--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We are standing in a pool of gasoline…" description: "\"“We are standing in a pool of gasoline. Tom says we should not light any matches. Dick says we should light all the matches we have. I propose a compro..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fe/peg-tittle-82589_gasoline_we-are-standing-in-a-pool-of-gasoline-to_2439189.jpg" --- # We are standing in a pool of gasoline. Tom says we should… ![“We are standing in a pool of gasoline. Tom says we should not light any matches. Dick says we should light all the matches we have. I propose a compromise: let’s light half of the matches in our possession.” quote by Peg Tittle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fe/peg-tittle-82589_gasoline_we-are-standing-in-a-pool-of-gasoline-to_2439189.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fe/peg-tittle-82589_gasoline_we-are-standing-in-a-pool-of-gasoline-to_2439189.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fe/peg-tittle-82589_gasoline_we-are-standing-in-a-pool-of-gasoline-to_2439189.jpg) > ““We are standing in a pool of gasoline. Tom says we should not light any matches. Dick says we should light all the matches we have. I propose a compromise: let’s light half of the matches in our possession.”” Peg Tittle ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Compromise can be a middle ground between extremes, but may still be risky. **In simple terms:** Compromise balances extremes. Key Takeaway Find a safe middle path. Themes conflict decision making risk Mood cautious strategic Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - team negotiations - project planning - resource allocation - emergency response Key Concepts strategic compromise risk assessment Questions to Reflect On - When is compromise insufficient? - How to evaluate risks of a middle option? A Different Perspective Compromise may still be dangerous. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [The nuclear arms race is like two people sitting in a pool of gasoline spending all their time making matches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-denver/the-nuclear-arms-race-is-like-two-people-sitting-in-a-pool-of/) [John Denver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-denver/) > [“That’s right, ladies. I like dick. Lots of dick. Luckily for me, I’m getting the good dick. But even more luckily for you, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meghan-march/that-s-right-ladies-i-like-dick-lots-of-dick-luckily-for-me-i-m/) [Meghan March](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meghan-march/) > [“Where are we going?” I paused. Grim glanced back me. “Does it matter? Your dick says it doesn’t.” Yeah,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cox/where-are-we-going-i-paused-grim-glanced-back-me-does-it-matter-your/) [James Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cox/) > [Jerry says to Tom I have lot of friends Tom says , like who Jerry says like jake and irene … wait irene doesnt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sierra/jerry-says-to-tom-i-have-lot-of-friends-tom-says-like-who-jerry-says/) [Sierra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sierra/) > [She could have dropped you both off. whar's the worst she can do? cry hysterically?"the gears on the ute get stuck at the lights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/she-could-have-dropped-you-both-off-whar-s-the-worst-she-can-do-cry/) [Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/) > [“Nothing tastes as good as being thin feels." Marsha thinks about this. Then she says, "Not true." "I know," Tom says, and sighs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/nothing-tastes-as-good-as-being-thin-feels-marsha-thinks-about-this/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [Brazil does not want to become an exporter of crude oil. No. We want to be a country that exports oil byproducts - more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luiz-inacio-lula-da-silva/brazil-does-not-want-to-become-an-exporter-of-crude-oil-no-we-want-to/) [Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luiz-inacio-lula-da-silva/) > [The car bomb was fertilizer, gasoline, fireworks and propane tanks...still safer than a Toyota.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/the-car-bomb-was-fertilizer-gasoline-fireworks-and-propane-tanks/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [“I took a shower under a fountain drink machine at a gas station because it beats showering with unleaded gasoline at $3.33 a gallon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-took-a-shower-under-a-fountain-drink-machine-at-a-gas-station/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“Strangest of all, we’ve convinced ourselves that our health has nothing to do with what we eat. People who will spend that extra 20…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alicia-silverstone/strangest-of-all-we-ve-convinced-ourselves-that-our-health-has/) [Alicia Silverstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alicia-silverstone/) > [I seriously think I could have sat in the middle of the kitchen floor rubbing two sticks together over a pile of dynamite blocks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-sonnenblick/i-seriously-think-i-could-have-sat-in-the-middle-of-the-kitchen-floor/) [Jordan Sonnenblick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-sonnenblick/) > [And as you point out, for American families who struggle every day to figure out how do they pay, we talk about gasoline prices.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allyson-schwartz/and-as-you-point-out-for-american-families-who-struggle-every-day-to/) [Allyson Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allyson-schwartz/) > [“We seem to be oil and water." "More like gasoline and a match.