--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is not wise to neglect the present for…" description: "\"It is not wise to neglect the present for the future, for who knows what the future will be?\" — H. Rider Haggard" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/501/h-rider-haggard-3876_future_it-is-not-wise-to-neglect-the-present-fo_828739.jpg" --- # It is not wise to neglect the present for the future, for… ![“It is not wise to neglect the present for the future, for who knows what the future will be?” quote by H. Rider Haggard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/501/h-rider-haggard-3876_future_it-is-not-wise-to-neglect-the-present-fo_828739.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/501/h-rider-haggard-3876_future_it-is-not-wise-to-neglect-the-present-fo_828739.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/501/h-rider-haggard-3876_future_it-is-not-wise-to-neglect-the-present-fo_828739.jpg) > “It is not wise to neglect the present for the future, for who knows what the future will be?” [H. Rider Haggard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-rider-haggard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Focusing solely on future possibilities can cause neglect of present duties, which are uncertain. **In simple terms:** Don’t ignore today for an unknown future. Key Takeaway Balance present and future. Themes time management mindfulness planning Mood motivational reflective Type practical philosophical When to use this quote - career planning - financial budgeting - health maintenance Key Concepts future orientation present focus Questions to Reflect On - What present actions support your future goals? - How do you avoid procrastination? A Different Perspective Future plans can be unpredictable. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/future/) [Neglect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neglect/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wise/) ## Related quotes > [That's the great thing about the future - nobody knows what's going to happen. That's what makes it all exciting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe/that-s-the-great-thing-about-the-future-nobody-knows-what-s-going-to/) [Joe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe/) > [You no longer have much in the way of knowing what to do in a big, epic novel about the future, because nobody knows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-pournelle/you-no-longer-have-much-in-the-way-of-knowing-what-to-do-in-a-big/) [Jerry Pournelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-pournelle/) > [“Leadership. Sees the future and knows the past.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alin-sav/leadership-sees-the-future-and-knows-the-past/) [Alin Sav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alin-sav/) > [Nobody can see into the future. Nobody knows what going to go on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-mattingly/nobody-can-see-into-the-future-nobody-knows-what-going-to-go-on/) [Don Mattingly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-mattingly/) > [The future knows what happens, we don't, but the day will come when we will see it, and I hope it's the future I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-future-knows-what-happens-we-don-t-but-the-day-will-come-when-we/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Our contradictions. We are in such a hurry to grow up, and then we long for our lost childhood. 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The past I no longer have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/i-always-live-in-the-present-the-future-i-can-t-know-the-past-i-no/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [There is no present or future-only the past, happening over and over again-now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-o-neill/there-is-no-present-or-future-only-the-past-happening-over-and-over/) [Eugene O'Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-o-neill/) > [See things in the present, even if they are in the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-ellison/see-things-in-the-present-even-if-they-are-in-the-future/) [Larry Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-ellison/) > [“But bid life seize the present? 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What I do now with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonas-mekas/i-m-not-so-much-in-the-future-as-always-in-the-present-the-future/) [Jonas Mekas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonas-mekas/) > [God knows the future, you don't. So stop worrying and make wise decisions. Trust him with the results.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-knows-the-future-you-don-t-so-stop-worrying-and-make-wise/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by H. Rider Haggard > [Men and women, empires and cities, thrones, principalities, and powers, mountains, rivers, and unfathomed seas, worlds, spaces, and universes, all have their day, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-rider-haggard/men-and-women-empires-and-cities-thrones-principalities-and-powers/) [H. Rider Haggard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-rider-haggard/) > [“The moon grows black before your eyes; soon there will be darkness—ay, darkness in the hour of the full moon. Ye have asked for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-rider-haggard/the-moon-grows-black-before-your-eyes-soon-there-will-be-darkness-ay/) [H. Rider Haggard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-rider-haggard/) > [“Fourth reason and last: Because I am going to tell the strangest story that I remember. It may seem a queer thing to say,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-rider-haggard/fourth-reason-and-last-because-i-am-going-to-tell-the-strangest-story/) [H. Rider Haggard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-rider-haggard/) > [There is no loneliness like the loneliness of crowds, especially to those who are unaccustomed to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-rider-haggard/there-is-no-loneliness-like-the-loneliness-of-crowds-especially-to/) [H. Rider Haggard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-rider-haggard/) > [Mistrust all men, and slay him whom thou mistrustest overmuch; and as for women, flee from them, for they are evil, and in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-rider-haggard/mistrust-all-men-and-slay-him-whom-thou-mistrustest-overmuch-and-as/) [H. Rider Haggard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-rider-haggard/) > [As for the girl, since she is well favoured, she shall brew the king's beer, and be numbered amongst the king's