--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When in doubt, delete it." description: "\"When in doubt, delete it.\" — Phil Crosby" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ea/phil-crosby-16889_delete_when-in-doubt-delete-it-1875321_1875321.png" --- # When in doubt, delete it. ![“When in doubt, delete it.” quote by Phil Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ea/phil-crosby-16889_delete_when-in-doubt-delete-it-1875321_1875321.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ea/phil-crosby-16889_delete_when-in-doubt-delete-it-1875321_1875321.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ea/phil-crosby-16889_delete_when-in-doubt-delete-it-1875321_1875321.png) > “When in doubt, delete it.” [Phil Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-crosby/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When uncertain, removing the item eliminates potential problems, advocating a simple, decisive approach to doubt. **In simple terms:** Delete uncertain things to avoid issues. Key Takeaway Act decisively when unsure. Themes decision‑making clarity efficiency risk management Mood practical direct Type advice strategy When to use this quote - email management - project planning - personal organization - content creation Key Concepts simplicity confidence problem solving Questions to Reflect On - When is deletion the best option? - What alternatives exist for handling doubt? A Different Perspective May result in loss of valuable information. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Delete](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delete/) [Doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubt/) [Doubt Delete](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubt-delete-2613890/) [Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/editors/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [When in doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/when-in-doubt/) ## Related quotes > [When in doubt, leave it out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-bloch/when-in-doubt-leave-it-out/) [Joshua Bloch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-bloch/) > [When in doubt, always choose love & gratitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-elrod/when-in-doubt-always-choose-love-gratitude/) [Hal Elrod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-elrod/) > [My toils in the quotation field have led me to formulate two or three laws about the way people use and abuse quotations. My…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-rees/my-toils-in-the-quotation-field-have-led-me-to-formulate-two-or-three/) [Nigel Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-rees/) > [When in doubt, the rule of threes is a rule that plays well with all of storytelling. When describing a thing? No more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-wendig/when-in-doubt-the-rule-of-threes-is-a-rule-that-plays-well-with-all/) [Chuck Wendig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-wendig/) > [When in doubt, mock the powerful, not the powerless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lovett/when-in-doubt-mock-the-powerful-not-the-powerless/) [Jon Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lovett/) > [My father said, ‘When in doubt, castle.’](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/my-father-said-when-in-doubt-castle/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [When in doubt, stand still.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-andrews/when-in-doubt-stand-still/) [Julie Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-andrews/) > [Don't strive for somebody else's notion of perfection. It's an unattainable and ultimately ridiculous goal. Strive instead to be uniquely yourself and when in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meredith-vieira/don-t-strive-for-somebody-else-s-notion-of-perfection-it-s-an/) [Meredith Vieira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meredith-vieira/) > [When in doubt, make funny faces.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-poehler/when-in-doubt-make-funny-faces/) [Amy Poehler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-poehler/) > [When in doubt, wear a suit. Look at male politicians: you see them in a suit, and they look fine. But if you see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carine-roitfeld/when-in-doubt-wear-a-suit-look-at-male-politicians-you-see-them-in-a/) [Carine Roitfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carine-roitfeld/) > [Conservatism is the policy of make no change and consult your grandmother when in doubt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woodrow-wilson/conservatism-is-the-policy-of-make-no-change-and-consult-your/) [Woodrow Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woodrow-wilson/) > [When in doubt, throw it out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-jackson/when-in-doubt-throw-it-out/) [Jeremy Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-jackson/) > [A conservative is someone who makes no changes and consults his grandmother when in doubt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woodrow-wilson/a-conservative-is-someone-who-makes-no-changes-and-consults-his/) [Woodrow Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woodrow-wilson/) > [My crutch was, in improvs, when in doubt, play insane, because you didn't have to excuse anything that came out of your mouth. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-o-hara/my-crutch-was-in-improvs-when-in-doubt-play-insane-because-you-didn-t/) [Catherine O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-o-hara/) > [When in doubt, grab power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caspar-weinberger/when-in-doubt-grab-power/) [Caspar Weinberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caspar-weinberger/) ## More by Phil Crosby > [You don't have to be noisy to be effective.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-crosby/you-don-t-have-to-be-noisy-to-be-effective/) [Phil Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-crosby/) > [We must define quality as conformance to specifications if we are to manage it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-crosby/we-must-define-quality-as-conformance-to-specifications-if-we-are-to/) [Phil Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-crosby/) > [Selecting the right person for the right job is the largest part of coaching.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-crosby/selecting-the-right-person-for-the-right-job-is-the-largest-part-of/) [Phil Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-crosby/) > [Slowness to change usually means fear of the new.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-crosby/slowness-to-change-usually-means-fear-of-the-new/) [Phil Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-crosby/) > [Quality means conformance to requirements, not elegance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-crosby/quality-means-conformance-to-requirements-not-elegance/) [Phil Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-crosby/) > [Successful people breed success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-crosby/successful-people-breed-success/) [Phil Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-crosby/) > [Being convinced one knows the whole story is the surest way to fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-crosby/being-convinced-one-knows-the-whole-story-is-the-surest-way-to-fail/) [Phil Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-crosby/) > [Change should be a friend. It should happen by plan, not by accident.