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mercy-celeste/we-seem-to-be-oil-and-water-more-like-gasoline-and-a-match/) [Mercy Celeste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mercy-celeste/) > [Hillary Clinton has decided to line up with John McCain in pushing to suspend the federal excise tax on gasoline, 18.4 cents a gallon,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/hillary-clinton-has-decided-to-line-up-with-john-mccain-in-pushing-to/) [Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) > [Gasoline inventories are tighter than they were a few weeks ago. It's all about perception, because inventories are well above where they have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-cooper/gasoline-inventories-are-tighter-than-they-were-a-few-weeks-ago-it-s/) Kyle Cooper ## More by Peg Tittle > [“For example, suppose I said that selling unsafe products was wrong because it hurt people (and hurting people is wrong), and you responded by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peg-tittle/for-example-suppose-i-said-that-selling-unsafe-products-was-wrong/) Peg Tittle > [“In a recent experiment, scientific researchers exposed a group of teenaged boys to an arcade game, and found that all of them had unclean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peg-tittle/in-a-recent-experiment-scientific-researchers-exposed-a-group-of/) Peg Tittle Explore all 3 Peg Tittle quotes ## More Gasoline quotes > [Gasoline inventories are tighter than they were a few weeks ago. It's all about perception, because inventories are well above where they have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-cooper/gasoline-inventories-are-tighter-than-they-were-a-few-weeks-ago-it-s/) Kyle Cooper > [Hillary Clinton has decided to line up with John McCain in pushing to suspend the federal excise tax on gasoline, 18.4 cents a gallon,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/hillary-clinton-has-decided-to-line-up-with-john-mccain-in-pushing-to/) [Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) > [“We seem to be oil and water." "More like gasoline and a match.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mercy-celeste/we-seem-to-be-oil-and-water-more-like-gasoline-and-a-match/) [Mercy Celeste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mercy-celeste/) > [And as you point out, for American families who struggle every day to figure out how do they pay, we talk about gasoline prices.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allyson-schwartz/and-as-you-point-out-for-american-families-who-struggle-every-day-to/) [Allyson Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allyson-schwartz/) > [I seriously think I could have sat in the middle of the kitchen floor rubbing two sticks together over a pile of dynamite blocks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-sonnenblick/i-seriously-think-i-could-have-sat-in-the-middle-of-the-kitchen-floor/) [Jordan Sonnenblick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-sonnenblick/) > [“Strangest of all, we’ve convinced ourselves that our health has nothing to do with what we eat. People who will spend that extra 20…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alicia-silverstone/strangest-of-all-we-ve-convinced-ourselves-that-our-health-has/) [Alicia Silverstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alicia-silverstone/) > [“I took a shower under a fountain drink machine at a gas station because it beats showering with unleaded gasoline at $3.33 a gallon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-took-a-shower-under-a-fountain-drink-machine-at-a-gas-station/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [The car bomb was fertilizer, gasoline, fireworks and propane tanks...still safer than a Toyota.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/the-car-bomb-was-fertilizer-gasoline-fireworks-and-propane-tanks/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [Brazil does not want to become an exporter of crude oil. No. We want to be a country that exports oil byproducts - more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luiz-inacio-lula-da-silva/brazil-does-not-want-to-become-an-exporter-of-crude-oil-no-we-want-to/) [Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luiz-inacio-lula-da-silva/) > [Our president's latest energy initiative was to go to Saudi Arabia and beg King Abdullah to give us a little relief on gasoline prices.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/our-president-s-latest-energy-initiative-was-to-go-to-saudi-arabia/) [Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) > [Sleep is the gasoline that keeps me going.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eads/sleep-is-the-gasoline-that-keeps-me-going/) [George Eads](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eads/) > [Flames from the lips may be produced by holding in the mouth a sponge saturated with the purest gasoline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-houdini/flames-from-the-lips-may-be-produced-by-holding-in-the-mouth-a-sponge/) [Harry Houdini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-houdini/) > [Content is fire. Social media is gasoline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-kahn/content-is-fire-social-media-is-gasoline/) Ryan Kahn > [Democrats are fighting for a new direction that includes protecting Social Security as well as making healthcare affordable, bringing down the high cost of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-clyburn/democrats-are-fighting-for-a-new-direction-that-includes-protecting/) [Jim Clyburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-clyburn/) > [Words matter. Words can be a fire to the gasoline of disturbed minds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-malinowski/words-matter-words-can-be-a-fire-to-the-gasoline-of-disturbed-minds/) [Tom Malinowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-malinowski/) Browse all 252 Gasoline quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“We are standing in a pool of gasoline. Tom says we should not light any matches. Dick says we should light all the matches we have. I propose a compromise: let’s light half of the matches in our possession.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Peg Tittle" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peg-tittle/we-are-standing-in-a-pool-of-gasoline-tom-says-we-should-not-light/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Gasoline" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peg-tittle/we-are-standing-in-a-pool-of-gasoline-tom-says-we-should-not-light/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fe/peg-tittle-82589_gasoline_we-are-standing-in-a-pool-of-gasoline-to_2439189.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fe/peg-tittle-82589_gasoline_we-are-standing-in-a-pool-of-gasoline-to_2439189.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fe/peg-tittle-82589_gasoline_we-are-standing-in-a-pool-of-gasoline-to_2439189.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We are standing in a pool of gasoline. Tom says we should not light any matches. Dick says we should light…” — Peg Tittle", "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": "Peg Tittle", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peg-tittle/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“We are standing in a pool...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peg-tittle/we-are-standing-in-a-pool-of-gasoline-tom-says-we-should-not-light/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peg-tittle/we-are-standing-in-a-pool-of-gasoline-tom-says-we-should-not-light/#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 } } ] } ```