wives-unless, indeed, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-rider-haggard/as-for-the-girl-since-she-is-well-favoured-she-shall-brew-the-king-s/) [H. Rider Haggard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-rider-haggard/) > [It is awkward to listen to oneself being praised, and I was always a shy man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-rider-haggard/it-is-awkward-to-listen-to-oneself-being-praised-and-i-was-always-a/) [H. Rider Haggard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-rider-haggard/) > [“The Garden of Eden, no doubt, looked fair before man was, but I always think that it must have been fairer when Eve adorned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-rider-haggard/the-garden-of-eden-no-doubt-looked-fair-before-man-was-but-i-always/) [H. Rider Haggard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-rider-haggard/) > [“Very good; then here we have it—'4 June, total eclipse of the moon commences at 8.15 Greenwich time, visible in Teneriffe—South Africa, &c.' There's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-rider-haggard/very-good-then-here-we-have-it-4-june-total-eclipse-of-the-moon/) [H. Rider Haggard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-rider-haggard/) > [Adventurer: he that goes to meet whatever may come. Well, that is what we all do in the world one way or another...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-rider-haggard/adventurer-he-that-goes-to-meet-whatever-may-come-well-that-is-what/) [H. Rider Haggard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-rider-haggard/) > [“...For like a rugged tree you are hard and sound at the core.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-rider-haggard/for-like-a-rugged-tree-you-are-hard-and-sound-at-the-core/) [H. Rider Haggard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-rider-haggard/) > [“Listen! What is life? It is a feather, it is the seed of the grass, blown hither and thither, sometimes multiplying itself and dying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-rider-haggard/listen-what-is-life-it-is-a-feather-it-is-the-seed-of-the-grass-blown/) [H. Rider Haggard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-rider-haggard/) > [There are things and there are faces which, when felt or seen for the first time, stamp themselves upon the mind like a sun…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-rider-haggard/there-are-things-and-there-are-faces-which-when-felt-or-seen-for-the/) [H. Rider Haggard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-rider-haggard/) > [“Out of the vast main aisle there opened here and there smaller caves, exactly, Sir Henry said, as chapels open out of great cathedrals.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-rider-haggard/out-of-the-vast-main-aisle-there-opened-here-and-there-smaller-caves/) [H. Rider Haggard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-rider-haggard/) > [And now let us love and take that which is given us, and be happy; for in the grave there is no love and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-rider-haggard/and-now-let-us-love-and-take-that-which-is-given-us-and-be-happy-for/) [H. Rider Haggard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-rider-haggard/) [Explore all 119 H. Rider Haggard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-rider-haggard/) ## More Future quotes > [“The future is only an indifferent void no one cares about, but the past is filled with life, and its countenance is irritating, repellent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-future-is-only-an-indifferent-void-no-one-cares-about-but-the/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Getting on the cover of TIME guarantees the existence of opposition in the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/getting-on-the-cover-of-time-guarantees-the-existence-of-opposition/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. 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Not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gibson/we-have-no-idea-now-of-who-or-what-the-inhabitants-of-our-future/) [William Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gibson/) > [“You are destiny for greatness. Your future is in the hands of the Lord.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/you-are-destiny-for-greatness-your-future-is-in-the-hands-of-the-lord/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [I'm just always looking forwards. I spend very little time, looking backwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-vaynerchuk/i-m-just-always-looking-forwards-i-spend-very-little-time-looking/) [Gary Vaynerchuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-vaynerchuk/) > [Football is my passion, and who knows where I will play in the future - you cannot foresee that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edinson-cavani/football-is-my-passion-and-who-knows-where-i-will-play-in-the-future/) [Edinson Cavani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edinson-cavani/) > [When I was 17, I broke up with my future wife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kris-allen/when-i-was-17-i-broke-up-with-my-future-wife/) [Kris Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kris-allen/) > [I think everybody in the future has stopped talking to each other and we all just use emojis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-moffatt/i-think-everybody-in-the-future-has-stopped-talking-to-each-other-and/) [Scarlett Moffatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-moffatt/) > [When you continue to dwell on the past, there's no chance for a future. History repeats itself, thus, it's ok to LOOK back at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-continue-to-dwell-on-the-past-there-s-no-chance-for-a-future/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I am no different from a lot of people. I am concerned for the future of my children and concerned for the future of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barnes/i-am-no-different-from-a-lot-of-people-i-am-concerned-for-the-future/) [John Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barnes/) > [Starting a new job can be nerve-racking , but it's also exciting. You're embarking on a new future, positioning yourself to write a fresh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adena-friedman/starting-a-new-job-can-be-nerve-racking-but-it-s-also-exciting-you-re/) [Adena Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adena-friedman/) [Browse all 12,349 Future quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/future/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is not wise to neglect the present for the future, for who knows what the future will be?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "H. 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