Skip to content
quotesby

About this quote

What does it mean?
Events that require many unlikely coincidences to happen are more remarkable.
In plain terms
The more chances it takes for something to happen, the more important it seems.
What can you take from it?
Rare occurrences demand more attention.

Where it applies

  • evaluating news
  • storytelling
  • scientific discovery

Putting it to work

  • assessing rarity
  • noting patterns

Questions to consider

  • How do we define significance?
  • Is rarity valuable?

Another view

Not all rare events are meaningful.

More from Milan Kundera

  1. When we ignore the body, we are more easily victimized by it.

    Permalink to quote #20
  2. Chance and chance alone has a message for us... Only chance can speak to us.

    Permalink to quote #22
  3. Necessity, weight, and value are three concepts inextricably bound: only necessity is heavy, and only what is heavy has value.

    Permalink to quote #19

Related quotes

  1. Everybody needs his memories. They keep the wolf of insignificance from the door.

    Saul BellowSaul Bellow quote #7
  2. Eventlessness has no posts to drape duration on. From nothing to nothing is no time at all.

    John SteinbeckJohn Steinbeck quote #29
  3. Since the insignificance of all things is our lot, we should not bear it as an afflication but learn to enjoy it.

    Milan KunderaMilan Kundera quote #54