--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's only a risk if you think there's a…" description: "\"It's only a risk if you think there's a chance of failure.\" — Kimbal Musk" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37b/kimbal-musk-6353_chance_it-s-only-a-risk-if-you-think-there-s-a_2895989.jpg" --- # It's only a risk if you think there's a chance of failure. ![“It's only a risk if you think there's a chance of failure.” quote by Kimbal Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37b/kimbal-musk-6353_chance_it-s-only-a-risk-if-you-think-there-s-a_2895989.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37b/kimbal-musk-6353_chance_it-s-only-a-risk-if-you-think-there-s-a_2895989.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37b/kimbal-musk-6353_chance_it-s-only-a-risk-if-you-think-there-s-a_2895989.jpg) > “It's only a risk if you think there's a chance of failure.” [Kimbal Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimbal-musk/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Risk exists only when you anticipate failure; otherwise it's a neutral action. **In simple terms:** Risk is only fear of failure. Key Takeaway Recognize and act despite fear. Themes risk psychology decision-making Mood cautious motivated Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - entrepreneurship - investment - personal growth - team leadership Key Concepts probability cognitive bias Questions to Reflect On - How does fear shape your choices? - When can you act without fearing failure? A Different Perspective Risk perception can be irrational and limit opportunities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Risk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risk/) ## Related quotes > [If you have made mistakes, even serious ones, there is always another chance for you. What we call failure is not the falling down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-have-made-mistakes-even-serious-ones-there-is-always-another/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I tell founders all the time, 99.9 percent chance of failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-seibel/i-tell-founders-all-the-time-99-9-percent-chance-of-failure/) [Michael Seibel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-seibel/) > [Ask yourself this: If there was zero chance of failure, what would you do? Now, go do that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-linkner/ask-yourself-this-if-there-was-zero-chance-of-failure-what-would-you/) [Josh Linkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-linkner/) > [There is always a chance of failure, of producing something totally unnecessary. But I guess that chance of failure is what makes tightrope walking,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/there-is-always-a-chance-of-failure-of-producing-something-totally/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [I MUST go to what desperately frightens me -- the chance of failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-field/i-must-go-to-what-desperately-frightens-me-the-chance-of-failure/) [Sally Field](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-field/) > [If you make mistakes even serious ones,there is always another chance for you,what we call..failure is not the falling down,but the staying down](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-make-mistakes-even-serious-ones-there-is-always-another-chance/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It doesn't matter what your probability of failure is. If there's a 90% chance of failure, there's a 10% chance of changing the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinod-khosla/it-doesn-t-matter-what-your-probability-of-failure-is-if-there-s-a-90/) [Vinod Khosla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinod-khosla/) > [“We need to be willing to chance failure in order to succeed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-harris/we-need-to-be-willing-to-chance-failure-in-order-to-succeed/) [Rachel Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-harris/) > [“The strong leader takes a chance when there is little hope, The hope that he will succeed and little chance of failure”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bluenscottish/the-strong-leader-takes-a-chance-when-there-is-little-hope-the-hope/) Bluenscottish > [If something works, you shouldn't do it again. We want to do something that is new, original - something where there's a good chance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-catmull/if-something-works-you-shouldn-t-do-it-again-we-want-to-do-something/) [Edwin Catmull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-catmull/) > [When you fight you are in a situation where failure can happen. This chance of failure forges your character in many ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-hudson/when-you-fight-you-are-in-a-situation-where-failure-can-happen-this/) Daniel Hudson > [The chance of failure is almost always better than the guarantee of never knowing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-levie/the-chance-of-failure-is-almost-always-better-than-the-guarantee-of/) [Aaron Levie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-levie/) > [An investment said to have an 80% chance of success sounds far more attractive than one with a 20% chance of failure. The mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/an-investment-said-to-have-an-80-chance-of-success-sounds-far-more/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [“Just take a risk. Go for it. I think if you crash and burn trying, it's still going to be better than if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/just-take-a-risk-go-for-it-i-think-if-you-crash-and-burn-trying-it-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm that person who will take a bit of a risk. And I think that is the best role model I can be to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leah-williamson/i-m-that-person-who-will-take-a-bit-of-a-risk-and-i-think-that-is-the/) [Leah Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leah-williamson/) ## More by Kimbal Musk > [Newspapers have an extraordinary amount of local content, including real estate listings and restaurant reviews.