--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It always happened like this: he would…" description: "\"It always happened like this: he would look and look for the keys to Satan’s Hearse and then finally he’d just give up and say, “Fine. I’ll take the fu..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e14/john-green-12_accepting_it-always-happened-like-this-he-would-lo_3175869.jpg" --- # It always happened like this: he would look and look for… ![“It always happened like this: he would look and look for the keys to Satan’s Hearse and then finally he’d just give up and say, “Fine. I’ll take the fugging bus,” and on his way out the door, he’d see the keys. Keys show up when you reconcile yourself to the bus; Katherines appear when you start…” quote by John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e14/john-green-12_accepting_it-always-happened-like-this-he-would-lo_3175869.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e14/john-green-12_accepting_it-always-happened-like-this-he-would-lo_3175869.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e14/john-green-12_accepting_it-always-happened-like-this-he-would-lo_3175869.jpg) > “It always happened like this: he would look and look for the keys to Satan’s Hearse and then finally he’d just give up and say, “Fine. I’ll take the fugging bus,” and on his way out the door, he’d see the keys. Keys show up when you reconcile yourself to the bus; Katherines appear when you start to disbelieve the world contains another Katherine; and, sure enough, the Eureka moment arrived just as he began to accept it would never come.” [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When one accepts a less desirable option, the desired solution often appears, illustrating the paradox of surrender. **In simple terms:** Accepting a fallback can reveal the original goal. Key Takeaway Embrace flexibility; sometimes letting go leads to unexpected gains. Themes acceptance paradox serendipity Mood thoughtful hopeful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - career choices - creative blocks - personal setbacks Key Concepts philosophy psychology decision making Questions to Reflect On - When have you found a solution after giving up? - What does this say about control and expectation? A Different Perspective May encourage passive resignation instead of proactive problem‑solving. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accepting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accepting/) [Bus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bus/) [Contains Katherine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contains-katherine-5799040/) [Doors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doors/) [Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough/) [Fine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fine/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Giving up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving-up/) [Just give up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just-give-up/) [Katherines Appear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/katherines-appear-5799038/) [Keys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/keys/) [Keys Reconcile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/keys-reconcile-2172755/) [Keys Satan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/keys-satan-5799039/) [Look Keys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/look-keys-5799041/) [Looks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Reconcile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reconcile/) [Satan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/satan/) [Shows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shows/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [Keys show up when you reconcile yourself to the bus...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/keys-show-up-when-you-reconcile-yourself-to-the-bus/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [If you're not hopeful and optimistic, then you just give up. You have to take that long hard look and just believe that if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/if-you-re-not-hopeful-and-optimistic-then-you-just-give-up-you-have/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [The faith of Christ offers no buttons to push for quick service. The new order must wait the Lord's own time, and that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/the-faith-of-christ-offers-no-buttons-to-push-for-quick-service-the/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [It matters if you don't just give up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/it-matters-if-you-don-t-just-give-up/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/people-are-always-blaming-their-circumstances-for-what-they-are-i-don/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [Perhaps we think that we won't find another human being inside that person. Perhaps we think that there are some people in this world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-rogers/perhaps-we-think-that-we-won-t-find-another-human-being-inside-that/) [Fred Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-rogers/) > [When you are going through hell, keep on going. Never never never give up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/when-you-are-going-through-hell-keep-on-going-never-never-never-give/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [I am still a student. My classmates study really hard, so I feel like I should too. But they always say things like: “You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seohyun/i-am-still-a-student-my-classmates-study-really-hard-so-i-feel-like-i/) [Seohyun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seohyun/) > [A lot of stand-up comedy guys, when they get a little famous, just give up their stand-up career, and it cancels out the thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-knoxville/a-lot-of-stand-up-comedy-guys-when-they-get-a-little-famous-just-give/) [Johnny