--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There was a pause. Mendel said: 'It's the…" description: "\"“There was a pause. Mendel said: 'It's the devil you don't know that gets you.”\" — John le Carré" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/937/john-le-carre-651_mendel_there-was-a-pause-mendel-said-it-s-the-d_2727055.jpg" --- # There was a pause. Mendel said: 'It's the devil you don't… ![“There was a pause. Mendel said: 'It's the devil you don't know that gets you.” quote by John le Carré](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/937/john-le-carre-651_mendel_there-was-a-pause-mendel-said-it-s-the-d_2727055.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/937/john-le-carre-651_mendel_there-was-a-pause-mendel-said-it-s-the-d_2727055.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/937/john-le-carre-651_mendel_there-was-a-pause-mendel-said-it-s-the-d_2727055.jpg) > ““There was a pause. Mendel said: 'It's the devil you don't know that gets you.”” [John le Carré](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Unknown dangers are more frightening than known ones. **In simple terms:** Fear of the unknown is powerful. Key Takeaway Stay informed to reduce fear. Themes fear unknown danger Mood cautious reflective Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - risk management - decision making - security planning - personal safety Key Concepts risk assessment psychology Questions to Reflect On - What unknowns worry you? - How to confront them? A Different Perspective Over‑cautiousness can paralyze action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Mendel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mendel/) [Mendel Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mendel-said-2926698/) [Pause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pause/) [Pause Mendel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pause-mendel-2926699/) [Said Devil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said-devil-314495/) ## Related quotes > [“changeful, occasionally wise and sympathetic. He knew how intelligent men could be broken by the stupidity of their superiors, how weeks of patient work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/changeful-occasionally-wise-and-sympathetic-he-knew-how-intelligent/) [John le Carré](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [“Mendel hated motorists. Give a man a car of his own and he leaves humility and common sense behind him in the garage.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/mendel-hated-motorists-give-a-man-a-car-of-his-own-and-he-leaves/) [John le Carré](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [“Since the Devil represented criminality, and since criminals in New England were said to be the Devil’s operatives, the Salem witch hunt ascribed a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibram-x-kendi/since-the-devil-represented-criminality-and-since-criminals-in-new/) [Ibram X. Kendi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibram-x-kendi/) > [“When asked how he could tell the difference, the saint said that you can only tell which is which by the way you feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/when-asked-how-he-could-tell-the-difference-the-saint-said-that-you/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [“there is no devil," jack said. "we are the devil. the devil is us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/there-is-no-devil-jack-said-we-are-the-devil-the-devil-is-us/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) > [“Remember Martin Luther's way of cutting the devil's head off with his own sword. "Oh," said the devil to Martin Luther, "you are a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-h-spurgeon/remember-martin-luther-s-way-of-cutting-the-devil-s-head-off-with-his/) [Charles H. Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-h-spurgeon/) > [The old lady who said there must be a devil, else how could they make pictures that looked exactly like him, reasoned like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/the-old-lady-who-said-there-must-be-a-devil-else-how-could-they-make/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [The devil is a liar. I said the devil is a liar. Don't make me preach now, but you are the living epistle, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-white/the-devil-is-a-liar-i-said-the-devil-is-a-liar-don-t-make-me-preach/) [Paula White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-white/) > [“Miss Bridgerton,” he said, “the devil himself couldn’t scare you.” She forced her eyes to meet his. “That’s not a compliment, is it?” He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-quinn/miss-bridgerton-he-said-the-devil-himself-couldn-t-scare-you-she/) [Julia Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-quinn/) > [“Who are you?" "The devil," she said. "The devil in love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arturo-p-rez-reverte/who-are-you-the-devil-she-said-the-devil-in-love/) [Arturo Pérez-Reverte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arturo-p-rez-reverte/) > [“You smile like the devil,” Mona said. “The devil doesn’t smile,” he said. “The devil smirks.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiffany-reisz/you-smile-like-the-devil-mona-said-the-devil-doesn-t-smile-he-said/) [Tiffany Reisz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiffany-reisz/) > [“When it’s done, we’ll be like brothers,” said the devil. “I already have a brother,” Gavriel slurred. “He’s dead.” The devil loomed over him,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-black/when-it-s-done-we-ll-be-like-brothers-said-the-devil-i-already-have-a/) [Holly Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-black/) > [You said ¡ dear . I said £ read.