--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You take an educated gamble. If you don't…" description: "\"You take an educated gamble. If you don't occasionally make a mistake, you're not doing your job.\" — James Sinegal" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/036/james-sinegal-17187_educated_you-take-an-educated-gamble-if-you-don-t_1504986.png" --- # You take an educated gamble. If you don't occasionally… ![“You take an educated gamble. If you don't occasionally make a mistake, you're not doing your job.” quote by James Sinegal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/036/james-sinegal-17187_educated_you-take-an-educated-gamble-if-you-don-t_1504986.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/036/james-sinegal-17187_educated_you-take-an-educated-gamble-if-you-don-t_1504986.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/036/james-sinegal-17187_educated_you-take-an-educated-gamble-if-you-don-t_1504986.png) > “You take an educated gamble. If you don't occasionally make a mistake, you're not doing your job.” [James Sinegal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-sinegal/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Accepting occasional errors is part of responsible decision‑making; learning from mistakes improves performance. **In simple terms:** Mistakes are necessary for growth. Key Takeaway Embrace risk, learn, improve. Themes risk learning responsibility Mood reflective encouraging Type motivational professional When to use this quote - business strategy - project management - innovation - team leadership Key Concepts decision making growth mindset Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance risk with caution? - What systems help you learn from errors? A Different Perspective Over‑emphasis on error‑aversion can stifle creativity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Doing Your Job](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing-your-job/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [Risk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risk/) ## Related quotes > [“Don't make the mistake of doing nothing just because you can't do everything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/9gag-user/don-t-make-the-mistake-of-doing-nothing-just-because-you-can-t-do/) 9gag User > [Sometimes I think I'm real predictable to myself and other times... you always wonder, Is this really what I wanted to do? Did I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-berenger/sometimes-i-think-i-m-real-predictable-to-myself-and-other-times-you/) [Tom Berenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-berenger/) > [The man who does things makes mistakes, but he doesn't make the biggest mistake of all-doing nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/the-man-who-does-things-makes-mistakes-but-he-doesn-t-make-the/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [We don't charge people for making a mistake or doing something foolish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaka-fattah/we-don-t-charge-people-for-making-a-mistake-or-doing-something-foolish/) [Chaka Fattah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaka-fattah/) > [Trying to use the power of yoga to improve your life, this is a terrible mistake. Because all you are doing is binding yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/trying-to-use-the-power-of-yoga-to-improve-your-life-this-is-a/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Live rich, die poor; never make the mistake of doing it the other way 'round.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-annenberg/live-rich-die-poor-never-make-the-mistake-of-doing-it-the-other-way/) [Walter Annenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-annenberg/) > [Don't judge someone's mistake if you are doing the same thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anmol-andore/don-t-judge-someone-s-mistake-if-you-are-doing-the-same-thing/) [Anmol Andore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anmol-andore/) > [My whole life has been a huge mistake, but what a divine mistake - doing something that I adore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manolo-blahnik/my-whole-life-has-been-a-huge-mistake-but-what-a-divine-mistake-doing/) [Manolo Blahnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manolo-blahnik/) > [Sometimes, when the material is really good, you put expectations on yourself to make it the best possible show. You're not just serving up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-dinklage/sometimes-when-the-material-is-really-good-you-put-expectations-on/) [Peter Dinklage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-dinklage/) > [For me, the best thing about being a footballer is that indescribable feeling when you are on a pitch doing your job. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pires/for-me-the-best-thing-about-being-a-footballer-is-that-indescribable/) [Robert Pires](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pires/) > [Being a professional means doing your job on the days you don't want to do it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-halberstam/being-a-professional-means-doing-your-job-on-the-days-you-don-t-want/) [David Halberstam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-halberstam/) > [Every action has a consequence. It may be good for strengthening. And I have no doubt that lifting a lot of weights can get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-brady/every-action-has-a-consequence-it-may-be-good-for-strengthening-and-i/) [Tom Brady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-brady/) > [If you're a leader at any level and your people aren't challenging you, you've got to change that or you can't be a