---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He who cannot swim should neither chase…"
description: "\"“He who cannot swim should neither chase the dolphins nor play with sharks. For him disaster awaits like sunrise.”\" — J Loren Norris"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce3/j-loren-norris-39629_disaster_he-who-cannot-swim-should-neither-chase_2757590.jpg"
---

#  He who cannot swim should neither chase the dolphins nor…

![“He who cannot swim should neither chase the dolphins nor play with sharks. For him disaster awaits like sunrise.” quote by J Loren Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce3/j-loren-norris-39629_disaster_he-who-cannot-swim-should-neither-chase_2757590.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce3/j-loren-norris-39629_disaster_he-who-cannot-swim-should-neither-chase_2757590.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce3/j-loren-norris-39629_disaster_he-who-cannot-swim-should-neither-chase_2757590.jpg)

> ““He who cannot swim should neither chase the dolphins nor play with sharks. For him disaster awaits like sunrise.””

[J Loren Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-loren-norris/)

## About This Quote

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

Those lacking skill should avoid dangerous challenges, as they will likely face disaster.

**In simple terms:** Don’t attempt what you can’t handle.

Key Takeaway

Know your limits.

Themes

caution skill danger

Mood

serious reflective

Type

advisory warning

When to use this quote

- sports
- career moves
- adventure travel

Key Concepts

risk assessment self‑awareness

Questions to Reflect On

- What skills do you need before tackling a new challenge?
- How do you recognize when to step back?

A Different Perspective

Overconfidence can blind people to real risks.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Chase Dolphins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chase-dolphins-3146086/) [Disaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disaster/) [Disaster Awaits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disaster-awaits-3146085/) [Excellent life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excellent-life/) [Inspirational quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational-quotes/) [Leadership development](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership-development/) [Philosophy of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-of-life/) [Play Sharks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play-sharks-3146087/) [Self help](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-help/) [Sharks Disaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sharks-disaster-3146084/)

## Related quotes

> [“The future begins when we tear down the walls that keep us in the past. We must be thankful for those who walked through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-loren-norris/the-future-begins-when-we-tear-down-the-walls-that-keep-us-in-the/)

[J Loren Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-loren-norris/)

> [“Authority to dream is not given, it is taken. Take it. Do not let the judgment of others be the final word. Without a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-loren-norris/authority-to-dream-is-not-given-it-is-taken-take-it-do-not-let-the/)

[J Loren Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-loren-norris/)

> [“Are you ready to possess your master piece; ready to live a life that is worthy of who you were made to be? You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-loren-norris/are-you-ready-to-possess-your-master-piece-ready-to-live-a-life-that/)

[J Loren Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-loren-norris/)

> [“A harsh word breaks the heart. A kind word can sooth the savage beast. A word never spoken can bury a burden or save…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-loren-norris/a-harsh-word-breaks-the-heart-a-kind-word-can-sooth-the-savage-beast/)

[J Loren Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-loren-norris/)

> [“There may be a day when you find yourself standing at the precipice, looking down into the abyss of hopelessness and waiting, pleading, begging…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-loren-norris/there-may-be-a-day-when-you-find-yourself-standing-at-the-precipice/)

[J Loren Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-loren-norris/)

> [“Core values serve as a lighthouse when the fog of life seems to leave you wandering in circles; when you encounter that moment where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-loren-norris/core-values-serve-as-a-lighthouse-when-the-fog-of-life-seems-to-leave/)

[J Loren Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-loren-norris/)

> [“If you cannot see where you are going, ask someone who has been there before.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-loren-norris/if-you-cannot-see-where-you-are-going-ask-someone-who-has-been-there/)

[J Loren Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-loren-norris/)

> [“One thing is undeniably clear. We have all had bad experiences, we have all had tragedies in our lives which help to shape who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-loren-norris-2/one-thing-is-undeniably-clear-we-have-all-had-bad-experiences-we-have/)

[J. Loren Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-loren-norris-2/)

> [“So, what does it take to live a more excellent life? It takes a new way of thinking, speaking and acting. It takes a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-loren-norris/so-what-does-it-take-to-live-a-more-excellent-life-it-takes-a-new-way/)

[J Loren Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-loren-norris/)

> [“Let's get busy. Get up! Stop living an average life. Stop living in a rut. Get ready for a new way to walk and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-loren-norris/let-s-get-busy-get-up-stop-living-an-average-life-stop-living-in-a/)

