--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Y'know, Nature's unpredictable -- that's…" description: "\"Y'know, Nature's unpredictable -- that's why we had to tame her. Maybe we went too far, but in principle we made the right decision.\" — Jeanette Winterson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/704/jeanette-winterson-166_decision_y-know-nature-s-unpredictable-that-s-why_510080.png" --- # Y'know, Nature's unpredictable -- that's why we had to… ![“Y'know, Nature's unpredictable -- that's why we had to tame her. Maybe we went too far, but in principle we made the right decision.” quote by Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/704/jeanette-winterson-166_decision_y-know-nature-s-unpredictable-that-s-why_510080.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/704/jeanette-winterson-166_decision_y-know-nature-s-unpredictable-that-s-why_510080.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/704/jeanette-winterson-166_decision_y-know-nature-s-unpredictable-that-s-why_510080.png) > “Y'know, Nature's unpredictable -- that's why we had to tame her. Maybe we went too far, but in principle we made the right decision.” [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human attempts to control nature reflect both ingenuity and hubris, acknowledging uncertainty while justifying intervention. **In simple terms:** We try to control nature, but it’s unpredictable. Key Takeaway Balance respect for nature with responsible stewardship. Themes environment control uncertainty ethics Mood reflective concerned Type philosophical ethical cautionary When to use this quote - urban planning - climate policy - wildlife management - engineering projects - agricultural practices Key Concepts anthropocentrism technological optimism risk assessment Questions to Reflect On - Are we overstepping natural limits? - How can we ensure ethical stewardship? A Different Perspective Our interventions may cause unforeseen harm despite good intentions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Nature Unpredictable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-unpredictable-4325089/) [Principles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principles/) [Right decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-decision/) [Tame Maybe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tame-maybe-4325090/) [Too far](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too-far/) [Unpredictable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unpredictable/) [Unpredictable Tame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unpredictable-tame-4325088/) [Went Far](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/went-far-305632/) ## Related quotes > [I try to work all over the canvas at once, because I feel that the forces of nature are unpredictable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nell-blaine/i-try-to-work-all-over-the-canvas-at-once-because-i-feel-that-the/) [Nell Blaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nell-blaine/) > [Offspring were a joy or a shame, but still the crown of their elders, nature's unpredictable creatures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/achy-obejas/offspring-were-a-joy-or-a-shame-but-still-the-crown-of-their-elders/) [Achy Obejas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/achy-obejas/) > [“There is no right decision in life, because every decision we make is new and unpredictable.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/there-is-no-right-decision-in-life-because-every-decision-we-make-is/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [Hitler was good in the beginning, but he went too far.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marge-schott/hitler-was-good-in-the-beginning-but-he-went-too-far/) [Marge Schott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marge-schott/) > [This is also something I've learned from experience. Didn't they perhaps give us the vote because we went too far?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/this-is-also-something-i-ve-learned-from-experience-didn-t-they/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [You explain how it went, and as far as you can figure out how it got that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virgil-thomson/you-explain-how-it-went-and-as-far-as-you-can-figure-out-how-it-got/) [Virgil Thomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virgil-thomson/) > [I even went so far as to become a Southern Baptist for a while, until I realized that they didn't hold 'em under long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kinky-friedman/i-even-went-so-far-as-to-become-a-southern-baptist-for-a-while-until/) [Kinky Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kinky-friedman/) > [O was infinitely more moving when her body was covered with marks, of whatever kind, if only because these marks made it impossible for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/o-was-infinitely-more-moving-when-her-body-was-covered-with-marks-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Man invented the gods. Then the gods went off on their own, but not far.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/man-invented-the-gods-then-the-gods-went-off-on-their-own-but-not-far/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [“I'm sorry. You went too far.' Lovely. What an epitaph.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanne-harris/i-m-sorry-you-went-too-far-lovely-what-an-epitaph/) [Joanne Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanne-harris/) > [My childhood went on far too long.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roddy-llewellyn/my-childhood-went-on-far-too-long/) [Roddy Llewellyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roddy-llewellyn/) > [“said, “went far out”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-l-amour/said-went-far-out/) [Louis L'Amour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-l-amour/) > [“The Nazis went as far as to take away all bicycles from Jews. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferris-smithers/the-nazis-went-as-far-as-to-take-away-all-bicycles-from-jews/) [Ferris Smithers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferris-smithers/) > [“And the farther away she got, the faster it spun, like there was an invisible cord unreeling from it that stretched between us, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ransom-riggs/and-the-farther-away-she-got-the-faster-it-spun-like-there-was-an/) [Ransom Riggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ransom-riggs/) > [I went so far as to learn how to rap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimin/i-went-so-far-as-to-learn-how-to-rap/) [Jimin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimin/) ## More by Jeanette Winterson > [“After nine nights must come ten and every desperate meeting only leaves you desperate for another. There is never enough to eat, never enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/after-nine-nights-must-come-ten-and-every-desperate-meeting-only/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [You never give away your heart; you lend it from time to time. If it were not so, how could we take it back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/you-never-give-away-your-heart-you-lend-it-from-time-to-time-if-it/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [I have found that I am not a space where people want to live, at least not without decorating first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/i-have-found-that-i-am-not-a-space-where-people-want-to-live-at-least/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [“Yes. Just pass me my leg will you? It's on top of the wardrobe where he threw it, and I think my right arm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/yes-just-pass-me-my-leg-will-you-it-s-on-top-of-the-wardrobe-where-he/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [Every second the Universe divides into possibilities and most of those possibilities never happen. It is not a uni-verse -- there is more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/every-second-the-universe-divides-into-possibilities-and-most-of/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [You are a pool of clear water where the light plays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/you-are-a-pool-of-clear-water-where-the-light-plays/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [“It's the cliches that cause the trouble. A precise emotion seeks a precise expression. If what I feel is not precise than how should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/it-s-the-cliches-that-cause-the-trouble-a-precise-emotion-seeks-a/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [What would it have meant to be happy? What would it have meant if things had been bright, clear, good between us?