--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The terrible things that happen to us in…" description: "\"“The terrible things that happen to us in this life never make any sense when we’re in the middle of them, floundering, no end in sight.”\" — Adriana Tr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d2/adriana-trigiani-1792_floundering_the-terrible-things-that-happen-to-us-in_1135319.png" --- # The terrible things that happen to us in this life never… ![“The terrible things that happen to us in this life never make any sense when we’re in the middle of them, floundering, no end in sight.” quote by Adriana Trigiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d2/adriana-trigiani-1792_floundering_the-terrible-things-that-happen-to-us-in_1135319.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d2/adriana-trigiani-1792_floundering_the-terrible-things-that-happen-to-us-in_1135319.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d2/adriana-trigiani-1792_floundering_the-terrible-things-that-happen-to-us-in_1135319.png) > ““The terrible things that happen to us in this life never make any sense when we’re in the middle of them, floundering, no end in sight.”” [Adriana Trigiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adriana-trigiani/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When we are in the midst of hardship, its purpose feels incomprehensible, leaving us feeling lost and hopeless. **In simple terms:** Hardship feels meaningless while it happens. Key Takeaway Accept uncertainty and seek meaning beyond the moment. Themes suffering meaning resilience Mood reflective somber Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - grief counseling - personal crisis - midlife transition - recovering from trauma Key Concepts existential crisis spiritual growth Questions to Reflect On - How do you find purpose during suffering? - What can you do when you feel stuck? A Different Perspective Hardship can also foster growth, but the quote overlooks that potential. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Floundering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/floundering/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Terrible things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrible-things/) [Things happen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-happen/) ## Related quotes > [“The terrible things that happen to us in this life never make any sense when we’re in the middle of them, floundering, no end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adriana-trigiani/the-terrible-things-that-happen-to-us-in-this-life-never-make-any-2/) [Adriana Trigiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adriana-trigiani/) > [Without publicity a terrible thing happens: nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-t-barnum/without-publicity-a-terrible-thing-happens-nothing/) [P. T. Barnum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-t-barnum/) > [Private equity firms aren't necessarily evil by definition. There are many stories of successful turnarounds fueled by private equity, often involving multiple floundering businesses…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-taibbi/private-equity-firms-aren-t-necessarily-evil-by-definition-there-are/) [Matt Taibbi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-taibbi/) > [Though the Floundering Fathers didn't intend it, we now see that representative government quickly turns into the dictatorship of the proletariat. If you doubt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-reed/though-the-floundering-fathers-didn-t-intend-it-we-now-see-that/) [Fred Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-reed/) > [The day is committed to error and floundering; success and achievement are matters of long range.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/the-day-is-committed-to-error-and-floundering-success-and-achievement/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [The music industry went through such a strange stretch in 1977, especially in this country, with the whole punk rock thing coming about. Punk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-winwood/the-music-industry-went-through-such-a-strange-stretch-in-1977/) [Steve Winwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-winwood/) > [“You flounder through life, struggling desperately so you won't drown, even though you would float if you'd just relax.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natsuki-takaya/you-flounder-through-life-struggling-desperately-so-you-won-t-drown/) [Natsuki Takaya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natsuki-takaya/) > [This house has been far out at sea all night, The woods crashing through darkness, the booming hills, Winds stampeding the fields under the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-hughes/this-house-has-been-far-out-at-sea-all-night-the-woods-crashing/) [Ted Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-hughes/) > [Golf is the Great Mystery. Like some capricous goddess, it bestows its favours with what would appear an almost fat-headed lack of method and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-g-wodehouse-2/golf-is-the-great-mystery-like-some-capricous-goddess-it-bestows-its/) [P. G. Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-g-wodehouse-2/) > [Ectoplasmic plane? What the devil is that? (Simone) It’s jargon from those of us who are corporeally challenged. It’s the great beyond where we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/ectoplasmic-plane-what-the-devil-is-that-simone-it-s-jargon-from/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [America's founding fathers did not intend to take religion out of education. Many of the nation's greatest universities were founded by evangelists and religious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/america-s-founding-fathers-did-not-intend-to-take-religion-out-of/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [I foresaw my life unfolding as an interminable stretch of nothingness and so I spent my years on Tinos floundering, feeling like a stand-in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/i-foresaw-my-life-unfolding-as-an-interminable-stretch-of-nothingness/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) > [When you're looking at social media, you can tell which people are floundering all over, trying to appeal to everyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cooper/when-you-re-looking-at-social-media-you-can-tell-which-people-are/) [Alex Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cooper/) > [After graduation, I was floundering in L.A., doing stand-up comedy and working in a shoe store in the Valley.