--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If we linger in indecision, as does…" description: "\"“If we linger in indecision, as does Buridan’s beast, we will not perish. We will simply miss an opportunity to act decisively in the absence of certai..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd1/terryl-givens-82297_certainty_if-we-linger-in-indecision-as-does-burid_2341134.jpg" --- # If we linger in indecision, as does Buridan’s beast, we… ![“If we linger in indecision, as does Buridan’s beast, we will not perish. We will simply miss an opportunity to act decisively in the absence of certainty, and show that our fear of error is greater than our love of truth.” quote by Terryl Givens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd1/terryl-givens-82297_certainty_if-we-linger-in-indecision-as-does-burid_2341134.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd1/terryl-givens-82297_certainty_if-we-linger-in-indecision-as-does-burid_2341134.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd1/terryl-givens-82297_certainty_if-we-linger-in-indecision-as-does-burid_2341134.jpg) > ““If we linger in indecision, as does Buridan’s beast, we will not perish. We will simply miss an opportunity to act decisively in the absence of certainty, and show that our fear of error is greater than our love of truth.”” Terryl Givens ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Indecision leads to missed chances; acting without certainty is better than inaction driven by fear. **In simple terms:** Fear of error can block decisive action. Key Takeaway Embrace action despite uncertainty. Themes decision-making fear opportunity Mood reflective motivational Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - business strategy - personal life - creative projects - political moves Key Concepts Buridan's paradox risk tolerance Questions to Reflect On - What risks are you willing to take? - How can you balance caution with boldness? A Different Perspective Decisive action may still lead to errors. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Certainty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certainty/) [Doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubt/) [Indecision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indecision/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Love Of Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-of-truth/) ## Related quotes > [I have a certainty about eternity that is a wonderful thing, and I thank God for giving me that certainty. I do not fear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/i-have-a-certainty-about-eternity-that-is-a-wonderful-thing-and-i/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [“My work means that we have lived in different parts of the world and in each there has always been something to be afraid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadine-gordimer/my-work-means-that-we-have-lived-in-different-parts-of-the-world-and/) [Nadine Gordimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadine-gordimer/) > [“Each moment of loss, she has come to believe, contains within it the possibility of a new life. When the unimaginable happens, and your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-baker-kline/each-moment-of-loss-she-has-come-to-believe-contains-within-it-the/) [Christina Baker Kline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-baker-kline/) > [Pour the bulk of your time into action, not deciding. The state of indecision is a major time waster. Don't spend more than 60…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-pavlina/pour-the-bulk-of-your-time-into-action-not-deciding-the-state-of/) [Steve Pavlina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-pavlina/) > [Do you want to be right more than you want to know the truth? It's the truth that set me free. Acceptance, peace, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-katie/do-you-want-to-be-right-more-than-you-want-to-know-the-truth-it-s-the/) [Byron Katie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-katie/) > [The inability to lie is far from the love of truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/the-inability-to-lie-is-far-from-the-love-of-truth/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [I think my love of truth and honesty forces me to notice that the liberal intelligentsia of Western countries is betraying itself where Islam…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/i-think-my-love-of-truth-and-honesty-forces-me-to-notice-that-the/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Love of truth will bless the lover all his days; yet when he brings her home, his fair-faced bride, she comes empty-handed to his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-parker/love-of-truth-will-bless-the-lover-all-his-days-yet-when-he-brings/) [Theodore Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-parker/) > [“We must learn that any person who will not accept what he knows to be truth for the very love of truth alone is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luther-burbank/we-must-learn-that-any-person-who-will-not-accept-what-he-knows-to-be/) [Luther Burbank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luther-burbank/) > [To say that everything in the bible is to be believed , simply because it is found in that volume, is equally absurd and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lloyd-garrison/to-say-that-everything-in-the-bible-is-to-be-believed-simply-because/) [William Lloyd Garrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lloyd-garrison/) > [There are very few real teachers. Teaching is not a job; it is a vocation. To be a great one many qualities must be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-von-hildebrand/there-are-very-few-real-teachers-teaching-is-not-a-job-it-is-a/) [Alice von Hildebrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-von-hildebrand/) > [In mysticism that love of truth which we saw as the beginning of all philosophy leaves the merely intellectual sphere, and takes on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-underhill/in-mysticism-that-love-of-truth-which-we-saw-as-the-beginning-of-all/) [Evelyn Underhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-underhill/) > [A life in harmony with nature, the love of truth and virtue, will purge the eyes to understanding her text.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/a-life-in-harmony-with-nature-the-love-of-truth-and-virtue-will-purge/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [In this age, lies were the universal lubricant of the culture. A love of Truth and commitment to it were seldom rewarded and were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/in-this-age-lies-were-the-universal-lubricant-of-the-culture-a-love/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [Ring out false pride in place and blood, The civic slander and the spite; Ring in the love of truth and right, Ring in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-the-great/ring-out-false-pride-in-place-and-blood-the-civic-slander-and-the/) [Alfred the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-the-great/) ## More by Terryl Givens > [“A God without body or parts is conceivable. But a God without passions would engender in our hearts neither love nor interest.