--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If there was one thing I'd learned, it…" description: "\"“If there was one thing I'd learned, it was that you were responsible for your own ship. You had to look after the engine and make sure the plane was i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da2/jennifer-niven-2493_self-reliance_if-there-was-one-thing-i-d-learned-it-wa_2220934.jpg" --- # If there was one thing I'd learned, it was that you were… ![“If there was one thing I'd learned, it was that you were responsible for your own ship. You had to look after the engine and make sure the plane was in order and ready to be flown. You were in charge of plotting your course. When you were in the pilot's seat, it was your hand on the throttle, no…” quote by Jennifer Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da2/jennifer-niven-2493_self-reliance_if-there-was-one-thing-i-d-learned-it-wa_2220934.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da2/jennifer-niven-2493_self-reliance_if-there-was-one-thing-i-d-learned-it-wa_2220934.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da2/jennifer-niven-2493_self-reliance_if-there-was-one-thing-i-d-learned-it-wa_2220934.jpg) > ““If there was one thing I'd learned, it was that you were responsible for your own ship. You had to look after the engine and make sure the plane was in order and ready to be flown. You were in charge of plotting your course. When you were in the pilot's seat, it was your hand on the throttle, no one else's. If your oil ran out or you lost your engine or the engine caught fire and you had to crash, you were the one saving yourself. No one else could do it for you.”” [Jennifer Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-niven/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Responsibility for one's life is like piloting a plane: you must maintain and steer it yourself, and only you can rescue yourself from failure. **In simple terms:** You control your destiny and must fix your own problems. Key Takeaway Take charge of your actions and decisions. Themes responsibility self‑reliance agency resilience Mood determined determined Type advice motivational philosophical When to use this quote - career planning - health decisions - relationship choices - financial budgeting - personal crises Key Concepts self‑determination risk management personal accountability Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance self‑reliance with seeking help? - What systems can you put in place to prevent “engine failure”? A Different Perspective If external support is unavailable, the burden can become overwhelming. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Pilot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pilot/) [Plane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plane/) [Saving yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saving-yourself/) [Self reliance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-reliance/) ## Related quotes > [“Your intuition is the pilot's seat of your soul. If you don't trust it, you'll keep missing the most important of destinations in life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiden-blake/your-intuition-is-the-pilot-s-seat-of-your-soul-if-you-don-t-trust-it/) [Kaiden Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiden-blake/) > [“Qhuinn dived into the plane, pulled himself into the pilot’s seat, and tried to make sense of all the…fucking hell, there were a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward-4/qhuinn-dived-into-the-plane-pulled-himself-into-the-pilot-s-seat-and/) [J R Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward-4/) > [As novices, we think we're entirely responsible for the way people treat us. I have long since learned that we are responsible only for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-wilder-lane/as-novices-we-think-we-re-entirely-responsible-for-the-way-people/) [Rose Wilder Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-wilder-lane/) > [I'm a teenager, but I'm independent - I have my own apartment, I have my own life. And I think I have learned more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adriana-lima/i-m-a-teenager-but-i-m-independent-i-have-my-own-apartment-i-have-my/) [Adriana Lima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adriana-lima/) > [I've learned... that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-ve-learned-that-we-are-responsible-for-what-we-do-no-matter-how-we/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I've learned that we are responsible for what we do, unless we are politicians or celebrities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/i-ve-learned-that-we-are-responsible-for-what-we-do-unless-we-are/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [What I learned at a very early age was that I was responsible for my life. And as I became more spiritually conscious, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/what-i-learned-at-a-very-early-age-was-that-i-was-responsible-for-my/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [Ive learned¦ that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/ive-learned-that-we-are-responsible-for-what-we-do-no-matter-how-we/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I grew up hardcore. I learned to be more responsible - and fiscally responsible - you know, I just wanna be a kid again!