--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If I had to do it over again, I'd…" description: "\"If I had to do it over again, I'd probably play the game the same way.\" — Joe Paterno" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/764/joe-paterno-9402_game_if-i-had-to-do-it-over-again-i-d-probabl_2652781.jpg" --- # If I had to do it over again, I'd probably play the game… ![“If I had to do it over again, I'd probably play the game the same way.” quote by Joe Paterno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/764/joe-paterno-9402_game_if-i-had-to-do-it-over-again-i-d-probabl_2652781.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/764/joe-paterno-9402_game_if-i-had-to-do-it-over-again-i-d-probabl_2652781.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/764/joe-paterno-9402_game_if-i-had-to-do-it-over-again-i-d-probabl_2652781.jpg) > “If I had to do it over again, I'd probably play the game the same way.” [Joe Paterno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-paterno/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Accepting past choices without regret can simplify decision‑making and focus on present actions. **In simple terms:** Accept past choices; focus forward. Key Takeaway Learn, then move on. Themes acceptance reflection growth Mood thoughtful calm Type reflective motivational When to use this quote - career planning - coaching - personal relationships Key Concepts psychology decision theory Questions to Reflect On - What would you change if you could? - How does acceptance affect your future plans? A Different Perspective Regret can linger despite acceptance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Game](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/game/) [Games](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/games/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) ## Related quotes > [I just play the game the only way I know. And I have no regrets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manu-ginobili/i-just-play-the-game-the-only-way-i-know-and-i-have-no-regrets/) [Manu Ginobili](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manu-ginobili/) > [Game Over is a very frustrating game convention. In short, it means, 'If you were not good enough or did not play the game…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cage/game-over-is-a-very-frustrating-game-convention-in-short-it-means-if/) [David Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cage/) > [You just play your game and find a way to win for your team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitchell-trubisky/you-just-play-your-game-and-find-a-way-to-win-for-your-team/) [Mitchell Trubisky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitchell-trubisky/) > [Can we play the game your way? Can I Really Lose Control?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evanescence/can-we-play-the-game-your-way-can-i-really-lose-control/) [Evanescence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evanescence/) > [All I can do is play the game the way the cards fall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-michener/all-i-can-do-is-play-the-game-the-way-the-cards-fall/) [James A. Michener](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-michener/) > [We only get to play this game one time, one life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-vaynerchuk/we-only-get-to-play-this-game-one-time-one-life/) [Gary Vaynerchuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-vaynerchuk/) > [I could probably play an alcoholic. I've had some experience with that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-van-dyke/i-could-probably-play-an-alcoholic-i-ve-had-some-experience-with-that/) [Dick Van Dyke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-van-dyke/) > [You know, it's hard to say what's going to happen in the future. But, if I stay healthy, I think I'll probably play until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karrie-webb/you-know-it-s-hard-to-say-what-s-going-to-happen-in-the-future-but-if/) [Karrie Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karrie-webb/) > [We'll probably have to play the perfect game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-buckley/we-ll-probably-have-to-play-the-perfect-game/) [Tim Buckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-buckley/) > [I probably play games more than I practice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-durant/i-probably-play-games-more-than-i-practice/) [Kevin Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-durant/) > [If 'URI 2' happens, I will probably play the lead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirti-kulhari/if-uri-2-happens-i-will-probably-play-the-lead/) [Kirti Kulhari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirti-kulhari/) > [I'm going to play my game and be who I am. I don't think anyone puts more pressure on me than I do on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-giambi/i-m-going-to-play-my-game-and-be-who-i-am-i-don-t-think-anyone-puts/) [Jason Giambi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-giambi/) > [“If love was a game there's a way to cheat...