leader…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-koch/if-you-re-a-leader-at-any-level-and-your-people-aren-t-challenging/) [Charles Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-koch/) > [Filmmaking, like sex, isn't a polite enterprise. It involves a lot of mess and the bottom line is, if somebody ain't screaming, you're not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-woods/filmmaking-like-sex-isn-t-a-polite-enterprise-it-involves-a-lot-of/) [James Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-woods/) > [As much as you want to improve or help the team, as a centre-back your job is to go under the radar and keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyrone-mings/as-much-as-you-want-to-improve-or-help-the-team-as-a-centre-back-your/) [Tyrone Mings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyrone-mings/) ## More by James Sinegal > [Driving stock up from one day to the next is not what we are about. We are about building a good company and performing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-sinegal/driving-stock-up-from-one-day-to-the-next-is-not-what-we-are-about-we/) [James Sinegal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-sinegal/) > [If we take care of the business and keep our eye on the goal line, the stock price will take care of itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-sinegal/if-we-take-care-of-the-business-and-keep-our-eye-on-the-goal-line-the/) [James Sinegal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-sinegal/) > [It is improper for one person to take credit when it takes so many people to build a successful organization. When you try to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-sinegal/it-is-improper-for-one-person-to-take-credit-when-it-takes-so-many/) [James Sinegal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-sinegal/) > [I say at our management conferences that the amount Wal-Mart grows in just one year is the equivalent of Costco's size.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-sinegal/i-say-at-our-management-conferences-that-the-amount-wal-mart-grows-in/) [James Sinegal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-sinegal/) > [There was a proposal in California that would keep out Wal-Mart but allow Costco. You opposed it. Are you nuts? That's true: I always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-sinegal/there-was-a-proposal-in-california-that-would-keep-out-wal-mart-but/) [James Sinegal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-sinegal/) > [We want to turn our inventory faster than our people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-sinegal/we-want-to-turn-our-inventory-faster-than-our-people/) [James Sinegal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-sinegal/) > [In the final analysis, you get what you pay for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-sinegal/in-the-final-analysis-you-get-what-you-pay-for/) [James Sinegal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-sinegal/) > [If you've got to work for the rest of your life, you'd better do something you'll enjoy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-sinegal/if-you-ve-got-to-work-for-the-rest-of-your-life-you-d-better-do/) [James Sinegal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-sinegal/) > [One of the strengths of our nation has always been a strong middle class who could afford their own homes and send their children…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-sinegal/one-of-the-strengths-of-our-nation-has-always-been-a-strong-middle/) [James Sinegal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-sinegal/) > [If you're going to say to all the people that you're working with, 'We want you to treat the customers honestly; don't lie and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-sinegal/if-you-re-going-to-say-to-all-the-people-that-you-re-working-with-we/) [James Sinegal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-sinegal/) > [You just can't get too focused on worrying about what's going to happen in the next quarter. You have to worry about where the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-sinegal/you-just-can-t-get-too-focused-on-worrying-about-what-s-going-to/) [James Sinegal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-sinegal/) > [If you hire good people, give them good jobs, and pay them good wages, generally something good is going to happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-sinegal/if-you-hire-good-people-give-them-good-jobs-and-pay-them-good-wages/) [James Sinegal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-sinegal/) > [You destroy the initiative of the working people if they don't feel they have a fighting chance to be a part of the American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-sinegal/you-destroy-the-initiative-of-the-working-people-if-they-don-t-feel/) [James Sinegal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-sinegal/) > [The message is that all brilliance emanates from the top; that the worker on the floor of the store or the factory is insignificant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-sinegal/the-message-is-that-all-brilliance-emanates-from-the-top-that-the/) [James Sinegal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-sinegal/) > [If somehow a proclamation were made that C.E.O.'s could only make a maximum of $300,000 a year, you would not have any shortage of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-sinegal/if-somehow-a-proclamation-were-made-that-c-e-o-s-could-only-make-a/) [James Sinegal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-sinegal/) [Explore all 38 James Sinegal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-sinegal/) ## More Educated 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/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) > [Though