--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We had nothing to lose and everything to…" description: "\"We had nothing to lose and everything to gain.\" — Steve Jobs" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6e/steve-jobs-307_colonization_we-had-nothing-to-lose-and-everything-to_1691480.jpg" --- # We had nothing to lose and everything to gain. ![“We had nothing to lose and everything to gain.” quote by Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6e/steve-jobs-307_colonization_we-had-nothing-to-lose-and-everything-to_1691480.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6e/steve-jobs-307_colonization_we-had-nothing-to-lose-and-everything-to_1691480.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6e/steve-jobs-307_colonization_we-had-nothing-to-lose-and-everything-to_1691480.jpg) > “We had nothing to lose and everything to gain.” [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He emphasizes that having nothing to lose frees one to take bold risks. **In simple terms:** Risk when you have nothing to lose. Key Takeaway Take bold risks. Themes risk innovation entrepreneurship Mood reflective optimistic Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - startup launch - career change - investment decisions - creative projects Key Concepts fearlessness opportunity Questions to Reflect On - What risks are worth taking? - How to assess potential fallout? A Different Perspective Risk can lead to reckless decisions without proper planning. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Colonization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/colonization/) [Gain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gain/) [Gains](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gains/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Lose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lose/) [Lose Gain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lose-gain-302988/) [Loses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loses/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Nothing to lose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nothing-to-lose/) [Tranquil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tranquil/) ## Related quotes > [The mob has nothing to lose, everything to gain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/the-mob-has-nothing-to-lose-everything-to-gain/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [I have nothing to lose, but something to gain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eminem/i-have-nothing-to-lose-but-something-to-gain/) [Eminem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eminem/) > [Some lose yet gain, others gain and yet lose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/some-lose-yet-gain-others-gain-and-yet-lose/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Live each day as if you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonja-morgan/live-each-day-as-if-you-have-nothing-to-lose-and-everything-to-gain/) [Sonja Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonja-morgan/) > [“You are giving up nothing! You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-hemingway/you-are-giving-up-nothing-you-have-nothing-to-lose-and-everything-to/) [Liz Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-hemingway/) > [Most of our lives are dictated by money and when we lose or gain some, we change so much as an individual.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-s-narayana/most-of-our-lives-are-dictated-by-money-and-when-we-lose-or-gain-some/) [M. S. Narayana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-s-narayana/) > [Maybe during the last sprint, sometimes you can lose, sometimes you can gain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-lel/maybe-during-the-last-sprint-sometimes-you-can-lose-sometimes-you-can/) [Martin Lel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-lel/) > [There's so much to lose and so much more to gain, sometimes people will be out of your life for reason, don;t hold it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaze-olamiday/there-s-so-much-to-lose-and-so-much-more-to-gain-sometimes-people/) [Blaze Olamiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaze-olamiday/) > [“You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-vickers/you-have-nothing-to-lose-and-everything-to-gain/) [Lee Vickers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-vickers/) > [I have everything to lose, you have everything to gain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diggy-simmons/i-have-everything-to-lose-you-have-everything-to-gain/) [Diggy Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diggy-simmons/) > [I had nothig to lose ,but something to gain :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eminem/i-had-nothig-to-lose-but-something-to-gain/) [Eminem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eminem/) > [“And it is clear that in the colonial countries the peasants alone are revolutionary, for they have nothing to lose and everything to gain.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frantz-fanon/and-it-is-clear-that-in-the-colonial-countries-the-peasants-alone-are/) [Frantz Fanon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frantz-fanon/) > [You have everything to gain and nothing to lose by trying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-clement-stone/you-have-everything-to-gain-and-nothing-to-lose-by-trying/) [W. Clement Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-clement-stone/) > [Too-lateness, I realized, has nothing to do with age. It’s a relation of self to the moment. Or not, depending on the person and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-hoban/too-lateness-i-realized-has-nothing-to-do-with-age-it-s-a-relation-of/) [Russell Hoban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-hoban/) > [We have nothing to lose, nothing to gain, nothing we desired anymore- except to make our lives into a work of art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lana-del-rey/we-have-nothing-to-lose-nothing-to-gain-nothing-we-desired-anymore/) [Lana Del Rey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lana-del-rey/) ## More by Steve Jobs > [Who wants a stylus. You have to get em and put em away, and you lose em. Yuck. Nobody wants a stylus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/who-wants-a-stylus-you-have-to-get-em-and-put-em-away-and-you-lose-em/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [I admire Mark Zuckerberg... for not selling out, for wanting to make a company. I admire that a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/i-admire-mark-zuckerberg-for-not-selling-out-for-wanting-to-make-a/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [If you want to hire great people and have them stay, you have to be run by ideas, not hierarchy. The best ideas have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/if-you-want-to-hire-great-people-and-have-them-stay-you-have-to-be/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you and you can change it, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/everything-around-you-that-you-call-life-was-made-up-by-people-that/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [“Innovation is not about saying yes to everything. It's about saying NO to all but the most crucial features.