--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If trouble comes when you least expect it…" description: "\"If trouble comes when you least expect it then maybe the thing to do is to always expect it.\" — Cormac McCarthy" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c0/cormac-mccarthy-181_trouble_if-trouble-comes-when-you-least-expect-i_1589785.jpg" --- # If trouble comes when you least expect it then maybe the… ![“If trouble comes when you least expect it then maybe the thing to do is to always expect it.” quote by Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c0/cormac-mccarthy-181_trouble_if-trouble-comes-when-you-least-expect-i_1589785.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c0/cormac-mccarthy-181_trouble_if-trouble-comes-when-you-least-expect-i_1589785.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c0/cormac-mccarthy-181_trouble_if-trouble-comes-when-you-least-expect-i_1589785.jpg) > “If trouble comes when you least expect it then maybe the thing to do is to always expect it.” [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Anticipating trouble prepares you to respond calmly when unexpected challenges arise. **In simple terms:** Expect problems to handle them better. Key Takeaway Practice proactive preparedness. Themes resilience anticipation uncertainty mindset strategy Mood cautious prepared Type practical philosophical When to use this quote - emergency planning - stress management - project risk assessment - personal coping strategies Key Concepts risk management psychological resilience Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance vigilance with peace of mind? - What strategies keep you ready without fear? A Different Perspective Over‑preparation can cause anxiety. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Comes Expect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comes-expect-2087009/) [Expect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expect/) [Expect Maybe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expect-maybe-1435731/) [Thing Expect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-expect-384231/) [Trouble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trouble/) [Trouble Comes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trouble-comes-516441/) ## Related quotes > [“Sometimes you expect so much from others, but maybe it's because you would be willing to do it for them…”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arjun/sometimes-you-expect-so-much-from-others-but-maybe-it-s-because-you/) [Arjun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arjun/) > [Work definitely comes first. I expect the same of my ideal other half too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iu/work-definitely-comes-first-i-expect-the-same-of-my-ideal-other-half/) [IU](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iu/) > [The last thing we expect others to do, its the last thing they do before we learn we cannot trust them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-kate/the-last-thing-we-expect-others-to-do-its-the-last-thing-they-do/) [Lauren Kate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-kate/) > [Only one thing I expect from all of you: to be yourself, to discover your inner beauty, your purity of consciousness, your hidden splendor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/only-one-thing-i-expect-from-all-of-you-to-be-yourself-to-discover/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [“I think when love sneaks up on you, when it grabs onto you when you least expect it, maybe that's more of a sign…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nyrae-dawn/i-think-when-love-sneaks-up-on-you-when-it-grabs-onto-you-when-you/) [Nyrae Dawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nyrae-dawn/) > [“Delusion has a way of becoming part of life when you least expect it, or maybe when you most need it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-kent/delusion-has-a-way-of-becoming-part-of-life-when-you-least-expect-it/) [Julia Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-kent/) > [You don't know how much you've grown- until trouble comes back for an encore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-d-jakes/you-don-t-know-how-much-you-ve-grown-until-trouble-comes-back-for-an/) [T. D. Jakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-d-jakes/) > [Decided its best to just take each day as it comes and expect the unexpected no point in making an effort to get it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/decided-its-best-to-just-take-each-day-as-it-comes-and-expect-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [True love comes when u least expect it very quietly..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mccarty/true-love-comes-when-u-least-expect-it-very-quietly/) [Kevin McCarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mccarty/) > [Opportunity comes when you least expect it, my dear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oz-the-great-and-powerful/opportunity-comes-when-you-least-expect-it-my-dear/) [Oz The Great And Powerful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oz-the-great-and-powerful/) > [Attachment comes only where we expect a return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/attachment-comes-only-where-we-expect-a-return/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [“Grief, when it comes, is nothing we expect it to be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/grief-when-it-comes-is-nothing-we-expect-it-to-be/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) > [“It's a tough lesson: There is no summit that comes before you expect it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-obmascik/it-s-a-tough-lesson-there-is-no-summit-that-comes-before-you-expect-it/) [Mark Obmascik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-obmascik/) > [“Sometimes the best advice comes from those whom you least expect…therefore take no one for granted”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-aldana/sometimes-the-best-advice-comes-from-those-whom-you-least-expect/) [Jeremy Aldana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-aldana/) > [The motivation sometimes comes when you least expect it. I try to keep an open mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-quik/the-motivation-sometimes-comes-when-you-least-expect-it-i-try-to-keep/) [DJ Quik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-quik/) ## More by Cormac McCarthy > [The cooler days have brought a wistful mood upon him. The smell of coalsmoke in the air at night. Old times, dead years. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/the-cooler-days-have-brought-a-wistful-mood-upon-him-the-smell-of/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“The events of the world can have no separate life from the world. And yet the world itself can have no temporal view of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/the-events-of-the-world-can-have-no-separate-life-from-the-world-and/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“I had two dreams about him after he died. I dont remember the first one all that well but it was about meetin him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/i-had-two-dreams-about-him-after-he-died-i-dont-remember-the-first/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“You think people was meaner then than they are now? the deputy said. The old man was looking out at the flooded town. No,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/you-think-people-was-meaner-then-than-they-are-now-the-deputy-said/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“They set forth in a crimson dawn where sky and earth closed in a razorous plane. Out there dark little archipelagos of cloud and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/they-set-forth-in-a-crimson-dawn-where-sky-and-earth-closed-in-a/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“Nothing. Where all was burnt to ash before them no fires were to be had and the nights were long and dark and cold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/nothing-where-all-was-burnt-to-ash-before-them-no-fires-were-to-be/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [He said that whether a man's life was writ in a book someplace or whether it took its form day by day was one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/he-said-that-whether-a-man-s-life-was-writ-in-a-book-someplace-or/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“He lives in a room above a courtyard behind a tavern and he comes down at night like some fairybook beast to fight with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/he-lives-in-a-room-above-a-courtyard-behind-a-tavern-and-he-comes/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“Ultimo hombre. Last man standing, must've been one. Where'd he go?