--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Ships at harbor are safe, but thats not…" description: "\"Ships at harbor are safe, but thats not what ships are built for\" — John Shedd" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e46/john-shedd-249659_ships_ships-at-harbor-are-safe-but-thats-not-w_2124349.jpg" --- # Ships at harbor are safe, but thats not what ships are… ![“Ships at harbor are safe, but thats not what ships are built for” quote by John Shedd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e46/john-shedd-249659_ships_ships-at-harbor-are-safe-but-thats-not-w_2124349.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e46/john-shedd-249659_ships_ships-at-harbor-are-safe-but-thats-not-w_2124349.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e46/john-shedd-249659_ships_ships-at-harbor-are-safe-but-thats-not-w_2124349.jpg) > “Ships at harbor are safe, but thats not what ships are built for” John Shedd ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Ships are built to venture beyond safe harbors; staying safe limits purpose and adventure. **In simple terms:** Ships must sail beyond safety. Key Takeaway Seek purpose beyond comfort. Themes adventure risk purpose growth exploration Mood inspirational determined Type Harbor:0 River:0 Ships:1 Harbor Safe:0 Ships Harbor:0 Ships Built:1 When to use this quote - career choices - personal growth - creative projects Key Concepts metaphor life philosophy courage Questions to Reflect On - What risks are worth taking? - How to balance safety and ambition? A Different Perspective Safety can be necessary. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [River](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/river/) ## Related quotes > [“A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for. —John A. 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A boat in the harbor is safe, but in time its bottom will rot out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/seek-opportunity-not-security-a-boat-in-the-harbor-is-safe-but-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“A ship is safe in harbor, but that's not why ships were built.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-revenge/a-ship-is-safe-in-harbor-but-that-s-not-why-ships-were-built/) Charlotte Revenge > [“A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for. JOHN A. SHEDD, AUTHOR”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-ship-in-harbor-is-safe-but-that-is-not-what-ships-are-built-for-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Boats in the harbor are safe but that is not what they are meant for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zig-ziglar/boats-in-the-harbor-are-safe-but-that-is-not-what-they-are-meant-for/) [Zig Ziglar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zig-ziglar/) > [“Though the harbor is safe, ships were made to sail the sea. The same can be said for you and me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-anne/though-the-harbor-is-safe-ships-were-made-to-sail-the-sea-the-same/) [Julie-Anne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-anne/) > [A ship in harbor is safe, but that's not why the ship is built.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-palin/a-ship-in-harbor-is-safe-but-that-s-not-why-the-ship-is-built/) [Sarah Palin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-palin/) > [Ships are safe in harbor, but that's not what ships are for. So set sail on the stormy sea of love. 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Shedd”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-silvera/a-ship-in-harbor-is-safe-but-that-is-not-what-ships-are-built-for/) [Adam Silvera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-silvera/) > [Where lies the final harbor, whence we unmoor no more?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/where-lies-the-final-harbor-whence-we-unmoor-no-more/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [A ship at harbor is safe, but thats not ships are for](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-ship-at-harbor-is-safe-but-thats-not-ships-are-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“When we start raising different inconsistent truths, life may tip into bewilderment and the brain may go haywire. 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The harbor just ahead Aglow with glory’s ray, Will on thee golden luster shed, From out the gates of day, And waiting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rae-carson/steer-well-the-harbor-just-ahead-aglow-with-glory-s-ray-will-on-thee/) [Rae Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rae-carson/) Browse all 91 Harbor quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Ships at harbor are safe, but thats not what ships are built for", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Shedd" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shedd/ships-at-harbor-are-safe-but-thats-not-what-ships-are-built-for/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Harbor" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shedd/ships-at-harbor-are-safe-but-thats-not-what-ships-are-built-for/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e46/john-shedd-249659_ships_ships-at-harbor-are-safe-but-thats-not-w_2124349.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e46/john-shedd-249659_ships_ships-at-harbor-are-safe-but-thats-not-w_2124349.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e46/john-shedd-249659_ships_ships-at-harbor-are-safe-but-thats-not-w_2124349.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Ships at harbor are safe, but thats not what ships are built for” — John Shedd", "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": "John Shedd", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shedd/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Ships at harbor are safe, but...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shedd/ships-at-harbor-are-safe-but-thats-not-what-ships-are-built-for/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shedd/ships-at-harbor-are-safe-but-thats-not-what-ships-are-built-for/#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 } } ] } ```