--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A ship in port is safe, but that's not…" description: "\"A ship in port is safe, but that's not what ships are built for.\" — Grace Hopper" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/903/grace-hopper-16425_port_a-ship-in-port-is-safe-but-that-s-not-wh_906595.png" --- # A ship in port is safe, but that's not what ships are… ![“A ship in port is safe, but that's not what ships are built for.” quote by Grace Hopper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/903/grace-hopper-16425_port_a-ship-in-port-is-safe-but-that-s-not-wh_906595.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/903/grace-hopper-16425_port_a-ship-in-port-is-safe-but-that-s-not-wh_906595.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/903/grace-hopper-16425_port_a-ship-in-port-is-safe-but-that-s-not-wh_906595.png) > “A ship in port is safe, but that's not what ships are built for.” [Grace Hopper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-hopper/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Ships must leave harbor to fulfill their purpose; safety alone is insufficient for achievement. **In simple terms:** Risk is needed for purpose. Key Takeaway Embrace challenges beyond comfort. Themes risk purpose exploration Mood inspirational determined Type advice motivational When to use this quote - career advancement - entrepreneurship - creative projects - learning new technologies Key Concepts leadership innovation Questions to Reflect On - What risks could you take today? - How does stepping out of comfort foster growth? A Different Perspective Too much safety can lead to stagnation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Port](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/port/) [River](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/river/) ## Related quotes > [A ship in harbor is safe, but that's not what ships are built for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/a-ship-in-harbor-is-safe-but-that-s-not-what-ships-are-built-for/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [“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/) > [God works all things together for your good. If the waves roll against you, it only speeds your ship towards the port](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/god-works-all-things-together-for-your-good-if-the-waves-roll-against/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [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/) > [“A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for. JOHN A. SHEDD, AUTHOR”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-ship-in-harbor-is-safe-but-that-is-not-what-ships-are-built-for-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A ship in the harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for. Intelligence is like underwear, everyone has it, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/a-ship-in-the-harbor-is-safe-but-that-is-not-what-ships-are-built-for/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [“Though the harbor is safe, ships were made to sail the sea. The same can be said for you and me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-anne/though-the-harbor-is-safe-ships-were-made-to-sail-the-sea-the-same/) [Julie-Anne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-anne/) > [When a great ship is in harbor and moored, it is safe, there can be no doubt. But that is not what great ships…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarissa-pinkola-estes/when-a-great-ship-is-in-harbor-and-moored-it-is-safe-there-can-be-no/) [Clarissa Pinkola Estes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarissa-pinkola-estes/) > [Ships at harbor are safe, but thats not what ships are built for](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shedd/ships-at-harbor-are-safe-but-thats-not-what-ships-are-built-for/) John Shedd > [“A ship is safe in harbor, but that's not why ships were built.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-revenge/a-ship-is-safe-in-harbor-but-that-s-not-why-ships-were-built/) Charlotte Revenge > [We are not a country that subscribes to policing any part of the world. The areas we are comfortable with are capacity building, intelligence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-khurshid/we-are-not-a-country-that-subscribes-to-policing-any-part-of-the/) [Salman Khurshid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-khurshid/) > [The Moon is our local port opening to the universe; in the future, it's through that port we will sail our ships to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/the-moon-is-our-local-port-opening-to-the-universe-in-the-future-it-s/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [There are only two options for a ship: Either to sail to the sea and fight with the waves or rot in a port!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/there-are-only-two-options-for-a-ship-either-to-sail-to-the-sea-and/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [I bought ... the pins with my three daughters in mind; the ships are beautiful, graceful, and moving along at full sail, having long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-albright/i-bought-the-pins-with-my-three-daughters-in-mind-the-ships-are/) [Madeleine Albright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-albright/) > [“Sometimes in life, we reach a right place by departing from a wrong port with a wrong ship!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/sometimes-in-life-we-reach-a-right-place-by-departing-from-a-wrong/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) ## More by Grace Hopper > [It's easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-hopper/it-s-easier-to-ask-forgiveness-than-it-is-to-get-permission/) [Grace Hopper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-hopper/) > [I've received many honors and I'm grateful for them; but I've already received the highest award I'll ever receive, and that has been the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-hopper/i-ve-received-many-honors-and-i-m-grateful-for-them-but-i-ve-already/) [Grace Hopper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-hopper/) > [No computer is ever going to ask a new, reasonable question. It takes trained people to do that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-hopper/no-computer-is-ever-going-to-ask-a-new-reasonable-question-it-takes/) [Grace Hopper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-hopper/) > [If one ox could not do the job they did not try to grow a bigger ox, but used two oxen. When we need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-hopper/if-one-ox-could-not-do-the-job-they-did-not-try-to-grow-a-bigger-ox/) [Grace Hopper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-hopper/) > [The most damaging phrase in the language is: 'It's always been done that way.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-hopper/the-most-damaging-phrase-in-the-language-is-it-s-always-been-done/) [Grace Hopper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-hopper/) > [You manage things and lead people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-hopper/you-manage-things-and-lead-people/) [Grace Hopper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-hopper/) > [If it's a good idea, go ahead and do it. It's much easier to apologize than it is to get permission.