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-dobbe/if-love-was-a-game-there-s-a-way-to-cheat/) [Rob Dobbe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-dobbe/) > [Every game is a different game and I have to find a way. I have to be consistent every night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cedi-osman/every-game-is-a-different-game-and-i-have-to-find-a-way-i-have-to-be/) [Cedi Osman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cedi-osman/) > [If your game is to take everything on then you have to stick with that and if it's your game to get out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonny-bairstow/if-your-game-is-to-take-everything-on-then-you-have-to-stick-with/) [Jonny Bairstow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonny-bairstow/) ## More by Joe Paterno > [A hard-fought, well-fought, hairline-close game is as classical in sports as tragedy is in the theater. Victory is contained within defeat, and defeat is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-paterno/a-hard-fought-well-fought-hairline-close-game-is-as-classical-in/) [Joe Paterno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-paterno/) > [“You're never as good as you think you are when you win; and you're never as bad as you feel when you lose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-paterno/you-re-never-as-good-as-you-think-you-are-when-you-win-and-you-re/) [Joe Paterno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-paterno/) > [I'm not as concerned about me. What's happened to me has been great. I got five great kids. Seventeen grandchildren.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-paterno/i-m-not-as-concerned-about-me-what-s-happened-to-me-has-been-great-i/) [Joe Paterno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-paterno/) > [Those kinds of things all kind of pop into your head, and you try to rectify them by looking at it, making some changes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-paterno/those-kinds-of-things-all-kind-of-pop-into-your-head-and-you-try-to/) [Joe Paterno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-paterno/) > [There has to be some self-denial.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-paterno/there-has-to-be-some-self-denial/) [Joe Paterno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-paterno/) > [Keep hustling, something good will happen,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-paterno/keep-hustling-something-good-will-happen/) [Joe Paterno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-paterno/) > [It doesn't matter what people think of me. I've lived my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-paterno/it-doesn-t-matter-what-people-think-of-me-i-ve-lived-my-life/) [Joe Paterno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-paterno/) > [The will to win is important, but the will to prepare is vital.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-paterno/the-will-to-win-is-important-but-the-will-to-prepare-is-vital/) [Joe Paterno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-paterno/) > [In every life, there have to be some shadows. Look at me. My life has been filled with sunshine. A beautiful and caring wife.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-paterno/in-every-life-there-have-to-be-some-shadows-look-at-me-my-life-has/) [Joe Paterno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-paterno/) > [Don't just stand back and play the way you're coached. A great player must rise to the occasion and turn the game around on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-paterno/don-t-just-stand-back-and-play-the-way-you-re-coached-a-great-player/) [Joe Paterno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-paterno/) > [I think we played a pretty good football game overall. I think we played as well as we could at this time of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-paterno/i-think-we-played-a-pretty-good-football-game-overall-i-think-we/) [Joe Paterno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-paterno/) > [You must relate athletic experiences to life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-paterno/you-must-relate-athletic-experiences-to-life/) [Joe Paterno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-paterno/) > [I don't think it's fair to 12-, 13- and 14-year-olds to say 'Show us you're a winner right now!' Winning isn't everything. I'll never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-paterno/i-don-t-think-it-s-fair-to-12-13-and-14-year-olds-to-say-show-us-you/) [Joe Paterno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-paterno/) > [There's never been a greater game than football.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-paterno/there-s-never-been-a-greater-game-than-football/) [Joe Paterno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-paterno/) > [I appreciate the fans and all that kind of stuff. It's kind of fun to hear it, as just another football game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-paterno/i-appreciate-the-fans-and-all-that-kind-of-stuff-it-s-kind-of-fun-to/) [Joe Paterno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-paterno/) [Explore all 73 Joe Paterno quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-paterno/) ## More Game quotes > [Raised by game where niggas ain't phased by fame. Come to the crib, get banged, they take your chain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/common/raised-by-game-where-niggas-ain-t-phased-by-fame-come-to-the-crib-get/) [Common](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/common/) > [If you take your eye off the ball or lose focus for even a minute you can lose a game against any team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felipe-anderson/if-you-take-your-eye-off-the-ball-or-lose-focus-for-even-a-minute-you/) [Felipe Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felipe-anderson/) > [I've been lucky enough to, for the most part, surround myself with a lot of people who are