--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If I had a mine shaft, I don't think I…" description: "\"If I had a mine shaft, I don't think I would just abandon it. There's got to be a better way.\" — Jack Handey" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9de/jack-handey-829_abandon_if-i-had-a-mine-shaft-i-don-t-think-i-wo_1893659.jpg" --- # If I had a mine shaft, I don't think I would just abandon… ![“If I had a mine shaft, I don't think I would just abandon it. There's got to be a better way.” quote by Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9de/jack-handey-829_abandon_if-i-had-a-mine-shaft-i-don-t-think-i-wo_1893659.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9de/jack-handey-829_abandon_if-i-had-a-mine-shaft-i-don-t-think-i-wo_1893659.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9de/jack-handey-829_abandon_if-i-had-a-mine-shaft-i-don-t-think-i-wo_1893659.jpg) > “If I had a mine shaft, I don't think I would just abandon it. There's got to be a better way.” [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Suggests not abandoning a project but seeking innovative solutions. **In simple terms:** Don’t quit; find a better approach. Key Takeaway Persist and innovate. Themes perseverance creativity problem solving Mood determined optimistic Type strategic inspirational When to use this quote - business ventures - personal goals - technical challenges Key Concepts Innovation resourcefulness determination Questions to Reflect On - What new methods could you try? - When is it wise to let go? A Different Perspective Stubbornness can waste resources if alternatives are ignored. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Better way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-way/) [Deep thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deep-thought/) [Shaft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shaft/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [ Of a pigs taile you can never make a good shaft. \[Of a pig's tail you can never make a good shaft.\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/of-a-pigs-taile-you-can-never-make-a-good-shaft-of-a-pig-s-tail-you/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [Shaft' is a great country song.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-stuart/shaft-is-a-great-country-song/) [Marty Stuart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-stuart/) > [The reason that Shaft has a dominant theme song is because James Bond has a dominant theme song.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheo-hodari-coker/the-reason-that-shaft-has-a-dominant-theme-song-is-because-james-bond/) [Cheo Hodari Coker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheo-hodari-coker/) > [“Thou still unravish’d shaft of breathtaking length and girth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noelle-adams/thou-still-unravish-d-shaft-of-breathtaking-length-and-girth/) [Noelle Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noelle-adams/) > [“Shaft was standing next to a newstsand about thirty yards from the Con Ed crew when Kelly came out of the red-brick highrise, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-tidyman/shaft-was-standing-next-to-a-newstsand-about-thirty-yards-from-the/) Ernest Tidyman > [She Got The Gold Mine, I Got the Shaft.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-reed/she-got-the-gold-mine-i-got-the-shaft/) [Jerry Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-reed/) > [Shaft was a pop culture figure along t he lines of, I guess, Dirty Harry - except that he wasn't as much of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-wright/shaft-was-a-pop-culture-figure-along-t-he-lines-of-i-guess-dirty/) [Jeffrey Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-wright/) > [“The last three inches of my penis shaft are perfect. Of course, the last three and the first three are one and the same.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/the-last-three-inches-of-my-penis-shaft-are-perfect-of-course-the/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [ I have found a shaft, going 29 meters \[95 feet, approximately\] vertically down into the ground, exactly halfway between the Chefren Pyramid and the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zahi-hawass/i-have-found-a-shaft-going-29-meters-95-feet-approximately-vertically/) [Zahi Hawass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zahi-hawass/) > [When we meet a work of art, there's something about that encounter that isn't fixed in time, but rather, it unfixes time: the shaft…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-smith/when-we-meet-a-work-of-art-there-s-something-about-that-encounter/) [Ali Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-smith/) > [“...I remember the oily smoke of a cigarette suspended in a shaft of sunlight - with you, everything was beautiful...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-geddes-a-familiar-rain/i-remember-the-oily-smoke-of-a-cigarette-suspended-in-a-shaft-of/) [John Geddes A Familiar Rain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-geddes-a-familiar-rain/) > [Like other beautiful things in this world, its end (that of a shaft) is to be beautiful; and, in proportion to its beauty, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/like-other-beautiful-things-in-this-world-its-end-that-of-a-shaft-is/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [Sometimes I wonder if I'm patriotic enough. Yes, I want to kill people, but on both sides.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/sometimes-i-wonder-if-i-m-patriotic-enough-yes-i-want-to-kill-people/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [At first I thought, if I were Superman, a perfect secret identity would be "Clark Kent, Dentist," because you could save money on tooth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/at-first-i-thought-if-i-were-superman-a-perfect-secret-identity-would/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [Sometimes life seems like a dream, especially when I look down and see that I forgot to put on my pants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/sometimes-life-seems-like-a-dream-especially-when-i-look-down-and-see/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) ## More by Jack Handey > [Sometimes life seems like a dream, especially when I look down and see that I forgot to put on my pants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/sometimes-life-seems-like-a-dream-especially-when-i-look-down-and-see/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [I think the best Thanksgiving we ever had was one where we didn't even have a turkey. Mom and Dad sat us kids down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/i-think-the-best-thanksgiving-we-ever-had-was-one-where-we-didn-t/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [At first I thought, if I were Superman, a perfect secret identity would be "Clark Kent, Dentist," because you could save money on tooth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/at-first-i-thought-if-i-were-superman-a-perfect-secret-identity-would/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [Sometimes I wonder if I'm patriotic enough. Yes, I want to kill people, but on both sides.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/sometimes-i-wonder-if-i-m-patriotic-enough-yes-i-want-to-kill-people/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [I don't understand people who say life is a mystery, because what is it they want to know?