--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You know the rule: If you are falling…" description: "\"You know the rule: If you are falling, dive. Do the thing that has to be done.\" — Joseph Campbell" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e7/joseph-campbell-300_dive_you-know-the-rule-if-you-are-falling-div_2082881.png" --- # You know the rule: If you are falling, dive. Do the thing… ![“You know the rule: If you are falling, dive. Do the thing that has to be done.” quote by Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e7/joseph-campbell-300_dive_you-know-the-rule-if-you-are-falling-div_2082881.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e7/joseph-campbell-300_dive_you-know-the-rule-if-you-are-falling-div_2082881.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e7/joseph-campbell-300_dive_you-know-the-rule-if-you-are-falling-div_2082881.png) > “You know the rule: If you are falling, dive. Do the thing that has to be done.” [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When faced with a crisis, act decisively rather than hesitating. **In simple terms:** Act decisively in crisis. Key Takeaway Take bold action when falling. Themes courage decision action risk resilience Mood determined urgent Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - emergency response - personal setbacks - career crises - sports competition Key Concepts heroic journey psychology behavioral economics Questions to Reflect On - What risks are you avoiding? - How can you prepare before a fall? A Different Perspective Bold action can backfire if not well‑planned. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) ## Related quotes > [When you are falling --- Dive!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/when-you-are-falling-dive/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) > [If you are falling…dive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/if-you-are-falling-dive/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) > [ The fall \[of your soul\] from perfection into duality...was naturally followed by the discovery of the duality of good and evil...This is the Biblical… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/the-fall-of-your-soul-from-perfection-into-duality-was-naturally/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) > [Now it is autumn and the falling fruit and the long journey towards oblivion. The apples falling like great drops of dew to bruise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-h-lawrence/now-it-is-autumn-and-the-falling-fruit-and-the-long-journey-towards/) [D. H. Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-h-lawrence/) > [Life is like the dice that, falling, still show a different face. So life, though it remains the same, is always presenting different aspects.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-sanchez/life-is-like-the-dice-that-falling-still-show-a-different-face-so/) [Alexis Sanchez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-sanchez/) > [Falling down is not a failure. Failure comes when you stay where you have fallen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/falling-down-is-not-a-failure-failure-comes-when-you-stay-where-you/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [Stumbling is not falling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/stumbling-is-not-falling/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [Commitment is taking the first step, even if it means falling the rest of the way down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-fesler/commitment-is-taking-the-first-step-even-if-it-means-falling-the-rest/) [Wes Fesler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-fesler/) > [I'm falling into disrepair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-tyler/i-m-falling-into-disrepair/) [Anne Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-tyler/) > [Sometimes when things seem to be falling apart, they are actually falling into place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-when-things-seem-to-be-falling-apart-they-are-actually/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When we fall utterly, something gathers us up. But our falling must be without reservation, without expectation, without hope, though not hopeless. You cant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-housden/when-we-fall-utterly-something-gathers-us-up-but-our-falling-must-be/) [Roger Housden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-housden/) > [“Once upon a time, there was a man as great as the gods… But even the great can tremble with fear. Even the great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-e-pearson/once-upon-a-time-there-was-a-man-as-great-as-the-gods-but-even-the/) [Mary E. Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-e-pearson/) > [“If you ever falling but can't see the bottom be glad you can't because at the bottom it's either a soft land or rocks!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelseigh-ashton/if-you-ever-falling-but-can-t-see-the-bottom-be-glad-you-can-t/) Kelseigh Ashton > [“We will all, at some point in our lives, fall. Every single one of us. We shouldn't spend our time trying to avoid falling.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-williams/we-will-all-at-some-point-in-our-lives-fall-every-single-one-of-us-we/) [Nicole Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-williams/) > [Two things revolutionised life: moving to the countryside and falling in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-love/two-things-revolutionised-life-moving-to-the-countryside-and-falling/) [Nick Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-love/) ## More by Joseph Campbell > [If a person does not listen to the demands of their own spiritual and heart life and insists on a certain program, you're going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/if-a-person-does-not-listen-to-the-demands-of-their-own-spiritual-and/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) > [The last act in the biography of the hero is that of the death or departure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/the-last-act-in-the-biography-of-the-hero-is-that-of-the-death-or/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) > [The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/the-privilege-of-a-lifetime-is-being-who-you-are/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) > [The eternal principle, which never was born, never will die: it is in all things: it is in you now. You are the wave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/the-eternal-principle-which-never-was-born-never-will-die-it-is-in/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) > [How do you find the divine power in yourself? The word enthusiasm means 'filled with a god,' so what makes you enthusiastic? Follow it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/how-do-you-find-the-divine-power-in-yourself-the-word-enthusiasm/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) > [What