more talented than me and who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-franco/i-ve-been-lucky-enough-to-for-the-most-part-surround-myself-with-a/) [Dave Franco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-franco/) > [It's no wonder Pep is one of the best coaches in the world. When I knew I could work with him I was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ederson/it-s-no-wonder-pep-is-one-of-the-best-coaches-in-the-world-when-i/) [Ederson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ederson/) > [I loved the game so much that even though our playing field was muddy and we had many trees on it, I used to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-clemente/i-loved-the-game-so-much-that-even-though-our-playing-field-was-muddy/) [Roberto Clemente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-clemente/) > [I've always been very hard on myself, and I never want to get to a point where I'm like, 'Alright, I'm kicking butt,' but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becky-sauerbrunn/i-ve-always-been-very-hard-on-myself-and-i-never-want-to-get-to-a/) [Becky Sauerbrunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becky-sauerbrunn/) > [The human element should be the two players on the court, not the officials. The best officials are the ones you never notice. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-scott/the-human-element-should-be-the-two-players-on-the-court-not-the/) Gene Scott > [Windmills and solar cells are carbon-free sources of electricity. But they are costly. If you've been investing in those, give it up. That game…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-fisher/windmills-and-solar-cells-are-carbon-free-sources-of-electricity-but/) [Kenneth Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-fisher/) > [Often in my game as an actor, someone else pays for your travel and there's nothing like being able to lie flat on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ioan-gruffudd/often-in-my-game-as-an-actor-someone-else-pays-for-your-travel-and/) [Ioan Gruffudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ioan-gruffudd/) > [Look at music for what it's worth around the world and not just America. In other countries, people are still buying CDs and going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/look-at-music-for-what-it-s-worth-around-the-world-and-not-just/) [Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/) > [With the Capital One Bowl, the average fan might think whoopty do. But if you are a team member, you win that game and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-herbstreit/with-the-capital-one-bowl-the-average-fan-might-think-whoopty-do-but/) [Kirk Herbstreit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-herbstreit/) > [I remember throughout middle school and high school how excited my mom, sister and I would be when a UNC game was on TV.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-barnes/i-remember-throughout-middle-school-and-high-school-how-excited-my/) [Harrison Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-barnes/) > [Obviously, I want to win, but at the same time, at the end of the day, it's a game and that's what I'm going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-rendon/obviously-i-want-to-win-but-at-the-same-time-at-the-end-of-the-day-it/) [Anthony Rendon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-rendon/) > [It's more than a game. It's an institution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hughes/it-s-more-than-a-game-it-s-an-institution/) [Thomas Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hughes/) > [There are things you can do in training like learn from the manager and talk with team-mates, but it's the game that tests you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-burke/there-are-things-you-can-do-in-training-like-learn-from-the-manager/) [Oliver Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-burke/) [Browse all 13,309 Game quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/game/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If I had to do it over again, I'd probably play the game the same way.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joe Paterno" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-paterno/if-i-had-to-do-it-over-again-i-d-probably-play-the-game-the-same-way/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Game" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-paterno/if-i-had-to-do-it-over-again-i-d-probably-play-the-game-the-same-way/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/764/joe-paterno-9402_game_if-i-had-to-do-it-over-again-i-d-probabl_2652781.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/764/joe-paterno-9402_game_if-i-had-to-do-it-over-again-i-d-probabl_2652781.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/764/joe-paterno-9402_game_if-i-had-to-do-it-over-again-i-d-probabl_2652781.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If I had to do it over again, I'd probably play the game the same way.” — Joe Paterno", "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": "Joe Paterno", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-paterno/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If I had to do it...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-paterno/if-i-had-to-do-it-over-again-i-d-probably-play-the-game-the-same-way/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-paterno/if-i-had-to-do-it-over-again-i-d-probably-play-the-game-the-same-way/#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 } } ] } ```