--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is no such thing as chance or…" description: "\"There is no such thing as chance or accident; the words merely signify our ignorance of some real and immediate cause.\" — Adam Clarke" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ad/adam-clarke-14388_accidents_there-is-no-such-thing-as-chance-or-acci_1761729.jpg" --- # There is no such thing as chance or accident; the words… ![“There is no such thing as chance or accident; the words merely signify our ignorance of some real and immediate cause.” quote by Adam Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ad/adam-clarke-14388_accidents_there-is-no-such-thing-as-chance-or-acci_1761729.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ad/adam-clarke-14388_accidents_there-is-no-such-thing-as-chance-or-acci_1761729.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ad/adam-clarke-14388_accidents_there-is-no-such-thing-as-chance-or-acci_1761729.jpg) > “There is no such thing as chance or accident; the words merely signify our ignorance of some real and immediate cause.” [Adam Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-clarke/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. What appears as chance is actually caused by unseen immediate factors. **In simple terms:** Chance is hidden cause. Key Takeaway Seek underlying causes behind events. Themes causality chance ignorance reality Mood thoughtful analytical Type theological philosophical When to use this quote - investigative research - daily problem solving Key Concepts determinism philosophy Questions to Reflect On - What hidden causes might explain a recent surprise? - How does recognizing causality affect your decisions? A Different Perspective Some events may remain unknowable; humility required. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accidents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accidents/) [Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) [Ignorance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignorance/) [Luck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/luck/) ## Related quotes > [Ignorance of the real causes of religious violence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/ignorance-of-the-real-causes-of-religious-violence/) Mak\_786 > [Tho' there be no such Thing as Chance in the World; our Ignorance of the real Ccause of any Event has the same Influence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/tho-there-be-no-such-thing-as-chance-in-the-world-our-ignorance-of/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [Ignorance of what real learning is, and a consequent suspicion of it; materialism, and a consequent intellectual laxity, both of these have done destructive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/ignorance-of-what-real-learning-is-and-a-consequent-suspicion-of-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Things do not give unhappiness, ignorance (of one’s real Self) does.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/things-do-not-give-unhappiness-ignorance-of-one-s-real-self-does/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [“Those who speak of man's "free will," and insist upon his inherent power to either accept or reject the Saviour, do but voice their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-w-pink/those-who-speak-of-man-s-free-will-and-insist-upon-his-inherent-power/) [Arthur W. Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-w-pink/) > [I find that by putting things in writing I can understand them and see them a little more objectively ... For words are merely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/i-find-that-by-putting-things-in-writing-i-can-understand-them-and/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [Music is the medium. Words merely enhance the composition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-j-yesudas/music-is-the-medium-words-merely-enhance-the-composition/) [K. J. Yesudas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-j-yesudas/) > [“Let your words merely reiterate what your actions have already stated.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-maraboli/let-your-words-merely-reiterate-what-your-actions-have-already-stated/) [Steve Maraboli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-maraboli/) > [Words are merely utterances: noises that stand for feelings, thoughts, and experience. They are symbols. Signs. 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He is merely starting afresh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-morley/beware-of-the-conversationalist-who-adds-in-other-words-he-is-merely/) [Christopher Morley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-morley/) > [Almost all accidents take place because of human distraction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-thrun/almost-all-accidents-take-place-because-of-human-distraction/) [Sebastian Thrun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-thrun/) ## More by Adam Clarke > [Even papists could not see that a moral evil was detained in the soul through its physical connection with the body; and that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-clarke/even-papists-could-not-see-that-a-moral-evil-was-detained-in-the-soul/) [Adam Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-clarke/) > [Verse 11. (They presented unto Him gifts). The people of the east never approach the presence of kings and great personages, without a present…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-clarke/verse-11-they-presented-unto-him-gifts-the-people-of-the-east-never/) [Adam Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-clarke/) > [As preachers of the gospel of Jesus, do not expect worldly honors: these Jesus Christ neither took to himself, nor gave to his disciples.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-clarke/as-preachers-of-the-gospel-of-jesus-do-not-expect-worldly-honors/) [Adam Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-clarke/) > [They who pray not, know nothing of God, and know nothing of the state of their own souls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-clarke/they-who-pray-not-know-nothing-of-god-and-know-nothing-of-the-state/) [Adam Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-clarke/) > [Many talk much, and indeed well, of what Christ has done for us: but how little is spoken of what he is to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-clarke/many-talk-much-and-indeed-well-of-what-christ-has-done-for-us-but-how/) [Adam Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-clarke/) > [Now an infinite happiness cannot be purchased by any price less than that which is infinite in value; and infinity of merit can only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-clarke/now-an-infinite-happiness-cannot-be-purchased-by-any-price-less-than/) [Adam Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-clarke/) > [If you be faithful, you will have that honor that comes from God: his Spirit will say in your hearts, Well done, good and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-clarke/if-you-be-faithful-you-will-have-that-honor-that-comes-from-god-his/) [Adam Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-clarke/) > [To be filled with God, is a great thing; to be filled with the fulness of God, is still greater; to be filled with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-clarke/to-be-filled-with-god-is-a-great-thing-to-be-filled-with-the-fulness/) [Adam Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-clarke/) > [The Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, said an eminent scholar, have God for their Author, the Salvation of mankind for their end,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-clarke/the-scriptures-of-the-old-and-new-testament-said-an-eminent-scholar/) [Adam Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-clarke/) > [Death to a good man is but passing through a dark entry, out of one little dusky room of his Father's house into another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-clarke/death-to-a-good-man-is-but-passing-through-a-dark-entry-out-of-one/) [Adam Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-clarke/) > [If