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/innovation-is-not-about-saying-yes-to-everything-it-s-about-saying-no/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/i-have-always-said-if-there-ever-came-a-day-when-i-could-no-longer/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [When you first start off trying to solve a problem, the first solutions you come up with are very complex, and most people stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/when-you-first-start-off-trying-to-solve-a-problem-the-first/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [I'm not dismissing the value of higher education; I'm simply saying it comes at the expense of experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/i-m-not-dismissing-the-value-of-higher-education-i-m-simply-saying-it/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [“To YoYo Ma: "You playing is the best argument I've ever heard for the existence of God, because I don't really believe a human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/to-yoyo-ma-you-playing-is-the-best-argument-i-ve-ever-heard-for-the/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [The most important thing is a person. A person who incites your curiosity and feeds your curiosity; and machines cannot do that in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-most-important-thing-is-a-person-a-person-who-incites-your/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [The tragedy is that Dell didn't win it - we lost it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-tragedy-is-that-dell-didn-t-win-it-we-lost-it/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [“I think great artists and great engineers are similar, in that they both have a desire to express themselves. In fact some of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/i-think-great-artists-and-great-engineers-are-similar-in-that-they/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [It's rare that you see an artist in his 30s or 40s able to really contribute something amazing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/it-s-rare-that-you-see-an-artist-in-his-30s-or-40s-able-to-really/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [We're going to be able to ask our computers to monitor things for us, and when certain conditions happen, are triggered, the computers will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/we-re-going-to-be-able-to-ask-our-computers-to-monitor-things-for-us/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) [Explore all 695 Steve Jobs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) ## More Colonization quotes > [Humor is widely used by Indians to deal with life. Indian gatherings are marked by laughter and jokes, many directed at the horrors of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-gunn-allen/humor-is-widely-used-by-indians-to-deal-with-life-indian-gatherings/) [Paula Gunn Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-gunn-allen/) > [“To be sure, the church has greatly assisted the colonialist; backing his ventures, helping his conscience, contributing to the acceptance of colonization even by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-memmi/to-be-sure-the-church-has-greatly-assisted-the-colonialist-backing/) [Albert Memmi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-memmi/) > [The loss of national identity is the greatest defeat a nation can know, and it is inevitable under the contemporary form of colonization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slobodan-milosevi/the-loss-of-national-identity-is-the-greatest-defeat-a-nation-can/) [Slobodan Milosević](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slobodan-milosevi/) > [“They must train you pretty good not to react to shit like that. Must take stuff out of you.” Vince’s eyes intensified then broke…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-kirwan/they-must-train-you-pretty-good-not-to-react-to-shit-like-that-must/) [Barry Kirwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-kirwan/) > [“Beef had hit $300 a kilo. Not that he could recall the last time he’d tasted real beef.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-kirwan/beef-had-hit-300-a-kilo-not-that-he-could-recall-the-last-time-he-d/) [Barry Kirwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-kirwan/) > [“The journey of a thousands suns begins today. Some may question whether the journey is worth the sacrifice and danger. To them I say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-marusek/the-journey-of-a-thousands-suns-begins-today-some-may-question/) [David Marusek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-marusek/) > [ “\[...\] colonization was a paedophile \[sic\] who insists on being a parent.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tapiwa-mugabe/colonization-was-a-paedophile-sic-who-insists-on-being-a-parent/) [Tapiwa Mugabe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tapiwa-mugabe/) > [“When individuals and communities do not govern self, they risk being ruled by external forces that care less about the well-being of the village.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-f-hodge/when-individuals-and-communities-do-not-govern-self-they-risk-being/) [T.F. Hodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-f-hodge/) > [“I find forgiveness overrated. There are times and places when it’s appropriate. But not when the demand that you forgive is used to keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-leckie/i-find-forgiveness-overrated-there-are-times-and-places-when-it-s/) [Ann Leckie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-leckie/) > [I cannot make it better known than it already is that I strongly favor colonization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/i-cannot-make-it-better-known-than-it-already-is-that-i-strongly/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Colonization was the idea that once slavery ended African-Americans should be encouraged - or required, in some people's view - required to leave the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-foner/colonization-was-the-idea-that-once-slavery-ended-african-americans/) [Eric Foner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-foner/) > [Historians still often see the end of the war as meaning nothing more for Germany than lost territories, lost participation in colonization, and lost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustav-stresemann/historians-still-often-see-the-end-of-the-war-as-meaning-nothing-more/) [Gustav Stresemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustav-stresemann/) > [Colonization means potential immortality for the human genus. Man's safety on Earth was never great, and it dwindles hourly. Disarmament, even world government, will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/poul-anderson/colonization-means-potential-immortality-for-the-human-genus-man-s/) [Poul Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/poul-anderson/) > [Planet colonization is not a short term concern of mine. The physical limitations of space travel render it low on the list for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-sacca/planet-colonization-is-not-a-short-term-concern-of-mine-the-physical/) [Chris Sacca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-sacca/) > [Every object you see before you at this moment -the walls, ceiling, and furniture, the book, your own washed hands and cut fingernails, bears…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/every-object-you-see-before-you-at-this-moment-the-walls-ceiling-and/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) [Browse all 110 Colonization quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/colonization/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We had nothing to lose and everything to gain.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Steve Jobs" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/we-had-nothing-to-lose-and-everything-to-gain/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Colonization" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/we-had-nothing-to-lose-and-everything-to-gain/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6e/steve-jobs-307_colonization_we-had-nothing-to-lose-and-everything-to_1691480.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6e/steve-jobs-307_colonization_we-had-nothing-to-lose-and-everything-to_1691480.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6e/steve-jobs-307_colonization_we-had-nothing-to-lose-and-everything-to_1691480.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We had nothing to lose and everything to gain.” — Steve Jobs", "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": "Steve Jobs", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We had nothing to lose and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/we-had-nothing-to-lose-and-everything-to-gain/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/we-had-nothing-to-lose-and-everything-to-gain/#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 } } ] } ```