--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You must not fall. / When you lose your…" description: "\"You must not fall. / When you lose your balance, resist for a long time before turning yourself toward the earth. Then jump. / You must not force yours..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/534/philippe-petit-3697_balance_you-must-not-fall-when-you-lose-your-bal_140875.jpg" --- # You must not fall. / When you lose your balance, resist… ![“You must not fall. / When you lose your balance, resist for a long time before turning yourself toward the earth. Then jump. / You must not force yourself to stay steady. You must move forward.” quote by Philippe Petit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/534/philippe-petit-3697_balance_you-must-not-fall-when-you-lose-your-bal_140875.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/534/philippe-petit-3697_balance_you-must-not-fall-when-you-lose-your-bal_140875.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/534/philippe-petit-3697_balance_you-must-not-fall-when-you-lose-your-bal_140875.jpg) > “You must not fall. / When you lose your balance, resist for a long time before turning yourself toward the earth. Then jump. / You must not force yourself to stay steady. You must move forward.” [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. Maintain balance by yielding, then act decisively when needed. **In simple terms:** Don’t cling to steadiness; release and move forward. Key Takeaway Learn to let go and act when ready. Themes resilience adaptability action Mood determined inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - sports - public speaking - crisis response - creative performance Key Concepts balance momentum risk management Questions to Reflect On - When have you resisted letting go? - How can you prepare for the moment to act? A Different Perspective Over‑reliance on control can cause hesitation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Balance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balance/) [Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) [Fall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fall/) [Fall Lose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fall-lose-926084/) [Force](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/force/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Long time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-time/) [Lose Balance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lose-balance-776482/) [Move forward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/move-forward/) [Moving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moving/) [Moving forward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moving-forward/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Stay Steady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stay-steady-968359/) [Steady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/steady/) [Steady Forward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/steady-forward-1592133/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [I strove to maintain a spiritual practice, but since I was being pulled in so many directions, I couldn't seem to stay steady and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brenda-strong/i-strove-to-maintain-a-spiritual-practice-but-since-i-was-being/) [Brenda Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brenda-strong/) > [I have a handful of really close relationships in my life and I depend on those people heavily to carry me through and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-palmer/i-have-a-handful-of-really-close-relationships-in-my-life-and-i/) [Amanda Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-palmer/) > [There's a steady forward march of a creative process that some of us stay with and don't give up - that should be an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-shorter/there-s-a-steady-forward-march-of-a-creative-process-that-some-of-us/) [Wayne Shorter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-shorter/) > [“In boxing, you don’t lose if you fall. You only lose if you fail to get up.” Vikram”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunanda-j-chatterjee/in-boxing-you-don-t-lose-if-you-fall-you-only-lose-if-you-fail-to-get/) [Sunanda J. Chatterjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunanda-j-chatterjee/) > [“You will do well in everything you seek out to do…because you don’t give up. Others make mistakes, fall down, lose heart, and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-weiler/you-will-do-well-in-everything-you-seek-out-to-do-because-you-don-t/) [Danielle Weiler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-weiler/) > [I had to fall. To lose it all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linkin-park/i-had-to-fall-to-lose-it-all/) [Linkin Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linkin-park/) > [I tried so hard and got so far, but in the end, it doesn't even matter. I had to fall to lose it all,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linkin-park/i-tried-so-hard-and-got-so-far-but-in-the-end-it-doesn-t-even-matter/) [Linkin Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linkin-park/) > [You have to be committed or you fall behind, lose out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crystal-gayle/you-have-to-be-committed-or-you-fall-behind-lose-out/) [Crystal Gayle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crystal-gayle/) > [With all these ups and downs, if you can stay steady through those emotions, it'll help you out a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/channing-frye/with-all-these-ups-and-downs-if-you-can-stay-steady-through-those/) [Channing Frye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/channing-frye/) > [“He listened, and then said simply, “So don’t ride the roller coaster. Ride the carousel instead. Some days will be up, some days will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kasey-mathews/he-listened-and-then-said-simply-so-don-t-ride-the-roller-coaster/) [Kasey Mathews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kasey-mathews/) > [Love for all is the strength of heart, that can stay steady in the face of pleasant and unpleasant circumstances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/love-for-all-is-the-strength-of-heart-that-can-stay-steady-in-the/) [Senoraroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senoraroy/) > [It's important as a team that you don't get too excited with a win and you don't get too disappointed with a loss. