--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If a grasshopper tries to fight a…" description: "\"If a grasshopper tries to fight a lawnmower, one may admire his courage but not his judgement.\" — Robert A. Heinlein" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d2/robert-a-heinlein-209_admire_if-a-grasshopper-tries-to-fight-a-lawnmo_2432637.jpg" --- # If a grasshopper tries to fight a lawnmower, one may… ![“If a grasshopper tries to fight a lawnmower, one may admire his courage but not his judgement.” quote by Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d2/robert-a-heinlein-209_admire_if-a-grasshopper-tries-to-fight-a-lawnmo_2432637.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d2/robert-a-heinlein-209_admire_if-a-grasshopper-tries-to-fight-a-lawnmo_2432637.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d2/robert-a-heinlein-209_admire_if-a-grasshopper-tries-to-fight-a-lawnmo_2432637.jpg) > “If a grasshopper tries to fight a lawnmower, one may admire his courage but not his judgement.” [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Warns that confronting overwhelming forces with inadequate means is brave but foolish. **In simple terms:** Courage without strategy fails. Key Takeaway Assess risks before confronting powerful obstacles. Themes courage judgment strategy power dynamics Mood cautious serious Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - legal battles - business negotiations - personal conflicts Key Concepts risk assessment critical thinking Questions to Reflect On - When is bravery insufficient? - How can you improve judgment? A Different Perspective Overconfidence can lead to disaster. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) [Judgement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judgement/) ## Related quotes > [Grasshopper always wrong in argument with chicken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/grasshopper-always-wrong-in-argument-with-chicken/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Giddy grasshopper Take care...do not leap and crush These pearls of dewdrop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/giddy-grasshopper-take-care-do-not-leap-and-crush-these-pearls-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To me, there's no better symbol for the world than a grasshopper lying dead on a gravel road, and maybe there's a globe lying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/to-me-there-s-no-better-symbol-for-the-world-than-a-grasshopper-lying/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [No means yes in grasshopper language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-fielding/no-means-yes-in-grasshopper-language/) [Noel Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-fielding/) > [You need to learn patience, you grasshopper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/you-need-to-learn-patience-you-grasshopper/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [I had grasshoppers when I was younger and I realized the grasshopper is a symbol of happiness in Chinese culture. I dreamed about a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shakira/i-had-grasshoppers-when-i-was-younger-and-i-realized-the-grasshopper/) [Shakira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shakira/) > [“Even if you have the wit to look by yourself in a bush away from the other children, there are not many bell crickets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasunari-kawabata/even-if-you-have-the-wit-to-look-by-yourself-in-a-bush-away-from-the/) [Yasunari Kawabata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasunari-kawabata/) > [How narrow is the vision that exalts the busyness of the ant above the singing of the grasshopper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/how-narrow-is-the-vision-that-exalts-the-busyness-of-the-ant-above/) [Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/) > [You are unique, and this is a beautiful, beautiful thing, grasshopper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/libba-bray/you-are-unique-and-this-is-a-beautiful-beautiful-thing-grasshopper/) [Libba Bray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/libba-bray/) > [You've got to admire my courage going into a picture where the dog is a star. It takes a brave man to play opposite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-macmurray/you-ve-got-to-admire-my-courage-going-into-a-picture-where-the-dog-is/) [Fred MacMurray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-macmurray/) > [“She gave me the slow nod women use to indicate that they understand our pain, they admire the courage with which we handle it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-hallinan/she-gave-me-the-slow-nod-women-use-to-indicate-that-they-understand/) [Timothy Hallinan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-hallinan/) > [When picking my original music, Tina Turner was someone I wanted in my routine because of the strong impact she has had on my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katelyn-ohashi/when-picking-my-original-music-tina-turner-was-someone-i-wanted-in-my/) [Katelyn Ohashi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katelyn-ohashi/) > [“I understand why Laura did what she did. I think I'm supposed to be mad at her, but I'm not. I admire her courage.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-cohn/i-understand-why-laura-did-what-she-did-i-think-i-m-supposed-to-be/) [Rachel Cohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-cohn/) > [I admire you for your courage and your attitude of not given up. You inspire me and I wanted to say thank you for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine/i-admire-you-for-your-courage-and-your-attitude-of-not-given-up-you/) [Josephine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine/) > [I admire the courage and wisdom of Socrates in everything he did, said--and did not say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/i-admire-the-courage-and-wisdom-of-socrates-in-everything-he-did-said/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) ## More by Robert A. Heinlein > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [My folks tried to make a preacher of me and missed by a narrow margin… I would have made a good one if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/my-folks-tried-to-make-a-preacher-of-me-and-missed-by-a-narrow-margin/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Ninety percent of all human wisdom is the ability to mind your own business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/ninety-percent-of-all-human-wisdom-is-the-ability-to-mind-your-own/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [If we blow ourselves up we will do it by misapplication of science; if we manage to keep from blowing ourselves up, it will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/if-we-blow-ourselves-up-we-will-do-it-by-misapplication-of-science-if/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Nor would anybody suspect. If was one thing all people took for granted, was conviction that if you feed honest figures into a computer,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/nor-would-anybody-suspect-if-was-one-thing-all-people-took-for/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Women will forgive anything. Otherwise, the race would have died out long ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/women-will-forgive-anything-otherwise-the-race-would-have-died-out/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Most neuroses and some psychoses can be traced to the unnecessary and unhealthy habit of daily wallowing in the troubles and sins of five…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/most-neuroses-and-some-psychoses-can-be-traced-to-the-unnecessary-and/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [No statement should be believed because it is made by an