--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: object is to take lots of small…" description: "\"“object is to take lots of small, manageable risks, because that, he says, is the only way to figure out what really works.”\" — Megan McArdle" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b00/megan-mcardle-26163_manageable_object-is-to-take-lots-of-small-manageab_1256077.png" --- # object is to take lots of small, manageable risks, because… ![“object is to take lots of small, manageable risks, because that, he says, is the only way to figure out what really works.” quote by Megan McArdle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b00/megan-mcardle-26163_manageable_object-is-to-take-lots-of-small-manageab_1256077.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b00/megan-mcardle-26163_manageable_object-is-to-take-lots-of-small-manageab_1256077.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b00/megan-mcardle-26163_manageable_object-is-to-take-lots-of-small-manageab_1256077.png) > ““object is to take lots of small, manageable risks, because that, he says, is the only way to figure out what really works.”” [Megan McArdle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mcardle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Success comes from repeatedly testing small, controllable risks to discover effective strategies. **In simple terms:** Small risks reveal what works. Key Takeaway Embrace manageable risks. Themes experiment learning risk management Mood cautious optimistic Type motivational practical When to use this quote - startup planning - personal development - product design - career pivots Key Concepts Iterative testing adaptive strategy Questions to Reflect On - What small risk could you test this week? - How do you evaluate the results? A Different Perspective Risk‑taking can lead to analysis paralysis if not balanced. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Manageable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manageable/) [Manageable Risks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manageable-risks-3976693/) [Object](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/object/) [Object Lots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/object-lots-3976698/) [Risk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risk/) [Risks Says](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risks-says-3976695/) ## Related quotes > [“If it is not measurable it is not manageable.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clay-clark/if-it-is-not-measurable-it-is-not-manageable/) [Clay Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clay-clark/) > [I consider my girls the greatest gift from God in life. And I also love the career that I have built, lost and rebuilt.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mika-brzezinski/i-consider-my-girls-the-greatest-gift-from-god-in-life-and-i-also/) [Mika Brzezinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mika-brzezinski/) > [A reader ought to be able to hold it and become familiar with its organized contents and make it a mind's manageable companion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/a-reader-ought-to-be-able-to-hold-it-and-become-familiar-with-its/) [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) > [ As Joanna Macy reminds us, "Information by itself can increase resistance \[to engagement\], deepening the sense of apathy and powerlessness." Stories about particular individuals… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rogat-loeb/as-joanna-macy-reminds-us-information-by-itself-can-increase/) [Paul Rogat Loeb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rogat-loeb/) > [To offer the complexities of life as an excuse for not addressing oneself to the simpler, more manageable (trivial) aspects of daily existence is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-grizzuti-harrison/to-offer-the-complexities-of-life-as-an-excuse-for-not-addressing/) [Barbara Grizzuti Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-grizzuti-harrison/) > [I try to naturally keep things to a manageable storytelling length, which is about two hours, so you try to cut out anything extraneous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-mcdonagh/i-try-to-naturally-keep-things-to-a-manageable-storytelling-length/) [Martin McDonagh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-mcdonagh/) > [1 is easy, 2 is manageable, 3 WILL tip you over the edge!!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-szabo/1-is-easy-2-is-manageable-3-will-tip-you-over-the-edge/) [Emma Szabo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-szabo/) > [If our education had included training to bear unpleasantness and to let the first shock pass until we could think more calmly, many an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-weekes/if-our-education-had-included-training-to-bear-unpleasantness-and-to/) [Claire Weekes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-weekes/) > [I'm very ordered and efficient, with my life chopped up and diarised into manageable chunks, including time for relaxing. I couldn't do my job,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-newman/i-m-very-ordered-and-efficient-with-my-life-chopped-up-and-diarised/) [Cathy Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-newman/) > [Your clothing is the most important survival tool you have. Dress properly and any emergency you may have to endure becomes more manageable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mors-kochanski/your-clothing-is-the-most-important-survival-tool-you-have-dress/) [Mors Kochanski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mors-kochanski/) > [These fiery trials are designed to make you stronger, but they have the potential to diminish or even destroy your trust in the Son…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-l-andersen/these-fiery-trials-are-designed-to-make-you-stronger-but-they-have/) [Neil L. Andersen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-l-andersen/) > [When you keep things responsible and manageable, you can make some interesting movies that you maybe couldn't make otherwise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-ball/when-you-keep-things-responsible-and-manageable-you-can-make-some/) [Wes Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-ball/) > [There has been a tendency through the years for reason and moderation to prevail as long as