àYou said ¶lived. I said :O that's devil Words is become sword . And that's weapon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leodonessiony/you-said-dear-i-said-read-you-said-lived-i-said-o-that-s-devil-words/) [Leodonessiony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leodonessiony/) > [“He turned his head just then and for a moment, our eyes met. I would like to tell you that I saw the face…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-poole/he-turned-his-head-just-then-and-for-a-moment-our-eyes-met-i-would/) [Sara Poole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-poole/) > [By God and upon my conscience, said the devil, I never observed it, for my mind is occupied with so many different things that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/by-god-and-upon-my-conscience-said-the-devil-i-never-observed-it-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by John le Carré > [The creation of George Smiley, the retired spy recalled to hunt for just such a high-ranking mole in 'Tinker, Tailor,' was extremely personal. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/the-creation-of-george-smiley-the-retired-spy-recalled-to-hunt-for/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [All power corrupts but some must govern.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/all-power-corrupts-but-some-must-govern/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [During the Cold War, we lived in coded times when it wasn't easy and there were shades of grey and ambiguity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/during-the-cold-war-we-lived-in-coded-times-when-it-wasn-t-easy-and/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [“You're history, Donohue. You think countries run the fucking world! Go back to fucking Sunday school. It's 'God save our multinational' they're singing these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/you-re-history-donohue-you-think-countries-run-the-fucking-world-go/) [John le Carré](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [When you're my age and you see a story, you better go for it pretty quickly. I'd just like to get a few more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/when-you-re-my-age-and-you-see-a-story-you-better-go-for-it-pretty/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [The trouble is, when professional spies go out of their way to make a definitive statement about one of their own, the public tends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/the-trouble-is-when-professional-spies-go-out-of-their-way-to-make-a/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [Ideologies have no heart of their own. They're the whores and angels of our striving selves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/ideologies-have-no-heart-of-their-own-they-re-the-whores-and-angels/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [Home's where you go when you run out of homes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/home-s-where-you-go-when-you-run-out-of-homes/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [“Pain observed is journalistic pain. It's diplomatic pain. It's television pain, over as soon as you switch off your beastly set.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/pain-observed-is-journalistic-pain-it-s-diplomatic-pain-it-s/) [John le Carré](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [The greatest threat to mankind comes from the renunciation of individual scruple in favor of institutional denominators. . . . Real heroism lies, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/the-greatest-threat-to-mankind-comes-from-the-renunciation-of/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [“and the wood smoke will roll out of the fireplace on to the carpet we paid too much for on that rainy afternoon in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/and-the-wood-smoke-will-roll-out-of-the-fireplace-on-to-the-carpet-we/) [John le Carré](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [“Middle children weep longer than their brothers and sisters. Over her mother’s shoulder, stilling her pains and her injured pride, Jackie Lacon watched the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/middle-children-weep-longer-than-their-brothers-and-sisters-over-her/) [John le Carré](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [For decades to come the spy world will continue to be the collective couch where the subconscious of each nation is confessed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/for-decades-to-come-the-spy-world-will-continue-to-be-the-collective/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [I happen to write by hand. I don't even type. John Le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/i-happen-to-write-by-hand-i-don-t-even-type-john-le-carre/) [John Le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [The more identities a man has, the more they express the person they conceal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/the-more-identities-a-man-has-the-more-they-express-the-person-they/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) [Explore all 409 John le Carré quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) ## More Mendel quotes > [“Six decades and two years, no more than a passing glance of time, separate Mendel's initial experiments on peas and the court-mandated sterilization of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/six-decades-and-two-years-no-more-than-a-passing-glance-of-time/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [“Mighty men of science and mighty deeds. A Newton who binds the universe together in uniform law; Lagrange, Laplace, Leibnitz with their wondrous mathematical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-william-sanderson/mighty-men-of-science-and-mighty-deeds-a-newton-who-binds-the/) [Frederick William Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-william-sanderson/) > [Josh Mendel has a secret. Unfortunately, everyone knows what it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-lyga/josh-mendel-has-a-secret-unfortunately-everyone-knows-what-it-is/) [Barry Lyga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-lyga/) > [We don't ask for opinions on our outfit all the time - but for a big of event, like the Emmys, absolutely. I actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-mara/we-don-t-ask-for-opinions-on-our-outfit-all-the-time-but-for-a-big-of/) [Kate Mara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-mara/) > [“We were also born," Line said abruptly. Mendel questioned her with a look, and Line tried to clarify her thought: "Born, expelled. Russia conceived…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/primo-levi/we-were-also-born-line-said-abruptly-mendel-questioned-her-with-a/) [Primo Levi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/primo-levi/) > [“Mendel had a remarkable nature as a boy. I’m not talking about miracles. Miracles are a burden for a tzaddik, not the proof of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/mendel-had-a-remarkable-nature-as-a-boy-i-m-not-talking-about/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [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/) > [ originality" is everyone's aim, and novel techniques are as much prized as new scientific discoveries. \[T.S.\] Eliot states it with surprising naïveté: "It is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-jarrell/originality-is-everyone-s-aim-and-novel-techniques-are-as-much-prized/) [Randall Jarrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-jarrell/) > [The foundations of population genetics were laid chiefly by mathematical deduction from basic premises contained in the works of Mendel and Morgan and their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodosius-dobzhansky/the-foundations-of-population-genetics-were-laid-chiefly-by/) [Theodosius Dobzhansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodosius-dobzhansky/) > [ “Not that he \[Uzbek\] rejected Mendel's proposals or rebelled against his decisions; but he exercised a subtle, passive abrasion against every active thrust: like… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/primo-levi/not-that-he-uzbek-rejected-mendel-s-proposals-or-rebelled-against-his/) [Primo Levi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/primo-levi/) > [“Holding a precious book meant to Mendel what an assignment with a woman might to another man. These moments were his platonic nights of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-zweig/holding-a-precious-book-meant-to-mendel-what-an-assignment-with-a/) [Stefan Zweig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-zweig/) > [“Once more, he was immersing himself in books, reaching the end of long articles, even going back over paragraphs to make sure he'd grasped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-highmore/once-more-he-was-immersing-himself-in-books-reaching-the-end-of-long/) [Julie Highmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-highmore/) > [Even Johannes Kepler, Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Gregor Mendel, and Albert Einstein made serious mistakes. But the scientific enterprise arranges things so that teamwork…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/even-johannes-kepler-isaac-newton-charles-darwin-gregor-mendel-and/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [There were lots of little boys having their bar mitzvahs all over the world, and they sent me tapes of some of them that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/there-were-lots-of-little-boys-having-their-bar-mitzvahs-all-over-the/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [“Just as an astronomer, alone in an observatory, watches night after night through a telescope the myriads of stars, their mysterious movements, their changeful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-zweig/just-as-an-astronomer-alone-in-an-observatory-watches-night-after/) [Stefan Zweig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-zweig/) [Browse all 27 Mendel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mendel/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“There was a pause. Mendel said: 'It's the devil you don't know that gets you.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John le Carré" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/there-was-a-pause-mendel-said-it-s-the-devil-you-don-t-know-that-gets/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Mendel" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/there-was-a-pause-mendel-said-it-s-the-devil-you-don-t-know-that-gets/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/937/john-le-carre-651_mendel_there-was-a-pause-mendel-said-it-s-the-d_2727055.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/937/john-le-carre-651_mendel_there-was-a-pause-mendel-said-it-s-the-d_2727055.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/937/john-le-carre-651_mendel_there-was-a-pause-mendel-said-it-s-the-d_2727055.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There was a pause. Mendel said: 'It's the devil you don't know that gets you.” — John le Carré", "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 le Carré", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“There was a pause. Mendel said:...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/there-was-a-pause-mendel-said-it-s-the-devil-you-don-t-know-that-gets/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/there-was-a-pause-mendel-said-it-s-the-devil-you-don-t-know-that-gets/#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 } } ] } ```