--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Among all the occurrences possible in the…" description: "\"Among all the occurrences possible in the universe the a priori probability of any particular one of them verges upon zero. Yet the universe exists; pa..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4aa/jacques-monod-18055_chance_among-all-the-occurrences-possible-in-th_245627.jpg" --- # Among all the occurrences possible in the universe the a… ![“Among all the occurrences possible in the universe the a priori probability of any particular one of them verges upon zero. Yet the universe exists; particular events must take place in it, the probability of which (before the event) was infinitesimal. At the present time we have no legitimate…” quote by Jacques Monod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4aa/jacques-monod-18055_chance_among-all-the-occurrences-possible-in-th_245627.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4aa/jacques-monod-18055_chance_among-all-the-occurrences-possible-in-th_245627.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4aa/jacques-monod-18055_chance_among-all-the-occurrences-possible-in-th_245627.jpg) > “Among all the occurrences possible in the universe the a priori probability of any particular one of them verges upon zero. Yet the universe exists; particular events must take place in it, the probability of which (before the event) was infinitesimal. At the present time we have no legitimate grounds for either asserting or denying that life got off to but a single start on earth, and that, as a consequence, before it appeared its chances of occurring were next to nil. ... Destiny is written concurrently with the event, not prior to it.” [Jacques Monod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-monod/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Even events with near‑zero odds can occur; existence proves improbable outcomes happen. **In simple terms:** Rare events can still happen. Key Takeaway Accept uncertainty and act despite low probabilities. Themes probability existence determinism Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type scientific philosophical When to use this quote - scientific research - business risk assessment - personal decision making - creative ventures Key Concepts philosophy physics cosmology Questions to Reflect On - What risks are you avoiding because they seem unlikely? - How can you prepare for improbable but impactful events? A Different Perspective Low probability does not guarantee impossibility; over‑reliance on odds can paralyze action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) [Chances Occurring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chances-occurring-2452740/) [Consequence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consequence/) [Destiny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destiny/) [Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) [Events](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/events/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Next](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/next/) [Occurrences Possible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/occurrences-possible-2452742/) [Particular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/particular/) [Present time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/present-time/) [Probability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/probability/) [Probability Particular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/probability-particular-2452741/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe/) [Universe Priori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe-priori-1862506/) [Verge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/verge/) [Written](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/written/) [Zero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/zero/) ## Related quotes > [“Among all the occurrences possible in the universe the a priori probability of any particular one of them verges upon zero. 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I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-silverblatt/a-beautiful-word-in-the-middle-of-a-sentence-can-sometimes-reduce-me/) [Michael Silverblatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-silverblatt/) > [Everyone is on the verge of insanity ... insanity meaning on the verge of the unknown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/everyone-is-on-the-verge-of-insanity-insanity-meaning-on-the-verge-of/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [It's really scary, when you're on the verge of becoming a teenager, and you don't know if people like you for you or if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-blanchard/it-s-really-scary-when-you-re-on-the-verge-of-becoming-a-teenager-and/) [Rowan Blanchard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-blanchard/) > [What is commonly honored with the name of Friendship is no very profound or powerful instinct. Men do not, after all, love their Friends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/what-is-commonly-honored-with-the-name-of-friendship-is-no-very/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Eternity! How know we but we stand On the precipitous and crumbling verge Of Time e'en now, Eternity below?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-coles/eternity-how-know-we-but-we-stand-on-the-precipitous-and-crumbling/) [Abraham Coles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-coles/) ## More by Jacques Monod > [One of the great problems of philosophy, is the relationship between the realm of knowledge and the realm of values. Knowledge is what is;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-monod/one-of-the-great-problems-of-philosophy-is-the-relationship-between/) [Jacques Monod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-monod/) > [Modern societies accepted the treasures and the power offered them by science. But they have not accepted - they have scarcely even heard -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-monod/modern-societies-accepted-the-treasures-and-the-power-offered-them-by/) [Jacques Monod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-monod/) > [Man's destiny is nowhere spelled out, nor is his duty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-monod/man-s-destiny-is-nowhere-spelled-out-nor-is-his-duty/) [Jacques Monod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-monod/) > [The fundamental biological variant is DNA. That is why Mendel's definition of the gene as the unvarying bearer of hereditary traits, its chemical identification…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-monod/the-fundamental-biological-variant-is-dna-that-is-why-mendel-s/) [Jacques Monod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-monod/) > [In science there is and will remain a Platonic element which could not be taken away without ruining it. Among the infinite diversity of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-monod/in-science-there-is-and-will-remain-a-platonic-element-which-could/) [Jacques Monod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-monod/) > [One may well find oneself beginning to doubt whether all this could conceivably be the product of an enormous lottery presided over by natural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-monod/one-may-well-find-oneself-beginning-to-doubt-whether-all-this-could/) [Jacques Monod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-monod/) > [Even today a good many distinguished minds seem unable to accept or even to understand that from a source of noise natural selection alone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-monod/even-today-a-good-many-distinguished-minds-seem-unable-to-accept-or/) [Jacques Monod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-monod/) > [Every living being is also a fossil. Within it, all the way down to the microscopic structure of its proteins, it bears the traces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-monod/every-living-being-is-also-a-fossil-within-it-all-the-way-down-to-the/) [Jacques Monod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-monod/) > [There are living systems; there is no'living matter'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-monod/there-are-living-systems-there-is-no-living-matter/) [Jacques Monod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-monod/) > [Evolution in the biosphere is therefore a necessarily irreversible process defining a direction in time; a direction which is the same as that enjoined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-monod/evolution-in-the-biosphere-is-therefore-a-necessarily-irreversible/) [Jacques Monod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-monod/) > [“When one ponders on the tremendous journey of evolution over the past three billion years or so, the prodigious wealth of structures it has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-monod/when-one-ponders-on-the-tremendous-journey-of-evolution-over-the-past/) [Jacques Monod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-monod/) > [The future of mankind is going to be decided within the next two generations, and there are two absolute requisites: We must aim at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-monod/the-future-of-mankind-is-going-to-be-decided-within-the-next-two/) [Jacques Monod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-monod/) > [The scientific attitude implies the postulate of objectivity-that is to say, the fundamental postulate that there is no plan; that there is no intention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-monod/the-scientific-attitude-implies-the-postulate-of-objectivity-that-is/) [Jacques Monod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-monod/) > [There are living systems; there is no living "matter." No substance, no single molecule, extracted and isolated from a living being possess, of its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-monod/there-are-living-systems-there-is-no-living-matter-no-substance-no/) [Jacques Monod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-monod/) > [“It necessarily follows that chance alone is at the source of every innovation, and of all creation in the biosphere. Pure chance, absolutely free…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-monod/it-necessarily-follows-that-chance-alone-is-at-the-source-of-every/) [Jacques Monod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-monod/) [Explore all 35 Jacques Monod quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-monod/) ## 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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": "Among all the occurrences possible in the universe the a priori probability of any particular one of them verges upon zero. 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