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimbal-musk/newspapers-have-an-extraordinary-amount-of-local-content-including/) [Kimbal Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimbal-musk/) > [People are overweight and starving at the same time. It's a tragedy for both the individual and society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimbal-musk/people-are-overweight-and-starving-at-the-same-time-it-s-a-tragedy/) [Kimbal Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimbal-musk/) > [Twenty-first-century food is going to be real food. Real food is food that is truly nourishing for the consumer, the community, and the planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimbal-musk/twenty-first-century-food-is-going-to-be-real-food-real-food-is-food/) [Kimbal Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimbal-musk/) > [We're moving to be more of a plant-based society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimbal-musk/we-re-moving-to-be-more-of-a-plant-based-society/) [Kimbal Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimbal-musk/) > [It's pretty rough in South Africa. It's a rough culture. Imagine rough - well, it's rougher than that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimbal-musk/it-s-pretty-rough-in-south-africa-it-s-a-rough-culture-imagine-rough/) [Kimbal Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimbal-musk/) > [I was very afraid of failure because if you fail at something you love, then you ruin what you love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimbal-musk/i-was-very-afraid-of-failure-because-if-you-fail-at-something-you/) [Kimbal Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimbal-musk/) > [Back in 1995, I saw an incredible wave coming. The Internet. I knew I needed to be a part of it no matter what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimbal-musk/back-in-1995-i-saw-an-incredible-wave-coming-the-internet-i-knew-i/) [Kimbal Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimbal-musk/) > [Young people contact me all the time to articulate issues with the industrial food system, but they are frustrated by their perceived inability to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimbal-musk/young-people-contact-me-all-the-time-to-articulate-issues-with-the/) [Kimbal Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimbal-musk/) > [Community through food is my mission; it is what I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimbal-musk/community-through-food-is-my-mission-it-is-what-i-do/) [Kimbal Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimbal-musk/) > [My family were all entrepreneurs, including my parents and grandparents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimbal-musk/my-family-were-all-entrepreneurs-including-my-parents-and-grandparents/) [Kimbal Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimbal-musk/) > [The Kitchen's mission is to strengthen communities by bringing local, real food to everyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimbal-musk/the-kitchen-s-mission-is-to-strengthen-communities-by-bringing-local/) [Kimbal Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimbal-musk/) > [My mother was a consulting dietician, and my father was a consulting engineer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimbal-musk/my-mother-was-a-consulting-dietician-and-my-father-was-a-consulting/) [Kimbal Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimbal-musk/) > [Food is the new Internet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimbal-musk/food-is-the-new-internet/) [Kimbal Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimbal-musk/) > [It's relatively easy to set up a tech company, join an accelerator, and progress down a pathway towards success. It's more complex to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimbal-musk/it-s-relatively-easy-to-set-up-a-tech-company-join-an-accelerator-and/) [Kimbal Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimbal-musk/) > [Start with the young, work with them until they are adults, and they will demand real food.