Don't ask for guarantees. And don't look to be saved in any one thing, person, machine, or library. Do your own bit of saving, and if you drown, at least die knowing you were heading for shore.

Bradbury urges self-reliance and moral agency in the face of uncertainty. “Don’t ask for guarantees” rejects the desire for perfect safety or certainty before acting; life, art, and civic responsibility require risk. His warning not to be “saved” by any single institution or technology (a “machine” or even a “library”) echoes his recurring suspicion of passive dependence—whether on gadgets, authorities, or cultural repositories—without personal engagement. The closing image reframes failure: even if one “drowns,” dignity lies in striving toward “shore,” i.e., acting in the direction of meaning, freedom, or human flourishing rather than waiting to be rescued.