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-hopper/if-it-s-a-good-idea-go-ahead-and-do-it-it-s-much-easier-to-apologize/) [Grace Hopper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-hopper/) > [Some day, on the corporate balance sheet, there will be an entry which reads, "Information"; for in most cases, the information is more valuable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-hopper/some-day-on-the-corporate-balance-sheet-there-will-be-an-entry-which/) [Grace Hopper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-hopper/) > [The only phrase I've ever disliked is, 'Why, we've always done it that way.' I always tell young people, 'Go ahead and do it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-hopper/the-only-phrase-i-ve-ever-disliked-is-why-we-ve-always-done-it-that/) [Grace Hopper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-hopper/) > [If you want my ghost just say ' We've always done it that way.' and i will haunt you for 24 hours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-hopper/if-you-want-my-ghost-just-say-we-ve-always-done-it-that-way-and-i/) [Grace Hopper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-hopper/) > [To me programming is more than an important practical art. It is also a gigantic undertaking in the foundations of knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-hopper/to-me-programming-is-more-than-an-important-practical-art-it-is-also/) [Grace Hopper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-hopper/) > [It is often easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-hopper/it-is-often-easier-to-ask-for-forgiveness-than-to-ask-for-permission/) [Grace Hopper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-hopper/) > [It's always easier to apologize for something you've already done than to get approval for it in advance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-hopper/it-s-always-easier-to-apologize-for-something-you-ve-already-done/) [Grace Hopper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-hopper/) > [We're flooding people with information. We need to feed it through a processor. A human must turn information into intelligence or knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-hopper/we-re-flooding-people-with-information-we-need-to-feed-it-through-a/) [Grace Hopper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-hopper/) > [I handed my passport to the immigration officer, and he looked at it and looked at me and said, 'What are you?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-hopper/i-handed-my-passport-to-the-immigration-officer-and-he-looked-at-it/) [Grace Hopper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-hopper/) [Explore all 40 Grace Hopper quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-hopper/) ## More Port quotes > [It is easy to give advice from a port of safety.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-schiller/it-is-easy-to-give-advice-from-a-port-of-safety/) [Friedrich Schiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-schiller/) > [The American President resembles the commander of a ship at sea. He must have a helm to grasp, a course to steer, a port…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/the-american-president-resembles-the-commander-of-a-ship-at-sea-he/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [O friend, never strike sail to a fear! Come into port greatly, or sail with God the seas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/o-friend-never-strike-sail-to-a-fear-come-into-port-greatly-or-sail/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Buonaparte has often made his boast that our fleet would be worn out by keeping the sea and that his was kept in order…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horatio-nelson/buonaparte-has-often-made-his-boast-that-our-fleet-would-be-worn-out/) [Horatio Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horatio-nelson/) > [Books should confuse. Literature abhors the typical. Literature flows to the particular, the mundane, the greasiness of paper, the taste of warm beer, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rodriguez/books-should-confuse-literature-abhors-the-typical-literature-flows/) [Richard Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rodriguez/) > [“Sometimes in life, we reach a right place by departing from a wrong port with a wrong ship!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/sometimes-in-life-we-reach-a-right-place-by-departing-from-a-wrong/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Some gifted adventurer is always sailing round the world of art and science, to bring home costly merchandise from every port.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/some-gifted-adventurer-is-always-sailing-round-the-world-of-art-and/) [Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/) > [In 2003, this House voted to kill a Democratic amendment to add $250 million for port security grants; then again, in 2005, against a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russ-carnahan/in-2003-this-house-voted-to-kill-a-democratic-amendment-to-add-250/) [Russ Carnahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russ-carnahan/) > [O polished perturbation! golden care! That keep'st the ports of slumber open wide To many a watchful night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/o-polished-perturbation-golden-care-that-keep-st-the-ports-of-slumber/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I can't have friends in every port. I have to work very hard and be very clear about what I want to do. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvie-guillem/i-can-t-have-friends-in-every-port-i-have-to-work-very-hard-and-be/) [Sylvie Guillem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvie-guillem/) > [I bought ... the pins with my three daughters in mind; the ships are beautiful, graceful, and moving along at full sail, having long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-albright/i-bought-the-pins-with-my-three-daughters-in-mind-the-ships-are/) [Madeleine Albright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-albright/) > [There are only two options for a ship: Either to sail to the sea and fight with the waves or rot in a port!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/there-are-only-two-options-for-a-ship-either-to-sail-to-the-sea-and/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [If a man does not know to what port he is steering, no wind is favorable to him. Ignoranti quem portum petat, nullus suus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/if-a-man-does-not-know-to-what-port-he-is-steering-no-wind-is/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [I represent the Port of Philadelphia, and I know firsthand the important role that ports play in the national and global economy. I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allyson-schwartz/i-represent-the-port-of-philadelphia-and-i-know-firsthand-the/) [Allyson Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allyson-schwartz/) > [The Moon is our local port opening to the universe; in the future, it's through that port we will sail our ships to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/the-moon-is-our-local-port-opening-to-the-universe-in-the-future-it-s/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) [Browse all 330 Port quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/port/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A ship in port is safe, but that's not what ships are built for.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Grace Hopper" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-hopper/a-ship-in-port-is-safe-but-that-s-not-what-ships-are-built-for/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Port" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-hopper/a-ship-in-port-is-safe-but-that-s-not-what-ships-are-built-for/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/903/grace-hopper-16425_port_a-ship-in-port-is-safe-but-that-s-not-wh_906595.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/903/grace-hopper-16425_port_a-ship-in-port-is-safe-but-that-s-not-wh_906595.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/903/grace-hopper-16425_port_a-ship-in-port-is-safe-but-that-s-not-wh_906595.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A ship in port is safe, but that's not what ships are built for.” — Grace Hopper", "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": "Grace Hopper", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-hopper/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A ship in port is safe,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-hopper/a-ship-in-port-is-safe-but-that-s-not-what-ships-are-built-for/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-hopper/a-ship-in-port-is-safe-but-that-s-not-what-ships-are-built-for/#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 } } ] } ```