--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That's what I was trying to do: be a…" description: "\"That's what I was trying to do: be a reliable guy, dependable guy you know wasn't going to make a lot of mistakes. Maybe not high-ceiling, high-reward,..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a2/shaun-livingston-5529_failure_that-s-what-i-was-trying-to-do-be-a-reli_1468287.jpg" --- # That's what I was trying to do: be a reliable guy… ![“That's what I was trying to do: be a reliable guy, dependable guy you know wasn't going to make a lot of mistakes. Maybe not high-ceiling, high-reward, but low-risk.” quote by Shaun Livingston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a2/shaun-livingston-5529_failure_that-s-what-i-was-trying-to-do-be-a-reli_1468287.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a2/shaun-livingston-5529_failure_that-s-what-i-was-trying-to-do-be-a-reli_1468287.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a2/shaun-livingston-5529_failure_that-s-what-i-was-trying-to-do-be-a-reli_1468287.jpg) > “That's what I was trying to do: be a reliable guy, dependable guy you know wasn't going to make a lot of mistakes. Maybe not high-ceiling, high-reward, but low-risk.” [Shaun Livingston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-livingston/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He aims for consistency and reliability over high‑risk, high‑reward choices, valuing low‑risk contributions. **In simple terms:** Prefer steady reliability over big risks. Key Takeaway Prioritize dependable performance. Themes reliability consistency risk management Mood steady pragmatic Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - team roles - personal development - risk assessment Key Concepts sports psychology career strategy Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance reliability with growth? - When is it worth taking higher risks? A Different Perspective Low‑risk may limit breakthrough opportunities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Mistakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistakes/) [Risk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risk/) ## Related quotes > [I definitely want to show that I'm going to be a reliable guy to put in the work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-ingram/i-definitely-want-to-show-that-i-m-going-to-be-a-reliable-guy-to-put/) [Brandon Ingram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-ingram/) > [I have long been an advocate of starting an IoT journey with a small, low-risk project that can produce immediate benefits. But don't confuse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maciej-kranz/i-have-long-been-an-advocate-of-starting-an-iot-journey-with-a-small/) [Maciej Kranz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maciej-kranz/) > [Some of the most vulnerable people to getting the SARS virus are health care providers. The general public, walking in the street, there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-fauci/some-of-the-most-vulnerable-people-to-getting-the-sars-virus-are/) [Anthony Fauci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-fauci/) > [When investing, I'm not against risk. If you take no risk you must expect a low return. Just don't let anyone fool you into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-clitheroe/when-investing-i-m-not-against-risk-if-you-take-no-risk-you-must/) [Paul Clitheroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-clitheroe/) > [A lot of electronic-based musicians give very low-risk performances, and it's fun to hear your favorite band play live on a big speaker, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/how-to-dress-well/a-lot-of-electronic-based-musicians-give-very-low-risk-performances/) How to Dress Well > [“Perfectionists will choose activities that are low risk that they can do well right now instead of working on big projects because they will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richie-norton/perfectionists-will-choose-activities-that-are-low-risk-that-they-can/) [Richie Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richie-norton/) > [“The key thing we should care about is not the form, but the outcomes: deployments should be low-risk, push-button events we can perform on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-kim/the-key-thing-we-should-care-about-is-not-the-form-but-the-outcomes/) [Gene Kim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-kim/) > [There is no such thing as a low risk lap in Monaco. It doesn't exist if you want to be fast, because you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-verstappen/there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-low-risk-lap-in-monaco-it-doesn-t-exist/) [Max Verstappen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-verstappen/) > [Someone who seeks low-risk investments never really feels investing is safe and someone who is always right eventually winds up wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/someone-who-seeks-low-risk-investments-never-really-feels-investing/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [History has not dealt kindly with the aftermath of protracted periods of low risk premiums.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/history-has-not-dealt-kindly-with-the-aftermath-of-protracted-periods/) [Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/) > [“Neither Wozniak nor Jobs left their regular jobs: This was strictly a low-risk venture meant for their free time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/neither-wozniak-nor-jobs-left-their-regular-jobs-this-was-strictly-a/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“if your business ecosystem seems stable, don't be lulled into a potentially false sense of security. Big changes can happen very quickly. Don't confuse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-jolly/if-your-business-ecosystem-seems-stable-don-t-be-lulled-into-a/) [Rich Jolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-jolly/) > [Network marketing gives people the opportunity, with very low risk and very low financial commitment, to build their own income-generating asset and acquire great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/network-marketing-gives-people-the-opportunity-with-very-low-risk-and/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [Writing that flirts with incoherence can just as readily flounder as writing characterized by simplicity and composure. There is no reliable formula for originality,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-scott/writing-that-flirts-with-incoherence-can-just-as-readily-flounder-as/) [Joanna Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-scott/) > [How can I trust that the Bible is reliable?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-horton/how-can-i-trust-that-the-bible-is-reliable/) [Michael Horton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-horton/) ## More by Shaun Livingston > [I can be The Man. I have the skills and the tools to do it. I just have to play to my potential. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-livingston/i-can-be-the-man-i-have-the-skills-and-the-tools-to-do-it-i-just-have/) [Shaun Livingston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-livingston/) > [I never want to forget that I'm not anything special.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-livingston/i-never-want-to-forget-that-i-m-not-anything-special/) [Shaun Livingston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-livingston/) > [We all have those friends that tick to their drum, and you don't want them to tick to anybody else's drum.