--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A mistake in judgment isn't fatal, but…" description: "\"A mistake in judgment isn't fatal, but too much anxiety about judgment is.\" — Pauline Kael" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b5/pauline-kael-6910_anxiety_a-mistake-in-judgment-isn-t-fatal-but-to_3083397.jpg" --- # A mistake in judgment isn't fatal, but too much anxiety… ![“A mistake in judgment isn't fatal, but too much anxiety about judgment is.” quote by Pauline Kael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b5/pauline-kael-6910_anxiety_a-mistake-in-judgment-isn-t-fatal-but-to_3083397.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b5/pauline-kael-6910_anxiety_a-mistake-in-judgment-isn-t-fatal-but-to_3083397.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b5/pauline-kael-6910_anxiety_a-mistake-in-judgment-isn-t-fatal-but-to_3083397.jpg) > “A mistake in judgment isn't fatal, but too much anxiety about judgment is.” [Pauline Kael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-kael/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Judgment errors are survivable; excessive worry about them is more harmful than the error itself. **In simple terms:** Mistakes are okay, but over‑worrying hurts. Key Takeaway Limit anxiety over mistakes. Themes self‑criticism confidence risk‑taking Mood reflective cautious Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - public speaking - creative work - decision making Key Concepts Cognitive bias emotional regulation Questions to Reflect On - Do you let fear of judgment stop you? - How can you balance reflection with confidence? A Different Perspective Over‑analysis can paralyze action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anxiety](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anxiety/) [Decision making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision-making/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Judgment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judgment/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) ## Related quotes > [I would much rather be found guilty of making a serious mistake in judgment, than to be accused of being even a little bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-quincy-adams/i-would-much-rather-be-found-guilty-of-making-a-serious-mistake-in/) [John Quincy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-quincy-adams/) > [Knowledge being to be had only of visible and certain truth, error is not a fault of our knowledge, but a mistake of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-locke/knowledge-being-to-be-had-only-of-visible-and-certain-truth-error-is/) [John Locke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-locke/) > [My goal is to write every day. I say it is my ideal. I am careful not to pass judgment or create anxiety if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-goldberg/my-goal-is-to-write-every-day-i-say-it-is-my-ideal-i-am-careful-not/) [Natalie Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-goldberg/) > [More exposure leads to more judgment and negativity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camila-morrone/more-exposure-leads-to-more-judgment-and-negativity/) [Camila Morrone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camila-morrone/) > [Every man will have his own criterion in forming his judgment of others. I depend very much on the effect of affliction. I consider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-cecil/every-man-will-have-his-own-criterion-in-forming-his-judgment-of/) [Richard Cecil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-cecil/) > [Love's mind of judgment rarely hath a taste: Wings and no eyes figure unheedy haste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/love-s-mind-of-judgment-rarely-hath-a-taste-wings-and-no-eyes-figure/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [A hard heart makes for hard judgments; a compassionate heart understands the humanity of the one we presume to judge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-d-chittister/a-hard-heart-makes-for-hard-judgments-a-compassionate-heart/) [Joan D. Chittister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-d-chittister/) > [It isn't bad judgment to make a man believe he is something. 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Remove the judgment and the pain disappears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/pain-results-from-a-judgment-you-have-made-about-a-thing-remove-the/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [Humans are, as Sartre put it, 'condemned to be free'. To insist that science, or God, objectively defines moral values is to abandon our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenan-malik/humans-are-as-sartre-put-it-condemned-to-be-free-to-insist-that/) Kenan Malik ## More by Pauline Kael > [The worst thing about movie-making is that it's like life: nobody can go back to correct the mistakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-kael/the-worst-thing-about-movie-making-is-that-it-s-like-life-nobody-can/) [Pauline Kael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-kael/) > [Movies have been doing so much of the same thing - in slightly different ways - for so long that few of the possibilities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-kael/movies-have-been-doing-so-much-of-the-same-thing-in-slightly/) [Pauline Kael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-kael/) > [The critic is the only independent source of information. The rest is advertising.