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-haskell/it-s-important-as-a-team-that-you-don-t-get-too-excited-with-a-win/) [James Haskell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-haskell/) > [To walk, we have to lean forward, lose our balance and begin to fall. We let go constantly of the previous stability, falling all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-skynner/to-walk-we-have-to-lean-forward-lose-our-balance-and-begin-to-fall-we/) [Robin Skynner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-skynner/) > [“You can’t be criticized for what you don’t try. You can’t lose your balance if you never climb. Give it, Give it all, Give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-jed/you-can-t-be-criticized-for-what-you-don-t-try-you-can-t-lose-your/) [Milan Jed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-jed/) > [“The first thing I did was run. Okay, actually the first thing I did was scream, lose my balance, flail my arms in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gemma-halliday/the-first-thing-i-did-was-run-okay-actually-the-first-thing-i-did-was/) [Gemma Halliday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gemma-halliday/) ## 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. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-petit/i-have-been-performing-in-the-street-for-more-than-50-years-magic-for/) [Philippe Petit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-petit/) > [I needed more knowledge in rigging and knotting. I started collecting books on knots and really learning more and more. That's how it started.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-petit/i-needed-more-knowledge-in-rigging-and-knotting-i-started-collecting/) [Philippe Petit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-petit/) > [To be able to create fully, it's maybe fine that you learn the rules, but you have to forget and to rebel against those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-petit/to-be-able-to-create-fully-it-s-maybe-fine-that-you-learn-the-rules/) [Philippe Petit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-petit/) > [When a loved one disappears, you continue to live with the accompaniment of that person. 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/) > [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/) > [I was never part of the sailing circle, but I enjoy when I'm invited to sail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-petit/i-was-never-part-of-the-sailing-circle-but-i-enjoy-when-i-m-invited/) [Philippe Petit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-petit/) [Explore all 124 Philippe Petit quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-petit/) ## More Balance quotes > [Balance suggests a perfect equilibrium. There is no such thing. That is a false expectation… There are going to be priorities and dimensions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-morrison/balance-suggests-a-perfect-equilibrium-there-is-no-such-thing-that-is/) [Denise Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-morrison/) > [The bones of my architecture are very much related to the structure, to the physical fact of how a building can stand up; it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/the-bones-of-my-architecture-are-very-much-related-to-the-structure/) [Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/) > [I can still function when I don't have that balance I crave. I had a tendency to be precious about acting, thinking of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-regan/i-can-still-function-when-i-don-t-have-that-balance-i-crave-i-had-a/) [Laura Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-regan/) > [she got a reputation for an easy smile and a sharp tongue, and using one to balance the other, she seemed friendly but distant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/she-got-a-reputation-for-an-easy-smile-and-a-sharp-tongue-and-using/) [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) > [Life's unfairness is not irrevocable; we can help balance the scales for others, if not always for ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-h-humphrey/life-s-unfairness-is-not-irrevocable-we-can-help-balance-the-scales/) [Hubert H. Humphrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-h-humphrey/) > [“We don't need to strive towards balance, we rather need to work on the obstacles that are preventing the natural flow of balance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-alebraheem/we-don-t-need-to-strive-towards-balance-we-rather-need-to-work-on-the/) [A.A. Alebraheem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-alebraheem/) > [I think that kind of balance comes with the process of growing together as a band, the Little Dragon. We love to write, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukimi-nagano/i-think-that-kind-of-balance-comes-with-the-process-of-growing/) [Yukimi Nagano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukimi-nagano/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [At times of recession, running a budget deficit is highly desirable. Once the economy begins to recover, you have to balance the budget. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/at-times-of-recession-running-a-budget-deficit-is-highly-desirable/) [George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/) > [It's my intention to make something stand outside the realm of album art, but it also feels comfortable to me to be in it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dyer-baizley/it-s-my-intention-to-make-something-stand-outside-the-realm-of-album/) [John Dyer Baizley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dyer-baizley/) > [Once you've gotten your money in balance, you know how much you have to spend on things that are just fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/once-you-ve-gotten-your-money-in-balance-you-know-how-much-you-have/) [Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/) > [I never understood how much running changes your life. I'm now obsessed. When not trying to beat my personal best, I'm talking to other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/i-never-understood-how-much-running-changes-your-life-i-m-now/) [Sadiq Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiq-khan/) > [Whatever needed to be done, I need to know how to do it just as well as my wife. You know, for us to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-isbell/whatever-needed-to-be-done-i-need-to-know-how-to-do-it-just-as-well/) [Jason Isbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-isbell/) > [I don't think my parents would have let me go straight into acting full time when I was 12. I do like to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-jones/i-don-t-think-my-parents-would-have-let-me-go-straight-into-acting/) [Felicity Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-jones/) > [When it comes down to music, I have no balance. I am 100 percent. It is like full throttle. Five hundred miles an hour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yanni/when-it-comes-down-to-music-i-have-no-balance-i-am-100-percent-it-is/) [Yanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yanni/) [Browse all 5,166 Balance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You must not fall. / When you lose your balance, resist for a long time before turning yourself toward the earth. Then jump. / You must not force yourself to stay steady. 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