quotations about caution
Caution is the path to mediocrity.
FRANK HERBERT
God Emperor of Dune
Look ere ye leap.
JOHN HEYWOOD
Proverbs
Caution comes too late when we are in the midst of evils.
SENECA
attributed, The Multicultural Dictionary of Proverbs
The idealists and visionaries, foolish enough to throw caution to the winds and express their ardour and faith in some supreme deed, have advanced mankind and have enriched the world.
EMMA GOLDMAN
Living My Life
Caution is not cowardice; even the ants march armed.
UGANDAN PROVERB
We must substitute courage for caution.
MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
sermon, "Eulogy for the Martyred Children", September 18, 1863
You'll get your heart broken throwing caution to the wind
That's the way it is and how it's always been
ROGER MILLER
"That's the Way It's Always Been"
Set the foot down with distrust on the crust of the world--it is thin.
EDNA ST. VINCENT MILLAY
"The Underground System", Huntsman, What Quarry?
Thoughtless risks are destructive, of course, but perhaps even more wasteful is thoughtless caution which prompts inaction and promotes failure to seize opportunity.
GARY BLAIR
attributed, Finding Your J Spot: Joy in Midlife and Beyond
The cautious seldom err.
CONFUCIUS
The Analects
He that leaveth nothing to chance will do few things ill, but he will do very few things.
GEORGE SAVILE
A Character of King Charles II
The enlightened ruler is heedful, and the good general full of caution.
SUN TZU
The Art of War
A man too careful of danger liveth in continual torment,
But a cheerful expecter of the best hath a fountain of joy within him.
MARTIN FARQUHAR TUPPER
Proverbial Philosophy
Haste makes work which caution prevents.
WILLIAM PENN
Some Fruits of Solitude
Caution, though very often wasted, is a good risk to take.
HENRY WHEELER SHAW
The Complete Works of Josh Billings
Scars fade with time. And the ones that never go away, well, they build character, maturity, caution.
ERIN MCCARTHY
The Pregnancy Test
Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.
ALEXANDER POPE
An Essay on Criticism
Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. The fearful are caught as often as the bold.
HELEN KELLER
Let Us Have Faith
One of the rules of caution is not to be too cautious.
BAHYA IBN PAQUDA
attributed, Every Day, Holy Day
Our errors are surely not such awfully solemn things. In a world where we are so certain to incur them in spite of all our caution, a certain lightness of heart seems healthier than this excessive nervousness on their behalf.
WILLIAM JAMES
The Will to Believe and Other Essays in Popular Philosophy