--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: that was the thing about nature: make one…" description: "\"“that was the thing about nature: make one lousy rule to describe it and it'll contradict you even if it has to transmogrify and metamorphosize and bus..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/340/david-james-duncan-8032_nature_that-was-the-thing-about-nature-make-one_521093.png" --- # that was the thing about nature: make one lousy rule to… ![“that was the thing about nature: make one lousy rule to describe it and it'll contradict you even if it has to transmogrify and metamorphosize and bust its ass to do it. and so what? if anybody grew wise enough to grasp the real immutable laws of nature, nature'd only rear back and strike 'em dead…” quote by David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/340/david-james-duncan-8032_nature_that-was-the-thing-about-nature-make-one_521093.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/340/david-james-duncan-8032_nature_that-was-the-thing-about-nature-make-one_521093.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/340/david-james-duncan-8032_nature_that-was-the-thing-about-nature-make-one_521093.png) > ““that was the thing about nature: make one lousy rule to describe it and it'll contradict you even if it has to transmogrify and metamorphosize and bust its ass to do it. and so what? if anybody grew wise enough to grasp the real immutable laws of nature, nature'd only rear back and strike 'em dead before they got anybody to understand them”” [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. Nature resists simplistic rules; attempts to codify it are thwarted by its inherent complexity and adaptability. **In simple terms:** Nature defies simple explanations and changes to survive. Key Takeaway Accept nature’s complexity. Themes nature complexity adaptation Mood curious critical Type analytical literary When to use this quote - environmental policy - scientific research - education - personal worldview Key Concepts philosophy ecology Questions to Reflect On - How do you simplify complex systems? - What are the risks of over‑generalizing nature? A Different Perspective Simplistic models can mislead decision‑making. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Contradict Transmogrify](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contradict-transmogrify-4396844/) [Immutable Laws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immutable-laws-1052750/) [Laws Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laws-nature-240229/) [Lousy Rule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lousy-rule-4396845/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Thing Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-nature-1192409/) ## Related quotes > [“because these are the immutable laws of nature.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/because-these-are-the-immutable-laws-of-nature/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [The beauty to which the Dance ought to aspire is not dependent upon taste or pleasure, but is founded on the immutable laws of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-bournonville/the-beauty-to-which-the-dance-ought-to-aspire-is-not-dependent-upon/) [August Bournonville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-bournonville/) > [All the effects of Nature are only the mathematical consequences of a small number of immutable laws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-simon-laplace/all-the-effects-of-nature-are-only-the-mathematical-consequences-of-a/) [Pierre-Simon Laplace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-simon-laplace/) > [ \[Science\] dissipates errors born of ignorance about our true relations with nature, errors the more damaging in that the social order should rest only… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-simon-laplace/science-dissipates-errors-born-of-ignorance-about-our-true-relations/) [Pierre-Simon Laplace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-simon-laplace/) > [All through the centuries scholars and scientists have been imprisoned, tortured and burned alive for some discovery which seemed to conflict with a petty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-cady-stanton/all-through-the-centuries-scholars-and-scientists-have-been/) [Elizabeth Cady Stanton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-cady-stanton/) > [Surely the immutable laws of the universe can teach more impressive and exalted lessons than the holy books of all the religions on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-cady-stanton/surely-the-immutable-laws-of-the-universe-can-teach-more-impressive/) [Elizabeth Cady Stanton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-cady-stanton/) > [ ... one of the immutable laws of being human is that the people who show up are the right people. \[p. 65\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/one-of-the-immutable-laws-of-being-human-is-that-the-people-who-show/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [Everything happens through immutable laws, ...everything is necessary... There are, some persons say, some events which are necessary and others which are not. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/everything-happens-through-immutable-laws-everything-is-necessary/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [There is not one single social or economic principle or concept in the philosophy of the Russian Bolshevik which has not been realized, carried…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/there-is-not-one-single-social-or-economic-principle-or-concept-in/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [Truth and justice are the immutable laws of social order.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-simon-laplace/truth-and-justice-are-the-immutable-laws-of-social-order/) [Pierre-Simon Laplace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-simon-laplace/) > [“When we tug at a single thing in nature, we find it attached to the rest of the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/when-we-tug-at-a-single-thing-in-nature-we-find-it-attached-to-the/) [John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/) > [Shuffling is the only thing which Nature cannot undo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-eddington/shuffling-is-the-only-thing-which-nature-cannot-undo/) [Arthur Eddington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-eddington/) > [The fairest thing in nature, a flower, still has its roots in earth and manure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-h-lawrence/the-fairest-thing-in-nature-a-flower-still-has-its-roots-in-earth-and/) [D. H. Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-h-lawrence/) > [My favourite thing about being in nature is that I feel so small and kind of insignificant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigrid/my-favourite-thing-about-being-in-nature-is-that-i-feel-so-small-and/) [Sigrid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigrid/) > [When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/when-one-tugs-at-a-single-thing-in-nature-he-finds-it-attached-to-the/) [John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/) ## 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. 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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 Nature quotes > [It is indeed a surprising and fortunate fact that nature can be expressed by relatively low-order mathematical functions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-carnap/it-is-indeed-a-surprising-and-fortunate-fact-that-nature-can-be/) [Rudolf Carnap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-carnap/) > [Remember that your natural state is joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/remember-that-your-natural-state-is-joy/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [“THIS tale of my sore-troubled life I write,    To thank the God of nature, who conveyed    My soul to me, and with such care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-tale-of-my-sore-troubled-life-i-write-to-thank-the-god-of-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Put on my J's and dance the whole night away Im naughty by nature like Im hip-hop hooray With my hands in the sky,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/put-on-my-j-s-and-dance-the-whole-night-away-im-naughty-by-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Borrow trouble for yourself, if that's your nature, but don't lend it to your neighbours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/borrow-trouble-for-yourself-if-that-s-your-nature-but-don-t-lend-it/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [There is no human nature, since there is no god to conceive it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/there-is-no-human-nature-since-there-is-no-god-to-conceive-it/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [“Men mistook measurement for understanding. 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