--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Most of us would rather risk a…" description: "\"“Most of us would rather risk a catastrophe than read the instructions.”\" — Mignon McLaughlin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e3/mignon-mclaughlin-742_advice_most-of-us-would-rather-risk-a-catastrop_3113039.png" --- # Most of us would rather risk a catastrophe than read the… ![“Most of us would rather risk a catastrophe than read the instructions.” quote by Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e3/mignon-mclaughlin-742_advice_most-of-us-would-rather-risk-a-catastrop_3113039.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e3/mignon-mclaughlin-742_advice_most-of-us-would-rather-risk-a-catastrop_3113039.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e3/mignon-mclaughlin-742_advice_most-of-us-would-rather-risk-a-catastrop_3113039.png) > ““Most of us would rather risk a catastrophe than read the instructions.”” [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People often prefer taking reckless risks over following guidance, highlighting a tendency toward impulsive behavior. **In simple terms:** People like risk more than instructions. Key Takeaway Consider the value of guidance before acting. Themes risk rebellion instruction Mood cautious critical Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - financial decisions - health choices - DIY projects - travel planning Key Concepts behavioral economics psychology Questions to Reflect On - Why do you ignore instructions? - What benefits could following them bring? A Different Perspective Risk can lead to harmful consequences without proper knowledge. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advice/) [Catastrophe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/catastrophe/) [Catastrophe Read](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/catastrophe-read-1862598/) [Caution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caution/) [Read Instructions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/read-instructions-871915/) [Risk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risk/) [Risk Catastrophe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risk-catastrophe-1862597/) ## Related quotes > [Most of us would rather risk catastrophe than read the directions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/most-of-us-would-rather-risk-catastrophe-than-read-the-directions/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) > [Read the instructions - but sometimes you have to break all the rules.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-d-dangoor/read-the-instructions-but-sometimes-you-have-to-break-all-the-rules/) [Robert D Dangoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-d-dangoor/) > ['Maybe you should read the instructions...' NO! I GOT THIS!!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/maybe-you-should-read-the-instructions-no-i-got-this/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Mazing Quote's?. Maybe you should read the instructions ... NO!! I GOT THIS!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/mazing-quote-s-maybe-you-should-read-the-instructions-no-i-got-this/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When all else fails, read the instructions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-all-else-fails-read-the-instructions/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If everything else fails, read the instructions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-everything-else-fails-read-the-instructions/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [I'm a great believer in the principle of try it and work it out. If a gadget is designed well, you can easily work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-may/i-m-a-great-believer-in-the-principle-of-try-it-and-work-it-out-if-a/) [James May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-may/) > [Men say women should come with instructions.. what's the point of that? Have you ever seen a man actually read the instructions?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/men-say-women-should-come-with-instructions-what-s-the-point-of-that/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [I think that most things, if you want to use them properly, take quite a lot of time and I don't necessarily have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-torode/i-think-that-most-things-if-you-want-to-use-them-properly-take-quite/) [John Torode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-torode/) > [“In life, as in breakfast cereal, it is always best to read the instructions on the box.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/in-life-as-in-breakfast-cereal-it-is-always-best-to-read-the/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [People hate to and will not read instructions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/people-hate-to-and-will-not-read-instructions/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) > [To you, the people of Flint, I say, as I have before, I am sorry and I will fix it. No citizen of this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-snyder/to-you-the-people-of-flint-i-say-as-i-have-before-i-am-sorry-and-i/) [Rick Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-snyder/) > [“..the sense of a catastrophe perpetually invoked and avoided creates a rapture in whose depths horror and pleasure coincide...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-leiris/the-sense-of-a-catastrophe-perpetually-invoked-and-avoided-creates-a/) [Michel Leiris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-leiris/) > [I was asked the other day if I would be interested in the Nobel Prize, but I think that for me it would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/i-was-asked-the-other-day-if-i-would-be-interested-in-the-nobel-prize/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [Many individuals spend a considerable portion of their lifetimes in terror of one imagined catastrophe or another. The classic is that your immortal soul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/many-individuals-spend-a-considerable-portion-of-their-lifetimes-in/) [L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) ## More by Mignon McLaughlin > [As we are human, we can't do what we can't do; as we're neurotic, we can't do what we can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/as-we-are-human-we-can-t-do-what-we-can-t-do-as-we-re-neurotic-we-can/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) > [Naturally, the neurotic wants you to love him twice as much, for he's going to cut it in half anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/naturally-the-neurotic-wants-you-to-love-him-twice-as-much-for-he-s/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) > [We have a terror of seeming to exert ourselves, lest it be noticed that we exerted ourselves and did not succeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/we-have-a-terror-of-seeming-to-exert-ourselves-lest-it-be-noticed/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) > [The three horrors of modern life - talk without meaning, desire without love, work without satisfaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/the-three-horrors-of-modern-life-talk-without-meaning-desire-without/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) > [We are never more self-righteous than when giving up what we should have shunned all along.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/we-are-never-more-self-righteous-than-when-giving-up-what-we-should/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) > [The time to begin most things is ten years ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/the-time-to-begin-most-things-is-ten-years-ago/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) > [One of life's few really reliable pleasures: to have a family you love, and to leave them for a week.