Paralysis by Analysis Quotes

As usual, it occurred to me that words were the only thing that could possibly save me from this situation. This was a characteristic misunderstanding on my part. When action was needed, I was absorbed in words; for words proceeded with such difficulty from my mouth that I was intent on them and forgot all about action. It seemed to me that actions, which are dazzling, varied things, must always be accompanied by equally dazzling and equally varied words.

If we will disbelieve everything, because we cannot certainly know all things, we shall do much what as wisely as he who would not use his legs, but sit still and perish, because he had no wings to fly.

Many talents hurt themselves by over thinking the business and doing too much which waters every thing down and makes major moves mean less.

If every conceivable precaution is taken at first, one is often too discouraged to proceed at all.

He who feared that he would not succeed sat still.

Fear of failure leads to failure.

Making no decision is a decision. To do nothing. And doing nothing always brings you to nowhere.

I'm afraid of coaching, of writer's classes, of writer's magazines, of books on how to write. They give me centipede trouble - you know the yarn about the centipede who was asked how he managed all his feet? He tried to answer, stopped to think about it, and was never able to walk another step.

Sometimes, making the wrong choice is better than making no choice. You have the courage to go forward, that is rare. A person who stands at the fork, unable to pick, will never get anywhere.

When I get thinking, I get very knotted up. I chew things over a lot and take things quite seriously.

The activity of worrying keeps you immobilized.

We do not need committees but we need commitment. The nation is already reeling under the burden of several committees formed in the last decade.

Nowadays not even a suicide kills himself in desperation. Before taking the step he deliberates so long and so carefully that he literally chokes with thought. It is even questionable whether he ought to be called a suicide, since it is really thought which takes his life. He does not die with deliberation but from deliberation.

Almost any decision is better than no decision at all.

Having precise ideas often leads to a man doing nothing.

Thus our own age is essentially one of understanding, and on the average, perhaps, more knowledgeable than any former generation, but it is without passion. Every one knows a great deal, we all know which way we ought to go and all the different ways we can go, but nobody is willing to move.

Inaction and indecision in the present is because of fear of consequences of the future.

There's nothing scarier than unlimited choices.

If I look at the mass I will never act.

The greatest mistake we make is living in constant fear that we will make one.

This constant feeling of, 'I have to have everything figured out' is not going to get anyone anywhere.

No man is so dangerous as the man who cannot decide what he fears.

Every day thousands of people bury good ideas because they are afraid to act on them.And afterwards, the ghosts of these ideas come back to haunt them.

People sometimes fail to live because they are always preparing to live.

Bunkum and tummyrot! You'll never get anywhere if you go about what-iffing like that. Would Columbus have discovered America if he'd said 'What if I sink on the way over? What if I meet pirates? What if I never come back?' He wouldn't even have started.