--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was merely endeavoring to indicate that…" description: "\"I was merely endeavoring to indicate that if we do not grab events by the collar they will have us by the throat. -Lord Vetinari\" — Terry Pratchett" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed6/terry-pratchett-19_collars_i-was-merely-endeavoring-to-indicate-tha_1869706.jpg" --- # I was merely endeavoring to indicate that if we do not… ![“I was merely endeavoring to indicate that if we do not grab events by the collar they will have us by the throat. -Lord Vetinari” quote by Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed6/terry-pratchett-19_collars_i-was-merely-endeavoring-to-indicate-tha_1869706.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed6/terry-pratchett-19_collars_i-was-merely-endeavoring-to-indicate-tha_1869706.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed6/terry-pratchett-19_collars_i-was-merely-endeavoring-to-indicate-tha_1869706.jpg) > “I was merely endeavoring to indicate that if we do not grab events by the collar they will have us by the throat. -Lord Vetinari” [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. Control your destiny by taking proactive, decisive action rather than being passively swept by events. **In simple terms:** Grab life’s challenges before they control you. Key Takeaway Act decisively to shape outcomes. Themes agency initiative control Mood determined cautious Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - career decisions - conflict resolution - personal crises - project management Key Concepts philosophy of free will strategic action Questions to Reflect On - When should you act versus wait? - What risks are worth taking? A Different Perspective Overconfidence can lead to reckless risks; sometimes patience is wiser. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Collar Throat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/collar-throat-2571313/) [Collars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/collars/) [Endeavoring Indicate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/endeavoring-indicate-2571314/) [Events](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/events/) [Events Collar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/events-collar-2571316/) [Lord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lord/) [Lord Vetinari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lord-vetinari-2551559/) [Merely Endeavoring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/merely-endeavoring-2571315/) [Throat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/throat/) [Vetinari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vetinari/) ## Related quotes > [“Moist waited. Lord Vetinari could outstare a statue and make even a statue start to feel nervous and confess. Moist's counter was a fetching…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/moist-waited-lord-vetinari-could-outstare-a-statue-and-make-even-a/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [Any sensible ruler would have killed off Leonard, and Lord Vetinari was extremely sensible and often wondered why he had not done so. He'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/any-sensible-ruler-would-have-killed-off-leonard-and-lord-vetinari/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [I must confess the activities of the UK governments for the past couple of years have been watched with frank admiration and amazement by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/i-must-confess-the-activities-of-the-uk-governments-for-the-past/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“Persuasion comes in many forms," said Lord Vetinari. "No, I agree with Archchancellor Ridcully, sending Captain Carrot would be an excellent idea." "What? Did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/persuasion-comes-in-many-forms-said-lord-vetinari-no-i-agree-with/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“Lord Vetinari, as supreme ruler of Ankh-Morpork, could in theory summon the Archchancellor of Unseen University to his presence and, indeed, have him executed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/lord-vetinari-as-supreme-ruler-of-ankh-morpork-could-in-theory-summon/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“Yes, my lord, and riding on sleek steel rails in a well-sprung carriage would be the height of comfort. So smooth!” said Moist. “Perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/yes-my-lord-and-riding-on-sleek-steel-rails-in-a-well-sprung-carriage/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“Everybody present laughed nervously, except Lord Vetinari, who just laughed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/everybody-present-laughed-nervously-except-lord-vetinari-who-just/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“A path cleared itself for Lord Vetinari, as paths do for men known to have dungeons in their basement.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/a-path-cleared-itself-for-lord-vetinari-as-paths-do-for-men-known-to/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“He shrugged. - They're just people - he said. - They're just doing what people do. Sir. 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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/) ## 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. 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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 Collars quotes > [Doing 'White Collar,' quite often my character goes undercover, so therein lies the compounding of the imagination. I get to play Peter Burke and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-dekay/doing-white-collar-quite-often-my-character-goes-undercover-so/) [Tim DeKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-dekay/) > [Most green-collar jobs are middle-skill jobs. That means they require more education that a high-school diploma, but less than a four-year degree.