--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The element of chance in basic research…" description: "\"The element of chance in basic research is overrated. Chance is a lady who smiles only upon those few who know how to make her smile.\" — Hans Selye" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/420/hans-selye-17189_chance_the-element-of-chance-in-basic-research_20053.png" --- # The element of chance in basic research is overrated… ![“The element of chance in basic research is overrated. Chance is a lady who smiles only upon those few who know how to make her smile.” quote by Hans Selye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/420/hans-selye-17189_chance_the-element-of-chance-in-basic-research_20053.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/420/hans-selye-17189_chance_the-element-of-chance-in-basic-research_20053.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/420/hans-selye-17189_chance_the-element-of-chance-in-basic-research_20053.png) > “The element of chance in basic research is overrated. Chance is a lady who smiles only upon those few who know how to make her smile.” [Hans Selye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-selye/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Luck in research is not random; it favors those who prepare and act strategically. **In simple terms:** Preparedness attracts opportunity. Key Takeaway Skillful effort creates luck. Themes research methodology creativity preparedness serendipity risk Mood optimistic inspired Type aphor motivational When to use this quote - lab experiments - grant proposals - brainstorming sessions - fieldwork - product development Key Concepts innovation scientific discovery mindset Practical Applications - strategic planning - skill development Questions to Reflect On - How can you increase your readiness for unexpected insights? - What habits turn chance into advantage? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) [Elements](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elements/) [Her smile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/her-smile/) [Luck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/luck/) [Research](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/research/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) ## Related quotes > [“We have loyalty, fidelity, honor-- All three are overrated. The only chance you have to demonstrate any of them is to deny yourself something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kresley-cole/we-have-loyalty-fidelity-honor-all-three-are-overrated-the-only/) [Kresley Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kresley-cole/) > [Only the element of chance is needed to make war a gamble, and that element is never absent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-von-clausewitz/only-the-element-of-chance-is-needed-to-make-war-a-gamble-and-that/) [Carl von Clausewitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-von-clausewitz/) > [“I had to go outside. I had to let the element of chance in.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-forsyth/i-had-to-go-outside-i-had-to-let-the-element-of-chance-in/) [Mark Forsyth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-forsyth/) > [One of my great secrets was knowing I had the power to make her smile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-of-my-great-secrets-was-knowing-i-had-the-power-to-make-her-smile/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [And so let us always meet each other with a smile, for the smile is the beginning of love, and once we begin to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/and-so-let-us-always-meet-each-other-with-a-smile-for-the-smile-is-2/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) > [ \[On her mother:\] My relationship with her is close, painful, and skaky, and I always have to keep searching for a sign of love.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tove-ditlevsen/on-her-mother-my-relationship-with-her-is-close-painful-and-skaky-and/) [Tove Ditlevsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tove-ditlevsen/) > [She had a sadness that was so deep, but it still could turn to light in a second,and when I saw her smile I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laini-taylor/she-had-a-sadness-that-was-so-deep-but-it-still-could-turn-to-light/) [Laini Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laini-taylor/) > [I like it when my mother smiles. 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The hauntedness would irritate him - the love would move him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/if-he-looked-into-her-face-he-would-see-those-haunted-loving-eyes-the/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) ## More by Hans Selye > [To remain healthy a man must have some goal, some purpose in life that he can respect and be proud to work for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-selye/to-remain-healthy-a-man-must-have-some-goal-some-purpose-in-life-that/) [Hans Selye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-selye/) > [Leaders are leaders only as long as they have the respect and loyalty of their followers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-selye/leaders-are-leaders-only-as-long-as-they-have-the-respect-and-loyalty/) [Hans Selye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-selye/) > [Stress is the spice of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-selye/stress-is-the-spice-of-life/) [Hans Selye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-selye/) > [Stress, in addition to being itself, was also the cause of itself, and the result of itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-selye/stress-in-addition-to-being-itself-was-also-the-cause-of-itself-and/) [Hans Selye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-selye/) > [Stress is not necessarily something bad it all depends on how you take it. The stress of exhilarating, creative successful work is beneficial, while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-selye/stress-is-not-necessarily-something-bad-it-all-depends-on-how-you/) [Hans Selye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-selye/) > [Every stress leaves an indelible scar, and the organism pays for its survival after a stressful situation by becoming a little older.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-selye/every-stress-leaves-an-indelible-scar-and-the-organism-pays-for-its/) [Hans Selye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-selye/) > [My advice to any young person at the beginning of their career is to try to look for the mere outlines of big things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-selye/my-advice-to-any-young-person-at-the-beginning-of-their-career-is-to/) [Hans Selye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-selye/) > [Gratitude conserves the vital energies of a person more than any other attitude tested.