"Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there"
About this Quote
The intent is less self-help than slap-in-the-face realism. "Right track" is the kind of phrase people use to justify waiting: once the direction is correct, the rest will sort itself out. Rogers rejects that fantasy. The subtext is about the tempo of America between the wars: faster industry, faster news cycles, faster political promises. The country is mechanizing, and the metaphor is mechanized too. Progress becomes a literal vehicle; it doesn't pause for anyone's virtue.
There's also a sly democratic bite. The quote doesn't reward status or purity; it rewards action. You can be correct, even righteous, and still lose to inertia. That cynicism feels very Rogers: a populist voice who knew that public life often confuses being right with being effective. It's a warning to idealists and a nudge to pragmatists: movement is not a betrayal of principle, it's the price of keeping it alive.
Quote Details
| Topic | Motivational |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite | Cite this Quote |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Rogers, Will. (n.d.). Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/even-if-youre-on-the-right-track-youll-get-run-10999/
Chicago Style
Rogers, Will. "Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there." FixQuotes. Accessed February 2, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/even-if-youre-on-the-right-track-youll-get-run-10999/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there." FixQuotes, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/even-if-youre-on-the-right-track-youll-get-run-10999/. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.










