--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you have dived off a cliff, your…" description: "\"“When you have dived off a cliff, your only hope is to press for the abolition of gravity.”\" — Terry Pratchett" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7f/terry-pratchett-19_cliff_when-you-have-dived-off-a-cliff-your-onl_3170281.jpg" --- # When you have dived off a cliff, your only hope is to… ![“When you have dived off a cliff, your only hope is to press for the abolition of gravity.” quote by Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7f/terry-pratchett-19_cliff_when-you-have-dived-off-a-cliff-your-onl_3170281.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7f/terry-pratchett-19_cliff_when-you-have-dived-off-a-cliff-your-onl_3170281.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7f/terry-pratchett-19_cliff_when-you-have-dived-off-a-cliff-your-onl_3170281.jpg) > ““When you have dived off a cliff, your only hope is to press for the abolition of gravity.”” [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. A humorous metaphor for confronting irreversible decisions and hoping for impossible fixes. **In simple terms:** Once you jump, you can only hope for miracles. Key Takeaway Accept consequences, seek realistic solutions. Themes humor risk acceptance Mood witty reflective Type satirical philosophical When to use this quote - career change - relationship decisions - legal battles - personal crises Key Concepts existential irony absurdity Questions to Reflect On - What irreversible choice are you facing? - How can you act responsibly after a risky move? A Different Perspective Hope cannot replace responsibility or practical action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cliff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cliff/) [Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope/) ## Related quotes > [“But at least the way was clear now. When you step off a cliff, your life takes a very definite direction.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/but-at-least-the-way-was-clear-now-when-you-step-off-a-cliff-your/) [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/) > [I wasn't paying attention," said Myrtle dramatically. "Peeves upset me so much I came in here and tried to kill myself. Then, of course,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-wasn-t-paying-attention-said-myrtle-dramatically-peeves-upset-me-so/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“While dragging herself up she had to hang onto the rail. Her twisted progress was that of a cripple. Once on the open deck…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/while-dragging-herself-up-she-had-to-hang-onto-the-rail-her-twisted/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [It rose slowly like a gull sensing a reckless blue fish to close to the surface, and then it dived relentlessly for the green,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alistair-cooke/it-rose-slowly-like-a-gull-sensing-a-reckless-blue-fish-to-close-to/) [Alistair Cooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alistair-cooke/) > [“Of all divers, thou hast dived the deepest.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/of-all-divers-thou-hast-dived-the-deepest/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [“I closed my eyes and dived into foreign water.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-sehyun-song/i-closed-my-eyes-and-dived-into-foreign-water/) [Erica Sehyun Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-sehyun-song/) > [“Oh, Ahab! what shall be grand in thee, it must needs be plucked at from the skies, and dived for in the deep, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/oh-ahab-what-shall-be-grand-in-thee-it-must-needs-be-plucked-at-from/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [“Clowns, hoboes, gypsies, and furry animals of all kinds scattered madly and dived for cover. No doubt they thought I'd finally lost it and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-andrews/clowns-hoboes-gypsies-and-furry-animals-of-all-kinds-scattered-madly/) [Donna Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-andrews/) > [I remember Nayim at Tottenham dived all over the place, and we used to say to him, 'What are you doing?' You do talk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-lineker/i-remember-nayim-at-tottenham-dived-all-over-the-place-and-we-used-to/) [Gary Lineker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-lineker/) > [“He felt as if he’d dived into a deep, clear lake and discovered it was a shallow, knee-deep pond. What did you do? Well,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celeste-ng/he-felt-as-if-he-d-dived-into-a-deep-clear-lake-and-discovered-it-was/) [Celeste Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celeste-ng/) > [“The glass shattered but the bullet hadn’t passed through and at the same time Bond was diving to one side, his left hand scrabbling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-horowitz/the-glass-shattered-but-the-bullet-hadn-t-passed-through-and-at-the/) [Anthony Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-horowitz/) > [And an airplane of spittle dived into the sea, there were no salivas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-cooper/and-an-airplane-of-spittle-dived-into-the-sea-there-were-no-salivas/) [Tommy Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-cooper/) > [“The sun sat, in immense fieriness, just above the horizon, the sea, glittering in great swatches of phosphorescent white, waiting to receive it. Then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-brinkley/the-sun-sat-in-immense-fieriness-just-above-the-horizon-the-sea/) [William Brinkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-brinkley/) > [“Then Cynthia looked at him and smiled, and he knew he couldn’t possibly resist her, no matter what she had done. It felt as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-burton-robinson/then-cynthia-looked-at-him-and-smiled-and-he-knew-he-couldn-t/) Robert Burton Robinson ## 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": "“When you have dived off a cliff, your only hope is to press for the abolition of gravity.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Terry Pratchett" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/when-you-have-dived-off-a-cliff-your-only-hope-is-to-press-for-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cliff" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/when-you-have-dived-off-a-cliff-your-only-hope-is-to-press-for-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7f/terry-pratchett-19_cliff_when-you-have-dived-off-a-cliff-your-onl_3170281.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7f/terry-pratchett-19_cliff_when-you-have-dived-off-a-cliff-your-onl_3170281.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7f/terry-pratchett-19_cliff_when-you-have-dived-off-a-cliff-your-onl_3170281.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When you have dived off a cliff, your only hope is to press for the abolition of gravity.” — 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": "“When you have dived off a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/when-you-have-dived-off-a-cliff-your-only-hope-is-to-press-for-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/when-you-have-dived-off-a-cliff-your-only-hope-is-to-press-for-the/#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 } } ] } ```