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About this quote

What does it mean?
If you don’t anticipate the unexpected, you’ll miss it; it’s hard to find.
In plain terms
Not expecting surprise makes it harder to discover.
What can you take from it?
Stay open to possibilities you don’t foresee.

Where it applies

  • research
  • creative brainstorming

Putting it to work

  • schedule time for exploratory work
  • challenge assumptions regularly

Questions to consider

  • What habits help you notice the unexpected?
  • When is it safe to ignore unlikely possibilities?

Another view

Over‑anticipating can lead to false alarms.

More from Heraclitus

  1. If it were not for injustice, men would not know justice.

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  2. Immortal mortals, mortal immortals, one living the others death and dying the others life.

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  3. Good character is not formed in a week or a month. It is created little by little, day by day. Protracted and patient effort is needed to develop good characte…

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