things are going tolerably well or as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-william-fulbright/there-has-been-a-tendency-through-the-years-for-reason-and-moderation/) [J. William Fulbright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-william-fulbright/) > [My identity shifted when I got into # recovery . That's who I am now, and it actually gives me greater pleasure to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-clapton/my-identity-shifted-when-i-got-into-recovery-that-s-who-i-am-now-and/) [Eric Clapton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-clapton/) > [I am manageable. I, you know, it'll suffice I think. No, no, I feel pretty good. I trained for a long time and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-elizabeth-winstead/i-am-manageable-i-you-know-it-ll-suffice-i-think-no-no-i-feel-pretty/) [Mary Elizabeth Winstead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-elizabeth-winstead/) ## More by Megan McArdle > [It is a vast, and pervasive, cognitive mistake to assume that people who agree with you (or disagree) do so on the same criteria…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mcardle/it-is-a-vast-and-pervasive-cognitive-mistake-to-assume-that-people/) [Megan McArdle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mcardle/) > [“Dweck encourages parents and teachers to praise children for their effort, rather than their intelligence, talent, or looks.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mcardle/dweck-encourages-parents-and-teachers-to-praise-children-for-their/) [Megan McArdle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mcardle/) > [“If they’re forced into a challenge they don’t feel prepared for, they may even engage in what psychologists call “self-handicapping”: deliberately doing things that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mcardle/if-they-re-forced-into-a-challenge-they-don-t-feel-prepared-for-they/) [Megan McArdle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mcardle/) > [We have made it impossible for children to fall very far—and in so doing, we have robbed them of the joys of climbing high.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mcardle/we-have-made-it-impossible-for-children-to-fall-very-far-and-in-so/) [Megan McArdle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mcardle/) > [The up side of down: why failing well is the key to success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mcardle/the-up-side-of-down-why-failing-well-is-the-key-to-success/) [Megan McArdle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mcardle/) > [“Most of all, learning to fail well means overcoming our natural instincts to blame someone—maybe ourselves—whenever something goes wrong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mcardle/most-of-all-learning-to-fail-well-means-overcoming-our-natural/) [Megan McArdle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mcardle/) > [Over the years, I developed a theory about why writers are such procrastinators: We were too good in English class. This sounds crazy, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mcardle/over-the-years-i-developed-a-theory-about-why-writers-are-such/) [Megan McArdle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mcardle/) > [“The alternative to villains who have done something wrong is a universe where bad things sometimes happen to people who don’t deserve them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mcardle/the-alternative-to-villains-who-have-done-something-wrong-is-a/) [Megan McArdle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mcardle/) > [“...simple things, but each error made the other ones more dangerous, like sticks of kindling to a roaring fire”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mcardle/simple-things-but-each-error-made-the-other-ones-more-dangerous-like/) [megan mcardle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mcardle/) > [If we wanted a program to help the majority of the population, we'd offer loan guarantees to help poor people get access to reliable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mcardle/if-we-wanted-a-program-to-help-the-majority-of-the-population-we-d/) [Megan McArdle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mcardle/) > [“If they’re forced into a challenge they don’t feel prepared for, they may even engage in what psychologists call “self-handicapping”: deliberately doing things that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mcardle/if-they-re-forced-into-a-challenge-they-don-t-feel-prepared-for-they-2/) [Megan McArdle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mcardle/) > [“the people who dislike challenges think that talent is a fixed thing that you’re either born with or not. The people who relish them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mcardle/the-people-who-dislike-challenges-think-that-talent-is-a-fixed-thing/) [Megan McArdle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mcardle/) > [“Like most people, I couldn't let go of the money we'd wasted. That's why so many people eat awful meals, watch horrible movies, read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mcardle/like-most-people-i-couldn-t-let-go-of-the-money-we-d-wasted-that-s/) [Megan McArdle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mcardle/) > [“Writers who don’t produce copy—or leave it so long that they couldn’t possibly produce something good—are giving themselves the perfect excuse for not succeeding.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mcardle/writers-who-don-t-produce-copy-or-leave-it-so-long-that-they-couldn-t/) [Megan McArdle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mcardle/) > [I'd also like us to encourage people to gang rush shooters, rather than following their instincts to hide; if we drilled it into young…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mcardle/i-d-also-like-us-to-encourage-people-to-gang-rush-shooters-rather/) [Megan McArdle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mcardle/) [Explore all 22 Megan McArdle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mcardle/) ## More Manageable quotes > [“If it is not measurable it is not manageable.