[J Loren Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-loren-norris/)

> [“The happy life is thought to be one of excellence; now an excellent life requires exertion, and does not consist in amusement. If Eudaimonia,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/the-happy-life-is-thought-to-be-one-of-excellence-now-an-excellent/)

[Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/)

> [For neither birth, nor wealth, nor honors, can awaken in the minds of men the principles which should guide those who from their youth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/for-neither-birth-nor-wealth-nor-honors-can-awaken-in-the-minds-of/)

[Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/)

> [“Life is excellent or life blows, depending on how you look at it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-plum-ucci/life-is-excellent-or-life-blows-depending-on-how-you-look-at-it/)

[Carol Plum-Ucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-plum-ucci/)

> [“am bold and brave! I am excellent, I have an excellent life. I can do all things; I am powerful and influential.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anyaele-sam-chiyson/am-bold-and-brave-i-am-excellent-i-have-an-excellent-life-i-can-do/)

[Anyaele Sam Chiyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anyaele-sam-chiyson/)

> [Fact of LIFE: Dont be too confident when someone tells U she likes U,The real question is.. UNTIL WHEN..? Bcoz just like seasons.. SOME…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/fact-of-life-dont-be-too-confident-when-someone-tells-u-she-likes-u/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

## More by J Loren Norris

> [“Core values serve as a lighthouse when the fog of life seems to leave you wandering in circles; when you encounter that moment where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-loren-norris/core-values-serve-as-a-lighthouse-when-the-fog-of-life-seems-to-leave/)

[J Loren Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-loren-norris/)

> [“There may be a day when you find yourself standing at the precipice, looking down into the abyss of hopelessness and waiting, pleading, begging…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-loren-norris/there-may-be-a-day-when-you-find-yourself-standing-at-the-precipice/)

[J Loren Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-loren-norris/)

> [“Authority to dream is not given, it is taken. Take it. Do not let the judgment of others be the final word. Without a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-loren-norris/authority-to-dream-is-not-given-it-is-taken-take-it-do-not-let-the/)

[J Loren Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-loren-norris/)

> [“If you cannot see where you are going, ask someone who has been there before.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-loren-norris/if-you-cannot-see-where-you-are-going-ask-someone-who-has-been-there/)

[J Loren Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-loren-norris/)

> [“Bad habits are like having a sumo wrestler in the back of your canoe rowing the opposite direction.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-loren-norris/bad-habits-are-like-having-a-sumo-wrestler-in-the-back-of-your-canoe/)

[J Loren Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-loren-norris/)

> [“Are you ready to possess your master piece; ready to live a life that is worthy of who you were made to be? You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-loren-norris/are-you-ready-to-possess-your-master-piece-ready-to-live-a-life-that/)

[J Loren Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-loren-norris/)

> [“A harsh word breaks the heart. A kind word can sooth the savage beast. A word never spoken can bury a burden or save…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-loren-norris/a-harsh-word-breaks-the-heart-a-kind-word-can-sooth-the-savage-beast/)

[J Loren Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-loren-norris/)

> [“So, what does it take to live a more excellent life? It takes a new way of thinking, speaking and acting. It takes a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-loren-norris/so-what-does-it-take-to-live-a-more-excellent-life-it-takes-a-new-way/)

[J Loren Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-loren-norris/)

> [“Let's get busy. Get up! Stop living an average life. Stop living in a rut. Get ready for a new way to walk and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-loren-norris/let-s-get-busy-get-up-stop-living-an-average-life-stop-living-in-a/)

[J Loren Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-loren-norris/)

> [“The future begins when we tear down the walls that keep us in the past. We must be thankful for those who walked through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-loren-norris/the-future-begins-when-we-tear-down-the-walls-that-keep-us-in-the/)

[J Loren Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-loren-norris/)

[Explore all 11 J Loren Norris quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-loren-norris/)

## More Disaster quotes

> [Public infrastructure around the world is facing unprecedented stress, with hurricanes, cyclones, floods and forest fires all increasing in frequency and intensity. It's easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/public-infrastructure-around-the-world-is-facing-unprecedented-stress/)

[Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/)

> [Real people speak in my books about the main events of the age, such as the war, the Chernobyl disaster, and the downfall of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/svetlana-alexievich/real-people-speak-in-my-books-about-the-main-events-of-the-age-such/)

