---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When that hit the fan ... it was like an…"
description: "\"When that hit the fan ... it was like an earthquake.\" — Bill Ballance"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e70/bill-ballance-65227_earthquake_when-that-hit-the-fan-it-was-like-an-ear_3165915.png"
---

#  When that hit the fan ... it was like an earthquake.

![“When that hit the fan ... it was like an earthquake.” quote by Bill Ballance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e70/bill-ballance-65227_earthquake_when-that-hit-the-fan-it-was-like-an-ear_3165915.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e70/bill-ballance-65227_earthquake_when-that-hit-the-fan-it-was-like-an-ear_3165915.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e70/bill-ballance-65227_earthquake_when-that-hit-the-fan-it-was-like-an-ear_3165915.png)

> “When that hit the fan ... it was like an earthquake.”

Bill Ballance

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A sudden crisis can feel as overwhelming as a natural disaster, shaking everything you know.

**In simple terms:** Crises feel like earthquakes.

Key Takeaway

Prepare for disruption.

Themes

crisis resilience adaptation

Mood

anxious determined

Type

motivational reflective

When to use this quote

- personal setbacks
- natural disasters
- financial crashes
- health emergencies

Key Concepts

psychology stress response

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you stay grounded during sudden upheavals?
- What systems can you build to mitigate impact?

A Different Perspective

Recovery takes time and support, not just shock absorption.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Earthquake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earthquake/)

## Related quotes

> [Aureliano not only understood by then, he also lived his brother’s experiences as something of his own, for on one occasion when the latter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/aureliano-not-only-understood-by-then-he-also-lived-his-brother-s/)

[Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/)

> [“There is nothing like an earthquake for drawing people together. One more tremor, or perhaps two, and they would have asked the butler to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/there-is-nothing-like-an-earthquake-for-drawing-people-together-one/)

[George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/)

> [“We made love like an earthquake, which was nice because neither one of us had to do any work.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/we-made-love-like-an-earthquake-which-was-nice-because-neither-one-of/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [It was scary when the Beatles came on the scene. It was like an earthquake or a fire or an accident.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonny-bono/it-was-scary-when-the-beatles-came-on-the-scene-it-was-like-an/)

[Sonny Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonny-bono/)

> [“She would never understand her sister. Her sister was like the weather, no, she was worse than the weather. She was like an earthquake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-kahler/she-would-never-understand-her-sister-her-sister-was-like-the-weather/)

[Victoria Kahler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-kahler/)

> [All those years on the psychiatrist's couch and suddenly the couch is moving. Good God, she is on that couch when the big one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-hempel/all-those-years-on-the-psychiatrist-s-couch-and-suddenly-the-couch-is/)

[Amy Hempel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-hempel/)

> [The mountain trembled like an earthquake. Dust flew into the sky. And the rock turned dark red, like the color of blood'. 'How would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/the-mountain-trembled-like-an-earthquake-dust-flew-into-the-sky-and/)

[Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/)

> [Love is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake and then subsides.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-de-bernieres/love-is-a-temporary-madness-it-erupts-like-an-earthquake-and-then-3/)

[Louis de Bernieres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-de-bernieres/)

> [Mass civil disobedience is like an earthquake, a sort of general upheaval on the political plane.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/mass-civil-disobedience-is-like-an-earthquake-a-sort-of-general/)

[Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/)

> [There comes a terrible moment to many souls when the great movements of the world, the larger destinies of mankind, which have lain aloof…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/there-comes-a-terrible-moment-to-many-souls-when-the-great-movements/)

[George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/)

> [When you fall in love, it is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake, and then it subsides. And when it subsides, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-de-bernieres/when-you-fall-in-love-it-is-a-temporary-madness-it-erupts-like-an/)

[Louis de Bernieres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-de-bernieres/)

> [I think we’re like farm animals before an earthquake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moby/i-think-we-re-like-farm-animals-before-an-earthquake/)

[Moby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moby/)

> [Scientists say an 8.9 earthquake here could knock down buildings, flood coastal areas... and improve the roads.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/scientists-say-an-8-9-earthquake-here-could-knock-down-buildings/)

[Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/)

> [After the earthquake and the fire comes the still, small voice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-thompson/after-the-earthquake-and-the-fire-comes-the-still-small-voice/)

[Dorothy Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-thompson/)

> [The earthquake, however, must be to every one a most impressive event: the earth, considered from our earliest childhood as the type of solidity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/the-earthquake-however-must-be-to-every-one-a-most-impressive-event/)

[Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/)

## More by Bill Ballance

> [Anyone who says that money cannot buy happiness has had very little success with either one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ballance/anyone-who-says-that-money-cannot-buy-happiness-has-had-very-little/)

Bill Ballance

> [Every time an idiot dies, your IQ goes down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ballance/every-time-an-idiot-dies-your-iq-goes-down/)

