--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But if we stayed at home and did nothing…" description: "\"“But if we stayed at home and did nothing, doom would find us anyway, sooner or later. That”\" — J.R.R. Tolkien" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/627/j-r-r-tolkien-204_sooner-or-later_but-if-we-stayed-at-home-and-did-nothing_1182989.jpg" --- # But if we stayed at home and did nothing, doom would find… ![“But if we stayed at home and did nothing, doom would find us anyway, sooner or later. That” quote by J.R.R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/627/j-r-r-tolkien-204_sooner-or-later_but-if-we-stayed-at-home-and-did-nothing_1182989.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/627/j-r-r-tolkien-204_sooner-or-later_but-if-we-stayed-at-home-and-did-nothing_1182989.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/627/j-r-r-tolkien-204_sooner-or-later_but-if-we-stayed-at-home-and-did-nothing_1182989.jpg) > ““But if we stayed at home and did nothing, doom would find us anyway, sooner or later. That”” [J.R.R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Inaction leads to inevitable disaster; waiting does not prevent doom, it merely delays it. **In simple terms:** Doing nothing still results in disaster eventually. Key Takeaway Take proactive steps instead of waiting for problems to resolve themselves. Themes proactivity risk inevitability human behavior Mood urgent motivational Type ethicalilosophical inspirational When to use this quote - Emergency planning - personal health - environmental action Key Concepts Existential risk psychology of avoidance decision theory Questions to Reflect On - What risks are you ignoring? - How can you move from complacency to action? A Different Perspective Passive waiting can exacerbate harm. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Did Doom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/did-doom-3476941/) [Doom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doom/) [Doom Sooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doom-sooner-1869009/) [Sooner Later](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sooner-later/) [Sooner or later](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sooner-or-later/) [Stayed Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stayed-home/) ## Related quotes > [Of course, it is likely enough, my friends,' he said slowly, 'likely enough that we are going to our doom: the last march of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/of-course-it-is-likely-enough-my-friends-he-said-slowly-likely-enough/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Of course, it is likely enough, my friends, that we are going to our doom: the last march of the Ents. 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I just think 9/11 needed to happen sooner or later.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/well-i-m-not-saying-that-america-is-a-bad-place-or-anything-i-just/) [Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/) > [...there is no doubt something will be done sooner or later to enable us to put on a house every day, just as we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ettore-sottsass/there-is-no-doubt-something-will-be-done-sooner-or-later-to-enable-us/) [Ettore Sottsass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ettore-sottsass/) > [But some day sooner or later our passion would have cooled - inevitably - it's the way with everything human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustave-flaubert/but-some-day-sooner-or-later-our-passion-would-have-cooled-inevitably/) [Gustave Flaubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustave-flaubert/) > [“7. 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Because there gonna find out sooner or later and sure enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mee/be-who-you-wanna-be-and-not-what-others-would-love-to-see-because/) [MEE](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mee/) > [Truth has her sterner responsibilities sooner or later in store for those who have known anything about her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-parry-liddon/truth-has-her-sterner-responsibilities-sooner-or-later-in-store-for/) [Henry Parry Liddon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-parry-liddon/) ## More by J.R.R. Tolkien > [“I will vouch for him before the seat of Denethor,' said Gandalf. 'And as for valour, that cannot be computed by stature. He has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien/i-will-vouch-for-him-before-the-seat-of-denethor-said-gandalf-and-as/) [J.R.R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien/) > [“I have chosen Mr Baggins and that ought to be enough for all of you. If I say he is a Burglar, a Burglar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien/i-have-chosen-mr-baggins-and-that-ought-to-be-enough-for-all-of-you/) [J.R.R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien/) > [“he can see through a brick wall in time (as they say in Bree). But”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien/he-can-see-through-a-brick-wall-in-time-as-they-say-in-bree-but/) [J.R.R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien/) > [“No todos los que vagan están perdidos”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien/no-todos-los-que-vagan-est-n-perdidos/) [J.R.R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien/) > [“The consolation of fairy-stories, the joy of the happy ending; or more correctly of the good catastrophe, the sudden joyous "turn" (for there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien/the-consolation-of-fairy-stories-the-joy-of-the-happy-ending-or-more/) [J.R.R. 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Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien/) > [“He was dark-haired as his mother, and promised to be like her in mood also; for he was not merry, and spoke little, though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien/he-was-dark-haired-as-his-mother-and-promised-to-be-like-her-in-mood/) [J.R.R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien/) > [“Sam: Mordor. The one place in Middle-earth we don't want to see any closer, and the one place we're trying to get to. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien/sam-mordor-the-one-place-in-middle-earth-we-don-t-want-to-see-any/) [J.R.R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien/) > [“May your beer be laid under an enchantment of surpassing excellence for seven years!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien/may-your-beer-be-laid-under-an-enchantment-of-surpassing-excellence/) [J.R.R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien/) > [“Though sword shall be rusted, And throne and crown perish With strength that men trusted And wealth that they cherish, Here grass is still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien/though-sword-shall-be-rusted-and-throne-and-crown-perish-with/) [J.R.R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien/) > [“Seguid si es vuestro deber —dijo—, yo me echaré aquí a dormir y a soñar con comida, ya que no puedo tenerla de otro…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien/seguid-si-es-vuestro-deber-dijo-yo-me-echar-aqu-a-dormir-y-a-so-ar/) [J.R.R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien/) > [“Co to mělo v kapšiškách? Nechtělo to říct, ne, milášku. Podvodníšek mrňavá. Nefér otázka. Podvádělo to první. Poruššilo to pravidla. Měli šme to žmáčknout,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien/co-to-m-lo-v-kap-i-k-ch-necht-lo-to-ct-ne-mil-ku-podvodn-ek-mr-av-nef/) [J.R.R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien/) > [“it is horrible being all alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien/it-is-horrible-being-all-alone/) [J.R.R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien/) [Explore all 857 J.R.R. Tolkien quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien/) ## More Doom quotes > [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [... War on the destiny of man! Doom on the sun! Before death takes you, O take back this.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/war-on-the-destiny-of-man-doom-on-the-sun-before-death-takes-you-o/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Fate with impartial hand turns out the doom of high and low; her capacious urn is constantly shaking the names of all mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/fate-with-impartial-hand-turns-out-the-doom-of-high-and-low-her/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [It is easy enough to say that man is immortal simply because he will endure: that when the last ding-dong of doom has clanged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/it-is-easy-enough-to-say-that-man-is-immortal-simply-because-he-will/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [Early on a difficult climb, especially a solo climb, you’re hyper-aware of the abyss pulling at your back, constantly feeling its call, its immense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-krakauer/early-on-a-difficult-climb-especially-a-solo-climb-you-re-hyper-aware/) [Jon Krakauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-krakauer/) > [Forget the noose. Forget the Iron Maiden. Forget the electric chair or the guillotine. The mind was mankind's most painful torture chamber, the blessed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiffanie-debartolo/forget-the-noose-forget-the-iron-maiden-forget-the-electric-chair-or/) [Tiffanie DeBartolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiffanie-debartolo/) > [When there's doom and gloom, don't forget there's darkness before dawn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rakesh-jhunjhunwala/when-there-s-doom-and-gloom-don-t-forget-there-s-darkness-before-dawn/) [Rakesh Jhunjhunwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rakesh-jhunjhunwala/) > [For Scotland has a double dose of the poison called heredity; the sense of blood in the aristocrat, the sense of doom in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/for-scotland-has-a-double-dose-of-the-poison-called-heredity-the/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [Politics is about the participation and engagement of the wider citizenry - to miss that point would doom us to irrelevance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-blunkett/politics-is-about-the-participation-and-engagement-of-the-wider/) [David Blunkett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-blunkett/) > [Social and cultural change, however desirable, should not be effected by the engines of national power. Let us, through persuasion and education, seek to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-goldwater/social-and-cultural-change-however-desirable-should-not-be-effected/) [Barry Goldwater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-goldwater/) > [Seek for the Sword that was broken In Imladris it dwells; There shall be counsels taken Stronger than Morgul-spells. There shall be shown a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/seek-for-the-sword-that-was-broken-in-imladris-it-dwells-there-shall/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Cathy, don't look so defeated. She was only trying to put us down again. Maybe nothing did work out right for her, but that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-c-andrews/cathy-don-t-look-so-defeated-she-was-only-trying-to-put-us-down-again/) [V.C. Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-c-andrews/) > [“She told herself that she was happy to meet her executioner.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-maclean/she-told-herself-that-she-was-happy-to-meet-her-executioner/) [Sarah MacLean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-maclean/) > [“The danger of darkness is deep doom!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/the-danger-of-darkness-is-deep-doom/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [There is the extreme of hopelessness and the inevitability of doom, a deep despair that comes from the sense that our industrial, consuming society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-keen/there-is-the-extreme-of-hopelessness-and-the-inevitability-of-doom-a/) [Sam Keen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-keen/) [Browse all 501 Doom quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doom/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“But if we stayed at home and did nothing, doom would find us anyway, sooner or later. 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