Knoxville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-knoxville/) > [In a big picture sense, it's more national prestige that we're risking. You know, we are proud of our space program, but as we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leroy-chiao/in-a-big-picture-sense-it-s-more-national-prestige-that-we-re-risking/) [Leroy Chiao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leroy-chiao/) > [Really Edward Teach, Blackbeard, was actually tall, so he was literally larger than life and so he knew that and actually the more you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-stevenson/really-edward-teach-blackbeard-was-actually-tall-so-he-was-literally/) [Ray Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-stevenson/) > [If you can't play as good or as fast as me, just give up, sell your guitar on eBay and kill yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-petrucci/if-you-can-t-play-as-good-or-as-fast-as-me-just-give-up-sell-your/) [John Petrucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-petrucci/) > [Never give up on what you really want to do](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-jackson-brown-jr/never-give-up-on-what-you-really-want-to-do/) [H. Jackson Brown, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-jackson-brown-jr/) > [Blessings often give rise to injury, so be careful when things are going your way. Success may be achieved after failure, so don't just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zicheng-hong/blessings-often-give-rise-to-injury-so-be-careful-when-things-are/) [Zicheng Hong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zicheng-hong/) > [Some guys they just give up living, and start dying little by little, piece by piece.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/some-guys-they-just-give-up-living-and-start-dying-little-by-little/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) ## More by John Green > [Issac:"I dislike living in a world without Augustus Waters." Computer: "I don't understand-" Issac: "Me neither. Pause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/issac-i-dislike-living-in-a-world-without-augustus-waters-computer-i/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“I just want to stay away from people and read books and think”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-just-want-to-stay-away-from-people-and-read-books-and-think/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [She smiled with all the delight of a kid on Christmas morning and said, "Y'all smoke to enjoy it. I smoke to die." -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/she-smiled-with-all-the-delight-of-a-kid-on-christmas-morning-and/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [A Margo for each of us--and each more mirror than window.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/a-margo-for-each-of-us-and-each-more-mirror-than-window/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“No one ever says good-bye unless they want to see you again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/no-one-ever-says-good-bye-unless-they-want-to-see-you-again/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Neither novels or their readers benefit from any attempts to divine whether any facts hide inside a story. Such efforts attack the very idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/neither-novels-or-their-readers-benefit-from-any-attempts-to-divine/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Traffic's not too bad on Sheridan, and I'm cornering the car like it's the Indy 500, and we're listening to my favorite NMH song,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/traffic-s-not-too-bad-on-sheridan-and-i-m-cornering-the-car-like-it-s/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Praise God for good nurses.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/praise-god-for-good-nurses/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [So I was ugly. I was never fat, really, and I never wore headgear or had zits or anything. But I was ugly. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/so-i-was-ugly-i-was-never-fat-really-and-i-never-wore-headgear-or-had/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Nothing has ever looked like that ever in all of human history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/nothing-has-ever-looked-like-that-ever-in-all-of-human-history/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“said to him quietly, as if I couldn’t hear or something. Dad was about to respond but I interrupted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/said-to-him-quietly-as-if-i-couldn-t-hear-or-something-dad-was-about/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I believe humans have souls, and I believe in the conservation of souls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-believe-humans-have-souls-and-i-believe-in-the-conservation-of-souls/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“He was hot. A nonhotboy stares at you relentlessly and it is, at best, awkward and, at worst, a form of assault. But a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/he-was-hot-a-nonhotboy-stares-at-you-relentlessly-and-it-is-at-best/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I think if you keep the box closed long enough you do kill the cat, actually.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-think-if-you-keep-the-box-closed-long-enough-you-do-kill-the-cat/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Imagining the future is a kind of nostalgia. (...) You spend your whole life stuck in the labyrinth, thinking about how you'll escape it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/imagining-the-future-is-a-kind-of-nostalgia-you-spend-your-whole-life/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) [Explore all 3,614 John Green quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) ## More Accepting quotes > [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/) [Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/) > [Laughing, laughing, laughing, laughing! It is the jester! A voice from the Void, to cheer poor Cicero! I accept your gift, dearest Night Mother.