my grandmother had picked up modern ideas in America, she still had some conflicting 19th-century Irish notions. She believed that daughters, educated though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosemary-mahoney/though-my-grandmother-had-picked-up-modern-ideas-in-america-she-still/) [Rosemary Mahoney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosemary-mahoney/) > [Why shouldn't I be confident? I'm well educated, I can deliver a line, and I have more than three expressions. That's good right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonakshi-sinha/why-shouldn-t-i-be-confident-i-m-well-educated-i-can-deliver-a-line/) [Sonakshi Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonakshi-sinha/) > [ He \[an earnest young reporter\] seemed to share the view of many intelligent, well-educated, well-meaning people that, while adult literature may aim to be… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-paterson/he-an-earnest-young-reporter-seemed-to-share-the-view-of-many/) [Katherine Paterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-paterson/) > [The poor and ignorant will continue to lie and steal as long as the rich and educated show them how.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/the-poor-and-ignorant-will-continue-to-lie-and-steal-as-long-as-the/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [I speak not for myself, but so those without a voice can be heard. Those who have fought for their rights. Their right to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/i-speak-not-for-myself-but-so-those-without-a-voice-can-be-heard/) [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) > [The unpreparedness of the educated classes, the lack of practical links between them and the mass of the people, their laziness, and, let it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frantz-fanon/the-unpreparedness-of-the-educated-classes-the-lack-of-practical/) [Frantz Fanon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frantz-fanon/) > [I'm not an educated man. I only know what I'm told, and I'm not told that much; I have no frame of reference for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/i-m-not-an-educated-man-i-only-know-what-i-m-told-and-i-m-not-told/) [Maynard James Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-james-keenan/) > [“Freedom is for the educated people who fought for it. We were slaves of the English, now we will be slaves of the educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khushwant-singh/freedom-is-for-the-educated-people-who-fought-for-it-we-were-slaves/) [Khushwant Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khushwant-singh/) > [In presenting a mathematical argument the great thing is to give the educated reader the chance to catch on at once to the momentary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edensor-littlewood/in-presenting-a-mathematical-argument-the-great-thing-is-to-give-the/) [John Edensor Littlewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edensor-littlewood/) > [“General education is not, only the way to be educated.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fakhru-uddin-ahammed/general-education-is-not-only-the-way-to-be-educated/) Fakhru Uddin Ahammed > [As always, an educated woman was a dangerous woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacy-schiff/as-always-an-educated-woman-was-a-dangerous-woman/) [Stacy Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacy-schiff/) > [School curricula that ignore the arts produce highly educated Barbarians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/school-curricula-that-ignore-the-arts-produce-highly-educated/) [Edward Albee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albee/) > [By the time I was about ten, I had started to lose faith with church ways. I was educated in some ways by my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronee-blakley/by-the-time-i-was-about-ten-i-had-started-to-lose-faith-with-church/) [Ronee Blakley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronee-blakley/) Browse all 1,843 Educated quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You take an educated gamble. If you don't occasionally make a mistake, you're not doing your job.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Sinegal" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-sinegal/you-take-an-educated-gamble-if-you-don-t-occasionally-make-a-mistake/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Educated" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-sinegal/you-take-an-educated-gamble-if-you-don-t-occasionally-make-a-mistake/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/036/james-sinegal-17187_educated_you-take-an-educated-gamble-if-you-don-t_1504986.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/036/james-sinegal-17187_educated_you-take-an-educated-gamble-if-you-don-t_1504986.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/036/james-sinegal-17187_educated_you-take-an-educated-gamble-if-you-don-t_1504986.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You take an educated gamble. If you don't occasionally make a mistake, you're not doing your job.” — James Sinegal", "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": "James Sinegal", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-sinegal/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You take an educated gamble. If...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-sinegal/you-take-an-educated-gamble-if-you-don-t-occasionally-make-a-mistake/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-sinegal/you-take-an-educated-gamble-if-you-don-t-occasionally-make-a-mistake/#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 } } ] } ```