---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And even if it were possible to…"
description: "\"“And even if it were possible to permanently banish everything threatening—everything dangerous (and, therefore, everything challenging and interesting..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d9/jordan-b-peterson-18843_danger_and-even-if-it-were-possible-to-permanen_2753554.jpg"
---

#  And even if it were possible to permanently banish…

![“And even if it were possible to permanently banish everything threatening—everything dangerous (and, therefore, everything challenging and interesting), that would mean only that another danger would emerge: that of permanent human infantilism and absolute uselessness. How could the nature of man…” quote by Jordan B. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d9/jordan-b-peterson-18843_danger_and-even-if-it-were-possible-to-permanen_2753554.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d9/jordan-b-peterson-18843_danger_and-even-if-it-were-possible-to-permanen_2753554.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d9/jordan-b-peterson-18843_danger_and-even-if-it-were-possible-to-permanen_2753554.jpg)

> ““And even if it were possible to permanently banish everything threatening—everything dangerous (and, therefore, everything challenging and interesting), that would mean only that another danger would emerge: that of permanent human infantilism and absolute uselessness. How could the nature of man ever reach its full potential without challenge and danger? How dull and contemptible would we become if there was no longer reason to pay attention? Maybe God thought His new creation would be able to handle the serpent, and considered its presence the lesser of two evils.””

[Jordan B. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-b-peterson/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Argues that challenges and dangers are essential for human growth; removing them leads to stagnation and infantilism.

**In simple terms:** Challenges drive human potential.

Key Takeaway

Embrace challenges for growth.

Themes

growth challenge potential

Mood

reflective provocative

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- Education
- career advancement
- personal development

Key Concepts

Human development risk purpose

Questions to Reflect On

- What challenges have you avoided?
- How can you balance safety and growth?

A Different Perspective

Too much risk can be harmful.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Danger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/danger/) [Full potential](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/full-potential/) [Infantilism Absolute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/infantilism-absolute-3116674/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [Pay attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pay-attention/) [Permanently Banish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/permanently-banish-3116676/) [Serpent Considered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/serpent-considered-3116675/) [Uselessness Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/uselessness-nature-3116673/)

## Related quotes

> [“We shall never fully understand nature (or ourselves), and certainly never respect it, until we dissociate the wild from the notion of usability -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fowles/we-shall-never-fully-understand-nature-or-ourselves-and-certainly/)

[John Fowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fowles/)

> [Just as order gave life and beauty to the earth when it was dark and void, so it does to us. Obedience helps us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-e-faust/just-as-order-gave-life-and-beauty-to-the-earth-when-it-was-dark-and/)

[James E. Faust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-e-faust/)

> [“As much as I want her by my side forever, I think an even more terrifying prospect than losing her is me standing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-myers/as-much-as-i-want-her-by-my-side-forever-i-think-an-even-more/)

[Jason Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-myers/)

> [“Don't save your best for when you think the material calls for it. Always bring your full potential to every take, and be on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-union/don-t-save-your-best-for-when-you-think-the-material-calls-for-it/)

[Gabrielle Union](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-union/)

> [There is power in helping people get excited about what they do and inspiring and motivating them to unleash their full potential.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-morrison/there-is-power-in-helping-people-get-excited-about-what-they-do-and/)

[Denise Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-morrison/)

> [If we are going to create the future, then we must break down the barriers that are holding us back from our full potential.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacky-rosen/if-we-are-going-to-create-the-future-then-we-must-break-down-the/)

[Jacky Rosen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacky-rosen/)

> [“It scares us more than anything except death. Being alone. Our fear of solitude is so ingrained that given the choice of being alone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-fisher/it-scares-us-more-than-anything-except-death-being-alone-our-fear-of/)

[Lionel Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-fisher/)

> [“She smiled thoughtfully. “I think Jackson was like a lost puppy. He needed purpose, someone to believe in him and love him despite his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-wade/she-smiled-thoughtfully-i-think-jackson-was-like-a-lost-puppy-he/)

[Rachael Wade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-wade/)

> [No industry or country can reach its full potential until women reach their full potential. This is especially true of science and technology, where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/no-industry-or-country-can-reach-its-full-potential-until-women-reach/)

[Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/)

> [Young women who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation and domestic trafficking face an incredible climb as they try and exit the commercial sex industry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-ellis/young-women-who-have-experienced-commercial-sexual-exploitation-and/)

[Stephanie Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-ellis/)

> [“Some of us come from families where we were not taught healthy emotional language and habits. We did not get a balanced perspective of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-p/some-of-us-come-from-families-where-we-were-not-taught-healthy/)