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-spacey/after-graduation-i-was-floundering-in-l-a-doing-stand-up-comedy-and/) [Kevin Spacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-spacey/) > [Woman's inaptitude for reasoning has not prevented her from arriving at truth; nor has man's ability to reason prevented him from floundering in absurdity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/woman-s-inaptitude-for-reasoning-has-not-prevented-her-from-arriving/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) ## More by Adriana Trigiani > [I always think the most important thing for a writer is a deadline, and it's the same with a house. They say you shouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adriana-trigiani/i-always-think-the-most-important-thing-for-a-writer-is-a-deadline/) [Adriana Trigiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adriana-trigiani/) > [“Take nothing and no one for granted. Time used to be my friend, and now it’s a skittish acquaintance at best. Let life unfold,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adriana-trigiani/take-nothing-and-no-one-for-granted-time-used-to-be-my-friend-and-now/) [Adriana Trigiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adriana-trigiani/) > [When I was young, I was stupid, and I thought maybe I would write the fancy stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adriana-trigiani/when-i-was-young-i-was-stupid-and-i-thought-maybe-i-would-write-the/) [Adriana Trigiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adriana-trigiani/) > [Motherhood changes everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adriana-trigiani/motherhood-changes-everything/) [Adriana Trigiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adriana-trigiani/) > [When people are filled to the brim with love, they are their most beautiful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adriana-trigiani/when-people-are-filled-to-the-brim-with-love-they-are-their-most/) [Adriana Trigiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adriana-trigiani/) > [You never know when some small thing will lead to a big idea. Travel is very inspirational - but it's in the ordinary that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adriana-trigiani/you-never-know-when-some-small-thing-will-lead-to-a-big-idea-travel/) [Adriana Trigiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adriana-trigiani/) > [No one worries about you like your mother, and when she is gone, the world seems unsafe, things that happen unwieldy. You cannot turn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adriana-trigiani/no-one-worries-about-you-like-your-mother-and-when-she-is-gone-the/) [Adriana Trigiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adriana-trigiani/) > [We hang out, we help one another, we tell one another our worst fears and biggest secrets, and then just like real sisters, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adriana-trigiani/we-hang-out-we-help-one-another-we-tell-one-another-our-worst-fears/) [Adriana Trigiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adriana-trigiani/) > [Sometimes we get our hearts broken, only to have the right person come along to mend them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adriana-trigiani/sometimes-we-get-our-hearts-broken-only-to-have-the-right-person-come/) [Adriana Trigiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adriana-trigiani/) > [Pomegranate Soup is glorious, daring and delightful. I adored the Iranian sisters, Marjan, Bahar and Layla, who are looking to build a life, start…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adriana-trigiani/pomegranate-soup-is-glorious-daring-and-delightful-i-adored-the/) [Adriana Trigiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adriana-trigiani/) > [Book clubs are the best thing that has happened to the world of publishing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adriana-trigiani/book-clubs-are-the-best-thing-that-has-happened-to-the-world-of/) [Adriana Trigiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adriana-trigiani/) > [“This is something that I have learned at PA that I would have never learn at home because I have my own room and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adriana-trigiani/this-is-something-that-i-have-learned-at-pa-that-i-would-have-never/) [Adriana Trigiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adriana-trigiani/) > [Looking back, now, I realize that you only ever need one person who lights up that way when you enter a room. One person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adriana-trigiani/looking-back-now-i-realize-that-you-only-ever-need-one-person-who/) [Adriana Trigiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adriana-trigiani/) > [“Sometimes redemption lands in your life like a bird and looks you straight in the eye, even when you believe you don't deserve forgiveness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adriana-trigiani/sometimes-redemption-lands-in-your-life-like-a-bird-and-looks-you/) [Adriana Trigiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adriana-trigiani/) > [Comedy is a reaction to the world, and I think it really helps to be an outsider. I've always been very interested in people's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adriana-trigiani/comedy-is-a-reaction-to-the-world-and-i-think-it-really-helps-to-be/) [Adriana Trigiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adriana-trigiani/) [Explore all 206 Adriana Trigiani quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adriana-trigiani/) ## More Floundering quotes > [Ectoplasmic plane? What the devil is that? (Simone) It’s jargon from those of us who are corporeally challenged. It’s the great beyond where we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/ectoplasmic-plane-what-the-devil-is-that-simone-it-s-jargon-from/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [Private equity firms aren't necessarily evil by definition. There are many stories of successful turnarounds fueled by private equity, often involving multiple floundering businesses…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-taibbi/private-equity-firms-aren-t-necessarily-evil-by-definition-there-are/) [Matt Taibbi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-taibbi/) > [After graduation, I was floundering in L.A., doing stand-up comedy and working in a shoe store in the Valley.