--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I wonder why it is that when I plan a…" description: "\"I wonder why it is that when I plan a route too carefully, it goes to pieces, whereas if I blunder along in blissful ignorance aimed in a fancied direc..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d7/john-steinbeck-71_blunder_i-wonder-why-it-is-that-when-i-plan-a-ro_786940.jpg" --- # I wonder why it is that when I plan a route too carefully… ![“I wonder why it is that when I plan a route too carefully, it goes to pieces, whereas if I blunder along in blissful ignorance aimed in a fancied direction I get through with no trouble.” quote by John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d7/john-steinbeck-71_blunder_i-wonder-why-it-is-that-when-i-plan-a-ro_786940.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d7/john-steinbeck-71_blunder_i-wonder-why-it-is-that-when-i-plan-a-ro_786940.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d7/john-steinbeck-71_blunder_i-wonder-why-it-is-that-when-i-plan-a-ro_786940.jpg) > “I wonder why it is that when I plan a route too carefully, it goes to pieces, whereas if I blunder along in blissful ignorance aimed in a fancied direction I get through with no trouble.” [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Over‑planning can cause failure, while trusting intuition often leads to success. **In simple terms:** Too much planning can ruin things; going with the flow works. Key Takeaway Embrace flexibility and trust your instincts. Themes planning intuition flexibility failure success Mood reflective optimistic Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - travel - project management - creative work - personal goals Key Concepts Chaos theory psychology decision making Questions to Reflect On - Do you over‑plan often? - When has spontaneity helped you? A Different Perspective Over‑planning may be necessary in high‑risk contexts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Blunder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blunder/) [Blunder Blissful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blunder-blissful-6052610/) [Blunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blunders/) [Fancied Direction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fancied-direction-6052609/) [Ignorance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignorance/) [Pieces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pieces/) [Pieces Blunder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pieces-blunder-6052611/) [Plans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plans/) [Route Carefully](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/route-carefully-6052608/) [Trouble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trouble/) [Wonder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonder/) ## Related quotes > [We must not judge God from this world. It's just a study that didn't come off. 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Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [It is a capital blunder; as you discover, when another man recites his charities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/it-is-a-capital-blunder-as-you-discover-when-another-man-recites-his/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [In placing civil disobedience before constructive work I was wrong and I did not profit by the Himalayan blunder that I had committed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/in-placing-civil-disobedience-before-constructive-work-i-was-wrong/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [One man may hit the mark, another blunder; but heed not these distinctions. 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Bentley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-c-bentley/) > [Nature proceeds by blunders; that is its way. It is also ours. So if we have blundered by regarding consciousness as a blunder, why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-ligotti/nature-proceeds-by-blunders-that-is-its-way-it-is-also-ours-so-if-we/) [Thomas Ligotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-ligotti/) > [ Your printers have made but one blunder,Correct it instanter, and then for the thunder!We'll see in a jiffy if this Mr S\[pencer\]Has the ghost… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/your-printers-have-made-but-one-blunder-correct-it-instanter-and-then/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [No destiny attacks us from outside. But, within him, man bears his fate and there comes a moment when he knows himself vulnerable; and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/no-destiny-attacks-us-from-outside-but-within-him-man-bears-his-fate/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) ## More by John Steinbeck > [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three \[great teachers\] did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-the-arts-since-the-medium-is/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [Prayer never brought in no side-meat. 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Samuel, you don’t change him. He changes you. I can see the look of him in your face.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/you-come-back-a-changed-man-samuel-you-don-t-change-him-he-changes/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [I find out of long experience that I admire all nations and hate all governments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-find-out-of-long-experience-that-i-admire-all-nations-and-hate-all/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [At about 10 o'clock in the morning the sun threw a bright dust-laden bar through one of the side windows and in and out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/at-about-10-o-clock-in-the-morning-the-sun-threw-a-bright-dust-laden/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [I have noticed that there is no dissatisfaction like that of the rich. 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Without this special attribute, we would still be anaerobic bacteria and there would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-thomas/the-capacity-to-blunder-slightly-is-the-real-marvel-of-dna-without/) [Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/) [Browse all 72 Blunder quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blunder/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I wonder why it is that when I plan a route too carefully, it goes to pieces, whereas if I blunder along in blissful ignorance aimed in a fancied direction I get through with no trouble.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Steinbeck" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-wonder-why-it-is-that-when-i-plan-a-route-too-carefully-it-goes-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Blunder" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-wonder-why-it-is-that-when-i-plan-a-route-too-carefully-it-goes-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d7/john-steinbeck-71_blunder_i-wonder-why-it-is-that-when-i-plan-a-ro_786940.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d7/john-steinbeck-71_blunder_i-wonder-why-it-is-that-when-i-plan-a-ro_786940.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d7/john-steinbeck-71_blunder_i-wonder-why-it-is-that-when-i-plan-a-ro_786940.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I wonder why it is that when I plan a route too carefully, it goes to pieces, whereas if I blunder along in…” — John Steinbeck", "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 Steinbeck", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I wonder why it is that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-wonder-why-it-is-that-when-i-plan-a-route-too-carefully-it-goes-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-wonder-why-it-is-that-when-i-plan-a-route-too-carefully-it-goes-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 } } ] } ```