“People always call it luck when you’ve acted more sensibly than they have.”
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Anne Tyler 22
American novelist 1941Related quotes

Succeeding in Science: Some Rules of Thumb (1993)
Context: To have success in science, you need some luck.
But to succeed in science, you need a lot more than luck. And it's not enough to be smart — lots of people are very bright and get nowhere in life. In my view, you have to combine intelligence with a willingness not to follow conventions when they block your path forward.

“At this juncture we might conceivably act in a sensible, rather than a popular, manner”
The Wild Flag (1943)
Context: The delegate from Patagonia spoke up. 'I fear that the wild flag, one for all, will prove an unpopular idea.'
'It will, undoubtedly,' sighed the Chinese delegate. 'But now that there are only a couple of hundred people on earth, even the word "unpopular" loses most of its meaning. At this juncture we might conceivably act in a sensible, rather than a popular, manner.' And he produced eighty-two more shoeboxes and handed a wild flag to each delegate, bowing ceremoniously.
Next day the convention broke up and the delegates returned to their homes, marveling at what they had accomplished in so short a time. And that is the end of our dream.

1880s, Garfield's Words (1882)

“People always have bad news for you when they call you “sir.””
Source: Mathematicians in Love (2006), Chapter 3, “Rocking with Washer Drop” (p. 101)

“No opera plot can be sensible, for people do not sing when they are feeling sensible.”
"Notes on Music and Opera", p. 472
The Dyer's Hand, and Other Essays (1962)

“I wish you way more than luck.”
Source: This Is Water: Some Thoughts, Delivered on a Significant Occasion, about Living a Compassionate Life

Stone interview http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/7371967/the_gunslinger/Rolling, May 24, 2005