[Bill P](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-p/)

> [I dare to imagine a country where every child I hold in my hands, are all God's children, regardless of the color of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-wellstone/i-dare-to-imagine-a-country-where-every-child-i-hold-in-my-hands-are/)

[Paul Wellstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-wellstone/)

> [We will never know are full potential unless we push ourselves' to find it its this self discovery that inevitably takes us to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-rice/we-will-never-know-are-full-potential-unless-we-push-ourselves-to/)

[Travis Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-rice/)

> [“Strange is the ordinary way in which Corporate America expects us to shrink from our full potential to get along.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julieanne-o-connor/strange-is-the-ordinary-way-in-which-corporate-america-expects-us-to/)

[Julieanne O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julieanne-o-connor/)

> [Too many times we flitter our energy into too many goals and in the process don't achieve much. Focus is very important in life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaishali-kasture/too-many-times-we-flitter-our-energy-into-too-many-goals-and-in-the/)

[Vaishali Kasture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaishali-kasture/)

## More by Jordan B. Peterson

> [“There are many systems of interaction between brain, body and social world that can get caught in positive feedback loops. Depressed people, for example,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-b-peterson/there-are-many-systems-of-interaction-between-brain-body-and-social/)

[Jordan B. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-b-peterson/)

> [“We deserve some respect. You deserve some respect. You are important to other people, as much as to yourself. You have some vital role…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-b-peterson/we-deserve-some-respect-you-deserve-some-respect-you-are-important-to/)

[Jordan B. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-b-peterson/)

> [“people get unbelievably upset when you poke them in the axioms”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-b-peterson/people-get-unbelievably-upset-when-you-poke-them-in-the-axioms/)

[Jordan B. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-b-peterson/)

> [“Life is suffering Love is the desire to see unnecessary suffering ameliorated Truth is the handmaiden of love Dialogue is the pathway to truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-b-peterson/life-is-suffering-love-is-the-desire-to-see-unnecessary-suffering/)

[Jordan B. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-b-peterson/)

> [“We must each adopt as much responsibility as possible for individual life, society and the world. We must each tell the truth and repair…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-b-peterson/we-must-each-adopt-as-much-responsibility-as-possible-for-individual/)

[Jordan B. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-b-peterson/)

> [“People are better at filling and properly administering prescription medication to their pets than to themselves. That’s not good. Even from your pet’s perspective,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-b-peterson/people-are-better-at-filling-and-properly-administering-prescription/)

[Jordan B. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-b-peterson/)

> [“buttress their physical”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-b-peterson/buttress-their-physical/)

[Jordan B. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-b-peterson/)

> [“loving your neighbour as yourself.” The first lesson was that neither of these statements has anything to do with being nice. The second was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-b-peterson/loving-your-neighbour-as-yourself-the-first-lesson-was-that-neither/)

[Jordan B. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-b-peterson/)

> [“that morality is relative, at best a personal “value judgment.” Relative means that there is no absolute right or wrong in anything;”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-b-peterson/that-morality-is-relative-at-best-a-personal-value-judgment-relative/)

[Jordan B. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-b-peterson/)

> [“There are some games you don't get to play unless you are all in.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-b-peterson/there-are-some-games-you-don-t-get-to-play-unless-you-are-all-in/)

[Jordan B. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-b-peterson/)

> [“You're going to pay a price for every bloody thing you do and everything you don't do. You don't get to choose to not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-b-peterson/you-re-going-to-pay-a-price-for-every-bloody-thing-you-do-and/)

[Jordan B. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-b-peterson/)

> [“Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, the great documenter of the slave-labour-camp horrors of the latter, once wrote that the “pitiful ideology” holding that “human beings are created…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-b-peterson/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn-the-great-documenter-of-the-slave-labour-camp/)

[Jordan B. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-b-peterson/)

> [“In the West, we have been withdrawing from our tradition-, religion- and even nation-centred cultures, partly to decrease the danger of group conflict. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-b-peterson/in-the-west-we-have-been-withdrawing-from-our-tradition-religion-and/)

[Jordan B. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-b-peterson/)

> [“Loss of group-centred belief renders life chaotic, miserable, intolerable; presence of group-centred belief makes conflict with other groups inevitable. In the West, we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-b-peterson/loss-of-group-centred-belief-renders-life-chaotic-miserable/)

[Jordan B. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-b-peterson/)

> [“Our behavioral patterns are exceedingly complex, and psychology is a young science. The scope of our behavioral wisdom exceeds the breadth of our explicit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-b-peterson/our-behavioral-patterns-are-exceedingly-complex-and-psychology-is-a/)

