--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You know, I really think that when God…" description: "\"You know, I really think that when God puts together families, he sticks his finger into the white pages and selects a group of people at random and th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e73/douglas-coupland-305_caring_you-know-i-really-think-that-when-god-pu_1577042.jpg" --- # You know, I really think that when God puts together… ![“You know, I really think that when God puts together families, he sticks his finger into the white pages and selects a group of people at random and then says to them all, 'Hey! You're going to spend the next seventy years together, even though you have nothing in common and don't even like each…” quote by Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e73/douglas-coupland-305_caring_you-know-i-really-think-that-when-god-pu_1577042.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e73/douglas-coupland-305_caring_you-know-i-really-think-that-when-god-pu_1577042.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e73/douglas-coupland-305_caring_you-know-i-really-think-that-when-god-pu_1577042.jpg) > “You know, I really think that when God puts together families, he sticks his finger into the white pages and selects a group of people at random and then says to them all, 'Hey! You're going to spend the next seventy years together, even though you have nothing in common and don't even like each other. And, should you not feel yourself caring about any of this group of strangers, even for a second, you will just feel dreadful” [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Family bonds are often random and challenging, yet they shape our lives over decades. **In simple terms:** Families are randomly formed and can be difficult. Key Takeaway Embrace and grow your family ties. Themes family randomness relationships Mood reflective hopeful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - marriage - parenthood - long‑term friendships Key Concepts social dynamics existential meaning Questions to Reflect On - How can you foster connection in a mismatched group? - What values sustain long‑term family bonds? A Different Perspective Random pairing may not reflect compatibility. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Caring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caring/) [Common](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common/) [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Feel Dreadful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feel-dreadful-5948970/) [Feels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feels/) [Fingers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fingers/) [God Puts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-puts/) [Group Strangers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/group-strangers-954698/) [Groups](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/groups/) [Hey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hey/) [Hey you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hey-you/) [Next](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/next/) [Pages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pages/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Puts Families](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/puts-families-5948969/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Sticks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sticks/) [Stranger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stranger/) [Think God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-god/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Together](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/together/) [White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) [Years together](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years-together/) ## Related quotes > [If you get involved with something on stage that makes you feel dreadful, that's a nightmare because you have to repeat it every night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-sharp/if-you-get-involved-with-something-on-stage-that-makes-you-feel/) [Lesley Sharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesley-sharp/) > [My novels are very much the same, as I think many people's novels are. No matter how hard I try to do otherwise, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-patchett/my-novels-are-very-much-the-same-as-i-think-many-people-s-novels-are-2/) [Ann Patchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-patchett/) > [I love museums, but I always thought there was something funny about a group of strangers silently staring at works of inanimate objects together.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiro-murai/i-love-museums-but-i-always-thought-there-was-something-funny-about-a/) [Hiro Murai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiro-murai/) > [People often tell me that they have no idea how I can do standup. The idea of trying to make a large group of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-davies/people-often-tell-me-that-they-have-no-idea-how-i-can-do-standup-the/) [Greg Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-davies/) > [Yes, it's quite amazing how I continue to shock my mother even after all these years together](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eloisa-james/yes-it-s-quite-amazing-how-i-continue-to-shock-my-mother-even-after/) [Eloisa James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eloisa-james/) > [“I left this morning saying ‘I love you’ as if setting out for some unknown country instead of the corner shop. I wanted you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bland/i-left-this-morning-saying-i-love-you-as-if-setting-out-for-some/) [Peter Bland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bland/) > [“In order for your marriage to become that great love story there are certain things you need to establish in your early years together…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-k-popcak/in-order-for-your-marriage-to-become-that-great-love-story-there-are/) [Gregory K. Popcak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-k-popcak/) > [Twenty years together, she still gets to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-strait/twenty-years-together-she-still-gets-to-me/) [George Strait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-strait/) > [ We essentially spent our college years together \[with Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg\], so