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-daniels/i-grew-up-hardcore-i-learned-to-be-more-responsible-and-fiscally/) [Lee Daniels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-daniels/) > [When you thought I wasn't looking I saw how you handled your responsibilities, even when you didn' t feel good, and I learned that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/when-you-thought-i-wasn-t-looking-i-saw-how-you-handled-your/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [“Weren't you wearing a purity ring when we got here? Aren't you supposed to be saving yourself?" Shanti asked. "Yeah," Mary Lou answered. "And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/libba-bray/weren-t-you-wearing-a-purity-ring-when-we-got-here-aren-t-you/) [Libba Bray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/libba-bray/) > [“SERIOUSLY? Is it because of Jesus? Are you, like, saving yourself for him?” Sex seemed simpler for Kelsey. She had the body of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cora-carmack/seriously-is-it-because-of-jesus-are-you-like-saving-yourself-for-him/) [Cora Carmack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cora-carmack/) > [Being saved means getting made fun of because you're saving yourself for marriage. But knowing that you're making the right choice for God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-saved-means-getting-made-fun-of-because-you-re-saving-yourself/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“An almost infallible means of saving yourself from the desire of self-destruction is always to have something to do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/an-almost-infallible-means-of-saving-yourself-from-the-desire-of-self/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [“Saving others is always more important than saving yourself. It has to be, or none of us would do any good.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/saving-others-is-always-more-important-than-saving-yourself-it-has-to/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) ## More by Jennifer Niven > [The problem with people is they forget that most of the time it's the small things that count.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-niven/the-problem-with-people-is-they-forget-that-most-of-the-time-it-s-the/) [Jennifer Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-niven/) > [“I am disappearing, maybe I'm already gone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-niven/i-am-disappearing-maybe-i-m-already-gone/) [Jennifer Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-niven/) > [“Sometimes, Ultraviolet, things feel true to us even if they’re not.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-niven/sometimes-ultraviolet-things-feel-true-to-us-even-if-they-re-not/) [Jennifer Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-niven/) > [“Stars on the sky, stars on the ground. It's hard to tell where the sky ends and the earth begins.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-niven/stars-on-the-sky-stars-on-the-ground-it-s-hard-to-tell-where-the-sky/) [Jennifer Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-niven/) > [“Who cares for Algebra? Who delights in solving math? I only want to live my life Along the creative path.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-niven/who-cares-for-algebra-who-delights-in-solving-math-i-only-want-to/) [Jennifer Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-niven/) > [Sorry wastes time. You have to live your life like you'll never be sorry. It's easier just to do the right thing from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-niven/sorry-wastes-time-you-have-to-live-your-life-like-you-ll-never-be/) [Jennifer Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-niven/) > [“I expect some fast reply, something flirty and flip, but instead he doesn't look up, just reaches for my hand and keeps reading. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-niven/i-expect-some-fast-reply-something-flirty-and-flip-but-instead-he/) [Jennifer Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-niven/) > [“You shouldn't spend all your time worrying about the love that leaves, because then you might overlook the love that was always there.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-niven/you-shouldn-t-spend-all-your-time-worrying-about-the-love-that-leaves/) [Jennifer Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-niven/) > [“There's more to you than meets the eye”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-niven/there-s-more-to-you-than-meets-the-eye/) [Jennifer Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-niven/) > [“Maybe it isn't the room that's different. Maybe it's me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-niven/maybe-it-isn-t-the-room-that-s-different-maybe-it-s-me/) [Jennifer Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-niven/) > [“You’re probably better at math than I am, because pretty much everyone’s better at math than I am, but it’s okay, I’m fine with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-niven/you-re-probably-better-at-math-than-i-am-because-pretty-much-everyone/) [Jennifer Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-niven/) > [“lovely is a lovey word that should be used more often”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-niven/lovely-is-a-lovey-word-that-should-be-used-more-often/) [Jennifer Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-niven/) > [Since I stopped writing, I read more than ever. Other people's words, not my own - my words are gone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-niven/since-i-stopped-writing-i-read-more-than-ever-other-people-s-words/) [Jennifer Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-niven/) > [“It's my experience that people are a lot more sympathetic if they can see you hurting, and for the millionth time in my