---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But at least the way was clear now. When…"
description: "\"“But at least the way was clear now. When you step off a cliff, your life takes a very definite direction.”\" — Terry Pratchett"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/269/terry-pratchett-19_cliff_but-at-least-the-way-was-clear-now-when_455829.jpg"
---

#  But at least the way was clear now. When you step off a…

![“But at least the way was clear now. When you step off a cliff, your life takes a very definite direction.” quote by Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/269/terry-pratchett-19_cliff_but-at-least-the-way-was-clear-now-when_455829.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/269/terry-pratchett-19_cliff_but-at-least-the-way-was-clear-now-when_455829.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/269/terry-pratchett-19_cliff_but-at-least-the-way-was-clear-now-when_455829.jpg)

> ““But at least the way was clear now. When you step off a cliff, your life takes a very definite direction.””

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Facing a decisive moment forces a clear direction, like stepping off a cliff determines your path.

**In simple terms:** A bold step defines your life's direction.

Key Takeaway

Take decisive action to shape your future.

Themes

choice destiny risk clarity adventure

Mood

thoughtful inspirational

Type

philosophical reflective

When to use this quote

- career changes
- personal crises
- creative projects

Key Concepts

decision theory philosophy of fate narrative momentum

Questions to Reflect On

- What cliff are you hesitant to step off?
- How does clarity emerge after a decisive act?

A Different Perspective

Bold moves can lead to unintended consequences.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Cliff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cliff/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/)

## Related quotes

> [“When you have dived off a cliff, your only hope is to press for the abolition of gravity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/when-you-have-dived-off-a-cliff-your-only-hope-is-to-press-for-the/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [“To look at him, you’d see a man who might well, if he fell over a cliff, have to stop and ask directions on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/to-look-at-him-you-d-see-a-man-who-might-well-if-he-fell-over-a-cliff/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [There is something about writing poetry that brings a man close to the cliff's edge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/there-is-something-about-writing-poetry-that-brings-a-man-close-to/)

[Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/)

> [I always likened retirement to falling off a cliff, and then you have to kind of brush yourself off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-young/i-always-likened-retirement-to-falling-off-a-cliff-and-then-you-have/)

[Steve Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-young/)

> [“Feeling the Wind in Your Hair The peak of the cliff sits tantalizingly close. Your hands rest on your knees as you gasp, willing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-kieran/feeling-the-wind-in-your-hair-the-peak-of-the-cliff-sits/)

Dan Kieran

> [Don't make me hang on to long I have the grip but this cliff is really steep but for you ill be like spiderman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mcglory/don-t-make-me-hang-on-to-long-i-have-the-grip-but-this-cliff-is/)

[Greg Mcglory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mcglory/)

> [People with high levels of wellbeing have been careful to work out early in the morning and not to have heavy meals throughout the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-rath/people-with-high-levels-of-wellbeing-have-been-careful-to-work-out/)

[Tom Rath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-rath/)

> [I've now met, I would say, almost every single one of my rock idols. I feel like I should just drive off a cliff…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-schafer/i-ve-now-met-i-would-say-almost-every-single-one-of-my-rock-idols-i/)

[Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/)

> [Wow! We beat him! I mean, yeah technically he fell off a cliff but, we still won.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/po-the-dragon-warrior/wow-we-beat-him-i-mean-yeah-technically-he-fell-off-a-cliff-but-we/)

Po - The Dragon Warrior

> [I'm not a lemming about to run off the end of a cliff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-roeder/i-m-not-a-lemming-about-to-run-off-the-end-of-a-cliff/)

[Glenn Roeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-roeder/)

> [“She had what I'd call a lemming ass - that is, an ass that you would follow right over the edge of the cliff.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-davidson/she-had-what-i-d-call-a-lemming-ass-that-is-an-ass-that-you-would/)

[Andrew Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-davidson/)

> [Let's push the Pentagon off the fiscal cliff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sheehan/let-s-push-the-pentagon-off-the-fiscal-cliff/)

[Cindy Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sheehan/)

