--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you wish to view this as a cautionary…" description: "\"“If you wish to view this as a cautionary tale, be my guest.”\" — Philip C. Plait" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e8/philip-c-plait-70889_death_if-you-wish-to-view-this-as-a-cautionary_914527.jpg" --- # If you wish to view this as a cautionary tale, be my guest. ![“If you wish to view this as a cautionary tale, be my guest.” quote by Philip C. Plait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e8/philip-c-plait-70889_death_if-you-wish-to-view-this-as-a-cautionary_914527.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e8/philip-c-plait-70889_death_if-you-wish-to-view-this-as-a-cautionary_914527.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e8/philip-c-plait-70889_death_if-you-wish-to-view-this-as-a-cautionary_914527.jpg) > ““If you wish to view this as a cautionary tale, be my guest.”” Philip C. Plait ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A warning can be framed as a story to illustrate potential danger. **In simple terms:** Warnings can be told as stories. Key Takeaway Consider the lesson behind the caution. Themes caution storytelling awareness Mood thoughtful serious Type advisory reflective When to use this quote - public speaking - education - policy making - personal decisions Key Concepts risk perception narrative framing Questions to Reflect On - What risk do you ignore? - How can a story change your behavior? A Different Perspective Stories may oversimplify complex risks. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cautionary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cautionary/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Evolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolution/) [Pollution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pollution/) [Storytelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/storytelling/) ## Related quotes > [If 'The Lord of the Rings' is a cautionary tale about the desire for power and the use of power, then it is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamelle-bouie/if-the-lord-of-the-rings-is-a-cautionary-tale-about-the-desire-for/) [Jamelle Bouie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamelle-bouie/) > [I tell you this as a cautionary tale: beware of getting what you want. It's bound to disappoint you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/i-tell-you-this-as-a-cautionary-tale-beware-of-getting-what-you-want/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [“But what I sincerely hope is that my life serves as a cautionary tale to the rich and poor alike; to anyone who’s living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-belfort/but-what-i-sincerely-hope-is-that-my-life-serves-as-a-cautionary-tale/) [Jordan Belfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-belfort/) > [“I suspected those people were seeking to make sense of the world by turning her into a cautionary tale, the lesson being, look both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-kade/i-suspected-those-people-were-seeking-to-make-sense-of-the-world-by/) [Stacey Kade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-kade/) > [Unless we face the future with answers to the real and dangerous challenges facing our country and our world we risk becoming a cautionary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-streeting/unless-we-face-the-future-with-answers-to-the-real-and-dangerous/) [Wes Streeting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-streeting/) > [ I've been with the project for like three years: creating it, pushing it. \[There\] becomes a certain doubt when you're pitching this story to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-caple-jr/i-ve-been-with-the-project-for-like-three-years-creating-it-pushing/) [Steven Caple Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-caple-jr/) > [There's no dancing on the grave of the AAF. We watched them, we're going to take lessons from them. To a certain degree, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-luck/there-s-no-dancing-on-the-grave-of-the-aaf-we-watched-them-we-re/) [Oliver Luck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-luck/) > [Jason Nash's journey to and fall from influencer fame should serve as a cautionary tale to everyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-cooper/jason-nash-s-journey-to-and-fall-from-influencer-fame-should-serve-as/) [Brett Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-cooper/) > [You can think of my films as cautionary tales, but you might even think of them as despairing tales, because at least in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-morris/you-can-think-of-my-films-as-cautionary-tales-but-you-might-even/) [Errol Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-morris/) > [“Take my story as a cautionary tale, a narrative argument against ready-made solutions. It tells you that applying formulas is not good enough -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apostolos-doxiadis/take-my-story-as-a-cautionary-tale-a-narrative-argument-against-ready/) [Apostolos Doxiadis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apostolos-doxiadis/) > [Putin's treatment of Chechnya became a cautionary tale of what would happen to rebels and terrorists - and indeed to entire groups of people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-hill/putin-s-treatment-of-chechnya-became-a-cautionary-tale-of-what-would/) [Fiona Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-hill/) > [It's a difficult undertaking. I've been married for four years and I see this movie as a cautionary tale about people who've gone deeply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-ruffalo/it-s-a-difficult-undertaking-i-ve-been-married-for-four-years-and-i/) [Mark Ruffalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-ruffalo/) > [“It was the ultimate cautionary tale, the moral being Don't fall, as if they were made of glass. In a sense they were--their fragility…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-o-nan/it-was-the-ultimate-cautionary-tale-the-moral-being-don-t-fall-as-if/) [Stewart O'Nan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-o-nan/) > [Have you ever been tempted to start your own business? First read this cautionary tale, especially if you think your ideas come from God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-vischer/have-you-ever-been-tempted-to-start-your-own-business-first-read-this/) [Phil Vischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-vischer/) > [“A cautionary tale I had carried with me from China, and which I firmly believed, was that anyone who attempted to have a foreign…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jung-chang/a-cautionary-tale-i-had-carried-with-me-from-china-and-which-i-firmly/) [Jung Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jung-chang/) ## More by Philip C. Plait > [“Science asymptotically approaches reality.