Bob Newhart Quotes

I've discovered people in my lifetime who are like, 'I always wanted to sing but... ' It's like, 'Well then, did you try?' My thing was always not caring about failure.

To me, it's important, always in life, to never wonder what would've happened if I only tried something.

Looking back on my life, I wish I'd stepped forward and made a fool of myself more often when I was younger - because when you do, you find out you can do it.

You've got to get to the stage in life where going for it is more important than winning or losing.

When you hold things back, when you don't commit completely to your ideas and trust completely in your own instincts, you are guaranteeing your own failure - even if you end up having commercial success.

The only things you regret are the things you don't do.

I knew I wanted to try comedy and acting. Even if I failed, at least I would have tried. It's better than never having tried.

I started with the firm conviction that when I came to the end, I wanted to be regretting the things that I had done, not the things I hadn't.

I never even visualized for a second doing what I'm doing.

I firmly believe that life is an 'and' proposition and not an 'or' one. If you really love something, you just have to try it. The worse that can happen is that you'll be told 'no.'

I never thought about what people would say about me. I was just a young guy who was excited to become a comedian and an actor, and I just wanted to get to do what I got to do.

Try a thing you haven't done three times. Once, to get over the fear of doing it. Twice, to learn how to do it. And a third time to figure out whether you like it or not.

There was a period in my life when I would say no, and I didn't know why I was saying no. In most cases, it was out of fear, just trying to be safe. Because 'no' will keep you safe. 'No' won't draw attention to you. But all the cool things are on the other side of 'Yes, And.'

Whenever I get stuck on something, I'm like, 'What would I do if I wasn't afraid? What would I write if I wasn't afraid? What would I say in this situation if I wasn't afraid?'

I was a little careful when I first started off. A lot of times, for example, I thought, 'Oh, I can't pull that song off.' I should have just done it.

The only regrets I have are things I didn't do.

I told everyone I would never be an actor. People used to tell me, 'Hey, you got a good look. You should try.' And I was like, 'Nah. That's not me.' And then, the moment I tried it, I found I loved it more than anything in the world, and that taught me a lesson. That is, just go for it.

I was always interested in doing it, but I was so content with my life that I didn't really go after it.

I had grand visions of being in professional sports. But when reality set in, I went, 'Oh, OK. I'll just move to Hollywood and be an actor.' I didn't want to look back on my life and wonder, 'What if I had done this? Or I had done that?'

We really only have two choices. Play it safe, or take a chance. For me, pulling back because of fear has always made me feel worse.

I realized when I was 23 that I had never really tried anything.

There are so many opportunities that I could've gotten before if I had just took a little more of a risk.

To be honest, I probably wouldn't have gone to Hollywood if I hadn't been offered 'Ugly Betty' because I was a wee bit feart. But you have to make yourself frightened. That's what keeps you alive.

I had to know if I could make it somewhere else. I did not want to go through the rest of my life wondering what might have been without putting myself to the test.

I've been trying to figure out for at least the last 10 years how to force myself into something more risky.