> [Sometimes I think my past life was unrealized. I met a tragic end - it might have been a car over a cliff. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-ebersole/sometimes-i-think-my-past-life-was-unrealized-i-met-a-tragic-end-it/)

[Christine Ebersole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-ebersole/)

> [“Cliff took his arm from my shoulder and raised both hands high. "Go. Be gone!" All of the birds stopped shrieking”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacy-claflin/cliff-took-his-arm-from-my-shoulder-and-raised-both-hands-high-go-be/)

[Stacy Claflin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacy-claflin/)

> [The unemployed in Greece can get a voucher and choose a training program somewhere in Europe to be retrained during this crisis and when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-papandreou/the-unemployed-in-greece-can-get-a-voucher-and-choose-a-training/)

[George Papandreou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-papandreou/)

## More by Terry Pratchett

> [“This one’s mental.’ ‘Eccentric.’ ‘What’s the difference?’ ‘A bag of cash.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/this-one-s-mental-eccentric-what-s-the-difference-a-bag-of-cash/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [“But I did not return until half past four this morning and I distinctly remember stubbing my toe on the stairs. I am as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/but-i-did-not-return-until-half-past-four-this-morning-and-i/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [“The universe contains any amount of horrible ways to be woken up, such as the noise of the mob breaking down the front door,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-universe-contains-any-amount-of-horrible-ways-to-be-woken-up-such/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [“Someone broke from the scrum and, punching and kicking, staggered towards the Klatchian goal. "Isn't that man your butler?" said Ahmed. "Yes." "One of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/someone-broke-from-the-scrum-and-punching-and-kicking-staggered/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [It's an interesting fact that fewer than 17 % of Real cats end their lives with the same name they started with. Much family…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/it-s-an-interesting-fact-that-fewer-than-17-of-real-cats-end-their/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [You can't trust folk songs. They always sneak up on you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/you-can-t-trust-folk-songs-they-always-sneak-up-on-you/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [Either dragons should exist completely or fail to exist at all, he felt. A dragon only half-existing was worse than the extremes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/either-dragons-should-exist-completely-or-fail-to-exist-at-all-he/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [“Magrat wondered what it was like, spending your whole life doing something you didn’t want to do. Like being dead, she considered, only worse,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/magrat-wondered-what-it-was-like-spending-your-whole-life-doing/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [A hardback's harder at Christmas time because that's a good hardback buying time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/a-hardback-s-harder-at-christmas-time-because-that-s-a-good-hardback/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [“There were more old people. The world was full of them,' said the wizard. 'Yes, I know. And now it's full of young people.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/there-were-more-old-people-the-world-was-full-of-them-said-the-wizard/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [“Hobson was big and heavyset, but not exactly fat; he was probably what you’d get if you shaved a bear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/hobson-was-big-and-heavyset-but-not-exactly-fat-he-was-probably-what/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [“There is a night that never comes to an end… The clock of the world turns under its own shadow. Midnight is a moving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/there-is-a-night-that-never-comes-to-an-end-the-clock-of-the-world/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [“You'd like Freedom, Truth, and Justice, wouldn't you, Comrade Sergeant?' said Reg encouragingly. 'I'd like a hard-boiled egg,' said Vimes, shaking the match out.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/you-d-like-freedom-truth-and-justice-wouldn-t-you-comrade-sergeant/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [“You are not apprehensive, are you? I can't detect no trace of fear none whatsoever Roomy cranium all possible videos of all possible outcomes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/you-are-not-apprehensive-are-you-i-can-t-detect-no-trace-of-fear-none/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [Imagination, not intelligence, made us human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/imagination-not-intelligence-made-us-human/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

[Explore all 3,328 Terry Pratchett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

## More Cliff quotes

> [The unemployed in Greece can get a voucher and choose a training program somewhere in Europe to be retrained during this crisis and when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-papandreou/the-unemployed-in-greece-can-get-a-voucher-and-choose-a-training/)

[George Papandreou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-papandreou/)

> [“Cliff took his arm from my shoulder and raised both hands high. "Go. Be gone!" All of the birds stopped shrieking”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacy-claflin/cliff-took-his-arm-from-my-shoulder-and-raised-both-hands-high-go-be/)