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-spacey/after-graduation-i-was-floundering-in-l-a-doing-stand-up-comedy-and/) [Kevin Spacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-spacey/) > [When you're looking at social media, you can tell which people are floundering all over, trying to appeal to everyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cooper/when-you-re-looking-at-social-media-you-can-tell-which-people-are/) [Alex Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cooper/) > [I foresaw my life unfolding as an interminable stretch of nothingness and so I spent my years on Tinos floundering, feeling like a stand-in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/i-foresaw-my-life-unfolding-as-an-interminable-stretch-of-nothingness/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) > [America's founding fathers did not intend to take religion out of education. Many of the nation's greatest universities were founded by evangelists and religious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/america-s-founding-fathers-did-not-intend-to-take-religion-out-of/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [Woman's inaptitude for reasoning has not prevented her from arriving at truth; nor has man's ability to reason prevented him from floundering in absurdity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/woman-s-inaptitude-for-reasoning-has-not-prevented-her-from-arriving/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [Golf is the Great Mystery. Like some capricous goddess, it bestows its favours with what would appear an almost fat-headed lack of method and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-g-wodehouse-2/golf-is-the-great-mystery-like-some-capricous-goddess-it-bestows-its/) [P. G. Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-g-wodehouse-2/) > [This house has been far out at sea all night, The woods crashing through darkness, the booming hills, Winds stampeding the fields under the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-hughes/this-house-has-been-far-out-at-sea-all-night-the-woods-crashing/) [Ted Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-hughes/) > [“You flounder through life, struggling desperately so you won't drown, even though you would float if you'd just relax.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natsuki-takaya/you-flounder-through-life-struggling-desperately-so-you-won-t-drown/) [Natsuki Takaya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natsuki-takaya/) > [The music industry went through such a strange stretch in 1977, especially in this country, with the whole punk rock thing coming about. Punk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-winwood/the-music-industry-went-through-such-a-strange-stretch-in-1977/) [Steve Winwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-winwood/) > [The day is committed to error and floundering; success and achievement are matters of long range.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/the-day-is-committed-to-error-and-floundering-success-and-achievement/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Though the Floundering Fathers didn't intend it, we now see that representative government quickly turns into the dictatorship of the proletariat. If you doubt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-reed/though-the-floundering-fathers-didn-t-intend-it-we-now-see-that/) [Fred Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-reed/) > [It was a bird. A bird struggling through stickiness: a bird coated in paint, floundering in its nest, splashing color everywhere. Red. Red. Red.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/it-was-a-bird-a-bird-struggling-through-stickiness-a-bird-coated-in/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [Really, one of us ought to have the courage to call the experiment off and shoulder the responsibility for the decision, but the majority…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanislaw-lem/really-one-of-us-ought-to-have-the-courage-to-call-the-experiment-off/) [Stanislaw Lem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanislaw-lem/) [Browse all 24 Floundering quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/floundering/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The terrible things that happen to us in this life never make any sense when we’re in the middle of them, floundering, no end in sight.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Adriana Trigiani" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adriana-trigiani/the-terrible-things-that-happen-to-us-in-this-life-never-make-any/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Floundering" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adriana-trigiani/the-terrible-things-that-happen-to-us-in-this-life-never-make-any/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d2/adriana-trigiani-1792_floundering_the-terrible-things-that-happen-to-us-in_1135319.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d2/adriana-trigiani-1792_floundering_the-terrible-things-that-happen-to-us-in_1135319.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d2/adriana-trigiani-1792_floundering_the-terrible-things-that-happen-to-us-in_1135319.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The terrible things that happen to us in this life never make any sense when we’re in the middle of them…” — Adriana Trigiani", "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": "Adriana Trigiani", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adriana-trigiani/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The terrible things that happen to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adriana-trigiani/the-terrible-things-that-happen-to-us-in-this-life-never-make-any/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adriana-trigiani/the-terrible-things-that-happen-to-us-in-this-life-never-make-any/#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 } } ] } ```