those were the kind of lasting friendships and the bond… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-krumholtz/we-essentially-spent-our-college-years-together-with-seth-rogen-and/) [David Krumholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-krumholtz/) > [“When Felix came to this crossroads, the orthopedic shoe to drop wasn’t his. It was Bella’s. Year by year, I witnessed the progression in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atul-gawande/when-felix-came-to-this-crossroads-the-orthopedic-shoe-to-drop-wasn-t/) [Atul Gawande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atul-gawande/) > [There is something about saying, 'We always do this,' which helps keep the years together. Time is such an elusive thing that if we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-schaeffer/there-is-something-about-saying-we-always-do-this-which-helps-keep/) [Edith Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-schaeffer/) > [“During the trip memories of Oskar again overwhelmed me. Until when, Oskar? Weren't our years together enough? How long does love last? Is passion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emilie-schindler/during-the-trip-memories-of-oskar-again-overwhelmed-me-until-when/) [Emilie Schindler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emilie-schindler/) > [“The key to lasting love is remaining open to learning. It is recognizing that love is not about finding someone who perfectly understands you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donell-m-winder/the-key-to-lasting-love-is-remaining-open-to-learning-it-is/) [Donell M. Winder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donell-m-winder/) > [You've managed-- in our short three years together-- to kill not only my god, but my father, my brother, and my fiance. That's kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/you-ve-managed-in-our-short-three-years-together-to-kill-not-only-my/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“Elend smiled. "Oh, come on. You have to admit that you're unusual, Vin. You're like some strange mixture of a noblewoman, a street urchin,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/elend-smiled-oh-come-on-you-have-to-admit-that-you-re-unusual-vin-you/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) ## More by Douglas Coupland > [And in your new lives you'll have to live entirely for that one sensation-that of imminent truth. And you're going to have to holler…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/and-in-your-new-lives-you-ll-have-to-live-entirely-for-that-one/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [A man in a bookstore buys a book on loneliness and every woman in the store hits on him. A woman buys a book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/a-man-in-a-bookstore-buys-a-book-on-loneliness-and-every-woman-in-the/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [The future and eternity are two entirely different things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/the-future-and-eternity-are-two-entirely-different-things/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [Do you remember how you felt at seventeen? I do and I don't (...) Imagine you came from outer space and someone showed you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/do-you-remember-how-you-felt-at-seventeen-i-do-and-i-don-t-imagine/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [You can't fake competence, creativity, or sexual arousal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/you-can-t-fake-competence-creativity-or-sexual-arousal/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [“But Dag, for all of his efforts, might as well have been talking to a cat. Our parents’ generation seems neither able nor interested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/but-dag-for-all-of-his-efforts-might-as-well-have-been-talking-to-a/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [Negative? Moi? I think realistic might be a better word. You mean to tell me we can drive all the way here from L.A.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/negative-moi-i-think-realistic-might-be-a-better-word-you-mean-to/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [It was pivotal in making you but you don't remember it. Or do you? Do we understand the events that make us who we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/it-was-pivotal-in-making-you-but-you-don-t-remember-it-or-do-you-do/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [Your ability to rationalize your own bad deeds makes you believe that the whole world is as amoral as you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/your-ability-to-rationalize-your-own-bad-deeds-makes-you-believe-that/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [“I like to go beach-combing, and I like to find interestingly shaped rocks. When I really get into the groove I start finding beautiful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/i-like-to-go-beach-combing-and-i-like-to-find-interestingly-shaped/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [“You know, Dag and Claire smile a lot, as do many people I know. But I always wondered if there is something either mechanical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/you-know-dag-and-claire-smile-a-lot-as-do-many-people-i-know-but-i/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [Brain research tells us that only twenty percent of human beings have a sense of irony, which means that eighty percent of the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/brain-research-tells-us-that-only-twenty-percent-of-human-beings-have/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [I keep vampire hours, going to bed at 2 A.M. and waking up at about 10:30-11 A.M.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/i-keep-vampire-hours-going-to-bed-at-2-a-m-and-waking-up-at-about-10/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [“Anna-Louise leans over and whispers in my ear. "This is so surreal," she says, "I think I'm turning into a melting clock.