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/what-would-it-have-meant-to-be-happy-what-would-it-have-meant-if/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [“Mrs Ratlow was a widow, and she was head of English, but she still did all the cooking and cleaning for her two sons,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/mrs-ratlow-was-a-widow-and-she-was-head-of-english-but-she-still-did/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [“I shall have nowt to talk to now the baby is boiled.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/i-shall-have-nowt-to-talk-to-now-the-baby-is-boiled/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [“What art does is to coax us away from the mechanical and towards the miraculous. The so-called uselessness of art is a clue to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/what-art-does-is-to-coax-us-away-from-the-mechanical-and-towards-the/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [Happy Valentines Day to those who have found love, in whatever shape or form, and to those who are still hunting, don’t give up.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/happy-valentines-day-to-those-who-have-found-love-in-whatever-shape/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [“It took me a long time to realise that there are two kinds of writing: the one you write and the one that writes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/it-took-me-a-long-time-to-realise-that-there-are-two-kinds-of-writing/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [A curse on this game. How can you stick at a game when the rules keep on changing? I shall call myself Alice and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/a-curse-on-this-game-how-can-you-stick-at-a-game-when-the-rules-keep/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [“He turned away and I turned to him in vivid heat to look on the sun-dried world. The groves and towers were gone. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/he-turned-away-and-i-turned-to-him-in-vivid-heat-to-look-on-the-sun/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) [Explore all 1,016 Jeanette Winterson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) ## More Decision quotes > [Making the right decision is hard,telling someone your decision is even harder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/making-the-right-decision-is-hard-telling-someone-your-decision-is/) [Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/) > [It is said that history turns on small hinges. A human career, too, results from an accumulating series of decisions about large and small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/it-is-said-that-history-turns-on-small-hinges-a-human-career-too/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/elections-belong-to-the-people-it-s-their-decision-if-they-decide-to/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [“How can you make an informed decision about whether to save the world if you never leave your tiny part of it?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-david-hutchinson/how-can-you-make-an-informed-decision-about-whether-to-save-the-world/) [Shaun David Hutchinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-david-hutchinson/) > [Love is the foundation from which your decisions about your life should be made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-the-foundation-from-which-your-decisions-about-your-life/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Indecision becomes decision with time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/indecision-becomes-decision-with-time/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you think of people as making decisions actively, every time we think about the cup of coffee, we say, "How much will I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/if-you-think-of-people-as-making-decisions-actively-every-time-we/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [It was a conscious decision on my part to take up fewer films. And if you're not seen that often on screen, nobody calls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-lever/it-was-a-conscious-decision-on-my-part-to-take-up-fewer-films-and-if/) [Johnny Lever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-lever/) > [Decision is a risk rooted in the courage of being free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/decision-is-a-risk-rooted-in-the-courage-of-being-free/) [Paul Tillich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tillich/) > [I never think of things rationally or intellectually. I swear, every single decision I make is just instinct and my instincts tend to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neill-blomkamp/i-never-think-of-things-rationally-or-intellectually-i-swear-every/) [Neill Blomkamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neill-blomkamp/) > [“it is either you happen to life or life happens to you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sesan-kareem/it-is-either-you-happen-to-life-or-life-happens-to-you/) [Sesan Kareem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sesan-kareem/) > [How strange that something so simple could have been instrumental in my decision to ruin one of my most relationships and friendships, and damage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/how-strange-that-something-so-simple-could-have-been-instrumental-in/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [I am encouraged President Obama now says he will fulfill his constitutional obligation to seek authorization for any potential military action in Syria. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/i-am-encouraged-president-obama-now-says-he-will-fulfill-his/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [In New York, you are constantly faced with this very urgent decision that you have to make, about every twenty minutes...you have to decide,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cross/in-new-york-you-are-constantly-faced-with-this-very-urgent-decision/) [David Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cross/) [Browse all 9,145 Decision quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Y'know, Nature's unpredictable -- that's why we had to tame her. Maybe we went too far, but in principle we made the right decision.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jeanette Winterson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/y-know-nature-s-unpredictable-that-s-why-we-had-to-tame-her-maybe-we/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Decision" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/y-know-nature-s-unpredictable-that-s-why-we-had-to-tame-her-maybe-we/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/704/jeanette-winterson-166_decision_y-know-nature-s-unpredictable-that-s-why_510080.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/704/jeanette-winterson-166_decision_y-know-nature-s-unpredictable-that-s-why_510080.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/704/jeanette-winterson-166_decision_y-know-nature-s-unpredictable-that-s-why_510080.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Y'know, Nature's unpredictable -- that's why we had to tame her. Maybe we went too far, but in principle we…” — Jeanette Winterson", "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": "Jeanette Winterson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Y'know, Nature's unpredictable -- that's why...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/y-know-nature-s-unpredictable-that-s-why-we-had-to-tame-her-maybe-we/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/y-know-nature-s-unpredictable-that-s-why-we-had-to-tame-her-maybe-we/#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 } } ] } ```