--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you telescope out 10 years and know…" description: "\"“If you telescope out 10 years and know with 100% certainty that it is a path of disappointment and regret, and if we define risk as “the likelihood of..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c18/timothy-ferriss-973_certainty_if-you-telescope-out-10-years-and-know-w_2873477.jpg" --- # If you telescope out 10 years and know with 100% certainty… ![“If you telescope out 10 years and know with 100% certainty that it is a path of disappointment and regret, and if we define risk as “the likelihood of an irreversible negative outcome,” inaction is the greatest risk of all.” quote by Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c18/timothy-ferriss-973_certainty_if-you-telescope-out-10-years-and-know-w_2873477.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c18/timothy-ferriss-973_certainty_if-you-telescope-out-10-years-and-know-w_2873477.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c18/timothy-ferriss-973_certainty_if-you-telescope-out-10-years-and-know-w_2873477.jpg) > ““If you telescope out 10 years and know with 100% certainty that it is a path of disappointment and regret, and if we define risk as “the likelihood of an irreversible negative outcome,” inaction is the greatest risk of all.”” [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Choosing to act, even when future outcomes seem bleak, avoids the greater danger of doing nothing and missing opportunities. **In simple terms:** Inaction is riskier than uncertain action. Key Takeaway Act despite uncertainty. Themes risk decision-making future regret action Mood anxious determined Type motivational pragmatic When to use this quote - career planning - personal goals - investment decisions - health choices Key Concepts probability irreversibility opportunity cost Questions to Reflect On - What would you do if you weren’t afraid of regret? - How can you measure the true cost of inaction? A Different Perspective Assuming certainty about future disappointment is often unrealistic. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Certainty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certainty/) [Disappointment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disappointment/) [Regret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regret/) [Risk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risk/) ## Related quotes > [If we define risk as 'the likelihood of an irreversible negative outcome,' inaction is the greatest risk of all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-ferriss/if-we-define-risk-as-the-likelihood-of-an-irreversible-negative/) [Tim Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-ferriss/) > [“The greatest risk you can take in life is not to risk it at all!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pook/the-greatest-risk-you-can-take-in-life-is-not-to-risk-it-at-all/) [Pook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pook/) > [THE GREATEST RISK IN LIFE IS TO WAIT FOR AND DEPEND UPON OTHERS FOR YOUR OWN SECURITY.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-waitley/the-greatest-risk-in-life-is-to-wait-for-and-depend-upon-others-for/) [Denis Waitley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-waitley/) > [“To love is to risk.  To not love is also to risk.  Yet when it comes to love, the greatest risk is incurred when we give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/to-love-is-to-risk-to-not-love-is-also-to-risk-yet-when-it-comes-to/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [The greatest risk in giving our government any power to control our speech is that it would then have a vehicle to prohibit speech…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-timpf/the-greatest-risk-in-giving-our-government-any-power-to-control-our/) [Kat Timpf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-timpf/) > [“The choice to avoid risk is the choice to avoid living, and to avoid living is one of the greatest risk of all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/the-choice-to-avoid-risk-is-the-choice-to-avoid-living-and-to-avoid/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [My philosophy, in a nutshell, is to wipe out the greatest amount of risk with the least amount of money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-patricof/my-philosophy-in-a-nutshell-is-to-wipe-out-the-greatest-amount-of/) [Alan Patricof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-patricof/) > [The greatest risk to man is not that he aims to high and misses, but that he aims to low and hits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-greatest-risk-to-man-is-not-that-he-aims-to-high-and-misses-but/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The greatest IT risk facing most companies is more prosaic than a catastrophe. It is, simply, overspending.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-greatest-it-risk-facing-most-companies-is-more-prosaic-than-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The greatest risk is really to take no risk at all. You've got to go out there, jump off the cliff, and take chances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-warburton/the-greatest-risk-is-really-to-take-no-risk-at-all-you-ve-got-to-go/) [Patrick Warburton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-warburton/) > [“Greatest risk of all: to be vulnerable, to allow others to see us as we really are”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/greatest-risk-of-all-to-be-vulnerable-to-allow-others-to-see-us-as-we/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The greatest risk most of us will take in our lifetime is that of repression or denial of basic rights of another person. