--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I wish it hadn't happened; but what good…" description: "\"“I wish it hadn't happened; but what good does this do? I can wish it wouldn't happen again - but here too, if I'm wishing the impossible, it will do n..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/483/claire-messud-1372_wish-wouldn_i-wish-it-hadn-t-happened-but-what-good_1367068.png" --- # I wish it hadn't happened; but what good does this do? I… ![“I wish it hadn't happened; but what good does this do? I can wish it wouldn't happen again - but here too, if I'm wishing the impossible, it will do no good at all.” quote by Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/483/claire-messud-1372_wish-wouldn_i-wish-it-hadn-t-happened-but-what-good_1367068.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/483/claire-messud-1372_wish-wouldn_i-wish-it-hadn-t-happened-but-what-good_1367068.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/483/claire-messud-1372_wish-wouldn_i-wish-it-hadn-t-happened-but-what-good_1367068.png) > ““I wish it hadn't happened; but what good does this do? I can wish it wouldn't happen again - but here too, if I'm wishing the impossible, it will do no good at all.”” [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Wishing for impossible outcomes yields no benefit; acceptance and realistic action are more productive. **In simple terms:** Wishing for the impossible doesn’t help. Key Takeaway Accept reality, act wisely. Themes acceptance realism hope action Mood introspective motivational Type psychological self-help When to use this quote - personal setbacks - career challenges - health crises - relationship issues Key Concepts cognitive bias psychology resilience Questions to Reflect On - What impossible wish can be reframed into a realistic goal? - How does acceptance affect motivation? A Different Perspective Wishing can motivate change if paired with actionable steps. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [In dream consciousness we make things happen by wishing them, because we are not only the observer of what we experience but also the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-dream-consciousness-we-make-things-happen-by-wishing-them-because/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Bringing fortune to our house! Making Fruitless Mountain bloom! You're always wishing to do impossible things! Stop believing stories and stop wasting your time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lin/bringing-fortune-to-our-house-making-fruitless-mountain-bloom-you-re/) [Grace Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lin/) > [“It's no good wishing for the impossible. Don't wish. Remember. Remembrances are real.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morpurgo/it-s-no-good-wishing-for-the-impossible-don-t-wish-remember/) [Michael Morpurgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morpurgo/) > [“Wishing for the impossible in the future is a good exercise, I think, especially for children; wishing for it in the past is surely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-pangborn/wishing-for-the-impossible-in-the-future-is-a-good-exercise-i-think/) [Edgar Pangborn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-pangborn/) > [“That is why this universe is impossible: because all the good things are impossible to keep. The universe always takes them away.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-poston/that-is-why-this-universe-is-impossible-because-all-the-good-things/) [Ashley Poston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-poston/) > [It is not a lucky word, this name impossible; no good comes of those who have it so often in their mouths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/it-is-not-a-lucky-word-this-name-impossible-no-good-comes-of-those/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [It's impossible to be a good Christian. If you think it's easy to be a good Christian, then you're not really trying hard enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tesh/it-s-impossible-to-be-a-good-christian-if-you-think-it-s-easy-to-be-a/) [John Tesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tesh/) > [Getting away from being 'a good girl' is important because it's impossible to be a 'good girl' and a writer at the same time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-sharon-schwartz/getting-away-from-being-a-good-girl-is-important-because-it-s/) [Lynne Sharon Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-sharon-schwartz/) > [Even if you have a gift, it's nearly impossible to become a good actor in just a few weeks of training.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/signe-baumane/even-if-you-have-a-gift-it-s-nearly-impossible-to-become-a-good-actor/) [Signe Baumane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/signe-baumane/) > [“It's impossible to be a good writer if you haven't lived badly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-scott/it-s-impossible-to-be-a-good-writer-if-you-haven-t-lived-badly/) [Ken Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-scott/) > [It is impossible for good or evil to last forever; and hence it follows that the evil having lasted so long, the good must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-de-cervantes/it-is-impossible-for-good-or-evil-to-last-forever-and-hence-it/) [Miguel de Cervantes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-de-cervantes/) > [So - it's impossible? Good! If memory serves, we've done the impossible before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nightwing/so-it-s-impossible-good-if-memory-serves-we-ve-done-the-impossible/) Nightwing > [I love New York, but I wish they wouldn't put clothes on their dogs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-gilchrist/i-love-new-york-but-i-wish-they-wouldn-t-put-clothes-on-their-dogs/) [Ellen Gilchrist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-gilchrist/) > [I try not to pass judgment on anyone, and I wish they wouldn't pass it on me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-beth-whitehead/i-try-not-to-pass-judgment-on-anyone-and-i-wish-they-wouldn-t-pass-it/) [Mary Beth Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-beth-whitehead/) > [I do wish you wouldn't argue with me when I'm knitting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-durrell/i-do-wish-you-wouldn-t-argue-with-me-when-i-m-knitting/) [Gerald Durrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-durrell/) ## More by Claire Messud > [I'd wish for my work to be remembered rather than myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/i-d-wish-for-my-work-to-be-remembered-rather-than-myself/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [I have said it somewhere - our literary lived lives are as important as our literally lived lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/i-have-said-it-somewhere-our-literary-lived-lives-are-as-important-as/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [“Life is