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-livingston/we-all-have-those-friends-that-tick-to-their-drum-and-you-don-t-want/) [Shaun Livingston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-livingston/) > [I always thought I would have a good feel in the basketball office.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-livingston/i-always-thought-i-would-have-a-good-feel-in-the-basketball-office/) [Shaun Livingston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-livingston/) > [But yeah, a lot of people compare me to Magic. The physical appearance, the tall point guard, the ability to pass the ball. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-livingston/but-yeah-a-lot-of-people-compare-me-to-magic-the-physical-appearance/) [Shaun Livingston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-livingston/) > [I played with the Clippers when Golden State really wasn't cracking like that and Oracle Arena was still jumping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-livingston/i-played-with-the-clippers-when-golden-state-really-wasn-t-cracking/) [Shaun Livingston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-livingston/) > [If you don't go through life making excuses, you save yourself, your friends, and parents a lot of trouble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-livingston/if-you-don-t-go-through-life-making-excuses-you-save-yourself-your/) [Shaun Livingston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-livingston/) > [This is a game, don't put too much stress on yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-livingston/this-is-a-game-don-t-put-too-much-stress-on-yourself/) [Shaun Livingston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-livingston/) > [I had to teach myself how to walk again. It was crazy. I couldn't even make a muscle in my leg. I felt like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-livingston/i-had-to-teach-myself-how-to-walk-again-it-was-crazy-i-couldn-t-even/) [Shaun Livingston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-livingston/) > [I'm taking care of my body, getting my treatment, I'm in the weight room... I'm doing everything I can to stay healthy, and hopefully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-livingston/i-m-taking-care-of-my-body-getting-my-treatment-i-m-in-the-weight/) [Shaun Livingston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-livingston/) > [I've been even-keeled my whole life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-livingston/i-ve-been-even-keeled-my-whole-life/) [Shaun Livingston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-livingston/) > [Once you go through something and come out of the storm, you've been tested.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-livingston/once-you-go-through-something-and-come-out-of-the-storm-you-ve-been/) [Shaun Livingston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-livingston/) > [It's just kind of ironic with how I came into the NBA with all the expectations. You would've thought coming in the way I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-livingston/it-s-just-kind-of-ironic-with-how-i-came-into-the-nba-with-all-the/) [Shaun Livingston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-livingston/) > [I was kind of at the turning point in my career with my knee. I was dealing with the struggles of trying to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-livingston/i-was-kind-of-at-the-turning-point-in-my-career-with-my-knee-i-was/) [Shaun Livingston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-livingston/) > [Eleven years in the league, I haven't had a dirty play. I haven't made a name in this league by playing that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-livingston/eleven-years-in-the-league-i-haven-t-had-a-dirty-play-i-haven-t-made/) [Shaun Livingston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-livingston/) [Explore all 100 Shaun Livingston quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-livingston/) ## More Failure quotes > [When you do things they're absolutely right at that time for you and it can always teach you something about yourself. You can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kym-marsh/when-you-do-things-they-re-absolutely-right-at-that-time-for-you-and/) [Kym Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kym-marsh/) > [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [No one is completely unhappy at the failure of his best friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/no-one-is-completely-unhappy-at-the-failure-of-his-best-friend/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [“Rhiannon's Law #28: If you're going to fuck up, be sure to fuck up good and proper. Nothing makes failure acceptable, so you might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/rhiannon-s-law-28-if-you-re-going-to-fuck-up-be-sure-to-fuck-up-good/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Failure is a part of life and you have to learn to deal with it. Failure is something that is part of life's cycle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/failure-is-a-part-of-life-and-you-have-to-learn-to-deal-with-it/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [First action was a mistake. What about the second? third? fourth and fifth?...Mehn you are bad...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/first-action-was-a-mistake-what-about-the-second-third-fourth-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God's love never fail :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-s-love-never-fail/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Don’t you just hate nights like that, when you think over every mistake you’ve made, every hurt you’ve received, every bit of meanness you’ve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/don-t-you-just-hate-nights-like-that-when-you-think-over-every/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [“Our failure to understand another being's inner reality doesn't make that reality any less real, or any less valuable to that being. (p.255)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-schulz/our-failure-to-understand-another-being-s-inner-reality-doesn-t-make/) [Kathryn Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-schulz/) > [I hope that the Palestinians don't make the mistake of unleashing a new intifada. They've tried it twice before, and the consequences were bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/i-hope-that-the-palestinians-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-unleashing-a/) [Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/) > [Don't take too much comfort in the fact that you're successful today because tomorrow could bring failure. There's no surety in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-savage/don-t-take-too-much-comfort-in-the-fact-that-you-re-successful-today/) [Michael Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-savage/) > [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [failure in the theater is more public, more brilliant, more unreal than in any other field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/failure-in-the-theater-is-more-public-more-brilliant-more-unreal-than/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [As we are coming to the end of the year, I want you to forget about the past, the failure, the negative thoughts or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-we-are-coming-to-the-end-of-the-year-i-want-you-to-forget-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 27,498 Failure quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "That's what I was trying to do: be a reliable guy, dependable guy you know wasn't going to make a lot of mistakes. 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