“You Miss 100% of the Shots You Don’t Take” is a terrible phrase. It enables people to take poor shots with real consequences.

r/

Its a saying about a hard rubber puck slaming into a net that people use to rationalize under-analizing huge complex decisions. Yeah if you’re Wayne Gretzky and playing hockey it’s a pretty awesome saying, but quite often, people should probably shoot less and think more.

Comments

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  2. jambr380 Avatar

    I’m on a rec basketball team right now where most of my teammates follow this mantra. At least I’m tall and a good offensive rebounder

  3. Emcee_nobody Avatar

    Nah, it’s a great phrase. Upvoted

  4. RainWorshipper Avatar

    Some people think too much and wait too long for the perfect shot

  5. getoutmywayatonce Avatar

    Actually I agree. Bonus point if it’s just poorly planned impulsivity that you then want someone else to help dig you out of as you were so unprepared you didn’t even think about the consequences. Because alongside this is “the worst they can say is no” – also nowhere near a universal guideline literally or metaphorically. Plenty of things put you in a negative position if you fuck them up. It can get way worse than simple rejection lol. Which easily happens when you’re living on “missing 100% of the shots you don’t take” and just diving headfirst into anything and everything.

    Ambition is great, spontaneity is great, but there’s plenty of people in my life I wish would at least be better informed before making decisions lol.

  6. No_Meringue_8736 Avatar

    These posts nitpicking popular sayings because they personally don’t understand what they actually mean are getting old

  7. Hungry-Space-1829 Avatar

    Did you hesitate to post this and then think “you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take” and proceed to post?

  8. Eyespop4866 Avatar

    It’s more for being open to take chances in life. Ask the girl out for coffee. Discuss a raise at your place of employment. Submit a short story to the New Yorker, Give acting a try, etc.

    It’s not just about sports.

  9. Substandard_eng2468 Avatar

    But that isn’t what it means, at all. If you don’t try, there is no way it will happen.

  10. DarkOne0 Avatar

    I think you missed the point

  11. rollercostarican Avatar

    Nowhere in the phrases does it suggest to not think lol.

    You can’t make a shot, if you don’t take a shot. If I ask this girl out, she might say yes and she might say no. If i don’t ask her out, then its an automatic no. That’s it. Also, you can do all the thinking in the world but if you NEVER put those thoughts into action, you did nothing.

  12. jlaz4u Avatar

    I don’t think the phrase is suggesting people should just take a bunch of risks with low probabilities of success. It’s saying you shouldn’t wait around hoping for a 100% sure thing every time, because it may never come

  13. noonefuckslikegaston Avatar

    Like all aphorisms it doesn’t apply to all situations but it’s a clever way to convey a simple idea.

  14. No-Environment6103 Avatar

    “I would go 0-30 before I would go 0-9. 0-9 means you beat yourself, you psyched yourself out of the game…The only reason is because you’ve just now lost confidence in yourself.” – Kobe Bryant

  15. genomerain Avatar

    Most of these common phrases and parables have always intended to be situational and context-dependent. If a helpful saying had to apply 100% of the time in all contexts to be valuable, we wouldn’t develop any of these sayings at all.

  16. gwinnsolent Avatar

    Phrases like this are not meant to apply to everyone in every circumstance. As an avid overthinker, it’s a good reminder that inaction can have some pretty negative consequences. Lots of people hold themselves back by overthinking.

  17. RickyRacer2020 Avatar

    Don’t “under-analize” anything. 

    Since it’s a high risk and deviant behavior linked to diseases, anal isn’t for most people anyway. Even Prolapse & Leakage are life altering conditions 

  18. ixe109 Avatar

    OP do you believe poor shots are with consequences worse than no shots

  19. Purple-Pound-6759 Avatar

    It’s basically saying that, if you never take any risks, you’ll never be able to take advantage of opportunities.

    It’s more or less just a reworded version of “no risk, no reward”, “nothing ventured, nothing gained”, or “no pain, no gain”. That you basically have to be willing to risk failure or other negatives in order to succeed. Which is true, and a good message that a lot of anxious people need to hear.

  20. Wingerism014 Avatar

    Yes it does, but they’re trying. It doesn’t imply you make 100% of the shots you take.

  21. majesticSkyZombie Avatar

    This. For something like trying out a new hobby the cost is relatively low, but trying some things will just waste time and money at best and leave you with life-changing injures or circumstances at worst.

  22. No-Attention9838 Avatar

    Kind of a deliberate misunderstanding of the phrase, isn’t it?