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/anna-louise-leans-over-and-whispers-in-my-ear-this-is-so-surreal-she/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [When you grow up these days, you're told you're going to have four or five different careers during your lifetime. But what they don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/when-you-grow-up-these-days-you-re-told-you-re-going-to-have-four-or/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) [Explore all 704 Douglas Coupland quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) ## More Caring quotes > [There are a number of qualities which are important for mental peace, but from the little experience I have, I believe that one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/there-are-a-number-of-qualities-which-are-important-for-mental-peace/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [There is nothing about myself that I wouldn't reveal or write about. I don't care how horrendous or ridiculous I may appear in person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/there-is-nothing-about-myself-that-i-wouldn-t-reveal-or-write-about-i/) [Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/) > [Forgive yourself for not being the richest, the thinnest, the tallest, the one with the best hair. Forgive yourself for not being the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/forgive-yourself-for-not-being-the-richest-the-thinnest-the-tallest/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [But victimhood was seductive, a release from responsibility and caring. Fear would be transmuted into weary resignation; failure would no longer generate guilt but,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/but-victimhood-was-seductive-a-release-from-responsibility-and-caring/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [A happy family needs a loving and caring father, and he who knows how to be a mother sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-happy-family-needs-a-loving-and-caring-father-and-he-who-knows-how/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Show your contempt for the problem and your concern for the person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/show-your-contempt-for-the-problem-and-your-concern-for-the-person/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [Just remember that when nobody was there for you, I was. And when nobody else gave a damn, I did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/just-remember-that-when-nobody-was-there-for-you-i-was-and-when/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Without a vision there is no possibility of creating something larger than what al-ready exists. An entrepreneur has to be able to bring something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/without-a-vision-there-is-no-possibility-of-creating-something-larger/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [Hmmm! life zz about caring the life that u have as the rest of the things are of secondary value tc n ks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sardar-hyder-abbas/hmmm-life-zz-about-caring-the-life-that-u-have-as-the-rest-of-the/) [Sardar Hyder Abbas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sardar-hyder-abbas/) > [You can't make someone love you, all you can do is be someone who can be loved ,the rest is up to the person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-can-t-make-someone-love-you-all-you-can-do-is-be-someone-who-can/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The terrorists-those nineteen people, with hundreds or maybe thousands behind them-did the worst thing you can possibly imagine. But tens of millions people did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/the-terrorists-those-nineteen-people-with-hundreds-or-maybe-thousands/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [When you're 20 you care what everyone thinks, when you're 40 you stop caring what everyone thinks, when you're 60 you realize no one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/when-you-re-20-you-care-what-everyone-thinks-when-you-re-40-you-stop/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [“English: "Being an adult doesn't mean killing the child we once were; it means being able to protect him." Česky: „Být dospělým neznamená zabít…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebasti-n-wortys/english-being-an-adult-doesn-t-mean-killing-the-child-we-once-were-it/) [Sebastián Wortys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebasti-n-wortys/) > [“As you travel along the roads in life, there is a certain kind of peace that comes with knowing you're on the right path.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amaka-nkosazana/as-you-travel-along-the-roads-in-life-there-is-a-certain-kind-of/) [Amaka Nkosazana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amaka-nkosazana/) > [“I am sick with caring.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/i-am-sick-with-caring/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) [Browse all 2,651 Caring quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caring/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You know, I really think that when God puts together families, he sticks his finger into the white pages and selects a group of people at random and then says to them all, 'Hey! You're going to spend the next seventy years together, even though you have nothing in common and don't even like each other. And, should you not feel yourself caring about any of this group of strangers, even for a second, you will just feel dreadful", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Douglas Coupland" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/you-know-i-really-think-that-when-god-puts-together-families-he/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Caring" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/you-know-i-really-think-that-when-god-puts-together-families-he/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e73/douglas-coupland-305_caring_you-know-i-really-think-that-when-god-pu_1577042.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e73/douglas-coupland-305_caring_you-know-i-really-think-that-when-god-pu_1577042.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e73/douglas-coupland-305_caring_you-know-i-really-think-that-when-god-pu_1577042.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You know, I really think that when God puts together families, he sticks his finger into the white pages and…” — Douglas Coupland", "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": "Douglas Coupland", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You know, I really think that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/you-know-i-really-think-that-when-god-puts-together-families-he/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/you-know-i-really-think-that-when-god-puts-together-families-he/#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 } } ] } ```