--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The greatest missile in the world is…" description: "\"“The greatest missile in the world is useless...unless it's targeted. A torpedo is adrift unless it has someplace to go. An arrow is pointless unless i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/735/tim-allen-4974_adrift_the-greatest-missile-in-the-world-is-use_1783478.jpg" --- # The greatest missile in the world is useless...unless it's… ![“The greatest missile in the world is useless...unless it's targeted. A torpedo is adrift unless it has someplace to go. An arrow is pointless unless it hits something. So it's important for kids—for everyone, even if you fail at first—to target something and head in that direction. With all your…” quote by Tim Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/735/tim-allen-4974_adrift_the-greatest-missile-in-the-world-is-use_1783478.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/735/tim-allen-4974_adrift_the-greatest-missile-in-the-world-is-use_1783478.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/735/tim-allen-4974_adrift_the-greatest-missile-in-the-world-is-use_1783478.jpg) > ““The greatest missile in the world is useless...unless it's targeted. A torpedo is adrift unless it has someplace to go. An arrow is pointless unless it hits something. So it's important for kids—for everyone, even if you fail at first—to target something and head in that direction. With all your might.”” [Tim Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-allen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Purposeful direction gives effort meaning; without a target, actions are aimless and ineffective. **In simple terms:** Having a clear goal makes effort worthwhile. Key Takeaway Set specific goals and pursue them relentlessly. Themes goal‑setting focus determination Mood determined encouraging pragmatic Type inspirational practical When to use this quote - career planning - academic projects - personal fitness - creative endeavors Key Concepts purpose strategic planning Questions to Reflect On - What is your current target? - How will you adjust if your goal evolves? A Different Perspective Targets can change; flexibility is needed when circumstances shift. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adrift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adrift/) [Arrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arrow/) [Arrow Pointless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arrow-pointless-1882983/) [Arrows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arrows/) [Failing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failing/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Greatest Missile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatest-missile-1882981/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [Missile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/missile/) [Missiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/missiles/) [Pointless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pointless/) [Target](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/target/) [Targeted Torpedo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/targeted-torpedo-1882982/) [Torpedo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/torpedo-354082/) [Torpedoes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/torpedoes/) [Useless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/useless/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [One will never get any more than he thinks he can get. YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES. Look back and see your progress -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-lee/one-will-never-get-any-more-than-he-thinks-he-can-get-you-have-what/) [Bruce Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-lee/) > [We must ride this strange torpedo out until the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/we-must-ride-this-strange-torpedo-out-until-the-end/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [What's one more torpedo in a sinking ship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-dickey/what-s-one-more-torpedo-in-a-sinking-ship/) [Lynn Dickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-dickey/) > [“We'd be fools not to ride this strange torpedo all the way out to the end.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/we-d-be-fools-not-to-ride-this-strange-torpedo-all-the-way-out-to-the/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [Son dude you might get slumped on a humble. Might get a stealth torpedo to make you tumble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/red-cafe/son-dude-you-might-get-slumped-on-a-humble-might-get-a-stealth/) [Red Cafe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/red-cafe/) > [“Even then I knew that happiness was something in which to plunge headlong, and damn the torpedoes”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-rosoff/even-then-i-knew-that-happiness-was-something-in-which-to-plunge/) [Meg Rosoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-rosoff/) > [Many risks fail because they were not taken in time. Too many risks are postponed until unnecessarily elaborate preparations are made. This does not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-viscott/many-risks-fail-because-they-were-not-taken-in-time-too-many-risks/) [David Viscott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-viscott/) > [Isn't a policy of conventional weapons, with the terrible bombs raining down, with the missiles, with the aircraft, with the submarines, with the torpedoes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/isn-t-a-policy-of-conventional-weapons-with-the-terrible-bombs/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [The true art of being young is knowing how to defy gravity and upset as many people as possible while doing it. How to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-rock/the-true-art-of-being-young-is-knowing-how-to-defy-gravity-and-upset/) [Mick Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-rock/) > [What do I advise? Forget it all. Don't be afraid. Do what you get the most pleasure from. Is it to build a cloud…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/what-do-i-advise-forget-it-all-don-t-be-afraid-do-what-you-get-the/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) > [I can sit down and watch the Discovery channel and see something on nuclear submarines that gets me thinking about torpedoes and darts .