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/ultimo-hombre-last-man-standing-must-ve-been-one-where-d-he-go/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“To seek out the upright. No fall but preceded by a declination. He took great marching steps into the nothingness, counting them against his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/to-seek-out-the-upright-no-fall-but-preceded-by-a-declination-he-took/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“They went through the last of the cars and then walked up the track to the locomotive and climbed up to the catwalk. Rust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/they-went-through-the-last-of-the-cars-and-then-walked-up-the-track/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“Night fell upon them dark and starblown and the wagon grew swollen near mute with dew. On their chairs in such black immobility these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/night-fell-upon-them-dark-and-starblown-and-the-wagon-grew-swollen/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“When I was in school I studied biology. I learned that in making their experiments scientists will take some group - bacteria, mice, people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/when-i-was-in-school-i-studied-biology-i-learned-that-in-making-their/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [ “We none of us knew him to speak \[Dutch\]. Asked him where he'd learned it you know what he said? What did he say.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/we-none-of-us-knew-him-to-speak-dutch-asked-him-where-he-d-learned-it/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“You know that the things you put it your head stay there, right?' 'Yeah. But you remember some things, don't you?' 'Yeah. You remember…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/you-know-that-the-things-you-put-it-your-head-stay-there-right-yeah/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) [Explore all 927 Cormac McCarthy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) ## More Expect quotes > [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/) [David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/) > [If you expect the worst from a person you can never be disappointed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-burgess/if-you-expect-the-worst-from-a-person-you-can-never-be-disappointed/) [Anthony Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-burgess/) > [Even though you can't expect to defeat the absurdity of the world, you must make that attempt. That's morality, that's religion. That's art. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-ochs/even-though-you-can-t-expect-to-defeat-the-absurdity-of-the-world-you/) [Phil Ochs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-ochs/) > [Get to know yourself well enough to not only expect, but also control, your response to the unexpected challenges in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/get-to-know-yourself-well-enough-to-not-only-expect-but-also-control/) [Senoraroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senoraroy/) > [Beare with evill, and expect good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/beare-with-evill-and-expect-good/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [“Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/therefore-you-also-must-be-ready-for-the-son-of-man-is-coming-at-an/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [People expect more and more every time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-boosie/people-expect-more-and-more-every-time/) [Lil Boosie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-boosie/) > [“Love is promising to give someone everything and not expect anything in return.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-hart/love-is-promising-to-give-someone-everything-and-not-expect-anything/) [Emma Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-hart/) > [I wanted to make a place for filmmakers and artists to come and 'do their stuff,' but I didn't expect it to have had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-anderson/i-wanted-to-make-a-place-for-filmmakers-and-artists-to-come-and-do/) [Tom Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-anderson/) > [Parents should have perfect control over their own spirits, and with mildness and yet firmness bend the will of the child until it shall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-g-white/parents-should-have-perfect-control-over-their-own-spirits-and-with/) [Ellen G. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-g-white/) > [“When you have a relationship with Jesus, you learn to expect something different everyday of your life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mlungisi-simelane/when-you-have-a-relationship-with-jesus-you-learn-to-expect-something/) [Mlungisi Simelane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mlungisi-simelane/) > [I didn't expect I will get the Arjuna at 18 years. I thought 19.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hima-das/i-didn-t-expect-i-will-get-the-arjuna-at-18-years-i-thought-19/) [Hima Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hima-das/) > [“Maybe who we are isn't so much about what we do, but rather what we're capable of when we least expect it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/maybe-who-we-are-isn-t-so-much-about-what-we-do-but-rather-what-we-re/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [“Sometimes when you least expect it, hope wiggles into your heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-plourde/sometimes-when-you-least-expect-it-hope-wiggles-into-your-heart/) [Lynn Plourde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-plourde/) > [I laid my life on the line, so I expect nothing less from you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-day-to-remember/i-laid-my-life-on-the-line-so-i-expect-nothing-less-from-you/) [A Day To Remember](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-day-to-remember/) [Browse all 2,143 Expect quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expect/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If trouble comes when you least expect it then maybe the thing to do is to always expect it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Cormac McCarthy" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/if-trouble-comes-when-you-least-expect-it-then-maybe-the-thing-to-do/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Expect" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/if-trouble-comes-when-you-least-expect-it-then-maybe-the-thing-to-do/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c0/cormac-mccarthy-181_trouble_if-trouble-comes-when-you-least-expect-i_1589785.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c0/cormac-mccarthy-181_trouble_if-trouble-comes-when-you-least-expect-i_1589785.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c0/cormac-mccarthy-181_trouble_if-trouble-comes-when-you-least-expect-i_1589785.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If trouble comes when you least expect it then maybe the thing to do is to always expect it.” — Cormac McCarthy", "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": "Cormac McCarthy", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If trouble comes when you least...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/if-trouble-comes-when-you-least-expect-it-then-maybe-the-thing-to-do/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/if-trouble-comes-when-you-least-expect-it-then-maybe-the-thing-to-do/#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 } } ] } ```