about deciding what matters. It’s about the fantasy that determines the reality. Have you ever asked yourself whether you’d rather fly or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/life-is-about-deciding-what-matters-it-s-about-the-fantasy-that/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [Life's funny. You have to find a way to keep going, to keep laughing, even after you realize that none of your dreams will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/life-s-funny-you-have-to-find-a-way-to-keep-going-to-keep-laughing/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [It's the strangest thing about being human: to know so much, to communicate so much, and yet always to fall so drastically short of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/it-s-the-strangest-thing-about-being-human-to-know-so-much-to/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [The fictional narratives that television, film, and the news provide for girls and young women are appalling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/the-fictional-narratives-that-television-film-and-the-news-provide/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [“I don't want to sleep,' my mother said. 'I want -- for God's sake, I want to wake up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/i-don-t-want-to-sleep-my-mother-said-i-want-for-god-s-sake-i-want-to/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [“It was supposed to say “Great Artist” on my tombstone, but if I died right now it would say “such a good teacher/​daughter/​friend” instead;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/it-was-supposed-to-say-great-artist-on-my-tombstone-but-if-i-died/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [“Live, my dear Nora. Satisfy your hunger. There's food all around you, you know.' 'What kind of food, I'd like to know?' 'Ah'-he smiled-…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/live-my-dear-nora-satisfy-your-hunger-there-s-food-all-around-you-you/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [I digress a lot - it's how I experience the world. I would like to write in a way that will convey that to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/i-digress-a-lot-it-s-how-i-experience-the-world-i-would-like-to-write/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [We think that - as kids, you know - that kids make up stories and live in a sort of fictional place, but that,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/we-think-that-as-kids-you-know-that-kids-make-up-stories-and-live-in/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [“It makes sense that if you stand almost daily in the middle of a perfect crescent of shore, with a vista open to eternity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/it-makes-sense-that-if-you-stand-almost-daily-in-the-middle-of-a/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [“Once aware of my isolation, I was afraid not of it but of its interruption.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/once-aware-of-my-isolation-i-was-afraid-not-of-it-but-of-its/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [“who I am in my head, very few people really get to see that. Almost none. It’s the most precious gift I can give,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/who-i-am-in-my-head-very-few-people-really-get-to-see-that-almost/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [“My everyday Appleton life, my phones calls to my father, my occasional beers with friends, my Saturday-morning jobs around the reservoir - what was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/my-everyday-appleton-life-my-phones-calls-to-my-father-my-occasional/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) [Explore all 249 Claire Messud quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) ## More Wish Wouldn quotes > [I do wish you wouldn't argue with me when I'm knitting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-durrell/i-do-wish-you-wouldn-t-argue-with-me-when-i-m-knitting/) [Gerald Durrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-durrell/) > [I try not to pass judgment on anyone, and I wish they wouldn't pass it on me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-beth-whitehead/i-try-not-to-pass-judgment-on-anyone-and-i-wish-they-wouldn-t-pass-it/) [Mary Beth Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-beth-whitehead/) > [I love New York, but I wish they wouldn't put clothes on their dogs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-gilchrist/i-love-new-york-but-i-wish-they-wouldn-t-put-clothes-on-their-dogs/) [Ellen Gilchrist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-gilchrist/) > [“He is very, very careful. I wish he wouldn’t be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiersten-white/he-is-very-very-careful-i-wish-he-wouldn-t-be/) [Kiersten White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiersten-white/) > [“I wish he wouldn’t do this when he’s on me. It’s really very upsetting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamora-pierce/i-wish-he-wouldn-t-do-this-when-he-s-on-me-it-s-really-very-upsetting/) [Tamora Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamora-pierce/) > [If I had 3 wish's I wouldn't have to use them. Your the greatest wish ever... A Best Friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-i-had-3-wish-s-i-wouldn-t-have-to-use-them-your-the-greatest-wish/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If I had one wish .. I wouldn't use it , cause you got to earn what you want and not just instantly get it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myself/if-i-had-one-wish-i-wouldn-t-use-it-cause-you-got-to-earn-what-you/) Myself > [I just wish you wouldn't curse in front of my boys!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ned-flanders/i-just-wish-you-wouldn-t-curse-in-front-of-my-boys/) [Ned Flanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ned-flanders/) > [I wish you wouldn't walk in and out of my mind as though it was a railway station!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-lamb/i-wish-you-wouldn-t-walk-in-and-out-of-my-mind-as-though-it-was-a/) [Charlotte Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-lamb/) > [If I had one wish, it wouldn't be wealth It would be that we could just love ourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spm/if-i-had-one-wish-it-wouldn-t-be-wealth-it-would-be-that-we-could/) [SPM](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spm/) > [I know the good Lord wouldn't give me any more than I can handle, but I sure wish he wouldn't have so much confidence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-williams/i-know-the-good-lord-wouldn-t-give-me-any-more-than-i-can-handle-but/) [Bernie Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-williams/) Browse all 12 Wish Wouldn quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I wish it hadn't happened; but what good does this do? 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