authority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/no-statement-should-be-believed-because-it-is-made-by-an-authority/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“Some people are ants by nature; they have to work, even when it’s useless. Few people have a talent for constructive laziness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/some-people-are-ants-by-nature-they-have-to-work-even-when-it-s/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“The instinct to survive is human nature itself, and every aspect of our personalities derives from it. Anything that conflicts with the survival instinct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/the-instinct-to-survive-is-human-nature-itself-and-every-aspect-of/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“I tried to dig out of the computer a call directory for Luna. But it was still sulking. I could not get it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/i-tried-to-dig-out-of-the-computer-a-call-directory-for-luna-but-it/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“this has more aspects than a cat has hair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/this-has-more-aspects-than-a-cat-has-hair/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Never own more than you can carry in both hands at a dead run.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/never-own-more-than-you-can-carry-in-both-hands-at-a-dead-run/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“In Wilson's scale of evaluations breakfast rated just after life itself and ahead of the chance of immortality." ~ By His Bootstraps / Robert A. Heinlein”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/in-wilson-s-scale-of-evaluations-breakfast-rated-just-after-life/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Ignorance is curable, stupid is forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/ignorance-is-curable-stupid-is-forever/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) [Explore all 888 Robert A. Heinlein quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) ## More Admire quotes > [Everyone will admire you when you do well. What a horrible thing to do to someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/everyone-will-admire-you-when-you-do-well-what-a-horrible-thing-to-do/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [I admire Serena Williams, because, I mean, who doesn't admire Serena Williams?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johanna-konta/i-admire-serena-williams-because-i-mean-who-doesn-t-admire-serena/) [Johanna Konta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johanna-konta/) > [How proud I am to be compared to Oprah. I really admire her. She's a minority woman and she's done all this by herself...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristina-saralegui/how-proud-i-am-to-be-compared-to-oprah-i-really-admire-her-she-s-a/) [Cristina Saralegui](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristina-saralegui/) > [I admire President Obama's ability to trust strangers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-gutfeld/i-admire-president-obama-s-ability-to-trust-strangers/) [Greg Gutfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-gutfeld/) > [I really admire people's interactions with technology that aren't tech-centric but use it as a tool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-polachek/i-really-admire-people-s-interactions-with-technology-that-aren-t/) [Caroline Polachek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-polachek/) > [During my first years in the Sierra, I was ever calling on everybody within reach to admire them, but I found no one half…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/during-my-first-years-in-the-sierra-i-was-ever-calling-on-everybody/) [John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/) > [Shaw's works make me admire the magnificent tolerance and broadmindedness of the english.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/shaw-s-works-make-me-admire-the-magnificent-tolerance-and/) [James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) > [It could be my British need for discipline that makes me admire the American appetite for freedom and passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-winwood/it-could-be-my-british-need-for-discipline-that-makes-me-admire-the/) [Steve Winwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-winwood/) > [I believe in a world where there are no heroes, and I've read and know humanity a lot. There are moments that I admire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orhan-pamuk/i-believe-in-a-world-where-there-are-no-heroes-and-i-ve-read-and-know/) [Orhan Pamuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orhan-pamuk/) > [I admire machinery as much is any man, and am as thankful to it as any man can be for what it does for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-admire-machinery-as-much-is-any-man-and-am-as-thankful-to-it-as-any/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [I think it's really good and helpful to have the people you most admire in some other discipline than what you work in. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whit-stillman/i-think-it-s-really-good-and-helpful-to-have-the-people-you-most/) [Whit Stillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whit-stillman/) > [Part of what we admire about a painting or a piece of music is the order which the artist has imposed upon what would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-storr/part-of-what-we-admire-about-a-painting-or-a-piece-of-music-is-the/) [Anthony Storr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-storr/) > [I respect and admire the Premier League.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-koeman/i-respect-and-admire-the-premier-league/) [Ronald Koeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-koeman/) > [“Admire and appreciate your man and he will be happy on your side”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-alfiori/admire-and-appreciate-your-man-and-he-will-be-happy-on-your-side/) [Linda Alfiori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-alfiori/) > [“The thing I admire most about you is no matter how hard, or how much the world has tried to beat you, break you,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikita-gill/the-thing-i-admire-most-about-you-is-no-matter-how-hard-or-how-much/) [Nikita Gill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikita-gill/) Browse all 2,369 Admire quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If a grasshopper tries to fight a lawnmower, one may admire his courage but not his judgement.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Robert A. Heinlein" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/if-a-grasshopper-tries-to-fight-a-lawnmower-one-may-admire-his/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Admire" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/if-a-grasshopper-tries-to-fight-a-lawnmower-one-may-admire-his/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d2/robert-a-heinlein-209_admire_if-a-grasshopper-tries-to-fight-a-lawnmo_2432637.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d2/robert-a-heinlein-209_admire_if-a-grasshopper-tries-to-fight-a-lawnmo_2432637.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d2/robert-a-heinlein-209_admire_if-a-grasshopper-tries-to-fight-a-lawnmo_2432637.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If a grasshopper tries to fight a lawnmower, one may admire his courage but not his judgement.” — Robert A. Heinlein", "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": "Robert A. Heinlein", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If a grasshopper tries to fight...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/if-a-grasshopper-tries-to-fight-a-lawnmower-one-may-admire-his/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/if-a-grasshopper-tries-to-fight-a-lawnmower-one-may-admire-his/#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 } } ] } ```