--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But any gathering of eight human beings…" description: "\"“But any gathering of eight human beings has an astounding potential for complication.”\" — David James Duncan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9a/david-james-duncan-8032_complication_but-any-gathering-of-eight-human-beings_2779027.png" --- # But any gathering of eight human beings has an astounding… ![“But any gathering of eight human beings has an astounding potential for complication.” quote by David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9a/david-james-duncan-8032_complication_but-any-gathering-of-eight-human-beings_2779027.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9a/david-james-duncan-8032_complication_but-any-gathering-of-eight-human-beings_2779027.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9a/david-james-duncan-8032_complication_but-any-gathering-of-eight-human-beings_2779027.png) > ““But any gathering of eight human beings has an astounding potential for complication.”” [David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Even a small group can become unexpectedly complicated due to human dynamics. **In simple terms:** Eight people can create complex situations. Key Takeaway Prepare for complexity in group settings. Themes group dynamics complexity human nature Mood analytical pragmatic Type social organizational When to use this quote - team meetings - family gatherings - collaborative projects Key Concepts social interaction conflict management Questions to Reflect On - What makes small groups unpredictable? - How can you simplify group interactions? A Different Perspective Complexity can be mitigated with clear communication. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Astounding Potential](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/astounding-potential-3296024/) [Beings Astounding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beings-astounding-3296022/) [Complication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complication/) [Gathering Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gathering-human-2732430/) [Potential Complication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/potential-complication-3296023/) ## Related quotes > [When I'm covering a story, it's not just about gathering facts, but it's gathering the human element as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooke-baldwin/when-i-m-covering-a-story-it-s-not-just-about-gathering-facts-but-it/) [Brooke Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brooke-baldwin/) > [..if a special geometry has to be invented in order to account for a falling apple, even Newton might be appalled at the complications…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-lodge/if-a-special-geometry-has-to-be-invented-in-order-to-account-for-a/) [Oliver Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-lodge/) > [The worst crime of all would be that a mistake happens and no one talks about it or learns from it. So, as unsettling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanjay-gupta/the-worst-crime-of-all-would-be-that-a-mistake-happens-and-no-one/) [Sanjay Gupta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanjay-gupta/) > [Nothing worthwhile is ever without complications.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/nothing-worthwhile-is-ever-without-complications/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [Man is a rational animal—so at least I have been told. … Aristotle, so far as I know, was the first man to proclaim…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/man-is-a-rational-animal-so-at-least-i-have-been-told-aristotle-so/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Discrimination and multiple deprivations of human rights are also frequently part of the problem, sentencing entire populations to poverty... It is surely a matter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/navi-pillay/discrimination-and-multiple-deprivations-of-human-rights-are-also/) [Navi Pillay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/navi-pillay/) > [There are children who will leave a game to go and be bored in a corner of the garret. How often have I wished…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaston-bachelard/there-are-children-who-will-leave-a-game-to-go-and-be-bored-in-a/) [Gaston Bachelard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaston-bachelard/) > [Midwives and doctors play a crucial role preventing unnecessary maternal deaths. They educate women about nutrition, health and family planning. And they step in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liya-kebede/midwives-and-doctors-play-a-crucial-role-preventing-unnecessary/) [Liya Kebede](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liya-kebede/) > [Maternal health remains a staggering challenge, particularly in the developing world. Globally, a woman dies from complications in childbirth every minute.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-capshaw/maternal-health-remains-a-staggering-challenge-particularly-in-the/) [Jessica Capshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-capshaw/) > [Love with complications. Scenery was the last thing on my mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/love-with-complications-scenery-was-the-last-thing-on-my-mind/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [Probably, the secret is to be less complicated. We of course love to make complications - look at the way we live. We have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-huxley/probably-the-secret-is-to-be-less-complicated-we-of-course-love-to/) [Laura Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-huxley/) > [Unfortunately, nature seems unaware of our intellectual need for convenience and unity, and very often takes delight in complication and diversity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-ramon-y-cajal/unfortunately-nature-seems-unaware-of-our-intellectual-need-for/) [Santiago Ramon y Cajal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-ramon-y-cajal/) > [Ive always liked the idea of being a father. And Ive always romanticised it, because I lost my father when I was young. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiwetel-ejiofor/ive-always-liked-the-idea-of-being-a-father-and-ive-always/) [Chiwetel Ejiofor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiwetel-ejiofor/) > [frustration, complication and misery are available in abundance, but so is God's grace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/frustration-complication-and-misery-are-available-in-abundance-but-so/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) > [Playing for complications is an extreme measure that a player should adopt only when he cannot find a clear and logical plan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-alekhine/playing-for-complications-is-an-extreme-measure-that-a-player-should/) [Alexander Alekhine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-alekhine/) ## More by David James Duncan > [“Because I wasn’t anything anymore. Not anythingI love or know or care about. Because thou shalt not kill, Kade. Thou shalt not kill. With…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/because-i-wasn-t-anything-anymore-not-anythingi-love-or-know-or-care/) [David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/) > [Our lack of community is intensely painful. A TV talk show is not community. A couple of hours in a church pew each Sabbath…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/our-lack-of-community-is-intensely-painful-a-tv-talk-show-is-not/) [David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/) > [“It was so good to see him in there, yet so funny to find him so much like me, and so tiny. "Nice kingdom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/it-was-so-good-to-see-him-in-there-yet-so-funny-to-find-him-so-much/) [David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/) > [“Bobby Edson, like most coaches, was a kind of mystic: he believed the cosmos was endowed with an ineffable muffling system that rendered all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/bobby-edson-like-most-coaches-was-a-kind-of-mystic-he-believed-the/) [David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/) > [--I truly and deeply wanted to kill him. And I believe I could have done it, with nothing but my hands. But all of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/i-truly-and-deeply-wanted-to-kill-him-and-i-believe-i-could-have-done/) [David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/) > [“Papa was no longer fixing a carburetor: he was setting up a greasy little Cuban missile base smack-dab in the middle of Mama’s immaculate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/papa-was-no-longer-fixing-a-carburetor-he-was-setting-up-a-greasy/) [David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/) > [“The Austrian writer Robert Musil summed up the Fanatic's great rhetorical advantage in just ten words: There is no truth which stupidity can't make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/the-austrian-writer-robert-musil-summed-up-the-fanatic-s-great/) [David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/) > [“Is the work of sun worshippers to honor those who think they can see the sun? Or to worship the sun?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/is-the-work-of-sun-worshippers-to-honor-those-who-think-they-can-see/) [David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/) > [“Peter didn’t want to change the world: he wanted to fully comprehend it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/peter-didn-t-want-to-change-the-world-he-wanted-to-fully-comprehend-it/) [David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/) > [“It is a rare high school teacher who enjoys seeing their world being enormously improved upon by youths.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/it-is-a-rare-high-school-teacher-who-enjoys-seeing-their-world-being/) [David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/) > [The principles that will save Earth's life are the same principles that save the living souls of humans: ineluctable spiritual principles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/the-principles-that-will-save-earth-s-life-are-the-same-principles/) [David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/) > [“I’m just saying that his card-burning would have meant far more, on the day he did it, if he hadn’t already incinerated his life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/i-m-just-saying-that-his-card-burning-would-have-meant-far-more-on/) [David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/) > [“I gave him everything from my lunches I hate, which is called Charity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/i-gave-him-everything-from-my-lunches-i-hate-which-is-called-charity/) [David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/) > [“If we can’t be ballplayers together, maybe I can start bein’ a Buddhist.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/if-we-can-t-be-ballplayers-together-maybe-i-can-start-bein-a-buddhist/) [David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/) > [As a lifelong student of the world’s wisdom literature, it is my duty to inform students that “ridding the world of evil” is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/as-a-lifelong-student-of-the-world-s-wisdom-literature-it-is-my-duty/) [David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/) [Explore all 85 David James Duncan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/) ## More Complication quotes > [Playing for complications is an extreme measure that a player should adopt only when he cannot find a clear and logical plan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-alekhine/playing-for-complications-is-an-extreme-measure-that-a-player-should/) [Alexander Alekhine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-alekhine/) > [frustration, complication and misery are available in abundance, but so is God's grace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/frustration-complication-and-misery-are-available-in-abundance-but-so/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) > [Ive always liked the idea of being a father. And Ive always romanticised it, because I lost my father when I was young. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiwetel-ejiofor/ive-always-liked-the-idea-of-being-a-father-and-ive-always/) [Chiwetel Ejiofor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiwetel-ejiofor/) > [Unfortunately, nature seems unaware of our intellectual need for convenience and unity, and very often takes delight in complication and diversity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-ramon-y-cajal/unfortunately-nature-seems-unaware-of-our-intellectual-need-for/) [Santiago Ramon y Cajal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-ramon-y-cajal/) > [Probably, the secret is to be less complicated. We of course love to make complications - look at the way we live. We have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-huxley/probably-the-secret-is-to-be-less-complicated-we-of-course-love-to/) [Laura Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-huxley/) > [Love with complications. Scenery was the last thing on my mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/love-with-complications-scenery-was-the-last-thing-on-my-mind/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [Maternal health remains a staggering challenge, particularly in the developing world. Globally, a woman dies from complications in childbirth every minute.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-capshaw/maternal-health-remains-a-staggering-challenge-particularly-in-the/) [Jessica Capshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-capshaw/) > [Midwives and doctors play a crucial role preventing unnecessary maternal deaths. They educate women about nutrition, health and family planning. And they step in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liya-kebede/midwives-and-doctors-play-a-crucial-role-preventing-unnecessary/) [Liya Kebede](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liya-kebede/) > [There are children who will leave a game to go and be bored in a corner of the garret. How often have I wished…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaston-bachelard/there-are-children-who-will-leave-a-game-to-go-and-be-bored-in-a/) [Gaston Bachelard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaston-bachelard/) > [Discrimination and multiple deprivations of human rights are also frequently part of the problem, sentencing entire populations to poverty... It is surely a matter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/navi-pillay/discrimination-and-multiple-deprivations-of-human-rights-are-also/) [Navi Pillay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/navi-pillay/) > [Man is a rational animal—so at least I have been told. … Aristotle, so far as I know, was the first man to proclaim…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/man-is-a-rational-animal-so-at-least-i-have-been-told-aristotle-so/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Nothing worthwhile is ever without complications.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/nothing-worthwhile-is-ever-without-complications/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [The worst crime of all would be that a mistake happens and no one talks about it or learns from it. So, as unsettling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanjay-gupta/the-worst-crime-of-all-would-be-that-a-mistake-happens-and-no-one/) [Sanjay Gupta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanjay-gupta/) > [..if a special geometry has to be invented in order to account for a falling apple, even Newton might be appalled at the complications…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-lodge/if-a-special-geometry-has-to-be-invented-in-order-to-account-for-a/) [Oliver Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-lodge/) > [Complexity begets ambiguity, which yields in all ways to prejudice and avarice. Complication does not so much defeat Men as arm them with fancy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-scott-bakker/complexity-begets-ambiguity-which-yields-in-all-ways-to-prejudice-and/) [R. Scott Bakker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-scott-bakker/) [Browse all 216 Complication quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complication/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“But any gathering of eight human beings has an astounding potential for complication.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David James Duncan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/but-any-gathering-of-eight-human-beings-has-an-astounding-potential/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Complication" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/but-any-gathering-of-eight-human-beings-has-an-astounding-potential/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9a/david-james-duncan-8032_complication_but-any-gathering-of-eight-human-beings_2779027.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9a/david-james-duncan-8032_complication_but-any-gathering-of-eight-human-beings_2779027.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9a/david-james-duncan-8032_complication_but-any-gathering-of-eight-human-beings_2779027.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“But any gathering of eight human beings has an astounding potential for complication.” — David James Duncan", "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": "David James Duncan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“But any gathering of eight human...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/but-any-gathering-of-eight-human-beings-has-an-astounding-potential/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/but-any-gathering-of-eight-human-beings-has-an-astounding-potential/#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 } } ] } ```