[Jordan B. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-b-peterson/)

[Explore all 34 Jordan B. Peterson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-b-peterson/)

## More Danger quotes

> [In discovering books, you became free to explore the full range of human motives, desires, secrets, and lies. All my life, people have scolded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/in-discovering-books-you-became-free-to-explore-the-full-range-of/)

[Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/)

> [The danger that may really threaten (crime fiction) is that soon there will be more writers than readers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-barzun/the-danger-that-may-really-threaten-crime-fiction-is-that-soon-there/)

[Jacques Barzun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-barzun/)

> [“Anything you fear is a shackle to ur soul. It is a phobia that tethers and blinds ur ability to see and comprehend your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/anything-you-fear-is-a-shackle-to-ur-soul-it-is-a-phobia-that-tethers/)

[Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/)

> [“The set of circumstances that justifies the use of deadly force is a situation of immediate danger of death or great bodily harm to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/massad-ayoob/the-set-of-circumstances-that-justifies-the-use-of-deadly-force-is-a/)

[Massad Ayoob](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/massad-ayoob/)

> [These days grief seems like walking on a frozen river; most of the time he feels safe enough, but there is always that danger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/these-days-grief-seems-like-walking-on-a-frozen-river-most-of-the/)

[David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/)

> [When one fib becomes due as it were, you must forge another to take up the old acceptance; and so the stock of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/when-one-fib-becomes-due-as-it-were-you-must-forge-another-to-take-up/)

[William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/)

> [The term 'Pre-Raphaelite' is in danger of becoming one of the most misused tags in art history](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-wood/the-term-pre-raphaelite-is-in-danger-of-becoming-one-of-the-most/)

[Christopher Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-wood/)

> [There are dangers in consensus: it could be an attempt to satisfy people holding no particular views about anything. ... No great party can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/there-are-dangers-in-consensus-it-could-be-an-attempt-to-satisfy/)

[Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/)

> [“I’ll always come back to you,” he said. “Always.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-grant/i-ll-always-come-back-to-you-he-said-always/)

[Donna Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-grant/)

> [All the dangers in our world are like a blessed wake up call. They tell us to live life NOW... not tomorrow, not when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jeffers/all-the-dangers-in-our-world-are-like-a-blessed-wake-up-call-they/)

[Susan Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jeffers/)

> [Natural history is not taught in seminary. This is curious, as most people in pastoral ministry are about 567 times more likely to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-maitland/natural-history-is-not-taught-in-seminary-this-is-curious-as-most/)

[Sara Maitland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-maitland/)

> [A sea setting us upon the ice has brought us close to danger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-hudson/a-sea-setting-us-upon-the-ice-has-brought-us-close-to-danger/)

[Henry Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-hudson/)

> [“You are a lawmaker in your own right.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/you-are-a-lawmaker-in-your-own-right/)

[Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/)

> [There's a danger in starting a fire, you'll never know how many bridges you'll burn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-s-a-danger-in-starting-a-fire-you-ll-never-know-how-many/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [This is the gift of your species and this is the danger, because you do not choose to control your imaginings. You imagine wonderful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/this-is-the-gift-of-your-species-and-this-is-the-danger-because-you/)

[Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/)

[Browse all 5,463 Danger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/danger/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“And even if it were possible to permanently banish everything threatening—everything dangerous (and, therefore, everything challenging and interesting), that would mean only that another danger would emerge: that of permanent human infantilism and absolute uselessness. How could the nature of man ever reach its full potential without challenge and danger? How dull and contemptible would we become if there was no longer reason to pay attention? Maybe God thought His new creation would be able to handle the serpent, and considered its presence the lesser of two evils.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jordan B. Peterson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-b-peterson/and-even-if-it-were-possible-to-permanently-banish-everything/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Danger"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-b-peterson/and-even-if-it-were-possible-to-permanently-banish-everything/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d9/jordan-b-peterson-18843_danger_and-even-if-it-were-possible-to-permanen_2753554.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d9/jordan-b-peterson-18843_danger_and-even-if-it-were-possible-to-permanen_2753554.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d9/jordan-b-peterson-18843_danger_and-even-if-it-were-possible-to-permanen_2753554.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“And even if it were possible to permanently banish everything threatening—everything dangerous (and…” — Jordan B. Peterson",
                "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": "Jordan B. Peterson",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-b-peterson/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“And even if it were possible...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-b-peterson/and-even-if-it-were-possible-to-permanently-banish-everything/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-b-peterson/and-even-if-it-were-possible-to-permanently-banish-everything/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
