that-you-would-do-everything-you-can-to-prevent-what/) [George P. Shultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-p-shultz/) > [The source of all the energy is the sun. The big challenge is, how do you use all of that energy? Solar power has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-p-shultz/the-source-of-all-the-energy-is-the-sun-the-big-challenge-is-how-do/) [George P. Shultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-p-shultz/) > [ If somebody had made that \[deal\] to me when I was a businessman, I would have said he proposed to give me the sleeves… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-p-shultz/if-somebody-had-made-that-deal-to-me-when-i-was-a-businessman-i-would/) [George P. Shultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-p-shultz/) > [My experience is that if the military didn't want to use force and was confronted with a president that did, the military would come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-p-shultz/my-experience-is-that-if-the-military-didn-t-want-to-use-force-and/) [George P. Shultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-p-shultz/) > [I've always tried to live in the future and think about things and how to make things better. If you have great-grandchildren around, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-p-shultz/i-ve-always-tried-to-live-in-the-future-and-think-about-things-and/) [George P. Shultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-p-shultz/) [Explore all 34 George P. Shultz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-p-shultz/) ## More Insurance quotes > [Obamacare imposed an unprecedented level of regulation and standardization on individual-market health insurance all across America. 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I don't like the monomania of showing up every day and doing the same thing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-klausner/i-ve-tried-open-ended-jobs-and-found-myself-incredibly-unhappy-i-don/) [Julie Klausner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-klausner/) > [With Zipcar, consumers avoid the upfront cost of buying a car, not to mention gas, insurance, and repairs. 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Now young people can get insurance for as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/a-lot-of-young-people-think-they-re-invincible-but-the-truth-is-young/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) [Browse all 649 Insurance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/insurance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Before you get mugged by reality, take out an insurance policy. It's the Reagan way.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George P. 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