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clay-clark/if-it-is-not-measurable-it-is-not-manageable/) [Clay Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clay-clark/) > [My identity shifted when I got into # recovery . That's who I am now, and it actually gives me greater pleasure to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-clapton/my-identity-shifted-when-i-got-into-recovery-that-s-who-i-am-now-and/) [Eric Clapton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-clapton/) > [There has been a tendency through the years for reason and moderation to prevail as long as things are going tolerably well or as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-william-fulbright/there-has-been-a-tendency-through-the-years-for-reason-and-moderation/) [J. William Fulbright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-william-fulbright/) > [When you keep things responsible and manageable, you can make some interesting movies that you maybe couldn't make otherwise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-ball/when-you-keep-things-responsible-and-manageable-you-can-make-some/) [Wes Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-ball/) > [These fiery trials are designed to make you stronger, but they have the potential to diminish or even destroy your trust in the Son…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-l-andersen/these-fiery-trials-are-designed-to-make-you-stronger-but-they-have/) [Neil L. Andersen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-l-andersen/) > [Your clothing is the most important survival tool you have. Dress properly and any emergency you may have to endure becomes more manageable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mors-kochanski/your-clothing-is-the-most-important-survival-tool-you-have-dress/) [Mors Kochanski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mors-kochanski/) > [I'm very ordered and efficient, with my life chopped up and diarised into manageable chunks, including time for relaxing. I couldn't do my job,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-newman/i-m-very-ordered-and-efficient-with-my-life-chopped-up-and-diarised/) [Cathy Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-newman/) > [If our education had included training to bear unpleasantness and to let the first shock pass until we could think more calmly, many an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-weekes/if-our-education-had-included-training-to-bear-unpleasantness-and-to/) [Claire Weekes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-weekes/) > [1 is easy, 2 is manageable, 3 WILL tip you over the edge!!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-szabo/1-is-easy-2-is-manageable-3-will-tip-you-over-the-edge/) [Emma Szabo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-szabo/) > [I try to naturally keep things to a manageable storytelling length, which is about two hours, so you try to cut out anything extraneous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-mcdonagh/i-try-to-naturally-keep-things-to-a-manageable-storytelling-length/) [Martin McDonagh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-mcdonagh/) > [To offer the complexities of life as an excuse for not addressing oneself to the simpler, more manageable (trivial) aspects of daily existence is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-grizzuti-harrison/to-offer-the-complexities-of-life-as-an-excuse-for-not-addressing/) [Barbara Grizzuti Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-grizzuti-harrison/) > [ As Joanna Macy reminds us, "Information by itself can increase resistance \[to engagement\], deepening the sense of apathy and powerlessness." Stories about particular individuals… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rogat-loeb/as-joanna-macy-reminds-us-information-by-itself-can-increase/) [Paul Rogat Loeb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rogat-loeb/) > [A reader ought to be able to hold it and become familiar with its organized contents and make it a mind's manageable companion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/a-reader-ought-to-be-able-to-hold-it-and-become-familiar-with-its/) [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) > [I consider my girls the greatest gift from God in life. And I also love the career that I have built, lost and rebuilt.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mika-brzezinski/i-consider-my-girls-the-greatest-gift-from-god-in-life-and-i-also/) [Mika Brzezinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mika-brzezinski/) > [I am manageable. I, you know, it'll suffice I think. No, no, I feel pretty good. I trained for a long time and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-elizabeth-winstead/i-am-manageable-i-you-know-it-ll-suffice-i-think-no-no-i-feel-pretty/) [Mary Elizabeth Winstead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-elizabeth-winstead/) [Browse all 120 Manageable quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manageable/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“object is to take lots of small, manageable risks, because that, he says, is the only way to figure out what really works.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Megan McArdle" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mcardle/object-is-to-take-lots-of-small-manageable-risks-because-that-he-says/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Manageable" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mcardle/object-is-to-take-lots-of-small-manageable-risks-because-that-he-says/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b00/megan-mcardle-26163_manageable_object-is-to-take-lots-of-small-manageab_1256077.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b00/megan-mcardle-26163_manageable_object-is-to-take-lots-of-small-manageab_1256077.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b00/megan-mcardle-26163_manageable_object-is-to-take-lots-of-small-manageab_1256077.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“object is to take lots of small, manageable risks, because that, he says, is the only way to figure out what…” — Megan McArdle", "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": "Megan McArdle", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mcardle/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“object is to take lots of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mcardle/object-is-to-take-lots-of-small-manageable-risks-because-that-he-says/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mcardle/object-is-to-take-lots-of-small-manageable-risks-because-that-he-says/#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 } } ] } ```