Bill Ballance

> [Falling in love is like eating mushrooms, you never know if it's the real thing until it's too late.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ballance/falling-in-love-is-like-eating-mushrooms-you-never-know-if-it-s-the/)

Bill Ballance

Explore all 4 Bill Ballance quotes

## More Earthquake quotes

> [“Do you see those dull stars?" She outlined the formation with her finger. "A pentagram," whispered Scott. "Yes, but not just any pentagram. Take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-mattie/do-you-see-those-dull-stars-she-outlined-the-formation-with-her/)

[Katie Mattie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-mattie/)

> [Every morning when I pick up the newspaper and read about an earthquake in Japan or problems in European financial institutions, the first question…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-schapiro/every-morning-when-i-pick-up-the-newspaper-and-read-about-an/)

[Mary Schapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-schapiro/)

> [“… about midnight, as Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God…. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/about-midnight-as-paul-and-silas-were-praying-and-singing-hymns-of/)

[Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/)

> [Whenever there is an international crisis - an earthquake, a flood, a war - Americans provide more assistance than the people of any other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-moore/whenever-there-is-an-international-crisis-an-earthquake-a-flood-a-war/)

[Stephen Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-moore/)

> [War is the easiest photography in the business. Just get close, be lucky, know how your camera works. There are subjects everywhere. Everyplace you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-douglas-duncan/war-is-the-easiest-photography-in-the-business-just-get-close-be/)

[David Douglas Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-douglas-duncan/)

> [“How strange it (the earthquake) must all have seemed to them, here where they lived so safely always! They thought such a dreadful thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-dean-howells/how-strange-it-the-earthquake-must-all-have-seemed-to-them-here-where/)

[William Dean Howells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-dean-howells/)

> [The earthquake, however, must be to every one a most impressive event: the earth, considered from our earliest childhood as the type of solidity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/the-earthquake-however-must-be-to-every-one-a-most-impressive-event/)

[Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/)

> [When you are submitted and committed to the Lord, you will look forward to Jesus coming back, and not even an earthquake or Hurricane…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-johnson/when-you-are-submitted-and-committed-to-the-lord-you-will-look/)

[Monica Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-johnson/)

> [When the earthquake hit Christchurch in 2011, the factory that produces Marmite was closed for two years. The supermarket shelves were empty and people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-galetti/when-the-earthquake-hit-christchurch-in-2011-the-factory-that/)

[Monica Galetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-galetti/)

> [“I am the earthquake of love. How you feel is my fault.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-am-the-earthquake-of-love-how-you-feel-is-my-fault/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [One widow left her house for a day, came back and found her brother-in-law had taken over her home after the earthquake, so she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ursel/one-widow-left-her-house-for-a-day-came-back-and-found-her-brother-in/)

Keith Ursel

> [Each year, at the typical nuclear reactor in the U.S., there's a 1 in 74,176 chance of an earthquake strong enough to cause damage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-dedman/each-year-at-the-typical-nuclear-reactor-in-the-u-s-there-s-a-1-in-74/)

[Bill Dedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-dedman/)

> [After the earthquake and the fire comes the still, small voice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-thompson/after-the-earthquake-and-the-fire-comes-the-still-small-voice/)

[Dorothy Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-thompson/)

> [“Wanasayansi wanaamini kuwa Yesu atarudi tarehe 29 Julai 2016. Tarehe hiyo kitu kikubwa sana kitatokea katika dunia yetu kitakachosababisha tetemeko kubwa la ardhi, litakalosababishwa…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enock-maregesi/wanasayansi-wanaamini-kuwa-yesu-atarudi-tarehe-29-julai-2016-tarehe/)

[Enock Maregesi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enock-maregesi/)

> [We still carry this old caveman-imprint idea that we're small, nature's big, and it's everything we can manage to hang on and survive. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-balog/we-still-carry-this-old-caveman-imprint-idea-that-we-re-small-nature/)

[James Balog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-balog/)

[Browse all 135 Earthquake quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earthquake/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "When that hit the fan ... it was like an earthquake.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Bill Ballance"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ballance/when-that-hit-the-fan-it-was-like-an-earthquake/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Earthquake"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ballance/when-that-hit-the-fan-it-was-like-an-earthquake/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e70/bill-ballance-65227_earthquake_when-that-hit-the-fan-it-was-like-an-ear_3165915.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e70/bill-ballance-65227_earthquake_when-that-hit-the-fan-it-was-like-an-ear_3165915.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e70/bill-ballance-65227_earthquake_when-that-hit-the-fan-it-was-like-an-ear_3165915.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“When that hit the fan ... it was like an earthquake.” — Bill Ballance",
                "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": "Bill Ballance",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ballance/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "When that hit the fan ......",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ballance/when-that-hit-the-fan-it-was-like-an-earthquake/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ballance/when-that-hit-the-fan-it-was-like-an-earthquake/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
