--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Going after anything worthwile in life…" description: "\"Going after anything worthwile in life entailed risk, of course. A man of ambition and courage didn't let that stop or delay him. A man accepted the da..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5be/john-jakes-23092_accepted_going-after-anything-worthwile-in-life-e_1243321.png" --- # Going after anything worthwile in life entailed risk, of… ![“Going after anything worthwile in life entailed risk, of course. A man of ambition and courage didn't let that stop or delay him. A man accepted the dangers, the element of chance. If he didn't, he won nothing.” quote by John Jakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5be/john-jakes-23092_accepted_going-after-anything-worthwile-in-life-e_1243321.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5be/john-jakes-23092_accepted_going-after-anything-worthwile-in-life-e_1243321.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5be/john-jakes-23092_accepted_going-after-anything-worthwile-in-life-e_1243321.png) > “Going after anything worthwile in life entailed risk, of course. A man of ambition and courage didn't let that stop or delay him. A man accepted the dangers, the element of chance. If he didn't, he won nothing.” [John Jakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jakes/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Pursuing valuable goals requires embracing risk; without taking chances, success is impossible. **In simple terms:** Great rewards need risk. Key Takeaway Accept risk to achieve. Themes ambition risk reward Mood determined optimistic Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - career advancement - entrepreneurship - investment - personal growth Key Concepts courage chance fortune Questions to Reflect On - What risks are you avoiding? - How can you balance risk with preparation? A Different Perspective Risk can lead to loss and may not guarantee success. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ambition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambition/) [Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) [Danger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/danger/) [Elements](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elements/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Risk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risk/) ## Related quotes > [A young man's ambition is to get along in the world and make a place for himself-half your life goes that way, till you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-penn-warren/a-young-man-s-ambition-is-to-get-along-in-the-world-and-make-a-place/) [Robert Penn Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-penn-warren/) > [I know nothing more worthy of a man's ambition than that his son be the best of men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/i-know-nothing-more-worthy-of-a-man-s-ambition-than-that-his-son-be/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [A young man without ambition is an old man waiting to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-brust/a-young-man-without-ambition-is-an-old-man-waiting-to-be/) [Steven Brust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-brust/) > [“Nothing worse than a weak man with ambition, who gains power because those before him died rather than because his ideals were grand.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/nothing-worse-than-a-weak-man-with-ambition-who-gains-power-because/) [Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/) > [“The man of ambition thinks to find his good in the operations of others; the man of pleasure in his own sensations; but the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/the-man-of-ambition-thinks-to-find-his-good-in-the-operations-of/) [marcus aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [The biggest changes in a women's nature are brought by love; in man, by ambition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-biggest-changes-in-a-women-s-nature-are-brought-by-love-in-man-by/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [An educated man without ambition is as badly off as an ambitious man without education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/an-educated-man-without-ambition-is-as-badly-off-as-an-ambitious-man/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [A man without ambition is worse than dough that has no yeast in it to raise it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/a-man-without-ambition-is-worse-than-dough-that-has-no-yeast-in-it-to/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [A young man's ambition, can there be a more fleeting prospect?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/a-young-man-s-ambition-can-there-be-a-more-fleeting-prospect/) [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) > [So long as the man with ambition is a failure, the world will tell him to let go of his ideal; but when his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-d-larson/so-long-as-the-man-with-ambition-is-a-failure-the-world-will-tell-him/) [Christian D. 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A man with ambition and love for his blessings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-bailey/a-man-without-ambition-is-dead-a-man-with-ambition-but-no-love-is/) [Pearl Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-bailey/) > [Since a rational man's ambition is unlimited, since his pursuit and achievement of values is a life-long process — and the higher the values,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/since-a-rational-man-s-ambition-is-unlimited-since-his-pursuit-and/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [Frog in the mud is happier than the man, because it has no ambition to reach the stars!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/frog-in-the-mud-is-happier-than-the-man-because-it-has-no-ambition-to/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [What likelihood is there of corrupting a man who has no ambition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-richardson/what-likelihood-is-there-of-corrupting-a-man-who-has-no-ambition/) [Samuel Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-richardson/) ## More by John Jakes > [“Why did people ignore the lessons of history and their own senses, deny a law of life immutable as the seasons, and erect twisted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jakes/why-did-people-ignore-the-lessons-of-history-and-their-own-senses/) [John Jakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jakes/) > [The house burned an hour before midnight on the last day of April. The wild, distant ringing of the fire bells woke George Hazard.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jakes/the-house-burned-an-hour-before-midnight-on-the-last-day-of-april-the/) [John Jakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jakes/) > [Be yourself. Above all, let who you are, what you are, what you believe shine through every sentence you write, every piece you finish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jakes/be-yourself-above-all-let-who-you-are-what-you-are-what-you-believe/) [John Jakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jakes/) > [No writer should minimize the factor that affects everyone, but is beyond control: luck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jakes/no-writer-should-minimize-the-factor-that-affects-everyone-but-is/) [John Jakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jakes/) > [The first treasure California began to surrender after the Gold Rush as the oldest: her land.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jakes/the-first-treasure-california-began-to-surrender-after-the-gold-rush/) [John Jakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jakes/) > [“Yet how strong was friendship? 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