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/i-don-t-understand-people-who-say-life-is-a-mystery-because-what-is/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [It's probably not a good idea to be chewing on a toothpick if you're talking to the president, because what if he tells a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/it-s-probably-not-a-good-idea-to-be-chewing-on-a-toothpick-if-you-re/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [Probably to a shark, about the funniest thing there is is a wounded seal, trying to swim to shore, because WHERE DOES HE THINK…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/probably-to-a-shark-about-the-funniest-thing-there-is-is-a-wounded/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [I wish I lived back in the Old West days, because I'd save up my money for about twenty years so I could buy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/i-wish-i-lived-back-in-the-old-west-days-because-i-d-save-up-my-money/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [Why do there have to be rules for everything? It's gotten to the point that rules dominate just about every aspect of our lives.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/why-do-there-have-to-be-rules-for-everything-it-s-gotten-to-the-point/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [Most people don't realize that large pieces of coral, which have been painted brown and attached to the skull by common wood screws, can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/most-people-don-t-realize-that-large-pieces-of-coral-which-have-been/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [Here's a suggestion for a new animal, if some new ones get created or evolve: something that stings you, then laughs at you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/here-s-a-suggestion-for-a-new-animal-if-some-new-ones-get-created-or/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [When you go ice-skating, try not to swing your arms too much, because that really annoys me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/when-you-go-ice-skating-try-not-to-swing-your-arms-too-much-because/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [When you go to a party at somebody's house, don't automatically assume that the drinks are free. Ask, and ask often.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/when-you-go-to-a-party-at-somebody-s-house-don-t-automatically-assume/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [He was a cowboy, mister, and he loved the land. He loved it so much he made a woman out of dirt and married…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/he-was-a-cowboy-mister-and-he-loved-the-land-he-loved-it-so-much-he/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [If you were a gladiator in olden days, I bet the inefficiency of how the gladiator fights were organized and scheduled would just drive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/if-you-were-a-gladiator-in-olden-days-i-bet-the-inefficiency-of-how/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) [Explore all 358 Jack Handey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) ## More Abandon quotes > [Humans are, as Sartre put it, 'condemned to be free'. To insist that science, or God, objectively defines moral values is to abandon our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenan-malik/humans-are-as-sartre-put-it-condemned-to-be-free-to-insist-that/) Kenan Malik > [The purpose of a spirit filled life is to demonstrate the supernatural power of our living God so that the unsaved multitudes will abandon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-l-osborn/the-purpose-of-a-spirit-filled-life-is-to-demonstrate-the/) [T.L. Osborn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-l-osborn/) > [However, however, if the goal is to abandon America's free enterprise economy, if the goal is to convert America into a submissive member of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/however-however-if-the-goal-is-to-abandon-america-s-free-enterprise/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [I would leave at once, but it would be cruel to abandon a lady in a foreign land with a maniac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/i-would-leave-at-once-but-it-would-be-cruel-to-abandon-a-lady-in-a/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [When we fall utterly, something gathers us up. But our falling must be without reservation, without expectation, without hope, though not hopeless. You cant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-housden/when-we-fall-utterly-something-gathers-us-up-but-our-falling-must-be/) [Roger Housden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-housden/) > [every subjective phenomenon is essentially connected with a single point of view, and it seems inevitable that an objective, physical theory will abandon that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-nagel/every-subjective-phenomenon-is-essentially-connected-with-a-single/) [Thomas Nagel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-nagel/) > [Can you dissolve your ego? Can you abandon the idea of self and other? Can you relinquish the notions of male and female, short…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/can-you-dissolve-your-ego-can-you-abandon-the-idea-of-self-and-other/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [Every great thing starts with an idea, followed by a doubt and finally a resolve to abandon or pursue. Victory is a treacherous journey.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dane-cook/every-great-thing-starts-with-an-idea-followed-by-a-doubt-and-finally/) [Dane Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dane-cook/) > [Those who have been once intoxicated with power, and have derived any kind of emolument from it, even though but for one year, never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/those-who-have-been-once-intoxicated-with-power-and-have-derived-any/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [Do not lose hope; St. Joseph also experienced moments of difficulty, but he never lost faith and was able to overcome them, in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/do-not-lose-hope-st-joseph-also-experienced-moments-of-difficulty-but/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [It is a dangerous and fateful presumption, besides the absurd temerity that it implies, to disdain what we do not comprehend. For after you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-a-dangerous-and-fateful-presumption-besides-the-absurd-temerity/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Don't give up because things are hard, but work harder, when you think of giving up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-liccione/don-t-give-up-because-things-are-hard-but-work-harder-when-you-think/) [Anthony Liccione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-liccione/) > [Sex is not the ultimate high, but the ultimate high hangs out around sex. The ultimate high is the dance with another person, played…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/sex-is-not-the-ultimate-high-but-the-ultimate-high-hangs-out-around/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [I care so deeply about this matter that I'm willing to take on the legal penalties, to sit in this prison cell, to sacrifice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-care-so-deeply-about-this-matter-that-i-m-willing-to-take-on-the/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [I've been to unpretty places with the roles I've played, and I'm attracted to reckless abandon. I like being taken to the edge of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhys-ifans/i-ve-been-to-unpretty-places-with-the-roles-i-ve-played-and-i-m/) [Rhys Ifans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhys-ifans/) Browse all 1,142 Abandon quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If I had a mine shaft, I don't think I would just abandon it. 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