--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It cannot be done all at once. To…" description: "\"“It cannot be done all at once. To overpower vertigo - the keeper of the abyss- one must tame it, cautiously.”\" — Philippe Petit" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c28/philippe-petit-3697_new-york-city_it-cannot-be-done-all-at-once-to-overpow_1042749.jpg" --- # It cannot be done all at once. To overpower vertigo - the… ![“It cannot be done all at once. To overpower vertigo - the keeper of the abyss- one must tame it, cautiously.” quote by Philippe Petit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c28/philippe-petit-3697_new-york-city_it-cannot-be-done-all-at-once-to-overpow_1042749.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c28/philippe-petit-3697_new-york-city_it-cannot-be-done-all-at-once-to-overpow_1042749.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c28/philippe-petit-3697_new-york-city_it-cannot-be-done-all-at-once-to-overpow_1042749.jpg) > ““It cannot be done all at once. To overpower vertigo - the keeper of the abyss- one must tame it, cautiously.”” [Philippe Petit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-petit/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Overcoming fear requires gradual, careful mastery rather than attempting to conquer it all at once. **In simple terms:** Tame fear step by step. Key Takeaway Approach fear with patience and caution. Themes courage fear management discipline focus Mood determined calm Type motivational practical When to use this quote - public speaking - extreme sports - new challenges - personal growth Key Concepts psychology risk management Questions to Reflect On - What small step can you take toward a fear? - How does patience change your perception of risk? A Different Perspective Rushing can increase anxiety and cause failure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abyss Tame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abyss-tame-2447617/) [New york city](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-york-city/) [Overpower Vertigo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overpower-vertigo-2447614/) [Tame Cautiously](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tame-cautiously-2447616/) [Twin towers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/twin-towers/) [Vertigo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vertigo/) [Vertigo Keeper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vertigo-keeper-2447615/) [Wtc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wtc-209880/) ## Related quotes > [“When I see three oranges, I juggle; when I see two towers, I walk!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-petit/when-i-see-three-oranges-i-juggle-when-i-see-two-towers-i-walk/) [Philippe Petit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-petit/) > [“My destiny no longer has me conquering the highest toowers in the world, but rather the void they protect. This cannot be measured.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-petit/my-destiny-no-longer-has-me-conquering-the-highest-toowers-in-the/) [Philippe Petit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-petit/) > [Right after my Twin Towers walk, I was approached by hundreds of people, and I said no to all the offers. I could have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-petit/right-after-my-twin-towers-walk-i-was-approached-by-hundreds-of/) [Philippe Petit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-petit/) > [Certainly, in the story of my life, the walk between the Twin Towers was one of the grandest, one of the most memorable, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-petit/certainly-in-the-story-of-my-life-the-walk-between-the-twin-towers/) [Philippe Petit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-petit/) > [I know it's impossible. But I know I'll do it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-petit/i-know-it-s-impossible-but-i-know-i-ll-do-it/) [Philippe Petit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-petit/) > [“When the towers again twin-tickle the clouds, I offer to walk again, to be the expression of the builder's collective voice. Together, we will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-petit/when-the-towers-again-twin-tickle-the-clouds-i-offer-to-walk-again-to/) [Philippe Petit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-petit/) > [Do not give the terrorists, the enemy combatants, the people who blow up folks at weddings, who fly airplanes into the twin towers, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsey-graham/do-not-give-the-terrorists-the-enemy-combatants-the-people-who-blow/) [Lindsey Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsey-graham/) > [If you want to humble an empire it makes sense to maim its cathedrals. 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I'd talked about the Horace Ode (I, 34) \[on which the poem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seamus-heaney/anything-can-happen-is-also-incidentally-a-poem-that-arose-from/) [Seamus Heaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seamus-heaney/) > [I consider part of lower Manhattan to be hallowed ground. Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives in the World Trade Center towers... and for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-shuster/i-consider-part-of-lower-manhattan-to-be-hallowed-ground-nearly-3-000/) [David Shuster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-shuster/) > [Everybody was going along thinking that it was a day like any other day, and bang, down went the Twin Towers. Changed everything. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/everybody-was-going-along-thinking-that-it-was-a-day-like-any-other/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [God's irony, that in order to fight and defeat the threat of terrorism, we shall have to be clear about the principle of justice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-keyes/god-s-irony-that-in-order-to-fight-and-defeat-the-threat-of-terrorism/) [Alan Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-keyes/) > [I remember, many years ago, coming over the Brooklyn Bridge in the night and seeing the skyline of Manhattan, with the Twin Towers. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/i-remember-many-years-ago-coming-over-the-brooklyn-bridge-in-the/) [Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/) ## More by Philippe Petit > [If I look at the performance of another friend Sting, whenever I hear him take over a stage and share his art with millions,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-petit/if-i-look-at-the-performance-of-another-friend-sting-whenever-i-hear/) [Philippe Petit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-petit/) > [I am a wire-walker. I can walk any time, anywhere - I'm indestructible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-petit/i-am-a-wire-walker-i-can-walk-any-time-anywhere-i-m-indestructible/) [Philippe Petit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-petit/) > [I have been performing in the street for more than 50 years: magic for basically 60 years, and the high wire 45 years. 