--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Tortoises are not very fast, as everyone…" description: "\"“Tortoises are not very fast, as everyone knows, but they make up for their slow speed by being very determined. And if you turn your back on a tortois..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08b/william-herring-77668_tortoise_tortoises-are-not-very-fast-as-everyone_2102390.jpg" --- # Tortoises are not very fast, as everyone knows, but they… ![“Tortoises are not very fast, as everyone knows, but they make up for their slow speed by being very determined. And if you turn your back on a tortoise, thinking they will just hang around like a lazy cat, you are in for a surprise.” quote by William Herring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08b/william-herring-77668_tortoise_tortoises-are-not-very-fast-as-everyone_2102390.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08b/william-herring-77668_tortoise_tortoises-are-not-very-fast-as-everyone_2102390.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08b/william-herring-77668_tortoise_tortoises-are-not-very-fast-as-everyone_2102390.jpg) > ““Tortoises are not very fast, as everyone knows, but they make up for their slow speed by being very determined. And if you turn your back on a tortoise, thinking they will just hang around like a lazy cat, you are in for a surprise.”” William Herring ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Slow but determined beings can outlast expectations, especially when underestimated. **In simple terms:** Steady effort beats speed. Key Takeaway Respect persistence. Themes determination patience underestimation Mood reflective encouraging Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - workplace projects - long‑term goals - personal health - education - relationships Key Concepts resilience expectation management Questions to Reflect On - How can you value persistence over quick results? - When have you underestimated a slow mover? A Different Perspective Speed alone doesn't guarantee success; other factors matter. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Tortoise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tortoise/) ## Related quotes > [A tortoise is, I suppose, a Jewish pet. It knows its place. Out on the lawn. It doesn't bark. It doesn't tear the Dralon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-lipman/a-tortoise-is-i-suppose-a-jewish-pet-it-knows-its-place-out-on-the/) [Maureen Lipman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-lipman/) > [We live in a culture full of hares; but the tortoise always wins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-ramsey/we-live-in-a-culture-full-of-hares-but-the-tortoise-always-wins/) [Dave Ramsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-ramsey/) > [A gigantic tortoise with a jewel-encrusted shell was glittering near the window.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-gigantic-tortoise-with-a-jewel-encrusted-shell-was-glittering-near/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The tortoise moves very slowly, it moves towards whatever the goal is, to keep a democratic capitalistic society functioning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-black/the-tortoise-moves-very-slowly-it-moves-towards-whatever-the-goal-is/) [Lewis Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-black/) > [Nature is slow, but sure; she works no faster than need be; she is the tortoise that wins the race by her perseverance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/nature-is-slow-but-sure-she-works-no-faster-than-need-be-she-is-the/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [One day a tortoise will learn how to fly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/one-day-a-tortoise-will-learn-how-to-fly/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [You do not know me,’ said Tortoise. ‘I am a changed man. I have learned that a man who makes trouble for others makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/you-do-not-know-me-said-tortoise-i-am-a-changed-man-i-have-learned/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [I personally would like to bring a tortoise onto the stage, turn it into a racehorse, then into a hat, a song, a dragoon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eug-ne-ionesco/i-personally-would-like-to-bring-a-tortoise-onto-the-stage-turn-it/) [Eugene Ionesco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eug-ne-ionesco/) > [Democrats are like a big tortoise that's on its back and can't get up; you can't make jokes about that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-black/democrats-are-like-a-big-tortoise-that-s-on-its-back-and-can-t-get-up/) [Lewis Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-black/) > [But of course, what the eagle does not realize is that it is participating in a very crude form of natural selection.One day a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/but-of-course-what-the-eagle-does-not-realize-is-that-it-is/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [I suppose without curiosity a man would be a tortoise. Very comfortable life, a tortoise has.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/i-suppose-without-curiosity-a-man-would-be-a-tortoise-very/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [Oh, a very useful philosophical animal, your average tortoise. Outrunning metaphorical arrows, beating hares in races... very handy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/oh-a-very-useful-philosophical-animal-your-average-tortoise/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [The slower but consistent tortoise causes less waste and is more desirable than the speedy hare that races ahead and then stops occasionally to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taiichi-ohno/the-slower-but-consistent-tortoise-causes-less-waste-and-is-more/) [Taiichi Ohno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taiichi-ohno/) > [Deathlessness should be arrived at in a... haphazard fashion. Loving fame as much as any man, we shall carve our initials in the shell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-b-white/deathlessness-should-be-arrived-at-in-a-haphazard-fashion-loving-fame/) [E. B. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-b-white/) > [Giving the tortoise a little wave, I kind of felt stupid afterward for doing so. It just stuck its head back in its green…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-lynn/giving-the-tortoise-a-little-wave-i-kind-of-felt-stupid-afterward-for/) [J. Lynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-lynn/) ## More by William Herring > [“Many people think that the idea is the difficult part of writing a story, and this can be true. But there is another challenge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-herring/many-people-think-that-the-idea-is-the-difficult-part-of-writing-a/) William Herring > [“The thing about finishing a story is that finishing is really only the beginning.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-herring/the-thing-about-finishing-a-story-is-that-finishing-is-really-only/) William Herring Explore all 3 William Herring quotes ## More Tortoise quotes > [A tortoise is, I suppose, a Jewish pet. It knows its place. Out on the lawn. It doesn't bark. It doesn't tear the Dralon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-lipman/a-tortoise-is-i-suppose-a-jewish-pet-it-knows-its-place-out-on-the/) [Maureen Lipman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-lipman/) > [Deathlessness should be arrived at in a... haphazard fashion. Loving fame as much as any man, we shall carve our initials in the shell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-b-white/deathlessness-should-be-arrived-at-in-a-haphazard-fashion-loving-fame/) [E. B. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-b-white/) > [“As the tortoise can draw in his legs, and if you strike him, not one foot comes out,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/as-the-tortoise-can-draw-in-his-legs-and-if-you-strike-him-not-one/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [“You must really want to win with all of your heart! Plan your race; do not ever get side tracked. Focus on your goal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucas-remmerswaal/you-must-really-want-to-win-with-all-of-your-heart-plan-your-race-do/) [Lucas Remmerswaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucas-remmerswaal/) > [The slower but consistent tortoise causes less waste and is more desirable than the speedy hare that races ahead and then stops occasionally to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taiichi-ohno/the-slower-but-consistent-tortoise-causes-less-waste-and-is-more/) [Taiichi Ohno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taiichi-ohno/) > [We called him Tortoise because he taught us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-carroll/we-called-him-tortoise-because-he-taught-us/) [Lewis Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-carroll/) > [Now I'm no biologist, but it seems to make a lot of sense that slow lives, as well as being enjoyable, are long lives.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hodgkinson/now-i-m-no-biologist-but-it-seems-to-make-a-lot-of-sense-that-slow/) [Tom Hodgkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hodgkinson/) > [Runners and yogis are alike in lots of ways, and not just because some of us need yoga to unkink what running jams. Runners…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-armstrong/runners-and-yogis-are-alike-in-lots-of-ways-and-not-just-because-some/) [Kristin Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-armstrong/) > [“I had no idea what humans were capable of. I heard they were crafty, but how are they able to do such things? You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-jennings/i-had-no-idea-what-humans-were-capable-of-i-heard-they-were-crafty/) [Patrick Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-jennings/) > [“Love makes even a turtle smile.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrietta-newton-martin/love-makes-even-a-turtle-smile/) [Henrietta Newton Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrietta-newton-martin/) > [Oh, a very useful philosophical animal, your average tortoise. Outrunning metaphorical arrows, beating hares in races... very handy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/oh-a-very-useful-philosophical-animal-your-average-tortoise/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [I suppose without curiosity a man would be a tortoise. Very comfortable life, a tortoise has.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/i-suppose-without-curiosity-a-man-would-be-a-tortoise-very/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [But of course, what the eagle does not realize is that it is participating in a very crude form of natural selection.One day a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/but-of-course-what-the-eagle-does-not-realize-is-that-it-is/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [Democrats are like a big tortoise that's on its back and can't get up; you can't make jokes about that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-black/democrats-are-like-a-big-tortoise-that-s-on-its-back-and-can-t-get-up/) [Lewis Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-black/) > [I personally would like to bring a tortoise onto the stage, turn it into a racehorse, then into a hat, a song, a dragoon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eug-ne-ionesco/i-personally-would-like-to-bring-a-tortoise-onto-the-stage-turn-it/) [Eugene Ionesco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eug-ne-ionesco/) [Browse all 40 Tortoise quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tortoise/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Tortoises are not very fast, as everyone knows, but they make up for their slow speed by being very determined. 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