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-kael/the-critic-is-the-only-independent-source-of-information-the-rest-is/) [Pauline Kael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-kael/) > [A good movie can take you out of your dull funk and the hopelessness that so often goes with slipping into a theatre; a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-kael/a-good-movie-can-take-you-out-of-your-dull-funk-and-the-hopelessness/) [Pauline Kael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-kael/) > [The movies have been so rank the last couple of years that when I see people lining up to buy tickets I sometimes think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-kael/the-movies-have-been-so-rank-the-last-couple-of-years-that-when-i-see/) [Pauline Kael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-kael/) > [Movies are so rarely great art that if we cannot appreciate great trash we have very little reason to be interested in them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-kael/movies-are-so-rarely-great-art-that-if-we-cannot-appreciate-great/) [Pauline Kael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-kael/) > [If you use Hollywood as the test tissue for mankind, what could the prognosis be?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-kael/if-you-use-hollywood-as-the-test-tissue-for-mankind-what-could-the/) [Pauline Kael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-kael/) > [Where there is a will, there is a way. 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If I'm nervous I know I'm going to have a good show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beyonce-knowles/i-get-nervous-when-i-don-t-get-nervous-if-i-m-nervous-i-know-i-m/) [Beyonce Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beyonce-knowles/) > [“Every invention comes through anxiousness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rakesh-wadhwani/every-invention-comes-through-anxiousness/) [Rakesh Wadhwani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rakesh-wadhwani/) > [“Do Not Be Anxious 25 e “Therefore I tell you,  f do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-not-be-anxious-25-e-therefore-i-tell-you-f-do-not-be-anxious-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Nothing happens on its own, you have to make things happen. If you really want to come out of your stressful situation than you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subodh-gupta/nothing-happens-on-its-own-you-have-to-make-things-happen-if-you/) [Subodh Gupta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subodh-gupta/) > [“I guess if we're talking about my anxiety, the even truthier truth is it started way before that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-winfrey/i-guess-if-we-re-talking-about-my-anxiety-the-even-truthier-truth-is/) [Kerry Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-winfrey/) > [I was a very good student. Procrastinating gives me anxiety, and getting a B really ticked me off. Sure, I didn't always want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josie-loren/i-was-a-very-good-student-procrastinating-gives-me-anxiety-and/) [Josie Loren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josie-loren/) > [“The suspense: the fearful, acute suspense: of standing idly by while the life of one we dearly love, is trembling in the balance; the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/the-suspense-the-fearful-acute-suspense-of-standing-idly-by-while-the/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [The party in Alobar’s head, which agitation and anxiety were throwing, now was crashed by a notion: existence can be rearranged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/the-party-in-alobar-s-head-which-agitation-and-anxiety-were-throwing/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [As you know, I have been very open about my struggle with social anxiety.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/summer-walker/as-you-know-i-have-been-very-open-about-my-struggle-with-social/) [Summer Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/summer-walker/) > [Anxiety is not to be managed it is a sin that needs to be repented of](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-driscoll/anxiety-is-not-to-be-managed-it-is-a-sin-that-needs-to-be-repented-of/) [Mark Driscoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-driscoll/) > [“I’ve always seen this in you, ever since you were a little girl — this hunger to love other people into their highest selves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-elisabeth/i-ve-always-seen-this-in-you-ever-since-you-were-a-little-girl-this/) [Jennifer Elisabeth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-elisabeth/) [Browse all 4,944 Anxiety quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anxiety/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A mistake in judgment isn't fatal, but too much anxiety about judgment is.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Pauline Kael" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-kael/a-mistake-in-judgment-isn-t-fatal-but-too-much-anxiety-about-judgment/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Anxiety" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-kael/a-mistake-in-judgment-isn-t-fatal-but-too-much-anxiety-about-judgment/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b5/pauline-kael-6910_anxiety_a-mistake-in-judgment-isn-t-fatal-but-to_3083397.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b5/pauline-kael-6910_anxiety_a-mistake-in-judgment-isn-t-fatal-but-to_3083397.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b5/pauline-kael-6910_anxiety_a-mistake-in-judgment-isn-t-fatal-but-to_3083397.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A mistake in judgment isn't fatal, but too much anxiety about judgment is.” — Pauline Kael", "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": "Pauline Kael", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-kael/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A mistake in judgment isn't fatal,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-kael/a-mistake-in-judgment-isn-t-fatal-but-too-much-anxiety-about-judgment/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-kael/a-mistake-in-judgment-isn-t-fatal-but-too-much-anxiety-about-judgment/#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 } } ] } ```