--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Preserve the mean; the opportune moment…" description: "\"Preserve the mean; the opportune moment is best in all things.\" — Hesiod" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf3/hesiod-2889_all-things_preserve-the-mean-the-opportune-moment-i_187740.jpg" --- # Preserve the mean; the opportune moment is best in all… ![“Preserve the mean; the opportune moment is best in all things.” quote by Hesiod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf3/hesiod-2889_all-things_preserve-the-mean-the-opportune-moment-i_187740.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf3/hesiod-2889_all-things_preserve-the-mean-the-opportune-moment-i_187740.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf3/hesiod-2889_all-things_preserve-the-mean-the-opportune-moment-i_187740.jpg) > “Preserve the mean; the opportune moment is best in all things.” [Hesiod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hesiod/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The optimal time to act is when conditions are most favorable; timing is crucial for success. **In simple terms:** Act when the moment is right. Key Takeaway Seek and act at the most advantageous moment. Themes strategy timing opportunity Mood reflective motivational Type philosophical practical When to use this quote - business - sports - investment - personal goals Key Concepts philosophy decision making Questions to Reflect On - What signs indicate the right moment? - How do you balance patience with action? A Different Perspective Timing can be unpredictable; waiting may cause missed chances. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Life worth living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-worth-living/) [Moment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moment/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [The Arabs will have to go, but one needs an opportune moment for making it happen, such as a war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/the-arabs-will-have-to-go-but-one-needs-an-opportune-moment-for/) [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) > [“She had that rare virtue of never existing completely except for that opportune moment”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/she-had-that-rare-virtue-of-never-existing-completely-except-for-that-2/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [“Arcadio had seen her many times working in her parents' small food store but he had never taken a good look at her because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/arcadio-had-seen-her-many-times-working-in-her-parents-small-food/) [Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [The pressure is always there... I just have got to go out there and enjoy my moment and do my best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyoto-machida/the-pressure-is-always-there-i-just-have-got-to-go-out-there-and/) [Lyoto Machida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyoto-machida/) > [“While 'Once upon a time' may be a great way to start a story, 'Here in the moment' is the best way to live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/while-once-upon-a-time-may-be-a-great-way-to-start-a-story-here-in/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [You have to live in the moment and do the best that you can and be true to that moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fab-moretti/you-have-to-live-in-the-moment-and-do-the-best-that-you-can-and-be/) [Fab Moretti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fab-moretti/) > [We need to learn to live in the here and now; this moment is the best moment. Live it fully.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/satish-kumar/we-need-to-learn-to-live-in-the-here-and-now-this-moment-is-the-best/) [Satish Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/satish-kumar/) > [You cant get always perfect moment,You have to do the best you can under the given circumstances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dranil-kr-sinha/you-cant-get-always-perfect-moment-you-have-to-do-the-best-you-can/) [DrAnil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dranil-kr-sinha/) > [This moment is always the best one in which to express your care for others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ban-breathnach/this-moment-is-always-the-best-one-in-which-to-express-your-care-for/) [Sarah Ban Breathnach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-ban-breathnach/) > [The combination of what's written and just being in the moment is always the best way. You gotta start out with something solid and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-carrey/the-combination-of-what-s-written-and-just-being-in-the-moment-is/) [Jim Carrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-carrey/) > [To act with common sense according to the moment, is the best wisdom I know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-walpole/to-act-with-common-sense-according-to-the-moment-is-the-best-wisdom-i/) [Horace Walpole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-walpole/) > [I don't know how I can explain that moment. But it was the best moment I think in my life when I signed with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willian/i-don-t-know-how-i-can-explain-that-moment-but-it-was-the-best-moment/) [Willian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willian/) > [What God arranges for us to experience at each moment is the best and holiest thing that could happen to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-pierre-de-caussade/what-god-arranges-for-us-to-experience-at-each-moment-is-the-best-and/) [Jean-Pierre de Caussade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-pierre-de-caussade/) > [Being in the moment is the best thing I can do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taissa-farmiga/being-in-the-moment-is-the-best-thing-i-can-do/) [Taissa Farmiga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taissa-farmiga/) > [I really concentrate