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-taylor/i-can-sit-down-and-watch-the-discovery-channel-and-see-something-on/) [Phil Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-taylor/) > [In brief, we who write are all in the same boat, as if we are survivors of torpedoes, and we hope to reach the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-ritter-beard/in-brief-we-who-write-are-all-in-the-same-boat-as-if-we-are-survivors/) [Mary Ritter Beard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-ritter-beard/) > [“Purpose! Purposes are for animals with a hell of a lot more dignity than the human race! Just hop on that strange torpedo and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/purpose-purposes-are-for-animals-with-a-hell-of-a-lot-more-dignity/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [\*\*\*\* the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-farragut/the-torpedoes-full-speed-ahead/) [David Farragut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-farragut/) > [Other men puffed, snorted, and splashed. George passed through the ocean with the silent dignity of a torpedo. Other men swallowed water, here a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/other-men-puffed-snorted-and-splashed-george-passed-through-the-ocean/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Tim Allen > [My mom said the only reason men are alive is for lawn care and vehicle maintenance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-allen/my-mom-said-the-only-reason-men-are-alive-is-for-lawn-care-and/) [Tim Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-allen/) > [Sometimes you get the sense that the Creator is getting to that point of "Yeah, we might have to reboot."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-allen/sometimes-you-get-the-sense-that-the-creator-is-getting-to-that-point/) [Tim Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-allen/) > [If it ain't broke, you can probably still fix it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-allen/if-it-ain-t-broke-you-can-probably-still-fix-it/) [Tim Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-allen/) > [My wife loves cars, but the difference is she doesn't have 20 years of understanding the background of them. She basically drives them and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-allen/my-wife-loves-cars-but-the-difference-is-she-doesn-t-have-20-years-of/) [Tim Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-allen/) > [A car crossed two lanes of traffic, flipped, and landed on my dad's car. I don't blame cars. My dad loved cars. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-allen/a-car-crossed-two-lanes-of-traffic-flipped-and-landed-on-my-dad-s-car/) [Tim Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-allen/) > [Dogs will eat till they die. Cats will leave food in the dish, incomprehensible to a dog.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-allen/dogs-will-eat-till-they-die-cats-will-leave-food-in-the-dish/) [Tim Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-allen/) > [Women now have choices. They can be married, not married, have a job, not have a job, be married with children, unmarried with children.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-allen/women-now-have-choices-they-can-be-married-not-married-have-a-job-not/) [Tim Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-allen/) > [Speeding is like drugs. It makes everything come at you fast, and when you go back to normal driving, safe driving, prudent driving, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-allen/speeding-is-like-drugs-it-makes-everything-come-at-you-fast-and-when/) [Tim Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-allen/) > [While awaiting sentencing, I decided to give stand-up comedy a shot. The judge had suggested I get my act together, and I took him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-allen/while-awaiting-sentencing-i-decided-to-give-stand-up-comedy-a-shot/) [Tim Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-allen/) > [To get a man's attention, just stand in front of the TV and don't move. He'll talk to you. I promise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-allen/to-get-a-man-s-attention-just-stand-in-front-of-the-tv-and-don-t-move/) [Tim Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-allen/) > [They say you only go around once, but with a muscle car you can go around two or three times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-allen/they-say-you-only-go-around-once-but-with-a-muscle-car-you-can-go/) [Tim Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-allen/) > [My dad's death reminds me of earthquakes - things that shake your foundation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-allen/my-dad-s-death-reminds-me-of-earthquakes-things-that-shake-your/) [Tim Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-allen/) > [It's true; I have a skill and it's... it has not related to acting, it's not related to auditions, it's not related to studios,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-allen/it-s-true-i-have-a-skill-and-it-s-it-has-not-related-to-acting-it-s/) [Tim Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-allen/) > [I blend memories. I blend them into one that's funny. I exaggerate to clarify.