--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Disasters occur organically in my work…" description: "\"Disasters occur organically in my work, in that that's the way my thinking tends, more than that's what I start out by planning. I'm sort of a catastro..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b04/jim-shepard-20533_disaster_disasters-occur-organically-in-my-work-i_2612699.jpg" --- # Disasters occur organically in my work, in that that's the… ![“Disasters occur organically in my work, in that that's the way my thinking tends, more than that's what I start out by planning. I'm sort of a catastrophist.” quote by Jim Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b04/jim-shepard-20533_disaster_disasters-occur-organically-in-my-work-i_2612699.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b04/jim-shepard-20533_disaster_disasters-occur-organically-in-my-work-i_2612699.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b04/jim-shepard-20533_disaster_disasters-occur-organically-in-my-work-i_2612699.jpg) > “Disasters occur organically in my work, in that that's the way my thinking tends, more than that's what I start out by planning. I'm sort of a catastrophist.” [Jim Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-shepard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker’s work naturally attracts disasters, reflecting a mindset that anticipates chaos rather than planning to avoid it. **In simple terms:** A mindset that expects chaos leads to more problems. Key Takeaway Shift mindset to proactive planning. Themes chaos mindset planning catastrophist Mood analytical introspective Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - project management - creative work - personal habits Key Concepts risk perception self-fulfilling prophecy Questions to Reflect On - How does your mindset influence outcomes? - What steps can you take to plan more deliberately? A Different Perspective Accepting chaos can become a self‑fulfilling prophecy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Disaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disaster/) [Disasters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disasters/) [Planning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/planning/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [These days, it's really been uninteresting except when disasters occur.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-van-allen/these-days-it-s-really-been-uninteresting-except-when-disasters-occur/) [James Van Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-van-allen/) > [If you start planning too far ahead, the next thing you know you forget you're living today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-dirnt/if-you-start-planning-too-far-ahead-the-next-thing-you-know-you/) [Mike Dirnt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-dirnt/) > [“I wish I would have known that there was no need to wait. I went to college. I went to law school. I worked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/i-wish-i-would-have-known-that-there-was-no-need-to-wait-i-went-to/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [“start planning how to achieve those top five goals. And the other twenty? Get rid of them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-h-pink/start-planning-how-to-achieve-those-top-five-goals-and-the-other/) [Daniel H. Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-h-pink/) > [You get to a point where you have to start planning, when you cross that line where you have enough value to get someone's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-pratt/you-get-to-a-point-where-you-have-to-start-planning-when-you-cross-2/) [Chris Pratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-pratt/) > [If I start planning then that's dangerous because then I have a target that I'm blinkered towards and I won't listen to the warning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-radcliffe/if-i-start-planning-then-that-s-dangerous-because-then-i-have-a/) [Paula Radcliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-radcliffe/) > [I feel like it's never too early to start planning your future and learning about business off the court.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-dinwiddie/i-feel-like-it-s-never-too-early-to-start-planning-your-future-and/) [Spencer Dinwiddie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-dinwiddie/) > [Obviously it's my job, a coach's job to start giving the players a platform and start preparing, start planning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-mason/obviously-it-s-my-job-a-coach-s-job-to-start-giving-the-players-a/) [Ryan Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-mason/) > [You get to a point where you have to start planning, when you cross that line where you have enough value to get someone's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-pratt/you-get-to-a-point-where-you-have-to-start-planning-when-you-cross/) [Chris Pratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-pratt/) > [“The sooner you start planning your life, the sooner you will live the life you dream of.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-glint/the-sooner-you-start-planning-your-life-the-sooner-you-will-live-the/) Hans Glint > [I have planned that I will start planning to plan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/green-monk/i-have-planned-that-i-will-start-planning-to-plan/) [Green Monk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/green-monk/) > [Birth: The first and direst of all disasters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/birth-the-first-and-direst-of-all-disasters/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [It is in the genes of cities to bounce back from disasters - whether natural or man made. The denizens of suburbia have no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikas-swarup/it-is-in-the-genes-of-cities-to-bounce-back-from-disasters-whether/) [Vikas Swarup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikas-swarup/) > [Even disasters -- there are always disasters when you travel -- can be turned into adventures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-french/even-disasters-there-are-always-disasters-when-you-travel-can-be/) [Marilyn French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-french/) > [Disasters affect every state, and North Carolinians have given our own tax dollars to help neighbors and those in other states in times of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-cooper/disasters-affect-every-state-and-north-carolinians-have-given-our-own/) [Roy Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-cooper/) ## More by Jim Shepard > [I very much like people. I don't much like writers who don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-shepard/i-very-much-like-people-i-don-t-much-like-writers-who-don-t/) [Jim Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-shepard/) > [I love the box that such a decision puts you in, and I love the interest the reader has in seeing how you negotiate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-shepard/i-love-the-box-that-such-a-decision-puts-you-in-and-i-love-the/) [Jim Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-shepard/) > [I don't think conservativism is about a deficiency. I think it's about a commitment to an ideology that has to in some ways devalue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-shepard/i-don-t-think-conservativism-is-about-a-deficiency-i-think-it-s-about/) [Jim Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-shepard/) > [What makes us threaten the things we want most?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-shepard/what-makes-us-threaten-the-things-we-want-most/) [Jim Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-shepard/) > [I do find stories - or literary fiction - an apt form for analyzing the world. And especially for trying to imagine the other.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-shepard/i-do-find-stories-or-literary-fiction-an-apt-form-for-analyzing-the/) [Jim Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-shepard/) > [Does research get in the way of the story? It certainly can. Anything can, given that as writers we're all geniuses at procrastination. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-shepard/does-research-get-in-the-way-of-the-story-it-certainly-can-anything/) [Jim Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-shepard/) > [“But what I did was the kind of thing you'd do and the kind of thing you've done: I felt bad for him and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-shepard/but-what-i-did-was-the-kind-of-thing-you-d-do-and-the-kind-of-thing/) [Jim Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-shepard/) > [I have written screenplays. Most recently for Errol Morris, who was thinking about doing his first fiction movie, and with a young director who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-shepard/i-have-written-screenplays-most-recently-for-errol-morris-who-was/) [Jim Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-shepard/) > [Class is the most taboo subject in America. The American media would rather talk about race or perversion or anything else considered taboo before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-shepard/class-is-the-most-taboo-subject-in-america-the-american-media-would/) [Jim Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-shepard/) > [I don't beat at the details, but I do always keep in mind that anything that isn't A) moving the story forward or B)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-shepard/i-don-t-beat-at-the-details-but-i-do-always-keep-in-mind-that/) [Jim Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-shepard/) > [Empathy is a human trait. But lots of humans exercise some traits more energetically than others. By "the usefulness of empathy" I mean the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-shepard/empathy-is-a-human-trait-but-lots-of-humans-exercise-some-traits-more/) [Jim Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-shepard/) > [“But this is the only account hand-copied and tacked to my bulletin board, the testimony of a Dutch pilot caught on shore near Anjer,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-shepard/but-this-is-the-only-account-hand-copied-and-tacked-to-my-bulletin/) [Jim Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-shepard/) > [I'm tempted to do everything. And sometimes I think, "Oh, come on. You can stick that detail somewhere."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-shepard/i-m-tempted-to-do-everything-and-sometimes-i-think-oh-come-on-you-can/) [Jim Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-shepard/) > [I'll find something in what I read that snags my imagination in emotional terms; it resonates with me for reasons more complicated than just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-shepard/i-ll-find-something-in-what-i-read-that-snags-my-imagination-in/) [Jim Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-shepard/) > [It turns out that our intuition is a greater genius than we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-shepard/it-turns-out-that-our-intuition-is-a-greater-genius-than-we-are/) [Jim Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-shepard/) [Explore all 30 Jim Shepard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-shepard/) ## More Disaster quotes > [Public infrastructure around the world is facing unprecedented stress, with hurricanes, cyclones, floods and forest fires all increasing in frequency and intensity. It's easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/public-infrastructure-around-the-world-is-facing-unprecedented-stress/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [Real people speak in my books about the main events of the age, such as the war, the Chernobyl disaster, and the downfall of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/svetlana-alexievich/real-people-speak-in-my-books-about-the-main-events-of-the-age-such/) [Svetlana Alexievich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/svetlana-alexievich/) > [One of the undervalued contributors to Trump's stunning 2016 victory was the masterful performance Pence had in his debate against Hillary Clinton running mate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mollie-hemingway/one-of-the-undervalued-contributors-to-trump-s-stunning-2016-victory/) [Mollie Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mollie-hemingway/) > [You know, we can't beat ISIS. We can't do anything. We can't take care of our vets. We can't have good health care. "Obama…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/you-know-we-can-t-beat-isis-we-can-t-do-anything-we-can-t-take-care/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [My mind shrank from the menace sweeping down on us, as children's do from belief in death and misfortune, vainly clinging to the fancy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-pankhurst/my-mind-shrank-from-the-menace-sweeping-down-on-us-as-children-s-do/) [Sylvia Pankhurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-pankhurst/) > [The compensations of calamity are made apparent to the understanding also, after long intervals of time. A fever, a mutilation, a cruel disappointment, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-compensations-of-calamity-are-made-apparent-to-the-understanding/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [You can't have people making decisions about the future of the world who are scientifically illiterate. That's a recipe for disaster. And I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/you-can-t-have-people-making-decisions-about-the-future-of-the-world/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [“She was—of course—perfectly normal— quiet and polite and reasonably intelligent and...normal and self destructive and lonely and terrified of every thing And she loved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tah-the-trickster/she-was-of-course-perfectly-normal-quiet-and-polite-and-reasonably/) Tah the Trickster > [Obviously, it's my goal to be the top scorer in the Bundesliga, but it wouldn't be a disaster if I didn't achieve that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-gomez/obviously-it-s-my-goal-to-be-the-top-scorer-in-the-bundesliga-but-it/) [Mario Gomez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-gomez/) > [Yes, life in Chechnya so far looks more like a life after a natural disaster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/yes-life-in-chechnya-so-far-looks-more-like-a-life-after-a-natural/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [Even disasters -- there are always disasters when you travel -- can be turned into adventures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-french/even-disasters-there-are-always-disasters-when-you-travel-can-be/) [Marilyn French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-french/) > [We are always just one successful terrorist attack away from a nuclear disaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-thompson/we-are-always-just-one-successful-terrorist-attack-away-from-a/) [Fred Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-thompson/) > [WHANGDEPOOTENAWAH, n. In the Ojibwa tongue, disaster; an unexpected affliction that strikes hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/whangdepootenawah-n-in-the-ojibwa-tongue-disaster-an-unexpected/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [Architects mostly work for privileged people, people who have money and power, Power and money are invisible, so people hire us to visualize their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shigeru-ban/architects-mostly-work-for-privileged-people-people-who-have-money/) [Shigeru Ban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shigeru-ban/) > [The only aspect of our travels that is interesting to others is disaster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-gellmanmartha-gellman/the-only-aspect-of-our-travels-that-is-interesting-to-others-is/) Martha GellmanMartha Gellman [Browse all 2,239 Disaster quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disaster/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Disasters occur organically in my work, in that that's the way my thinking tends, more than that's what I start out by planning. 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