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimbal-musk/start-with-the-young-work-with-them-until-they-are-adults-and-they/) [Kimbal Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimbal-musk/) [Explore all 99 Kimbal Musk quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimbal-musk/) ## More Chance quotes > [Before I debuted, it was my goal to make my debut, and afterwards, I aimed at winning champion titles on television music shows, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyuna/before-i-debuted-it-was-my-goal-to-make-my-debut-and-afterwards-i/) [Hyuna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyuna/) > [I understand it's promotion, but no one ever gave me a chance. No one ever thought I'd be the champ, and look where I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stipe-miocic/i-understand-it-s-promotion-but-no-one-ever-gave-me-a-chance-no-one/) [Stipe Miocic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stipe-miocic/) > [I might, by chance, write something just as shoddy; But then I wouldn't show it to everybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/i-might-by-chance-write-something-just-as-shoddy-but-then-i-wouldn-t/) [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) > [When I get a chance to play golf or go on a boat with good people, take the boat out and put some lobsters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-mac/when-i-get-a-chance-to-play-golf-or-go-on-a-boat-with-good-people/) [Bernie Mac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-mac/) > [The happy medium is television. And if you find a good suitor, you can do it for years. With movies, you roll the dice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-campbell/the-happy-medium-is-television-and-if-you-find-a-good-suitor-you-can/) [Bruce Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-campbell/) > [I get afraid of the dark if I'm in a great deal of dark, and I have to move around inside of that fear...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ferris/i-get-afraid-of-the-dark-if-i-m-in-a-great-deal-of-dark-and-i-have-to/) [Emil Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ferris/) > [I have heard that if you pull a bent breath through the second hole of a harmonica tuned to the key of Georgia while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buddy-wakefield/i-have-heard-that-if-you-pull-a-bent-breath-through-the-second-hole/) [Buddy Wakefield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buddy-wakefield/) > [There are times when we can feel destiny close around us like a fist around a doorknob. Sure, we can resist. But a knob…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/there-are-times-when-we-can-feel-destiny-close-around-us-like-a-fist/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [Pain held no terror for him. Pain was, if not friend, then family, something he had grown up with in his crèche, learning to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-bacigalupi/pain-held-no-terror-for-him-pain-was-if-not-friend-then-family/) [Paolo Bacigalupi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-bacigalupi/) > [Love changes people, for better or for worse. You could look at it as a chance for you to change. The best kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-changes-people-for-better-or-for-worse-you-could-look-at-it-as-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“It's not who, it's when”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-taubas/it-s-not-who-it-s-when/) Alejandro Taubas > [Childhood is Last Chance Gulch for happiness. After that, you know too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/childhood-is-last-chance-gulch-for-happiness-after-that-you-know-too/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [I thought my first few jobs would just be off, off, off, off, off broadway. And by chance and how the world works, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-dorfman/i-thought-my-first-few-jobs-would-just-be-off-off-off-off-off/) [Tommy Dorfman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-dorfman/) > [If you’re worrying about the past, you’ve got a good chance of screwing up the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-a-tullman/if-you-re-worrying-about-the-past-you-ve-got-a-good-chance-of/) [Howard A. Tullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-a-tullman/) > [To be successful, one must take chances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-stargell/to-be-successful-one-must-take-chances/) [Willie Stargell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-stargell/) [Browse all 12,460 Chance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's only a risk if you think there's a chance of failure.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kimbal Musk" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimbal-musk/it-s-only-a-risk-if-you-think-there-s-a-chance-of-failure/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Chance" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimbal-musk/it-s-only-a-risk-if-you-think-there-s-a-chance-of-failure/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37b/kimbal-musk-6353_chance_it-s-only-a-risk-if-you-think-there-s-a_2895989.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37b/kimbal-musk-6353_chance_it-s-only-a-risk-if-you-think-there-s-a_2895989.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37b/kimbal-musk-6353_chance_it-s-only-a-risk-if-you-think-there-s-a_2895989.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It's only a risk if you think there's a chance of failure.” — Kimbal Musk", "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": "Kimbal Musk", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimbal-musk/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It's only a risk if you...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimbal-musk/it-s-only-a-risk-if-you-think-there-s-a-chance-of-failure/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimbal-musk/it-s-only-a-risk-if-you-think-there-s-a-chance-of-failure/#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 } } ] } ```