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terryl-givens/a-god-without-body-or-parts-is-conceivable-but-a-god-without-passions/) Terryl Givens > [“As surely as the dark gives meaning to the dawn, so does pain give meaning to pleasure, and sorrow to joy. All that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terryl-givens/as-surely-as-the-dark-gives-meaning-to-the-dawn-so-does-pain-give/) Terryl Givens Explore all 3 Terryl Givens quotes ## More Certainty quotes > [A common fallacy in much of the adverse criticism to which science is subjected today is that it claims certainty, infallibility and complete emotional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/a-common-fallacy-in-much-of-the-adverse-criticism-to-which-science-is/) [Cyril Norman Hinshelwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/) > [Sometimes we have the absolute certainty there's something inside us that's so hideous and monstrous that if we ever search it out we won't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-selby-jr/sometimes-we-have-the-absolute-certainty-there-s-something-inside-us/) [Hubert Selby, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-selby-jr/) > [The past and the future become unimportant. There is only that moment, and the incredible certainty that everything under the sun has been written…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-past-and-the-future-become-unimportant-there-is-only-that-moment/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [In the mental disturbance and effort of writing, what sustains you is the certainty that on every page there is something left unsaid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesare-pavese/in-the-mental-disturbance-and-effort-of-writing-what-sustains-you-is/) [Cesare Pavese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesare-pavese/) > [Of course I doubt. I do not practice a certainty. I practice a faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/of-course-i-doubt-i-do-not-practice-a-certainty-i-practice-a-faith/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [The world is a wonderfully weird place, consensual reality is significantly flawed, no institution can be trusted, certainty is a mirage, security a delusion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/the-world-is-a-wonderfully-weird-place-consensual-reality-is/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [As a businessman, I know that businesses need certainty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-foster/as-a-businessman-i-know-that-businesses-need-certainty/) [Bill Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-foster/) > [It is suggested that in domestic violence at least the presence or absence of a firearm, or of any other type of weapon, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-greenwood/it-is-suggested-that-in-domestic-violence-at-least-the-presence-or/) [Colin Greenwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-greenwood/) > [Every single person who is a member of our party deserves to have certainty. They deserve to know that my attention and focus is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annamie-paul/every-single-person-who-is-a-member-of-our-party-deserves-to-have/) [Annamie Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annamie-paul/) > [The significance and volume of repairs that are needed across the country demand that we give state and local governments the long-term certainty they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-graves/the-significance-and-volume-of-repairs-that-are-needed-across-the/) [Sam Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-graves/) > [“Death is the one great certainty in life. That’s what my dad used to say. Nothing else is certain. Not love. Not happiness. Not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mila-gray/death-is-the-one-great-certainty-in-life-that-s-what-my-dad-used-to/) [Mila Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mila-gray/) > [ \[I\]f in other sciences we should arrive at certainty without doubt and truth without error, it behooves us to place the foundations of knowledge… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bacon/i-f-in-other-sciences-we-should-arrive-at-certainty-without-doubt-and/) [Roger Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bacon/) > [Do not lose hope; St. Joseph also experienced moments of difficulty, but he never lost faith and was able to overcome them, in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/do-not-lose-hope-st-joseph-also-experienced-moments-of-difficulty-but/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [As the future is never known with certainty, the evaluation of the prospective benefits requires the formation of expectations. An acceptable house, partner or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-t-mortensen/as-the-future-is-never-known-with-certainty-the-evaluation-of-the/) [Dale T. Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-t-mortensen/) > [Finding someone that trusted my vision helped me find certainty in who I was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syd/finding-someone-that-trusted-my-vision-helped-me-find-certainty-in/) [Syd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/syd/) [Browse all 1,776 Certainty quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certainty/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“If we linger in indecision, as does Buridan’s beast, we will not perish. We will simply miss an opportunity to act decisively in the absence of certainty, and show that our fear of error is greater than our love of truth.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Terryl Givens" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terryl-givens/if-we-linger-in-indecision-as-does-buridan-s-beast-we-will-not-perish/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Certainty" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terryl-givens/if-we-linger-in-indecision-as-does-buridan-s-beast-we-will-not-perish/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd1/terryl-givens-82297_certainty_if-we-linger-in-indecision-as-does-burid_2341134.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd1/terryl-givens-82297_certainty_if-we-linger-in-indecision-as-does-burid_2341134.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd1/terryl-givens-82297_certainty_if-we-linger-in-indecision-as-does-burid_2341134.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If we linger in indecision, as does Buridan’s beast, we will not perish. We will simply miss an opportunity…” — Terryl Givens", "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": "Terryl Givens", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terryl-givens/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“If we linger in indecision, as...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terryl-givens/if-we-linger-in-indecision-as-does-buridan-s-beast-we-will-not-perish/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terryl-givens/if-we-linger-in-indecision-as-does-buridan-s-beast-we-will-not-perish/#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 } } ] } ```