--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You can't possibly judge your ability to…" description: "\"“You can't possibly judge your ability to control something until you've experienced the extremes of its capabilities.”\" — Richard Russo" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ed/richard-russo-1691_ability_you-can-t-possibly-judge-your-ability-to_1754985.png" --- # You can't possibly judge your ability to control something… ![“You can't possibly judge your ability to control something until you've experienced the extremes of its capabilities.” quote by Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ed/richard-russo-1691_ability_you-can-t-possibly-judge-your-ability-to_1754985.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ed/richard-russo-1691_ability_you-can-t-possibly-judge-your-ability-to_1754985.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ed/richard-russo-1691_ability_you-can-t-possibly-judge-your-ability-to_1754985.png) > ““You can't possibly judge your ability to control something until you've experienced the extremes of its capabilities.”” [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. One cannot assess control over something without experiencing its extreme limits; extremes reveal true capacity. **In simple terms:** Control is judged by testing extremes. Key Takeaway Test limits to understand true control. Themes self-awareness control experience limits Mood cautious determined insightful Type psychological practical When to use this quote - leadership - personal growth - skill training - crisis management Key Concepts risk assessment resilience self-efficacy Questions to Reflect On - What extremes have you faced? - How did they change your perception of control? A Different Perspective Extreme testing can be dangerous or stressful. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Ability Control](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability-control-510863/) [Control](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/control/) [Experienced Extremes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experienced-extremes-1639479/) [Extremes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extremes/) [Extremes Capabilities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extremes-capabilities-1639480/) ## Related quotes > [You can't possibly judge your ability to control something until you've experienced the extremes of its capabilities. Do you understand?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/you-can-t-possibly-judge-your-ability-to-control-something-until-you-2/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [“you may as well push yourself right to the very extremes of your capabilities”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-geldof/you-may-as-well-push-yourself-right-to-the-very-extremes-of-your/) [Bob Geldof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-geldof/) > [“...some events in life would remain beyond my ability to control or manage them. Some events would just happen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/some-events-in-life-would-remain-beyond-my-ability-to-control-or/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) > [Our technology has already outstripped our ability to control it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omar-n-bradley/our-technology-has-already-outstripped-our-ability-to-control-it/) [Omar N. Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omar-n-bradley/) > [A person who has mastered his ability to control his emotions can master anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/a-person-who-has-mastered-his-ability-to-control-his-emotions-can/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [“Bravery is the ability to control your fear”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thabiso-monkoe/bravery-is-the-ability-to-control-your-fear/) [Thabiso Monkoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thabiso-monkoe/) > [You are not a prisoner of your thoughts. You have the ability to control what you are thinking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/you-are-not-a-prisoner-of-your-thoughts-you-have-the-ability-to/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [My power is the ability to control water molecules and form them into ice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-ashmore/my-power-is-the-ability-to-control-water-molecules-and-form-them-into/) [Shawn Ashmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-ashmore/) > [If artists slowly learn how their business works, they'll have the ability to grow at any rate they can dream up, but they'll also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-delonge/if-artists-slowly-learn-how-their-business-works-they-ll-have-the/) [Tom DeLonge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-delonge/) > [Every woman has the ability to control her image, the way she conduct herself, the way she allows man to talk to her and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drusila-t/every-woman-has-the-ability-to-control-her-image-the-way-she-conduct/) [Drusila T](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drusila-t/) > [Maturity is the ability to control anger and settle differences without violence or destruction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/maturity-is-the-ability-to-control-anger-and-settle-differences/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [I've got the ability to control my destiny, and I take pride in that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-burroughs/i-ve-got-the-ability-to-control-my-destiny-and-i-take-pride-in-that/) [Jordan Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-burroughs/) > [Being competent means the ability to control and operate the things in the environment and the environment itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-ron-hubbard/being-competent-means-the-ability-to-control-and-operate-the-things/) [L. Ron Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-ron-hubbard/) > [Your true strength lies within your ability to control power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rochelle-morrison/your-true-strength-lies-within-your-ability-to-control-power/) [Rochelle Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rochelle-morrison/) > [My beloved dog defied treatment from the best and most expensive veterinarians, holistic practitioners, trainers, and animal communicators. He was simply beyond my ability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-katz/my-beloved-dog-defied-treatment-from-the-best-and-most-expensive/) [Jon Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-katz/) ## More