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-crosby/change-should-be-a-friend-it-should-happen-by-plan-not-by-accident/) [Phil Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-crosby/) > [The cost of quality is the expense of doing things wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-crosby/the-cost-of-quality-is-the-expense-of-doing-things-wrong/) [Phil Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-crosby/) > [You are going to be measured anyway by some means, fair or foul. Usually the one doing the measuring has nothing specific in mind;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-crosby/you-are-going-to-be-measured-anyway-by-some-means-fair-or-foul/) [Phil Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-crosby/) > [It isn't what you find, it's what you do about what you find.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-crosby/it-isn-t-what-you-find-it-s-what-you-do-about-what-you-find/) [Phil Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-crosby/) > [Improving quality requires a culture change, not just a new diet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-crosby/improving-quality-requires-a-culture-change-not-just-a-new-diet/) [Phil Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-crosby/) > [You have to lead people gently toward what they already know is right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-crosby/you-have-to-lead-people-gently-toward-what-they-already-know-is-right/) [Phil Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-crosby/) > [When you're out of quality, you're out of business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-crosby/when-you-re-out-of-quality-you-re-out-of-business/) [Phil Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-crosby/) > [Quality is the result of a carefully constructed cultural environment. It has to be the fabric of the organization, not part of the fabric.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-crosby/quality-is-the-result-of-a-carefully-constructed-cultural-environment/) [Phil Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-crosby/) [Explore all 38 Phil Crosby quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-crosby/) ## More Delete quotes > [You can't delete people out of your life . Forgetting them is hard and ignoring them doesn't work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-can-t-delete-people-out-of-your-life-forgetting-them-is-hard-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You can delete me on Facebook, you can unfollow me on Twitter, you can delete my number, but you can never unlick my butthole.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/you-can-delete-me-on-facebook-you-can-unfollow-me-on-twitter-you-can/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [Unless you are cool with all of your photos and messages becoming public one day, you should delete WhatsApp from your phone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pavel-durov/unless-you-are-cool-with-all-of-your-photos-and-messages-becoming/) [Pavel Durov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pavel-durov/) > [Delete L from LOVER and all you got is OVER.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/delete-l-from-lover-and-all-you-got-is-over/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Delete,delete,delete,delete,dele…MESSAGE SENT...oooh no...WTF,u can kill me now!!!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daless-leslie-places/delete-delete-delete-delete-dele-message-sent-oooh-no-wtf-u-can-kill/) [Daless Leslie Places](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daless-leslie-places/) > [If you delete this SMS You love me, If you keep it, You want me, If you ignore it, You adore me, If you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babloo/if-you-delete-this-sms-you-love-me-if-you-keep-it-you-want-me-if-you/) [Babloo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babloo/) > [Tonight...I will remember everything about you...tomarrow...I will press delete...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olga-ondush/tonight-i-will-remember-everything-about-you-tomarrow-i-will-press/) [Olga Ondush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olga-ondush/) > [“I'm not a type-O ... Don't delete me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carroll-bryant/i-m-not-a-type-o-don-t-delete-me/) [Carroll Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carroll-bryant/) > [Sometimes all you have to do is erase the messages, delete the numbers and move on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-all-you-have-to-do-is-erase-the-messages-delete-the-numbers/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [What I know is you can't go back. You can't press delete and re-key your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-anne-peters/what-i-know-is-you-can-t-go-back-you-can-t-press-delete-and-re-key/) [Julie Anne Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-anne-peters/) > [Having to delete songs for making room in your iPod is like having to kill some of your children because you can't feed them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/having-to-delete-songs-for-making-room-in-your-ipod-is-like-having-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I delete the Twitter app during the season.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-herman/i-delete-the-twitter-app-during-the-season/) [Tom Herman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-herman/) > [I feel like I've had a lot of painful situations that I intentionally delete from my memory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-wilson/i-feel-like-i-ve-had-a-lot-of-painful-situations-that-i-intentionally/) [Nancy Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-wilson/) > [I can always tell how much I really like someone by how long it takes me to delete their text messages.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-can-always-tell-how-much-i-really-like-someone-by-how-long-it-takes/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Snapchat changed that perception of deleting something as bad. Online, typically you delete something if it's bad or if it's really embarrassing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-spiegel/snapchat-changed-that-perception-of-deleting-something-as-bad-online/) [Evan Spiegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-spiegel/) [Browse all 118 Delete quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delete/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When in doubt, delete it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Phil Crosby" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-crosby/when-in-doubt-delete-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Delete" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-crosby/when-in-doubt-delete-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ea/phil-crosby-16889_delete_when-in-doubt-delete-it-1875321_1875321.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ea/phil-crosby-16889_delete_when-in-doubt-delete-it-1875321_1875321.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ea/phil-crosby-16889_delete_when-in-doubt-delete-it-1875321_1875321.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When in doubt, delete it.” — Phil Crosby", "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": "Phil Crosby", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-crosby/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When in doubt, delete it.", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-crosby/when-in-doubt-delete-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-crosby/when-in-doubt-delete-it/#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 } } ] } ```