I have an idea, and I have a perpetrator, and I write the book along those lines, and when I get to the last chapter, I change the perpetrator so that if I can deceive myself, I can deceive the reader.
Ruth RendellRead
While most of the things you've worried about have never happened, it's a different story with the things you haven't worried about. They are the ones that happen.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Worrying about potential problems often distracts us from the unpredictable events that truly impact our lives.
This quote by Ruth Rendell highlights the irony of worry. Most of the worries we focus on never come to fruition, while the unexpected events—those we did not anticipate—often have significant effects on our lives. It suggests a need to be mindful and present, rather than succumb to a cycle of anxieties over unlikely scenarios.
Themes
WorryLifeUnexpectedAnxietyMindfulness
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about managing stress at work, this quote can emphasize the importance of focusing on what's really important.
More from Ruth Rendell
All quotes →I always know when a novel is going to be a Barbara Vine one. In fact I believe that if I weren't to write it as Barbara Vine, I wouldn't be able to write it at all.
Ruth RendellRead
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