Life is too short to be small is a powerful reminder that we should stop playing it safe. It’s a call to stop shrinking our ambitions and start living a bigger, more expansive life. Because the real risk isn’t failing—it’s getting to the end and realizing you never truly played the game.
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Meaning
At its core, this quote is about rejecting a life of self-imposed limitations and playing it safe. It’s a call to stop shrinking your ambitions to fit a comfortable, but ultimately unfulfilling, box.
Explanation
Look, I’ve seen this play out so many times. We get comfortable. We take the safe job, we have the small dreams, we avoid the big, scary, audacious goals because we’re afraid of failing. But here’s the thing I’ve learned—the “small” life isn’t safe. It’s actually the riskiest path you can take. You’re trading the temporary discomfort of a challenge for the permanent regret of “what if?” This quote is about flipping that script. It’s about choosing the pain of discipline over the pain of regret. It’s about building a life that feels massive to *you*, not one that looks impressive to others.
Quote Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Original Language | English (3668) |
| Category | Life (320) |
| Topics | growth (413), purpose (186) |
| Literary Style | minimalist (442) |
| Emotion / Mood | uplifting (157) |
| Overall Quote Score | 82 (297) |
Origin & Factcheck
This line comes straight from Timothy Ferriss’s 2007 mega-hit, “The 4-Hour Workweek.” It was published in the United States and became a cornerstone of the book’s philosophy. You’ll sometimes see it misattributed to Benjamin Disraeli, but that’s a common mix-up—the Ferriss origin is definitive.
Attribution Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Author | Timothy Ferriss (145) |
| Source Type | Book (4032) |
| Source/Book Name | The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich (49) |
| Origin Timeperiod | 21st Century (1892) |
| Original Language | English (3668) |
| Authenticity | Verified (4032) |
Author Bio
Timothy Ferriss writes and builds systems that help people work less and achieve more. He broke out with The 4-Hour Workweek and followed with books on body optimization, accelerated learning, and distilled tactics from top performers. He hosts The Tim Ferriss Show, one of the most-downloaded podcasts globally, and has invested in notable technology startups. The Timothy Ferriss book list continues to influence entrepreneurs, creators, and professionals seeking leverage. He studied East Asian Studies at Princeton, founded and sold a supplement company, and actively supports psychedelic science research.
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Where is this quotation located?
| Quotation | Life is too short to be small |
| Book Details | Publication Year/Date: 2007; ISBN: 9780307353139; Last Edition: Expanded and Updated Edition (2009); Number of Pages: 416. |
| Where is it? | Chapter: Mini-Retirements; Approximate page from 2009 edition: 230/416 |