--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But in real life things don't go so…" description: "\"“But in real life things don't go so smoothly. At certain points in our lives, when we really need a clear-cut solution, the person who knocks at our d..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d3/haruki-murakami-21_bad-news_but-in-real-life-things-don-t-go-so-smoo_2209617.jpg" --- # But in real life things don't go so smoothly. At certain… ![“But in real life things don't go so smoothly. At certain points in our lives, when we really need a clear-cut solution, the person who knocks at our door is more likely than not, a messenger bearing bad news...The messenger touches his hand to his cap and looks apologetic, but that does nothing to…” quote by Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d3/haruki-murakami-21_bad-news_but-in-real-life-things-don-t-go-so-smoo_2209617.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d3/haruki-murakami-21_bad-news_but-in-real-life-things-don-t-go-so-smoo_2209617.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d3/haruki-murakami-21_bad-news_but-in-real-life-things-don-t-go-so-smoo_2209617.jpg) > ““But in real life things don't go so smoothly. At certain points in our lives, when we really need a clear-cut solution, the person who knocks at our door is more likely than not, a messenger bearing bad news...The messenger touches his hand to his cap and looks apologetic, but that does nothing to improve the contents of the message. It isn't the messenger's fault, no good to grab him by the collar and shake him. The messenger is just conscientiously doing the job his boss assigned him. And this boss? That would none other than our old friend Reality.”” [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life often delivers bad news through indifferent agents; the problem lies in reality, not the messenger. **In simple terms:** Bad news comes from reality, not the bearer. Key Takeaway Accept reality, focus on response. Themes reality messenger communication acceptance Mood reflective serious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal crises - career setbacks - health diagnoses - legal notices Key Concepts existentialism determinism agency Questions to Reflect On - How do you separate the source of a problem from its delivery? - What actions can you take when reality is harsh? A Different Perspective The messenger may be powerless, but blaming them ignores systemic issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad news](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-news/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Likely Messenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/likely-messenger-2812332/) [Message](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/message/) [Messenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/messenger/) [News Messenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/news-messenger-4887841/) [Old friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-friend/) [Real life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-life/) [Shake Messenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shake-messenger-2812333/) ## Related quotes > [“At a certain point in our lives, when we really need a clear-cut solution, the person who knocks at our door is, more likely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/at-a-certain-point-in-our-lives-when-we-really-need-a-clear-cut/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [In real life things don’t go so smoothly. At certain points in our lives, when we really need a clear-cut solution, the person who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/in-real-life-things-don-t-go-so-smoothly-at-certain-points-in-our/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“It isn’t the messenger’s fault. No good to blame him, no good to grab him by the collar and shake him. The messenger is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-isn-t-the-messenger-s-fault-no-good-to-blame-him-no-good-to-grab/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“No one loves the messenger who brings bad news.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/no-one-loves-the-messenger-who-brings-bad-news/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [None love the messenger who brings bad news.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/none-love-the-messenger-who-brings-bad-news/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [“Nakata let his body relax, switched off his mind, allowing things to flow through him. This was natural for him, something he'd done ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/nakata-let-his-body-relax-switched-off-his-mind-allowing-things-to/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [Kumiko and I felt something for each other from the beginning. 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AM I ASKING TOO MUCH??!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justine-ezarik/why-cant-facebook-just-make-one-app-that-works-no-need-for-camera/) [Justine Ezarik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justine-ezarik/) > [I worked a little as a messenger on a bicycle and then decided to study photography and film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ori-gersht/i-worked-a-little-as-a-messenger-on-a-bicycle-and-then-decided-to/) [Ori Gersht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ori-gersht/) > [“Love is a challenge with an illusion emanating an aura of otherness. Through their unrelenting attention, two smitten people can arouse a to and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-pevernagie/love-is-a-challenge-with-an-illusion-emanating-an-aura-of-otherness/) [Erik Pevernagie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-pevernagie/) > [“only a fool blames the messenger.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-archer/only-a-fool-blames-the-messenger/) [Jeffrey Archer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-archer/) > [On 'The Messenger,' just imagining playing the part of a soldier in that movie was kind of hard for me. And in 'Rampart,' the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-harrelson/on-the-messenger-just-imagining-playing-the-part-of-a-soldier-in-that/) [Woody Harrelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-harrelson/) > [“Those of us who work in the field of trauma and abuse, whether psychologists, psychoanalysts, social workers, doctors, counselors, or psychotherapists, have been provided…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-sinason/those-of-us-who-work-in-the-field-of-trauma-and-abuse-whether/) [Valerie Sinason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-sinason/) > [I'm an imperfect messenger, but the message is perfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/i-m-an-imperfect-messenger-but-the-message-is-perfect/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) ## More by Haruki Murakami > [I always feel like I'm struggling to become someone else. Like I'm trying to find a new place, grab hold of a new life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/i-always-feel-like-i-m-struggling-to-become-someone-else-like-i-m/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [If writing novels is like planting a forest, then writing short stories is more like planting a garden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/if-writing-novels-is-like-planting-a-forest-then-writing-short/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“The sad truth is that what I could recall in five seconds all too soon needed ten, then thirty, thena full minute...