on what's on my plate at the moment and do the very best I can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/i-really-concentrate-on-what-s-on-my-plate-at-the-moment-and-do-the/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) ## More by Hesiod > [Gain not base gains; base gains are the same as losses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hesiod/gain-not-base-gains-base-gains-are-the-same-as-losses/) [Hesiod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hesiod/) > [Aegis-bearing Zeus has a design for each occasion, and mortals find this hard to comprehend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hesiod/aegis-bearing-zeus-has-a-design-for-each-occasion-and-mortals-find/) [Hesiod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hesiod/) > [The best is he who calls men to the best. And those who heed the call are also blessed. But worthless who call not,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hesiod/the-best-is-he-who-calls-men-to-the-best-and-those-who-heed-the-call/) [Hesiod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hesiod/) > [If you speak evil, you will soon be worse spoken of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hesiod/if-you-speak-evil-you-will-soon-be-worse-spoken-of/) [Hesiod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hesiod/) > [Inhibition is no good provider for a needy man, Inhibition, which does men great harm and great good. Inhibition attaches to poverty, boldness to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hesiod/inhibition-is-no-good-provider-for-a-needy-man-inhibition-which-does/) [Hesiod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hesiod/) > [Potter is jealous of potter, and craftsman of craftsman; and the poor have a grudge against the poor, and the poet against the poet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hesiod/potter-is-jealous-of-potter-and-craftsman-of-craftsman-and-the-poor/) [Hesiod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hesiod/) > [The potter is at enmity with the potter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hesiod/the-potter-is-at-enmity-with-the-potter/) [Hesiod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hesiod/) > [But he who neither thinks for himself nor learns from others, is a failure as a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hesiod/but-he-who-neither-thinks-for-himself-nor-learns-from-others-is-a/) [Hesiod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hesiod/) > [Justice prevails over transgression when she comes to the end of the race.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hesiod/justice-prevails-over-transgression-when-she-comes-to-the-end-of-the/) [Hesiod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hesiod/) > [“It is best to work, at whatever you have a talent for doing, without turning your greedy thought toward what some other man possesses,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hesiod/it-is-best-to-work-at-whatever-you-have-a-talent-for-doing-without/) [Hesiod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hesiod/) > [I see no hope for the future of our people if they are dependent on the frivolous youth of today, for certainly all youth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hesiod/i-see-no-hope-for-the-future-of-our-people-if-they-are-dependent-on/) [Hesiod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hesiod/) > [Do not let a flattering woman coax and wheedle you and deceive you; she is after your barn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hesiod/do-not-let-a-flattering-woman-coax-and-wheedle-you-and-deceive-you/) [Hesiod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hesiod/) > [In the race for wealth, a neighbor tries to outdo his neighbor, but this strife is good for men. 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What this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-swimme/a-tree-is-a-self-it-is-unseen-shaping-more-than-it-is-leaves-or-bark/) [Brian Swimme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-swimme/) > [Dear God, I trust that no matter what happens in my life, it is for my highest good. And no matter what happens in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jeffers/dear-god-i-trust-that-no-matter-what-happens-in-my-life-it-is-for-my/) [Susan Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jeffers/) > [Moderation, honey, in all things but love and chocolate. 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They deepened my sense of God as the creator of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-linzey/when-i-was-in-my-teens-i-had-a-series-of-intensely-religious/) [Andrew Linzey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-linzey/) > [It is more than a little ironic that "capital accumulation" once a rather tendentious Marxian view of a supposed capitalist obsession, should have become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kuttner/it-is-more-than-a-little-ironic-that-capital-accumulation-once-a/) [Robert Kuttner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kuttner/) > [The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, as it pleases him, for he can do all things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer/the-lord-gives-and-the-lord-takes-away-as-it-pleases-him-for-he-can/) [Homer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homer/) > [Time, which wears down and diminishes all things, augments and increases good deeds, because a good turn liberally offered to a reasonable man grows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-rabelais/time-which-wears-down-and-diminishes-all-things-augments-and/) [Francois Rabelais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-rabelais/) > [Standing as a witness in all things means being kind in all things, being the first to say hello, being the first to smile,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-d-nadauld/standing-as-a-witness-in-all-things-means-being-kind-in-all-things/) [Margaret D. 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