we're learning in our schools is not the wisdom of life. We're learning technologies, we're getting information. There's a curious reluctance on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/what-we-re-learning-in-our-schools-is-not-the-wisdom-of-life-we-re/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) > [ The fall \[of your soul\] from perfection into duality...was naturally followed by the discovery of the duality of good and evil...This is the Biblical… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/the-fall-of-your-soul-from-perfection-into-duality-was-naturally/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) > [So that's what destiny is: simply the fulfillment of the potentialites of the energies in your own system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/so-that-s-what-destiny-is-simply-the-fulfillment-of-the-potentialites/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) > [Your ego is your embodiment and your self is your potentiality and that's what you listen to when you listen for the voice of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/your-ego-is-your-embodiment-and-your-self-is-your-potentiality-and/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) > [When you follow your bliss a kind of track opens up, that's always been there, waiting for you. And the life that you should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/when-you-follow-your-bliss-a-kind-of-track-opens-up-that-s-always/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) > [The best we can do is lean towards the light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/the-best-we-can-do-is-lean-towards-the-light/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) > [I think of mythology as the homeland of the muses, the inspirers of art, the inspirers of poetry. To see life as a poem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/i-think-of-mythology-as-the-homeland-of-the-muses-the-inspirers-of/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) > [When you are falling --- Dive!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/when-you-are-falling-dive/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) > [We're all seeking...the rapture of being alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/we-re-all-seeking-the-rapture-of-being-alive/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) > [Both the artist and the lover know that perfection is not loveable. It is the clumsiness of a fault that makes a person lovable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/both-the-artist-and-the-lover-know-that-perfection-is-not-loveable-it/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) [Explore all 711 Joseph Campbell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) ## More Dive quotes > [“(On Ralph Waldo Emerson)I love all men who dive. Any fish can swim near the surface, but it takes a great whale to go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/on-ralph-waldo-emerson-i-love-all-men-who-dive-any-fish-can-swim-near/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [Then I dive into my tent before I do something stupid like cry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/then-i-dive-into-my-tent-before-i-do-something-stupid-like-cry/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [Dive bars rely on a steady stream of neighborhood regulars to keep their doors open.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-evans/dive-bars-rely-on-a-steady-stream-of-neighborhood-regulars-to-keep/) [Sean Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-evans/) > [“Papi learned to swim in water that wanted to kill him. That ocean can't be so different; shouldn't be any different. If any man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-acevedo/papi-learned-to-swim-in-water-that-wanted-to-kill-him-that-ocean-can/) Elizabeth Acevedo > [When you are falling --- Dive!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/when-you-are-falling-dive/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) > [I'll live a lush life in some small dive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-strayhorn/i-ll-live-a-lush-life-in-some-small-dive/) [Billy Strayhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-strayhorn/) > [When I was a kid, I used to be afraid of the dark. I would stand at my door, turn the light off and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-krause/when-i-was-a-kid-i-used-to-be-afraid-of-the-dark-i-would-stand-at-my/) Brian Krause > [“When the waves close over me, I dive down to fish for pearls.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-the-waves-close-over-me-i-dive-down-to-fish-for-pearls/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I chose to dive into a pool of cold water in 'Ooty' though the director suggested that we use a stuntman. I was pleased…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/delhi-ganesh/i-chose-to-dive-into-a-pool-of-cold-water-in-ooty-though-the-director/) [Delhi Ganesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/delhi-ganesh/) > [Once I dive in, I dive in all the way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carly-fiorina/once-i-dive-in-i-dive-in-all-the-way/) [Carly Fiorina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carly-fiorina/) > [So dive in this new begining](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/armin-van-buuren/so-dive-in-this-new-begining/) [Armin Van Buuren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/armin-van-buuren/) > [“Never had anyone said, "Listen. Life is short. Pretend your body is still in its twenties. Jump for the brass ring. Swing for those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathie-pelletier/never-had-anyone-said-listen-life-is-short-pretend-your-body-is-still/) [Cathie Pelletier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathie-pelletier/) > [You've got to be like a fan at your show, just wild out. I make eye contact. I get in the crowd and kick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/schoolboy-q/you-ve-got-to-be-like-a-fan-at-your-show-just-wild-out-i-make-eye/) [Schoolboy Q](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/schoolboy-q/) > [I will dive on the floor for a loose ball. That's how I'm trained. I can guard a guard if I want to. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deandre-ayton/i-will-dive-on-the-floor-for-a-loose-ball-that-s-how-i-m-trained-i/) [Deandre Ayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deandre-ayton/) > [I dive all over the world: Fiji, Australia, the Caribbean, Hawaii, and many other places.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/i-dive-all-over-the-world-fiji-australia-the-caribbean-hawaii-and/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) Browse all 211 Dive quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You know the rule: If you are falling, dive. 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