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-c-plait/science-asymptotically-approaches-reality/) Philip C. Plait > [“Sure, black holes can kill us, and in a variety of interesting and gruesome ways. But, all in all, we may owe our very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-c-plait/sure-black-holes-can-kill-us-and-in-a-variety-of-interesting-and/) Philip C. Plait > [“I am using the word theory as a scientist means it: a set of ideas so well established by observations and physical models that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-c-plait/i-am-using-the-word-theory-as-a-scientist-means-it-a-set-of-ideas-so/) Philip C. Plait Explore all 4 Philip C. Plait quotes ## More Cautionary quotes > [If 'The Lord of the Rings' is a cautionary tale about the desire for power and the use of power, then it is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamelle-bouie/if-the-lord-of-the-rings-is-a-cautionary-tale-about-the-desire-for/) [Jamelle Bouie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamelle-bouie/) > [“If there is anything unique about the human animal, it is that it has the ability to grow knowledge at an accelerating rate while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gray/if-there-is-anything-unique-about-the-human-animal-it-is-that-it-has/) [John Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gray/) > [Cautionary tales were fantastic in the '70s.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfonso-cuaron/cautionary-tales-were-fantastic-in-the-70s/) [Alfonso Cuaron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfonso-cuaron/) > [“Let us be as watchful after the victory as before the battle.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-bonar/let-us-be-as-watchful-after-the-victory-as-before-the-battle/) [Andrew Bonar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-bonar/) > [I wanted BoJack to be more of a cautionary figure than someone that you aspire to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raphael-bob-waksberg/i-wanted-bojack-to-be-more-of-a-cautionary-figure-than-someone-that/) [Raphael Bob-Waksberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raphael-bob-waksberg/) > [I always get that cautionary warning right before I get off the phone with an interviewer. It's: 'Good luck with the show. I really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/i-always-get-that-cautionary-warning-right-before-i-get-off-the-phone/) [Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/) > [“George Harrison’s cautionary words are a constant companion—“In their bid to tell what they know, sometimes people tell more than what they know”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-lewisohn/george-harrison-s-cautionary-words-are-a-constant-companion-in-their/) [Mark Lewisohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-lewisohn/) > [“Yes, I am your enemy, as I was in my other incarnations, but that is my nature, and it is something I cannot escape.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/yes-i-am-your-enemy-as-i-was-in-my-other-incarnations-but-that-is-my/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“But what I sincerely hope is that my life serves as a cautionary tale to the rich and poor alike; to anyone who’s living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-belfort/but-what-i-sincerely-hope-is-that-my-life-serves-as-a-cautionary-tale/) [Jordan Belfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-belfort/) > [“Proceed toward "success" with extreme caution.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/proceed-toward-success-with-extreme-caution/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [“I suspected those people were seeking to make sense of the world by turning her into a cautionary tale, the lesson being, look both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-kade/i-suspected-those-people-were-seeking-to-make-sense-of-the-world-by/) [Stacey Kade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-kade/) > [“Snow is not a wolf in sheep's clothing - it is a tiger in lamb's clothing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthias-zdarsky/snow-is-not-a-wolf-in-sheep-s-clothing-it-is-a-tiger-in-lamb-s/) Matthias Zdarsky > [“Yes, well, I'm not asking you to hide anything. Hiding won't help you. You can't very well hide from a pit, can you? You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-s-close/yes-well-i-m-not-asking-you-to-hide-anything-hiding-won-t-help-you/) Gregory S. Close > [I tell you this as a cautionary tale: beware of getting what you want. It's bound to disappoint you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/i-tell-you-this-as-a-cautionary-tale-beware-of-getting-what-you-want/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [“Be careful what you wish for. Especially out loud.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nenia-campbell/be-careful-what-you-wish-for-especially-out-loud/) [Nenia Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nenia-campbell/) [Browse all 20 Cautionary quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cautionary/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“If you wish to view this as a cautionary tale, be my guest.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Philip C. 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