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/laughing-laughing-laughing-laughing-it-is-the-jester-a-voice-from-the/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [This duo inside of me causes the perfect opportunity to live and learn twice as fast as those who choose to accept simplicity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tupac-shakur/this-duo-inside-of-me-causes-the-perfect-opportunity-to-live-and/) [Tupac Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tupac-shakur/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [We only enter into the full life if our faith gives thanks. Because how else do we accept His free gift of salvation if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/we-only-enter-into-the-full-life-if-our-faith-gives-thanks-because/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [Don't be bitter. Everybody suffers. If you can accept your suffering then you will understand other people better. Be grateful for pain. Love life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/don-t-be-bitter-everybody-suffers-if-you-can-accept-your-suffering/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [It takes an unusually philosophic mind to accept that all one’s suffering might be to no end, really, in the larger scheme of things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-takes-an-unusually-philosophic-mind-to-accept-that-all-one-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [No nation being under another nation can accept gifts, and kick at the responsibility attached to those gifts, imposed by the conquering nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/no-nation-being-under-another-nation-can-accept-gifts-and-kick-at-the/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Even with clothing naked animals, there were people who wanted to send in money. A woman in Santa Barbara, California, sent a $40,000 check.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-abel/even-with-clothing-naked-animals-there-were-people-who-wanted-to-send/) [Alan Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-abel/) > [Society understands the architecture of academia and knows there are relevant qualifications in different fields, and the media accepts the idea of specialisations and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-griffiths/society-understands-the-architecture-of-academia-and-knows-there-are/) [Jay Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-griffiths/) > [Whatever your conscious mind assumes and believes to be true, your subconscious mind will accept and bring to pass. Believe in good fortune, divine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-murphy/whatever-your-conscious-mind-assumes-and-believes-to-be-true-your/) [Joseph Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-murphy/) > [Losing someone is easy, but accepting it is hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/losing-someone-is-easy-but-accepting-it-is-hard/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [… and so he tried to accept the ache in his heart as what Dr. Larch would call the common symptoms of normal life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/and-so-he-tried-to-accept-the-ache-in-his-heart-as-what-dr-larch/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [I think what was special about 'Music by Prudence' was the classic story of the title subject's life path - from being an outcast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-think-what-was-special-about-music-by-prudence-was-the-classic/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [As my films are born at the moment when they are reflected into another person's mind and memories, there are no misconceptions. I totally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pirjo-honkasalo/as-my-films-are-born-at-the-moment-when-they-are-reflected-into/) [Pirjo Honkasalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pirjo-honkasalo/) [Browse all 6,788 Accepting quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accepting/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It always happened like this: he would look and look for the keys to Satan’s Hearse and then finally he’d just give up and say, “Fine. I’ll take the fugging bus,” and on his way out the door, he’d see the keys. Keys show up when you reconcile yourself to the bus; Katherines appear when you start to disbelieve the world contains another Katherine; and, sure enough, the Eureka moment arrived just as he began to accept it would never come.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Green" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/it-always-happened-like-this-he-would-look-and-look-for-the-keys-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Accepting" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/it-always-happened-like-this-he-would-look-and-look-for-the-keys-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e14/john-green-12_accepting_it-always-happened-like-this-he-would-lo_3175869.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e14/john-green-12_accepting_it-always-happened-like-this-he-would-lo_3175869.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e14/john-green-12_accepting_it-always-happened-like-this-he-would-lo_3175869.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It always happened like this: he would look and look for the keys to Satan’s Hearse and then finally he’d…” — John Green", "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": "John Green", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It always happened like this: he...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/it-always-happened-like-this-he-would-look-and-look-for-the-keys-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/it-always-happened-like-this-he-would-look-and-look-for-the-keys-to/#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 } } ] } ```