you go forward in the spirit of the original apostles and followers of Jesus Christ, trusting not in man but in the living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-clarke/if-you-go-forward-in-the-spirit-of-the-original-apostles-and/) [Adam Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-clarke/) > [The words contained in it were inspired by the Holy Spirit into the minds of faithful men, called Prophets and Seers in the Old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-clarke/the-words-contained-in-it-were-inspired-by-the-holy-spirit-into-the/) [Adam Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-clarke/) > [The Bible is proved to be a revelation from God, by the reasonableness and holiness of its precepts; all its commands, exhortations, and promises…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-clarke/the-bible-is-proved-to-be-a-revelation-from-god-by-the-reasonableness/) [Adam Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-clarke/) > [Woe to that man who runs when God has not sent him; and woe to him who refuses to run, or who ceases to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-clarke/woe-to-that-man-who-runs-when-god-has-not-sent-him-and-woe-to-him-who/) [Adam Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-clarke/) > [Multitudes of words are neither an argument of clear ideas in the writer, nor a proper means of conveying clear notions to the reader.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-clarke/multitudes-of-words-are-neither-an-argument-of-clear-ideas-in-the/) [Adam Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-clarke/) [Explore all 47 Adam Clarke quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-clarke/) ## More Accidents quotes > [Almost all accidents take place because of human distraction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-thrun/almost-all-accidents-take-place-because-of-human-distraction/) [Sebastian Thrun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-thrun/) > [It was no accident, no coincidence, that the seasons came round and round year after year. It was the Lord speaking to us all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-rivers/it-was-no-accident-no-coincidence-that-the-seasons-came-round-and/) [Francine Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-rivers/) > [No, I think most astronauts recognize that the space shuttle program is very high-risk, and are prepared for accidents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-ride/no-i-think-most-astronauts-recognize-that-the-space-shuttle-program/) [Sally Ride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-ride/) > [In presenting a mathematical argument the great thing is to give the educated reader the chance to catch on at once to the momentary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edensor-littlewood/in-presenting-a-mathematical-argument-the-great-thing-is-to-give-the/) [John Edensor Littlewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edensor-littlewood/) > [The only way to have a funeral is to invite everyone who ever knew the person and just wait for the accident to happen-somebody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/the-only-way-to-have-a-funeral-is-to-invite-everyone-who-ever-knew/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [Good films are not made by accident, nor is good photography. You can have good things happen, on occasion, by accident that can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-willis/good-films-are-not-made-by-accident-nor-is-good-photography-you-can/) [Gordon Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-willis/) > [By education I am an Englishman, by views an internationalist, by culture a Muslim and a Hindu only by accident of birth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jawaharlal-nehru/by-education-i-am-an-englishman-by-views-an-internationalist-by/) [Jawaharlal Nehru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jawaharlal-nehru/) > [I made out with a homeless guy by accident. I had no idea -- he was really tan, he had no shoes on. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-schumer/i-made-out-with-a-homeless-guy-by-accident-i-had-no-idea-he-was/) [Amy Schumer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-schumer/) > [Naturally I feel no shame in writing these things because of the time which separates the moment when they are written--when only I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-ernaux/naturally-i-feel-no-shame-in-writing-these-things-because-of-the-time/) [Annie Ernaux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-ernaux/) > [In a city where you walk around, it's impossible to plan your day and your life as accidents will happen, you'll overhear things, bump…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-schwartzman/in-a-city-where-you-walk-around-it-s-impossible-to-plan-your-day-and/) [Jason Schwartzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-schwartzman/) > [I don't think it's by accident that I was first attracted to translating two French women poets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-hacker/i-don-t-think-it-s-by-accident-that-i-was-first-attracted-to/) [Marilyn Hacker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-hacker/) > [Despite my mentors advice that I would never go to heaven fishing with a weighted nymph and a float, I took it up. (As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-bishop/despite-my-mentors-advice-that-i-would-never-go-to-heaven-fishing/) [Tony Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-bishop/) > [Dont stand outside in a lightning shower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/padraig/dont-stand-outside-in-a-lightning-shower/) [Padraig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/padraig/) > [In the eyes of those lovers of perfection, a work is never finished a word that for them has no sense but abandoned; and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-valery/in-the-eyes-of-those-lovers-of-perfection-a-work-is-never-finished-a/) [Paul Valery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-valery/) > [My musical career was an accident.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sade-adu/my-musical-career-was-an-accident/) [Sade Adu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sade-adu/) [Browse all 1,971 Accidents quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accidents/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There is no such thing as chance or accident; the words merely signify our ignorance of some real and immediate cause.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Adam Clarke" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-clarke/there-is-no-such-thing-as-chance-or-accident-the-words-merely-signify/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Accidents" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-clarke/there-is-no-such-thing-as-chance-or-accident-the-words-merely-signify/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ad/adam-clarke-14388_accidents_there-is-no-such-thing-as-chance-or-acci_1761729.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ad/adam-clarke-14388_accidents_there-is-no-such-thing-as-chance-or-acci_1761729.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ad/adam-clarke-14388_accidents_there-is-no-such-thing-as-chance-or-acci_1761729.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There is no such thing as chance or accident; the words merely signify our ignorance of some real and…” — Adam Clarke", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Adam Clarke", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-clarke/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There is no such thing as...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-clarke/there-is-no-such-thing-as-chance-or-accident-the-words-merely-signify/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-clarke/there-is-no-such-thing-as-chance-or-accident-the-words-merely-signify/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```