---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Math can explain the reason there’s a one…"
description: "\"“Math can explain the reason there’s a one out of four chance that I’d have blue eyes. But it doesn’t explain why me. And science or math can’t explain..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f78/heidi-w-durrow-33696_luck_math-can-explain-the-reason-there-s-a-on_1102086.jpg"
---

#  Math can explain the reason there’s a one out of four…

![“Math can explain the reason there’s a one out of four chance that I’d have blue eyes. But it doesn’t explain why me. And science or math can’t explain what makes one person lucky, or what makes a person lucky enough to survive.” quote by Heidi W. Durrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f78/heidi-w-durrow-33696_luck_math-can-explain-the-reason-there-s-a-on_1102086.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f78/heidi-w-durrow-33696_luck_math-can-explain-the-reason-there-s-a-on_1102086.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f78/heidi-w-durrow-33696_luck_math-can-explain-the-reason-there-s-a-on_1102086.jpg)

> ““Math can explain the reason there’s a one out of four chance that I’d have blue eyes. But it doesn’t explain why me. And science or math can’t explain what makes one person lucky, or what makes a person lucky enough to survive.””

[Heidi W. Durrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-w-durrow/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Science explains probabilities like eye color but cannot explain personal luck or survival.

**In simple terms:** Science can’t explain why we are lucky or survive.

Key Takeaway

Accept limits of science in personal destiny.

Themes

luck science existence

Mood

reflective philosophical

Type

inspirational thoughtful

When to use this quote

- health decisions
- career choices
- risk assessment

Key Concepts

probability philosophy

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you balance chance and effort?
- Can luck be cultivated?

A Different Perspective

Relying on luck can undermine proactive planning.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) [Luck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/luck/)

## Related quotes

> [Math can explain the reason there's one out of four chance that I'd have blue eyes. But it doesn't explain why me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/math-can-explain-the-reason-there-s-one-out-of-four-chance-that-i-d/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Sometimes it's easier to say you don't care instead of trying to explain every reason why you still do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/sometimes-it-s-easier-to-say-you-don-t-care-instead-of-trying-to/)

[Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/)

> [All failure has their own reason. So if you try to explain me your reason... FUCK YOU!!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/all-failure-has-their-own-reason-so-if-you-try-to-explain-me-your/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Sometimes it's easier to say you don't care, than to explain all the reason why you do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quinton-riley/sometimes-it-s-easier-to-say-you-don-t-care-than-to-explain-all-the/)

[Quinton Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quinton-riley/)

> [Science may explain the world, but we still have to explain science. The laws which enable the universe to come into being spontaneously seem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-davies/science-may-explain-the-world-but-we-still-have-to-explain-science/)

[Paul Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-davies/)

> [Is there anything science should not try to explain? Science is knowledge and knowledge is power - power to do good or evil. Sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-davies/is-there-anything-science-should-not-try-to-explain-science-is/)

[Paul Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-davies/)

> [“Science cannot explain miracles. Neither do miracles explain science.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-pollock/science-cannot-explain-miracles-neither-do-miracles-explain-science/)

Jerry Pollock

> [No one would want to read a book in which I explain the science of cloning because it would be very dull and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-cohn/no-one-would-want-to-read-a-book-in-which-i-explain-the-science-of/)

[Rachel Cohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-cohn/)

> [He is not to pass for a man of reason who stumbles upon reason by chance but he who knows it and can judge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/he-is-not-to-pass-for-a-man-of-reason-who-stumbles-upon-reason-by/)

[Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/)

> [Woe to him who would ascribe something like reason to Chance, and make a religion of surrendering to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/woe-to-him-who-would-ascribe-something-like-reason-to-chance-and-make/)

[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/)

> [The web of this world is woven of Necessity and Chance. Woe to him who has accustomed himself from his youth up to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/the-web-of-this-world-is-woven-of-necessity-and-chance-woe-to-him-who/)

[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/)

> [“Brick walls are there for a reason. They give us a chance to show how badly we want something.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/brick-walls-are-there-for-a-reason-they-give-us-a-chance-to-show-how/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Didn't you tie the mittens on her feet (Wednesday Evening's) extra special nice? Yes--she is an extra special nice pigeon. She cries for pity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/didn-t-you-tie-the-mittens-on-her-feet-wednesday-evening-s-extra/)

[Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/)

> [“Just because you close your eyes, doesn't mean you are invisible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nashville-tv-show/just-because-you-close-your-eyes-doesn-t-mean-you-are-invisible/)

Nashville tv show

> [Until I can read a story physically, with the eyes, it doesn't seem to exist for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-p-jones/until-i-can-read-a-story-physically-with-the-eyes-it-doesn-t-seem-to/)