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-selye/gratitude-conserves-the-vital-energies-of-a-person-more-than-any/) [Hans Selye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-selye/) > [As much as we thirst for approval we dread condemnation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-selye/as-much-as-we-thirst-for-approval-we-dread-condemnation/) [Hans Selye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-selye/) > [Even after the greatest defeats, the depressing thought of being a failure is best combated by taking stock of all your past achievements.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-selye/even-after-the-greatest-defeats-the-depressing-thought-of-being-a/) [Hans Selye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-selye/) > [Adopting the right attitude can convert a negative stress into a positive one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-selye/adopting-the-right-attitude-can-convert-a-negative-stress-into-a/) [Hans Selye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-selye/) > [The builder of the best racing car is not necessarily its best driver.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-selye/the-builder-of-the-best-racing-car-is-not-necessarily-its-best-driver/) [Hans Selye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-selye/) > [The fairest thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true science. He who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-selye/the-fairest-thing-we-can-experience-is-the-mysterious-it-is-the/) [Hans Selye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-selye/) > [To make a great dream come true, you must first have a great dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-selye/to-make-a-great-dream-come-true-you-must-first-have-a-great-dream/) [Hans Selye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-selye/) > [Random search for data on ... off-chance is hardly scientific. A questionnaire on 'Intellectual Immoralities' was circulated by a well-known institution. 'Intellectual Immorality No.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-selye/random-search-for-data-on-off-chance-is-hardly-scientific-a/) [Hans Selye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-selye/) [Explore all 37 Hans Selye quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-selye/) ## More Chance quotes > [Before I debuted, it was my goal to make my debut, and afterwards, I aimed at winning champion titles on television music shows, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyuna/before-i-debuted-it-was-my-goal-to-make-my-debut-and-afterwards-i/) [Hyuna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyuna/) > [I understand it's promotion, but no one ever gave me a chance. No one ever thought I'd be the champ, and look where I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stipe-miocic/i-understand-it-s-promotion-but-no-one-ever-gave-me-a-chance-no-one/) [Stipe Miocic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stipe-miocic/) > [I might, by chance, write something just as shoddy; But then I wouldn't show it to everybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/i-might-by-chance-write-something-just-as-shoddy-but-then-i-wouldn-t/) [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) > [When I get a chance to play golf or go on a boat with good people, take the boat out and put some lobsters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-mac/when-i-get-a-chance-to-play-golf-or-go-on-a-boat-with-good-people/) [Bernie Mac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-mac/) > [The happy medium is television. And if you find a good suitor, you can do it for years. With movies, you roll the dice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-campbell/the-happy-medium-is-television-and-if-you-find-a-good-suitor-you-can/) [Bruce Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-campbell/) > [I get afraid of the dark if I'm in a great deal of dark, and I have to move around inside of that fear...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ferris/i-get-afraid-of-the-dark-if-i-m-in-a-great-deal-of-dark-and-i-have-to/) [Emil Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ferris/) > [I have heard that if you pull a bent breath through the second hole of a harmonica tuned to the key of Georgia while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buddy-wakefield/i-have-heard-that-if-you-pull-a-bent-breath-through-the-second-hole/) [Buddy Wakefield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buddy-wakefield/) > [There are times when we can feel destiny close around us like a fist around a doorknob. Sure, we can resist. But a knob…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/there-are-times-when-we-can-feel-destiny-close-around-us-like-a-fist/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [Pain held no terror for him. Pain was, if not friend, then family, something he had grown up with in his crèche, learning to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-bacigalupi/pain-held-no-terror-for-him-pain-was-if-not-friend-then-family/) [Paolo Bacigalupi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-bacigalupi/) > [Love changes people, for better or for worse. You could look at it as a chance for you to change. The best kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-changes-people-for-better-or-for-worse-you-could-look-at-it-as-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“It's not who, it's when”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-taubas/it-s-not-who-it-s-when/) Alejandro Taubas > [Childhood is Last Chance Gulch for happiness. After that, you know too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/childhood-is-last-chance-gulch-for-happiness-after-that-you-know-too/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [I thought my first few jobs would just be off, off, off, off, off broadway. And by chance and how the world works, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-dorfman/i-thought-my-first-few-jobs-would-just-be-off-off-off-off-off/) [Tommy Dorfman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-dorfman/) > [If you’re worrying about the past, you’ve got a good chance of screwing up the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-a-tullman/if-you-re-worrying-about-the-past-you-ve-got-a-good-chance-of/) [Howard A. Tullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-a-tullman/) > [To be successful, one must take chances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-stargell/to-be-successful-one-must-take-chances/) [Willie Stargell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-stargell/) [Browse all 12,460 Chance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The element of chance in basic research is overrated. 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