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/one-of-life-s-few-really-reliable-pleasures-to-have-a-family-you-love/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) > [So long as God reveals Himself, or doesn't, He is behaving like God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/so-long-as-god-reveals-himself-or-doesn-t-he-is-behaving-like-god/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) > [The total history of almost anyone would shock almost everyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/the-total-history-of-almost-anyone-would-shock-almost-everyone/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) > [There are children born to be children, and others who must mark time till they can take their natural places as adults.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/there-are-children-born-to-be-children-and-others-who-must-mark-time/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) > [In life, as in restaurants, we swallow a lot of indigestible stuff just because it comes with the dinner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/in-life-as-in-restaurants-we-swallow-a-lot-of-indigestible-stuff-just/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) > [Neurotics always feel as though they were going way up or way down, which is odd in people going sideways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/neurotics-always-feel-as-though-they-were-going-way-up-or-way-down/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) > [Even in the same family, one child will always instinctively know when to ask for things, and another won't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/even-in-the-same-family-one-child-will-always-instinctively-know-when/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) > [People find it hard to be both comic and serious, though life manages it easily enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/people-find-it-hard-to-be-both-comic-and-serious-though-life-manages/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) > [No good neurotic finds it difficult to be both opinionated and indecisive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/no-good-neurotic-finds-it-difficult-to-be-both-opinionated-and/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) [Explore all 383 Mignon McLaughlin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) ## More Advice quotes > [The sensible person is always serious about sensible advice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/the-sensible-person-is-always-serious-about-sensible-advice/) [Mak\_786](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786/) > [I ask for tips, for advice. What I have also learnt is that I need to do things that are good for me. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthijs-de-ligt/i-ask-for-tips-for-advice-what-i-have-also-learnt-is-that-i-need-to/) [Matthijs de Ligt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthijs-de-ligt/) > [Don't get too attached to someone you know you can't be together with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/don-t-get-too-attached-to-someone-you-know-you-can-t-be-together-with/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [A low-minded person should not be given good advice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanakya/a-low-minded-person-should-not-be-given-good-advice/) [Chanakya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanakya/) > [The worst advice? 'Don't listen to the critics.' I think that you really ought to listen to the critics, because sometimes they're telling you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-worst-advice-don-t-listen-to-the-critics-i-think-that-you-really/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [When I was in my twenties and just so sexually prolific, the first time I went to Machu Picchu, this guy, a spiritual teacher,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-harrelson/when-i-was-in-my-twenties-and-just-so-sexually-prolific-the-first/) [Woody Harrelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-harrelson/) > [The best way to succeed in this world is to act on the advice you give to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/the-best-way-to-succeed-in-this-world-is-to-act-on-the-advice-you/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [Time is priceless. You have it, but you don't own it. You spend it, but you can't keep it. And once it's gone, there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/time-is-priceless-you-have-it-but-you-don-t-own-it-you-spend-it-but/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You don't need to take a persons advice to make him feel good, just ask him for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/you-don-t-need-to-take-a-persons-advice-to-make-him-feel-good-just/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) > [Some of the things that we hold onto the most, are the things that we need to let go of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryaj-ablando-catayas/some-of-the-things-that-we-hold-onto-the-most-are-the-things-that-we/) [Ryaj Ablando Catayas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryaj-ablando-catayas/) > [“If your clothes are enough to drive would-be friends away, they're not the kind of friends you want." Typical mother advice. Sweet, honest, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aprilynne-pike/if-your-clothes-are-enough-to-drive-would-be-friends-away-they-re-not/) [Aprilynne Pike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aprilynne-pike/) > [“My kingdom not for a horse, but for a good piece of advice!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/my-kingdom-not-for-a-horse-but-for-a-good-piece-of-advice/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [I always advise people not to act upon the advice that I give them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/i-always-advise-people-not-to-act-upon-the-advice-that-i-give-them/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [ \[A\]s you partake of the world's bill of fare, that's darned good advice to follow. Do a lot of spitting out the hot air.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-seuss/a-s-you-partake-of-the-world-s-bill-of-fare-that-s-darned-good-advice/) [Dr. Seuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-seuss/) > [My relationship with Ibrahimovic was completely neutral. He is not the type of player to approach the younger players and give them advice. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kingsley-coman/my-relationship-with-ibrahimovic-was-completely-neutral-he-is-not-the/) [Kingsley Coman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kingsley-coman/) [Browse all 8,535 Advice quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advice/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Most of us would rather risk a catastrophe than read the instructions.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mignon McLaughlin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/most-of-us-would-rather-risk-a-catastrophe-than-read-the-instructions/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Advice" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/most-of-us-would-rather-risk-a-catastrophe-than-read-the-instructions/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e3/mignon-mclaughlin-742_advice_most-of-us-would-rather-risk-a-catastrop_3113039.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e3/mignon-mclaughlin-742_advice_most-of-us-would-rather-risk-a-catastrop_3113039.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e3/mignon-mclaughlin-742_advice_most-of-us-would-rather-risk-a-catastrop_3113039.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Most of us would rather risk a catastrophe than read the instructions.” — Mignon McLaughlin", "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": "Mignon McLaughlin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Most of us would rather risk...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/most-of-us-would-rather-risk-a-catastrophe-than-read-the-instructions/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/most-of-us-would-rather-risk-a-catastrophe-than-read-the-instructions/#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 } } ] } ```