[Edward P. Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-p-jones/)

## More by Heidi W. Durrow

> [The bottle is where everything sad or mean or confusing can go. And the blues--it's like that bottle. But in the bottle there's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-w-durrow/the-bottle-is-where-everything-sad-or-mean-or-confusing-can-go-and/)

[Heidi W. Durrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-w-durrow/)

> [I don't know if it's better to have people laugh at what you are or just not understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-w-durrow/i-don-t-know-if-it-s-better-to-have-people-laugh-at-what-you-are-or/)

[Heidi W. Durrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-w-durrow/)

> [If there’s no one else to tell another side - the only story that can be told is the story that becomes true. (p.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-w-durrow/if-there-s-no-one-else-to-tell-another-side-the-only-story-that-can/)

[Heidi W. Durrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-w-durrow/)

> [“Grandma sees these things when she talks about them and gestures with her hands like she's painting brush strokes in the air. The way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-w-durrow/grandma-sees-these-things-when-she-talks-about-them-and-gestures-with/)

[Heidi W. Durrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-w-durrow/)

> [“Seeing Grandma this way, it makes me know for certain that everything about a person will show up in another person in the family.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-w-durrow/seeing-grandma-this-way-it-makes-me-know-for-certain-that-everything/)

[Heidi W. Durrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-w-durrow/)

> [“We live in the same house but we both feel lonely. We and lonely don’t belong in the same sentence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-w-durrow/we-live-in-the-same-house-but-we-both-feel-lonely-we-and-lonely-don-t/)

[Heidi W. Durrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-w-durrow/)

> [“I think of how Grandma makes fun of love. And maybe that’s the key.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-w-durrow/i-think-of-how-grandma-makes-fun-of-love-and-maybe-that-s-the-key/)

[Heidi W. Durrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-w-durrow/)

> [I'm not the color of my skin. I'm a story. One with a past and a future unwritten.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-w-durrow/i-m-not-the-color-of-my-skin-i-m-a-story-one-with-a-past-and-a-future/)

[Heidi W. Durrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-w-durrow/)

> [“But when a person fakes happy, it has edges. Regular people may not see, but the people who count, they can see edges and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-w-durrow/but-when-a-person-fakes-happy-it-has-edges-regular-people-may-not-see/)

[Heidi W. Durrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-w-durrow/)

> [It's easy to smile just to make other people feel better. But when a person fakes happy, it has edges. Regular people may not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-w-durrow/it-s-easy-to-smile-just-to-make-other-people-feel-better-but-when-a/)

[Heidi W. Durrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-w-durrow/)

> [“We lie to ourselves in many ways; we write down only what we want to understand and what we want to see.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-w-durrow/we-lie-to-ourselves-in-many-ways-we-write-down-only-what-we-want-to/)

[Heidi W. Durrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-w-durrow/)

> [“A woman made of parts is a dangerous thing," Grandma says. "You never know when she'll throw away a piece you may need...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-w-durrow/a-woman-made-of-parts-is-a-dangerous-thing-grandma-says-you-never/)

[Heidi W. Durrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-w-durrow/)

> [A woman made of parts is a dangerous thing. You never know when she'll throw away a piece you may need.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-w-durrow/a-woman-made-of-parts-is-a-dangerous-thing-you-never-know-when-she-ll/)

[Heidi W. Durrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-w-durrow/)

[Explore all 14 Heidi W. Durrow quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-w-durrow/)

## 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": "“Math can explain the reason there’s a one out of four chance that I’d have blue eyes. But it doesn’t explain why me. And science or math can’t explain what makes one person lucky, or what makes a person lucky enough to survive.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Heidi W. Durrow"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-w-durrow/math-can-explain-the-reason-there-s-a-one-out-of-four-chance-that-i-d/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Chance"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-w-durrow/math-can-explain-the-reason-there-s-a-one-out-of-four-chance-that-i-d/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f78/heidi-w-durrow-33696_luck_math-can-explain-the-reason-there-s-a-on_1102086.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f78/heidi-w-durrow-33696_luck_math-can-explain-the-reason-there-s-a-on_1102086.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f78/heidi-w-durrow-33696_luck_math-can-explain-the-reason-there-s-a-on_1102086.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Math can explain the reason there’s a one out of four chance that I’d have blue eyes. But it doesn’t explain…” — Heidi W. Durrow",
                "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": "Heidi W. Durrow",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-w-durrow/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Math can explain the reason there’s...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-w-durrow/math-can-explain-the-reason-there-s-a-one-out-of-four-chance-that-i-d/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-w-durrow/math-can-explain-the-reason-there-s-a-one-out-of-four-chance-that-i-d/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