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-allen/i-blend-memories-i-blend-them-into-one-that-s-funny-i-exaggerate-to/) [Tim Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-allen/) > [When I went to jail, reality hit so hard that it took my breath away, took my stance away, took my strength away. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-allen/when-i-went-to-jail-reality-hit-so-hard-that-it-took-my-breath-away/) [Tim Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-allen/) [Explore all 104 Tim Allen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-allen/) ## More Adrift quotes > [And if I can't be with you I would rather have a different face And if I can't be near you I would rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-finn/and-if-i-can-t-be-with-you-i-would-rather-have-a-different-face-and/) [Neil Finn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-finn/) > [And loneliness. I should say something of loneliness. The panic, the sweeping hysteria that comes not when you are without others, but when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-thayer-hamann/and-loneliness-i-should-say-something-of-loneliness-the-panic-the/) [Hilary Thayer Hamann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-thayer-hamann/) > [Losing my parents really set me adrift in more ways than one. It's not just losing them. It's losing the possibility of family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-mosley/losing-my-parents-really-set-me-adrift-in-more-ways-than-one-it-s-not/) [Walter Mosley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-mosley/) > [Tell us what it is to be a woman so that we may know what it is to be a man. What moves at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/tell-us-what-it-is-to-be-a-woman-so-that-we-may-know-what-it-is-to-be/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“Be for once a white boat adrift, in debt to no lighthouse.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-hyde/be-for-once-a-white-boat-adrift-in-debt-to-no-lighthouse/) [Robin Hyde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-hyde/) > [“Driving home after her first night course at San Francisco State University, Iris was adrift in the darkness. She rarely travelled this far south…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-mofina/driving-home-after-her-first-night-course-at-san-francisco-state/) [Rick Mofina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-mofina/) > [About 95% of people can be compared to ships without rudders. Subject to every shift of wind and tide, they're helplessly adrift. And while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-nightingale/about-95-of-people-can-be-compared-to-ships-without-rudders-subject/) [Earl Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-nightingale/) > [How to check these unconstitutional invasions of rights by the Federal judiciary? Not by impeachment in the first instance, but by a strong protestation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/how-to-check-these-unconstitutional-invasions-of-rights-by-the/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [I find myself regarding existence as though from beyond the tomb, from another world; all is strange to me; I am, as it were,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-frederic-amiel/i-find-myself-regarding-existence-as-though-from-beyond-the-tomb-from/) [Henri Frederic Amiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-frederic-amiel/) > [“It's the story that was to big for me to tell, the one that grew to fill the depths of my being the far…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-kuehn/it-s-the-story-that-was-to-big-for-me-to-tell-the-one-that-grew-to/) [Stephanie Kuehn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-kuehn/) > [“So much anger in here. So much hate. So much to take out on someone. This time it's going to count. She's adrift in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-watts/so-much-anger-in-here-so-much-hate-so-much-to-take-out-on-someone/) [Peter Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-watts/) > [With spirit we are all children of the cosmos; Without it we are orphaned and adrift.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/with-spirit-we-are-all-children-of-the-cosmos-without-it-we-are/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [She cried out into his kiss, her hands clawing his shoulders, adrift now in a pleasure that threatened to consume her. In her sexual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lora-leigh/she-cried-out-into-his-kiss-her-hands-clawing-his-shoulders-adrift/) [Lora Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lora-leigh/) > [The very concept of solid ground is a myth. The galaxy itself is adrift.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-davies/the-very-concept-of-solid-ground-is-a-myth-the-galaxy-itself-is-adrift/) [Luke Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-davies/) > [“Ever since I woke up in Faerie, I had felt sort of adrift between the two worlds. Seeing him was like finding an anchor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-lynch/ever-since-i-woke-up-in-faerie-i-had-felt-sort-of-adrift-between-the/) [Karen Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-lynch/) [Browse all 93 Adrift quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adrift/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The greatest missile in the world is useless...unless it's targeted. A torpedo is adrift unless it has someplace to go. An arrow is pointless unless it hits something. So it's important for kids—for everyone, even if you fail at first—to target something and head in that direction. 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