[Stacy Claflin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacy-claflin/)

> [Sometimes I think my past life was unrealized. I met a tragic end - it might have been a car over a cliff. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-ebersole/sometimes-i-think-my-past-life-was-unrealized-i-met-a-tragic-end-it/)

[Christine Ebersole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-ebersole/)

> [Let's push the Pentagon off the fiscal cliff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sheehan/let-s-push-the-pentagon-off-the-fiscal-cliff/)

[Cindy Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sheehan/)

> [“She had what I'd call a lemming ass - that is, an ass that you would follow right over the edge of the cliff.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-davidson/she-had-what-i-d-call-a-lemming-ass-that-is-an-ass-that-you-would/)

[Andrew Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-davidson/)

> [I'm not a lemming about to run off the end of a cliff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-roeder/i-m-not-a-lemming-about-to-run-off-the-end-of-a-cliff/)

[Glenn Roeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-roeder/)

> [Wow! We beat him! I mean, yeah technically he fell off a cliff but, we still won.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/po-the-dragon-warrior/wow-we-beat-him-i-mean-yeah-technically-he-fell-off-a-cliff-but-we/)

Po - The Dragon Warrior

> [I've now met, I would say, almost every single one of my rock idols. I feel like I should just drive off a cliff…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-schafer/i-ve-now-met-i-would-say-almost-every-single-one-of-my-rock-idols-i/)

[Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/)

> [People with high levels of wellbeing have been careful to work out early in the morning and not to have heavy meals throughout the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-rath/people-with-high-levels-of-wellbeing-have-been-careful-to-work-out/)

[Tom Rath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-rath/)

> [Don't make me hang on to long I have the grip but this cliff is really steep but for you ill be like spiderman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mcglory/don-t-make-me-hang-on-to-long-i-have-the-grip-but-this-cliff-is/)

[Greg Mcglory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mcglory/)

> [“Feeling the Wind in Your Hair The peak of the cliff sits tantalizingly close. Your hands rest on your knees as you gasp, willing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-kieran/feeling-the-wind-in-your-hair-the-peak-of-the-cliff-sits/)

Dan Kieran

> [I always likened retirement to falling off a cliff, and then you have to kind of brush yourself off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-young/i-always-likened-retirement-to-falling-off-a-cliff-and-then-you-have/)

[Steve Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-young/)

> [There is something about writing poetry that brings a man close to the cliff's edge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/there-is-something-about-writing-poetry-that-brings-a-man-close-to/)

[Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/)

> [Acting like it's a big deal because, hey, I don't who Cliff Bowyer is. -Si](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duck-dynasty/acting-like-it-s-a-big-deal-because-hey-i-don-t-who-cliff-bowyer-is-si/)

[Duck Dynasty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duck-dynasty/)

> [“Go to the edge of the cliff and jump off. Build your wings on the way down.--Ray Bradbury”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-k-thorne/go-to-the-edge-of-the-cliff-and-jump-off-build-your-wings-on-the-way/)

T.K. Thorne

[Browse all 159 Cliff quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cliff/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“But at least the way was clear now. When you step off a cliff, your life takes a very definite direction.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Terry Pratchett"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/but-at-least-the-way-was-clear-now-when-you-step-off-a-cliff-your/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Cliff"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/but-at-least-the-way-was-clear-now-when-you-step-off-a-cliff-your/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/269/terry-pratchett-19_cliff_but-at-least-the-way-was-clear-now-when_455829.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/269/terry-pratchett-19_cliff_but-at-least-the-way-was-clear-now-when_455829.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/269/terry-pratchett-19_cliff_but-at-least-the-way-was-clear-now-when_455829.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“But at least the way was clear now. When you step off a cliff, your life takes a very definite direction.” — Terry Pratchett",
                "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": "Terry Pratchett",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“But at least the way was...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/but-at-least-the-way-was-clear-now-when-you-step-off-a-cliff-your/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/but-at-least-the-way-was-clear-now-when-you-step-off-a-cliff-your/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