[Svetlana Alexievich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/svetlana-alexievich/)

> [One of the undervalued contributors to Trump's stunning 2016 victory was the masterful performance Pence had in his debate against Hillary Clinton running mate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mollie-hemingway/one-of-the-undervalued-contributors-to-trump-s-stunning-2016-victory/)

[Mollie Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mollie-hemingway/)

> [You know, we can't beat ISIS. We can't do anything. We can't take care of our vets. We can't have good health care. "Obama…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/you-know-we-can-t-beat-isis-we-can-t-do-anything-we-can-t-take-care/)

[Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/)

> [My mind shrank from the menace sweeping down on us, as children's do from belief in death and misfortune, vainly clinging to the fancy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-pankhurst/my-mind-shrank-from-the-menace-sweeping-down-on-us-as-children-s-do/)

[Sylvia Pankhurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-pankhurst/)

> [The compensations of calamity are made apparent to the understanding also, after long intervals of time. A fever, a mutilation, a cruel disappointment, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-compensations-of-calamity-are-made-apparent-to-the-understanding/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

> [You can't have people making decisions about the future of the world who are scientifically illiterate. That's a recipe for disaster. And I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/you-can-t-have-people-making-decisions-about-the-future-of-the-world/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [“She was—of course—perfectly normal— quiet and polite and reasonably intelligent and...normal and self destructive and lonely and terrified of every thing And she loved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tah-the-trickster/she-was-of-course-perfectly-normal-quiet-and-polite-and-reasonably/)

[Tah the Trickster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tah-the-trickster/)

> [Obviously, it's my goal to be the top scorer in the Bundesliga, but it wouldn't be a disaster if I didn't achieve that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-gomez/obviously-it-s-my-goal-to-be-the-top-scorer-in-the-bundesliga-but-it/)

[Mario Gomez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-gomez/)

> [Yes, life in Chechnya so far looks more like a life after a natural disaster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/yes-life-in-chechnya-so-far-looks-more-like-a-life-after-a-natural/)

[Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/)

> [Even disasters -- there are always disasters when you travel -- can be turned into adventures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-french/even-disasters-there-are-always-disasters-when-you-travel-can-be/)

[Marilyn French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-french/)

> [We are always just one successful terrorist attack away from a nuclear disaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-thompson/we-are-always-just-one-successful-terrorist-attack-away-from-a/)

[Fred Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-thompson/)

> [WHANGDEPOOTENAWAH, n. In the Ojibwa tongue, disaster; an unexpected affliction that strikes hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/whangdepootenawah-n-in-the-ojibwa-tongue-disaster-an-unexpected/)

[Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/)

> [Architects mostly work for privileged people, people who have money and power, Power and money are invisible, so people hire us to visualize their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shigeru-ban/architects-mostly-work-for-privileged-people-people-who-have-money/)

[Shigeru Ban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shigeru-ban/)

> [The only aspect of our travels that is interesting to others is disaster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-gellmanmartha-gellman/the-only-aspect-of-our-travels-that-is-interesting-to-others-is/)

[Martha GellmanMartha Gellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-gellmanmartha-gellman/)

[Browse all 2,239 Disaster quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disaster/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“He who cannot swim should neither chase the dolphins nor play with sharks. For him disaster awaits like sunrise.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "J Loren Norris"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-loren-norris/he-who-cannot-swim-should-neither-chase-the-dolphins-nor-play-with/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Disaster"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-loren-norris/he-who-cannot-swim-should-neither-chase-the-dolphins-nor-play-with/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce3/j-loren-norris-39629_disaster_he-who-cannot-swim-should-neither-chase_2757590.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce3/j-loren-norris-39629_disaster_he-who-cannot-swim-should-neither-chase_2757590.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce3/j-loren-norris-39629_disaster_he-who-cannot-swim-should-neither-chase_2757590.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“He who cannot swim should neither chase the dolphins nor play with sharks. For him disaster awaits like…” — J Loren Norris",
                "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": "J Loren Norris",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-loren-norris/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“He who cannot swim should neither...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-loren-norris/he-who-cannot-swim-should-neither-chase-the-dolphins-nor-play-with/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-loren-norris/he-who-cannot-swim-should-neither-chase-the-dolphins-nor-play-with/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
