Motivation Quote by Arthur Ashe

Deliberation is Ashe's quiet rebuke to a culture that rewards speed, hot takes, and performative certainty. "Decides slowly" isn’t indecision; it’s discipline. Coming from an elite athlete, it lands with extra force because sports supposedly glorify instinct and split-second reactions. Ashe is pointing to the part of competition most people miss: the real advantage often comes before the moment, in patient preparation and clear-eyed judgment.

The second clause is the teeth of it: "but abides by these decisions". Slow decision-making without follow-through is just procrastination dressed up as caution. Ashe draws a line between thoughtful choice and lived commitment. The wisdom isn’t in endless analysis; it’s in accepting the cost of a decision once you’ve made it. That "abides" suggests character under pressure: sticking to a plan when it stops feeling good, when the crowd turns, when a short-term escape hatch appears.

Context makes the ethic sharper. Ashe navigated not only tennis but race, politics, and public life with a measured steadiness that was often misread as softness. His style - calm, strategic, unflappable - was its own argument against flash and ego. The quote carries the subtext of survival: for people whose mistakes are punished harder or more publicly, choosing carefully is not luxury, it’s protection. Yet he refuses caution as an excuse. Decide with care, then stand where you put your feet.