by Richard Russo > [“The problem with the contemplative life was that there was no end to contemplation, no fixed time limit after which thought had to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/the-problem-with-the-contemplative-life-was-that-there-was-no-end-to/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [“That, very simply, was what adulthood must be all about—acquiring the skill to bury things more deeply. Out of sight and, whenever possible, out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/that-very-simply-was-what-adulthood-must-be-all-about-acquiring-the/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [“Miles couldn't help admiring women for their ability to dismiss the evidence of their senses. If that's what explained it. If it wasn't simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/miles-couldn-t-help-admiring-women-for-their-ability-to-dismiss-the/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [That afternoon I came to understand that one of the deepest purposes of intellectual sophistication is to provide distance between us and our most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/that-afternoon-i-came-to-understand-that-one-of-the-deepest-purposes/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [“Lucy, who apparently had no idea his girlfriend's father held him in such low regard, agreed with Noonan that he was pushing the envelope,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/lucy-who-apparently-had-no-idea-his-girlfriend-s-father-held-him-in/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [Movies have to handle time very efficiently. They're about stringing scenes together in the present. Novels aren't necessarily about that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/movies-have-to-handle-time-very-efficiently-they-re-about-stringing/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [When authors who write literary fiction begin to write screenplays, everybody assumes that's the end. Here's another who's never going to write well again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/when-authors-who-write-literary-fiction-begin-to-write-screenplays/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [“There was something about spending money they didn't really have that made him optimistic about more coming in.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/there-was-something-about-spending-money-they-didn-t-really-have-that/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [Some authors have a very hard time understanding that in order to be faithful to the spirit of the book, it's almost always impossible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/some-authors-have-a-very-hard-time-understanding-that-in-order-to-be/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [HBO is really famous for hiring good people and staying out of their way until they ask for help, or need it. And that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/hbo-is-really-famous-for-hiring-good-people-and-staying-out-of-their/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [I don't think there's a shortage of material in the world. Or in my head. I just pray for continued good health, because I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-shortage-of-material-in-the-world-or-in-my/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [Where was the middle ground between a sense of adventure and just plain sense?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/where-was-the-middle-ground-between-a-sense-of-adventure-and-just/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [“Non basta una vita "One life isn't enough”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/non-basta-una-vita-one-life-isn-t-enough/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [“... Mr. Purty has cheered me up. The task he has chosen for himself, of wooing my mother with a bright red pickup truck,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/mr-purty-has-cheered-me-up-the-task-he-has-chosen-for-himself-of/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [“So what? Few men, Miles reflected, lived so comfortably within the confines of a two.word personal philosophy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/so-what-few-men-miles-reflected-lived-so-comfortably-within-the/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) [Explore all 214 Richard Russo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) ## More Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [You can only do the work to the very best of your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/you-can-only-do-the-work-to-the-very-best-of-your-ability/) [Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [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/) > [Bobby had faith in my ability as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-had-faith-in-my-ability-as-a-singer/) [Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/) [Browse all 9,990 Ability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“You can't possibly judge your ability to control something until you've experienced the extremes of its capabilities.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Richard Russo" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/you-can-t-possibly-judge-your-ability-to-control-something-until-you/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ability" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/you-can-t-possibly-judge-your-ability-to-control-something-until-you/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ed/richard-russo-1691_ability_you-can-t-possibly-judge-your-ability-to_1754985.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ed/richard-russo-1691_ability_you-can-t-possibly-judge-your-ability-to_1754985.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ed/richard-russo-1691_ability_you-can-t-possibly-judge-your-ability-to_1754985.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You can't possibly judge your ability to control something until you've experienced the extremes of its…” — Richard Russo", "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": "Richard Russo", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“You can't possibly judge your ability...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/you-can-t-possibly-judge-your-ability-to-control-something-until-you/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/you-can-t-possibly-judge-your-ability-to-control-something-until-you/#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 } } ] } ```