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donavan-nelson-butler-master-sergeant-us-army/the-greatest-risk-most-of-us-will-take-in-our-lifetime-is-that-of/) [Donavan Nelson Butler, Master Sergeant US Army](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donavan-nelson-butler-master-sergeant-us-army/) > [The greatest risk in life is to risk nothing. The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing and becomes nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/the-greatest-risk-in-life-is-to-risk-nothing-the-person-who-risks/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [“You're the greatest risk I've ever taken. And the greatest reward. -- Gideon to Eva”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-day/you-re-the-greatest-risk-i-ve-ever-taken-and-the-greatest-reward/) [Sylvia Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-day/) > [The greatest risk one can take is not to take risk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/onuh-justus-izuchukwu/the-greatest-risk-one-can-take-is-not-to-take-risk/) [Onuh Justus Izuchukwu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/onuh-justus-izuchukwu/) ## More by Timothy Ferriss > [“First of all, if we’re serious all the time, we’ll wear out before we get the truly serious stuff done. Second, if this book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/first-of-all-if-we-re-serious-all-the-time-we-ll-wear-out-before-we/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [“What is the book (or books) you’ve given most as a gift, and why? Or what are one to three books that have greatly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/what-is-the-book-or-books-you-ve-given-most-as-a-gift-and-why-or-what/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [“What advice would you give to a smart, driven college student about to enter the “real world”? What advice should they ignore? Nobody really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/what-advice-would-you-give-to-a-smart-driven-college-student-about-to/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [“Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can’t see from the center. Big, undreamed-of things—the people on the edge see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/out-on-the-edge-you-see-all-kinds-of-things-you-can-t-see-from-the/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [“information without emotion isn’t retained.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/information-without-emotion-isn-t-retained/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [“Pure hell forces action, but anything less can be endured with enough clever rationalization.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/pure-hell-forces-action-but-anything-less-can-be-endured-with-enough/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [“What advice would you give to a smart, driven college student about to enter the “real world”? Most of the game is about persistence.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/what-advice-would-you-give-to-a-smart-driven-college-student-about-to-2/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [“Don’t aim at success. The more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/don-t-aim-at-success-the-more-you-aim-at-it-and-make-it-a-target-the/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [“conscious thinking is largely asking and answering questions in your own head. If you want confusion and heartache, ask vague questions. If you want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/conscious-thinking-is-largely-asking-and-answering-questions-in-your/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [“What bullshit excuses do you have for not going after whatever it is that you want? Please,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/what-bullshit-excuses-do-you-have-for-not-going-after-whatever-it-is/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [“The fishing is best where the fewest go,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/the-fishing-is-best-where-the-fewest-go/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [“Using people to leverage a refined process multiplies production; using people as a solution to a poor process multiplies problems.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/using-people-to-leverage-a-refined-process-multiplies-production/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [“Being financially rich and having the ability to live like a millionaire are fundamentally two very different things.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/being-financially-rich-and-having-the-ability-to-live-like-a/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [“What are the top-three activities that I use to fill time to feel as though I’ve been productive? These are usually used to postpone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/what-are-the-top-three-activities-that-i-use-to-fill-time-to-feel-as/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [“The factory of the future will have only two employees, a man and a dog. The man will be there to feed the dog.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/the-factory-of-the-future-will-have-only-two-employees-a-man-and-a/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) [Explore all 310 Timothy Ferriss quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) ## 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 you telescope out 10 years and know with 100% certainty that it is a path of disappointment and regret, and if we define risk as “the likelihood of an irreversible negative outcome,” inaction is the greatest risk of all.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Timothy Ferriss" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/if-you-telescope-out-10-years-and-know-with-100-certainty-that-it-is/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Certainty" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/if-you-telescope-out-10-years-and-know-with-100-certainty-that-it-is/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c18/timothy-ferriss-973_certainty_if-you-telescope-out-10-years-and-know-w_2873477.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c18/timothy-ferriss-973_certainty_if-you-telescope-out-10-years-and-know-w_2873477.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c18/timothy-ferriss-973_certainty_if-you-telescope-out-10-years-and-know-w_2873477.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you telescope out 10 years and know with 100% certainty that it is a path of disappointment and regret…” — Timothy Ferriss", "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": "Timothy Ferriss", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“If you telescope out 10 years...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/if-you-telescope-out-10-years-and-know-with-100-certainty-that-it-is/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/if-you-telescope-out-10-years-and-know-with-100-certainty-that-it-is/#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 } } ] } ```