    It doesn’t address “not thinking things through,” one way or the other. The point is, don’t just hope or wish, act on your wants and desires. If the idly reason you haven’t taken a shot is you’re still mapping out details or trajectoeies in your head, this advice wasn’t for you in the first place

  23. notomatostoday Avatar

    It doesn’t mean take every single shot available to you. Same with hockey, you don’t smack the puck just because it’s within reach of your stick. Gretzky wasn’t great because he was indiscriminately shooting

  24. Estarfigam Avatar

    I prefer the Shakespeare phrase. “The coward dies many times, the valiant only once.”

  25. slapfunk79 Avatar

    Incredibly stupid take. Please, have my upvote.

  26. Mathalamus2 Avatar

    i have a better saying: its ok to not make any shots.

    its ok to be content with what you have, not pine for what you want. adjust your mindset and your life will automatically get better.

    compared to just about everyone my age, i have a tiny life. i only work as needed, and have no real life friends, and only live with my mother. i do not wish to go out.

    that is simply because i do not want any friends in real life (with careful exceptions) i do not need anything id have to go out for, and all the experiences of going out is either wasteful, unsafe, unnecessary or can be replicated at home.

    i could live my life with my three girlfriends, and work a part time job, and id not need anything else in life.

  27. Baron-Von-Mothman Avatar

    That’s meant in a less literal way. You’re supposed to be smart enough to understand the distinction between a good idea and a bad idea haha

    It’s not like the movie Yes Man, it’s not intended for you to just try absolutely everything that ever comes to your mind. It’s meant to be an encouragement for good things people are nervous about.

  28. MaybeMaybeNot94 Avatar

    No, this is just dumb. If you don’t try, you guarantee failure in whatever endeavor you’re in.

  29. Jotacon8 Avatar

    Chance of people agreeing with you because you posted this: 0.01%. Not impossible, but there’s a chance.

    Chance that you would find out what would have happened had you never posted this: 0%

    Seems like the phrase makes sense.

  30. Disastrous-Nail-640 Avatar

    You’re missing the point. It’s saying don’t let fear stop you from trying something new. It’s not saying there aren’t consequences for the things we do.

    It’s just a different way of saying “you won’t know if you don’t try.”

  31. Specialist-Ad5796 Avatar

    You think this phrase is about HOCKEY?!

    😂😂😂😂 I actually LOL’d

  32. Historical_Proof1109 Avatar

    You miss 100% percent of the shots you don’t take but if you shoot at the wrong time you lose ammo

  33. LLMTest1024 Avatar

    It’s only a poor shot if you miss it.

  34. ikewafinaa Avatar

    Can’t miss a shot you don’t take, missing is a potential result of shooting. So it’s an illogical statement if anything.

  35. vpoko Avatar

    As a Celtics fan I agree under protest.

  36. Future-Imperfect-107 Avatar

    You are demonstrating a complete lack of understanding of the quote.

    Shooting the puck at the net isn’t some stupid risky thing. It’s the point of the game.

    He isn’t saying to try whatever stupid thing pops into your head, he is saying that when you know what you need to do, just do it. Don’t overthink it and miss your chance.

  37. Ok-Chest7637 Avatar

    Gotta have good shot selection, for sure

  38. superlibster Avatar

    Maybe in some instances, but I would say the vast majority of shots you want to take you should.

    Usually the fact that you want to take a shot means there’s some realism in being able to achieve the goal. Or you’ve already done risk analysis that will make you not want to.

    I could gamble my life’s savings right now. But I have no desire to. That’s a shot I don’t mind ever taking or making.

    Now, I do want to get laid. I know I have a chance of landing a girl if I try. The risk is minimal. Shoot away.

  39. Dirk_NoChillzki Avatar

    Poor shots still go in at a higher rate than no shots…

  40. VirtualRemedy Avatar

    Deffs unpopular take my upvote. The phrase doesnt mean your shot will go well, it simply means that you have no chance of it going well if you dont shoot, in fact its more likely you will not get the result you want even if you shoot. But dont shoot at all means youll never hit any target.

  41. RVFVS117 Avatar

    You go to a bar.

    You see a pretty girl.

    You’re nervous do you go talk to her? She’s way out of your league. Your buddies laughed at you last time you struck out. Do you take the shot?

    If you don’t even try it’s a 100% chance you will fail. If you try it’s at least 1%.

    You talk to her. 4 years later you’re married.

    You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take, it’s that simple.

  42. enviropsych Avatar

    Can’t win money, if you don’t gamble.