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One has to find a balance between joy and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-petit/when-a-loved-one-disappears-you-continue-to-live-with-the/) [Philippe Petit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-petit/) > [You must not fall. / When you lose your balance, resist for a long time before turning yourself toward the earth. Then jump. /…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-petit/you-must-not-fall-when-you-lose-your-balance-resist-for-a-long-time/) [Philippe Petit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-petit/) > [When I was six years old, I fell in love with magic. For Christmas, I got a magic box and a very old book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-petit/when-i-was-six-years-old-i-fell-in-love-with-magic-for-christmas-i/) [Philippe Petit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-petit/) > [I don't like to risk my life, so I prepare sometimes for months or sometimes for years. But sometimes after a walk, I look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-petit/i-don-t-like-to-risk-my-life-so-i-prepare-sometimes-for-months-or/) [Philippe Petit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-petit/) > [When I perform outside, the major problem that could arise is strong wind.I spend months preparing for the types of wind that occur in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-petit/when-i-perform-outside-the-major-problem-that-could-arise-is-strong/) [Philippe Petit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-petit/) > [If I have to make a self-portrait, I would put poetry and rebellion on the list. To be able to walk on a wire,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-petit/if-i-have-to-make-a-self-portrait-i-would-put-poetry-and-rebellion-on/) [Philippe Petit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-petit/) > [Whenever other worlds invite us, whenever we are balancing on the boundaries of our limited human condition, that’s where life starts, that’s where you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-petit/whenever-other-worlds-invite-us-whenever-we-are-balancing-on-the/) [Philippe Petit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-petit/) > [I have walked many times around the world and each time it's different from the last one. It feels a little bit like I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-petit/i-have-walked-many-times-around-the-world-and-each-time-it-s/) [Philippe Petit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-petit/) > [I am a thief of knowledge, and in a survival way, I had to solve all the problems around me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-petit/i-am-a-thief-of-knowledge-and-in-a-survival-way-i-had-to-solve-all/) [Philippe Petit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-petit/) > [Metaphorically speaking, of course, if I put a problem behind my pillow and fall asleep, very often because my brain went to sleep with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-petit/metaphorically-speaking-of-course-if-i-put-a-problem-behind-my-pillow/) [Philippe Petit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-petit/) [Explore all 124 Philippe Petit quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-petit/) ## More New york city quotes > [Why did I become a writer? Because I grew up in New York City, and there were seven newspapers in New York City, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/why-did-i-become-a-writer-because-i-grew-up-in-new-york-city-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Those who know New York City primarily through tourism or mass culture may think of us natives as possessing certain shared characteristics, not all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-dee/those-who-know-new-york-city-primarily-through-tourism-or-mass/) [Jonathan Dee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-dee/) > [Ed Koch once said that New York City is where immigrants come to audition for America. That's what happened to my parents; that's what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lin-manuel-miranda/ed-koch-once-said-that-new-york-city-is-where-immigrants-come-to/) [Lin-Manuel Miranda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lin-manuel-miranda/) > [“10. Calories count in New York City. The Big Apple recently adopted a law that requires fast-food restaurants with at least fifteen outlets in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-h-thaler/10-calories-count-in-new-york-city-the-big-apple-recently-adopted-a/) [Richard H. Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-h-thaler/) > [ With recidivism algorithms, for example, I worry about racist outcomes. With personality tests \[for hiring\], I worry about filtering out people with mental health… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-o-neil/with-recidivism-algorithms-for-example-i-worry-about-racist-outcomes/) [Cathy O'Neil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-o-neil/) > [I remember my own life as a small boy, son of Jewish immigrants, in a janitor's flat on Orchard and Stanton streets on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-k-javits/i-remember-my-own-life-as-a-small-boy-son-of-jewish-immigrants-in-a/) [Jacob K. Javits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-k-javits/) > [Most of my life, I thought that I would end up a novelist. But then, in New York City, after college, I started a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-spaihts/most-of-my-life-i-thought-that-i-would-end-up-a-novelist-but-then-in/) [Jon Spaihts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-spaihts/) > [I love New York City. The energy, the theatre, the art, the food, the people, the parks and streets. But I could say the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierce-brosnan/i-love-new-york-city-the-energy-the-theatre-the-art-the-food-the/) [Pierce Brosnan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierce-brosnan/) > [I grew up in New York City. We used to diss Long Island and Jersey. 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The first like real front page story that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-polgreen/anything-that-i-m-doing-i-think-i-always-come-at-it-from-an-outsider/) [Lydia Polgreen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-polgreen/) > [I was born in New York City in 1926, four years after my parents and my brother migrated to the United States from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fogel/i-was-born-in-new-york-city-in-1926-four-years-after-my-parents-and/) [Robert Fogel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fogel/) > [Fellow conservatives, particularly within the Republican Party, typically do a good job arguing against totalitarian, one-size-fits-all approaches to policy. What works for a family…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-grenell/fellow-conservatives-particularly-within-the-republican-party/) [Richard Grenell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-grenell/) > [I bike around New York City for hours and write about everything I love, think about, or see. I also ride back and forth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/princess-nokia/i-bike-around-new-york-city-for-hours-and-write-about-everything-i/) [Princess Nokia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/princess-nokia/) [Browse all 1,636 New york city quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-york-city/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It cannot be done all at once. 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