life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-niven/it-s-my-experience-that-people-are-a-lot-more-sympathetic-if-they-can/) [Jennifer Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-niven/) > [“Be careful with that heart of yours”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-niven/be-careful-with-that-heart-of-yours/) [Jennifer Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-niven/) [Explore all 162 Jennifer Niven quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-niven/) ## More Pilot quotes > [“Well … things are beginning to stack up a little,” said Gordo. It was the same old sod-hut drawl. He sounded like the airline…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-wolfe/well-things-are-beginning-to-stack-up-a-little-said-gordo-it-was-the/) [Tom Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-wolfe/) > [I'd never properly done pilot season in America. I did it for just a couple of weeks, a couple of years ago. Usually, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-macken/i-d-never-properly-done-pilot-season-in-america-i-did-it-for-just-a/) [Eoin Macken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-macken/) > [I can't tell you how good it is to go from 'Homeland' to be lucky enough to find 'The Blacklist' at the right time.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diego-klattenhoff/i-can-t-tell-you-how-good-it-is-to-go-from-homeland-to-be-lucky/) [Diego Klattenhoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diego-klattenhoff/) > [ I became an instant fan of the show \[Underground\] seconds into the opening frames of the pilot. When that drone shot carried us through… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aisha-hinds/i-became-an-instant-fan-of-the-show-underground-seconds-into-the/) [Aisha Hinds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aisha-hinds/) > [I'm rubbish at maths but I would like to have been a pilot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francesca-hayward/i-m-rubbish-at-maths-but-i-would-like-to-have-been-a-pilot/) [Francesca Hayward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francesca-hayward/) > [My pilot's license. I'm proud of that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-ferguson/my-pilot-s-license-i-m-proud-of-that/) [Craig Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-ferguson/) > [Being a display pilot is probably the thing I've been most proud of in my life. Don't really fly anymore now though. I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-numan/being-a-display-pilot-is-probably-the-thing-i-ve-been-most-proud-of/) [Gary Numan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-numan/) > [It's 'Star Trek!' It's as close to an American mythology as we get. To be a part of that storytelling after being a fan…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilson-cruz/it-s-star-trek-it-s-as-close-to-an-american-mythology-as-we-get-to-be/) [Wilson Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilson-cruz/) > [I would have become a pilot if it wasn't for my poor eyesight and the fact that I am hopeless in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-quest/i-would-have-become-a-pilot-if-it-wasn-t-for-my-poor-eyesight-and-the/) [Richard Quest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-quest/) > [ Truthfully, in the beginning \[of MacGyver\] this could have gone either way, and as it turned out there was a version that was done… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucas-till/truthfully-in-the-beginning-of-macgyver-this-could-have-gone-either/) [Lucas Till](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucas-till/) > [I did do an American pilot, but it wasnt shot in America, it was shot in South Africa. It was called The Philanthropist, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominique-mcelligott/i-did-do-an-american-pilot-but-it-wasnt-shot-in-america-it-was-shot/) [Dominique McElligott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominique-mcelligott/) > [The moment when you find out when you shoot the pilot - getting the pilot is a small victory. You shoot the pilot, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-dillon/the-moment-when-you-find-out-when-you-shoot-the-pilot-getting-the/) [Kevin Dillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-dillon/) > [All astronauts, even civilians like me without pilot experience, have to learn how to co-pilot a jet called a T-38.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-koch/all-astronauts-even-civilians-like-me-without-pilot-experience-have/) [Christina Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-koch/) > [The second episode of any new show can be tough. You have about a week to top the well-crafted and polished pilot episode that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-patrick-king/the-second-episode-of-any-new-show-can-be-tough-you-have-about-a-week/) [Michael Patrick King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-patrick-king/) > [Pilot season tends to be grueling, because you can be thrown all of these auditions at once - last-minute, always - and you're going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-dickens/pilot-season-tends-to-be-grueling-because-you-can-be-thrown-all-of/) [Kim Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-dickens/) [Browse all 676 Pilot quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pilot/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“If there was one thing I'd learned, it was that you were responsible for your own ship. You had to look after the engine and make sure the plane was in order and ready to be flown. You were in charge of plotting your course. 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