Alice Toklas' father had almost once had an oil well they dug and dug but naturally the oil did not gush, naturally not these things never do happen to any one one knows, if it could happen to them you would not be very likely to know them most naturally not. ~ Ch. 4
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Stein humorously notes that unlikely events like striking oil rarely happen to those who know them.
- In plain terms
- Big chances don't happen to people you know.
- What can you take from it?
- Expect rare luck to remain rare.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Why do we assume rare events won't affect us?
- When has luck surprised you?
Another view
People do strike oil or succeed often enough to know.
More from Gertrude Stein
Since it could be done what was the use of doing it, and anyway you always have to stop doing something sometime. ~ Ch. 4
Permalink to quote #80 After all human beings have to live dogs too so as not to know that time is passing, that is the whole business of living to go on so they will not know that t…
Permalink to quote #82 I dislike it when instead of saying Jew they say Hebrew or Israelite, or Semite, I do not like it and why should a Negro want to be called colored. Why should …
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