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/the-sad-truth-is-that-what-i-could-recall-in-five-seconds-all-too/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“Intelligent teenage girls were often instinctively theatrical, purposely eccentric, mouthing highly suggestive words to confuse people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/intelligent-teenage-girls-were-often-instinctively-theatrical/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [Memory is like fiction; or else it's fiction that's like memory. 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The rest is mass-produced garbage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/if-you-listen-to-the-radio-for-a-whole-hour-there-s-maybe-one-decent/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“that one of our problems was our inability to recognize and accept our own deformities”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/that-one-of-our-problems-was-our-inability-to-recognize-and-accept/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“When I look back at myself at age twenty, what I remember most is being alone and lonely. I had no girlfriend to warm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/when-i-look-back-at-myself-at-age-twenty-what-i-remember-most-is/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“There's not a branch of publishing or broadcasting that doesn't depend in some way on advertising. It'd be like an aquarium without water. Why,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/there-s-not-a-branch-of-publishing-or-broadcasting-that-doesn-t/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“One by one, I'll face the tasks before me and complete them as best I can. Focusing on each stride forward, but at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/one-by-one-i-ll-face-the-tasks-before-me-and-complete-them-as-best-i/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“Eleven o'clock had come and gone. I had to find a way to bring this conversation to a successful conclusion and get out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/eleven-o-clock-had-come-and-gone-i-had-to-find-a-way-to-bring-this/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“Some people get a kick out of reading railway timetables and that's all they do all day. Some people make huge model boats out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/some-people-get-a-kick-out-of-reading-railway-timetables-and-that-s/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“When the time comes, everybody’s got to end up where they belong. Only me, I didn’t have a place to call my own. It’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/when-the-time-comes-everybody-s-got-to-end-up-where-they-belong-only/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“You let something out of the bag before yourself knew what it was all about”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/you-let-something-out-of-the-bag-before-yourself-knew-what-it-was-all/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) [Explore all 2,928 Haruki Murakami quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) ## More Bad news quotes > [In the wake of such bad news, it was heartening to know that what 'Sense8' stood for meant so much to so many people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-j-smith/in-the-wake-of-such-bad-news-it-was-heartening-to-know-that-what/) [Brian J. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-j-smith/) > [“I remember a man, a very lonely man, coming up to me at the end of a reading and looking into my face and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-howe/i-remember-a-man-a-very-lonely-man-coming-up-to-me-at-the-end-of-a/) [Marie Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-howe/) > [In the business world, bad news is usually good news - for somebody else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-surowiecki/in-the-business-world-bad-news-is-usually-good-news-for-somebody-else/) [James Surowiecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-surowiecki/) > [You never want to have to give your child bad news of any kind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-dee/you-never-want-to-have-to-give-your-child-bad-news-of-any-kind/) [Jonathan Dee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-dee/) > [If there's one thing you should know about me it's that I'm utterly unsuited for bureaucracy. I don't know my passwords to anything. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julio-torres/if-there-s-one-thing-you-should-know-about-me-it-s-that-i-m-utterly/) [Julio Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julio-torres/) > [I seem to thrive by destroying the last thing I did, in a kind of cartoon Nietzsche way. Emerson says in "Experience" something like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-chiasson/i-seem-to-thrive-by-destroying-the-last-thing-i-did-in-a-kind-of/) [Dan Chiasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-chiasson/) > [“The bad news is that, measured in terms of geologic time, if the Earth’s history is an accurate guide, glaciers will soon return to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-bernstein/the-bad-news-is-that-measured-in-terms-of-geologic-time-if-the-earth/) [Andrew Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-bernstein/) > [I love an underdog. No, I don't necessarily mean the cartoon. I mean like David, as in Goliath, or the Bears, as in The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-lublin/i-love-an-underdog-no-i-don-t-necessarily-mean-the-cartoon-i-mean/) [Nancy Lublin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-lublin/) > [The good news is that economists are intelligent, engaging and often charming folks. 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You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrei-codrescu/the-real-secret-though-is-that-nobody-belongs-whether-they-are/) [Andrei Codrescu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrei-codrescu/) [Browse all 691 Bad news quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-news/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“But in real life things don't go so smoothly. At certain points in our lives, when we really need a clear-cut solution, the person who knocks at our door is more likely than not, a messenger bearing bad news...The messenger touches his hand to his cap and looks apologetic, but that does nothing to improve the contents of the message. It isn't the messenger's fault, no good to grab him by the collar and shake him. The messenger is just conscientiously doing the job his boss assigned him. And this boss? 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