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/most-green-collar-jobs-are-middle-skill-jobs-that-means-they-require/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [Now that I think about it, maybe he is a werewolf. I can picture him lunging over the moors in hot pursuit of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-ann-shaffer/now-that-i-think-about-it-maybe-he-is-a-werewolf-i-can-picture-him/) [Mary Ann Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-ann-shaffer/) > [How are we doing, Simon?" she whispered into the small microphone in her collar. "Just about..." Simon started slowly. And then he stopped. "Wow."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-carter/how-are-we-doing-simon-she-whispered-into-the-small-microphone-in-her/) [Ally Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-carter/) > [A comedy is just a tragedy interrupted, I once said. Do you finish with the kiss or when she opens her eyes to tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-ayckbourn/a-comedy-is-just-a-tragedy-interrupted-i-once-said-do-you-finish-with/) [Alan Ayckbourn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-ayckbourn/) > [Women are dirt searchers; their greatest worth is irradicating rings on collars and tables. Never mind real-estate boards' corruption and racism, here's your soapsuds.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florynce-kennedy/women-are-dirt-searchers-their-greatest-worth-is-irradicating-rings/) [Florynce Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florynce-kennedy/) > [Fredrick Buechner kind of loosened up my clerical collar, you might say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/fredrick-buechner-kind-of-loosened-up-my-clerical-collar-you-might-say/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) > [Zombies are the blue-collar monsters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-a-romero/zombies-are-the-blue-collar-monsters/) [George A. Romero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-a-romero/) > [I say that in jest a little bit, but Donald Trump is a blue collar guy with a balance sheet. That's the way he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump-jr/i-say-that-in-jest-a-little-bit-but-donald-trump-is-a-blue-collar-guy/) [Donald Trump, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump-jr/) > [So the first job that I got - my father got it for me - he had his clerical collar on, was a gay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tori-amos/so-the-first-job-that-i-got-my-father-got-it-for-me-he-had-his/) [Tori Amos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tori-amos/) > [The citizens of Love Canal provided an example of how a blue-collar community with few resources can win against great odds (a multi-billion-dollar international…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-gibbs/the-citizens-of-love-canal-provided-an-example-of-how-a-blue-collar/) [Lois Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-gibbs/) > [Maybe happiness was just a matter of the little upticks- the traffic signal that said "Walk" the second you go there- and downticks- the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-brashares/maybe-happiness-was-just-a-matter-of-the-little-upticks-the-traffic/) [Ann Brashares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-brashares/) > [Shirt collars are very important to me. Putting a very soft shirt collar with a formal suit doesn't work for me at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ozwald-boateng/shirt-collars-are-very-important-to-me-putting-a-very-soft-shirt/) [Ozwald Boateng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ozwald-boateng/) > [My mom was the picture of the blue-collar mom: Two and three and four jobs to make sure that me and my sister never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ne-yo/my-mom-was-the-picture-of-the-blue-collar-mom-two-and-three-and-four/) [Ne-Yo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ne-yo/) > [Lipstick on your collar said you were untrue. Bet your bottom dollar, you and I are through.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-francis/lipstick-on-your-collar-said-you-were-untrue-bet-your-bottom-dollar/) [Connie Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-francis/) [Browse all 255 Collars quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/collars/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I was merely endeavoring to indicate that if we do not grab events by the collar they will have us by the throat. -Lord Vetinari", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Terry Pratchett" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/i-was-merely-endeavoring-to-indicate-that-if-we-do-not-grab-events-by/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Collars" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/i-was-merely-endeavoring-to-indicate-that-if-we-do-not-grab-events-by/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed6/terry-pratchett-19_collars_i-was-merely-endeavoring-to-indicate-tha_1869706.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed6/terry-pratchett-19_collars_i-was-merely-endeavoring-to-indicate-tha_1869706.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed6/terry-pratchett-19_collars_i-was-merely-endeavoring-to-indicate-tha_1869706.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I was merely endeavoring to indicate that if we do not grab events by the collar they will have us by the…” — 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": "I was merely endeavoring to indicate...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/i-was-merely-endeavoring-to-indicate-that-if-we-do-not-grab-events-by/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/i-was-merely-endeavoring-to-indicate-that-if-we-do-not-grab-events-by/#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 } } ] } ```