--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Over the years, I discovered over and…" description: "\"Over the years, I discovered over and over again that once you lose control, you have a chance of getting good at it. And once you're controlling the w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd4/jules-feiffer-11086_chance_over-the-years-i-discovered-over-and-ove_635098.jpg" --- # Over the years, I discovered over and over again that once… ![“Over the years, I discovered over and over again that once you lose control, you have a chance of getting good at it. And once you're controlling the work, it's not going to be very good, or it won't be as good as it should be.” quote by Jules Feiffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd4/jules-feiffer-11086_chance_over-the-years-i-discovered-over-and-ove_635098.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd4/jules-feiffer-11086_chance_over-the-years-i-discovered-over-and-ove_635098.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd4/jules-feiffer-11086_chance_over-the-years-i-discovered-over-and-ove_635098.jpg) > “Over the years, I discovered over and over again that once you lose control, you have a chance of getting good at it. And once you're controlling the work, it's not going to be very good, or it won't be as good as it should be.” [Jules Feiffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-feiffer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Repeated loss of control leads to mastery, but over‑control hinders quality. **In simple terms:** Loss of control can improve skill; too much control harms work. Key Takeaway Embrace some uncertainty. Themes creativity control skill development Mood reflective instructive Type essay philosophical When to use this quote - artistic process - project management - personal growth Key Concepts flow state self‑regulation Questions to Reflect On - When is relinquishing control beneficial? - How to find balance? A Different Perspective Too much freedom may cause chaos. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) [Control Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/control-chance-5068938/) [Controlling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/controlling/) [Getting Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/getting-good/) [Good Controlling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-controlling-1136677/) [Lose Control](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lose-control/) [Loses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loses/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Very good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/very-good/) [Working it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/working-it/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) ## Related quotes > [I do have a temper, but am good at controlling it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rahul-vaidya/i-do-have-a-temper-but-am-good-at-controlling-it/) [Rahul Vaidya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rahul-vaidya/) > [If you are busy with a good performance, something you can control, then the chance to win the game is much bigger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georginio-wijnaldum/if-you-are-busy-with-a-good-performance-something-you-can-control/) [Georginio Wijnaldum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georginio-wijnaldum/) > [“There are unpredictable aspects of reality, and we can shape their outcomes at the intersection of control and chance by making thoughtful decisions and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-c-quiles/there-are-unpredictable-aspects-of-reality-and-we-can-shape-their/) [F.C. Quiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-c-quiles/) > [“And really, it’s not about the destination. It’s getting there that’s the good part.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-matson/and-really-it-s-not-about-the-destination-it-s-getting-there-that-s/) [Morgan Matson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-matson/) > [“It’s not about the destination. It’s getting there that’s the good part. - Leonard”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-matson/it-s-not-about-the-destination-it-s-getting-there-that-s-the-good/) [Morgan Matson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-matson/) > [I been getting good crowds. It only took 50 years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mose-allison/i-been-getting-good-crowds-it-only-took-50-years/) [Mose Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mose-allison/) > [There may be luck in getting a good job-but there's no luck in keeping it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-ogden-armour/there-may-be-luck-in-getting-a-good-job-but-there-s-no-luck-in/) [J. Ogden Armour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-ogden-armour/) > [The odds are definitely better on getting the right job than getting a good partner for life. Someone who will grow with you. Someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mika-brzezinski/the-odds-are-definitely-better-on-getting-the-right-job-than-getting/) [Mika Brzezinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mika-brzezinski/) > [What I've been missing in my career is 30 back-to-back games and getting a good run of form and confidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-rodwell/what-i-ve-been-missing-in-my-career-is-30-back-to-back-games-and/) [Jack Rodwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-rodwell/) > [For me, it's been a long road of growth. 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And while that's really nice, you also have to think about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kara-hayward/i-think-that-a-lot-of-kids-today-focus-on-impressing-each-other-and/) [Kara Hayward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kara-hayward/) > [Being good is making it look easy, but getting good is never easy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-good-is-making-it-look-easy-but-getting-good-is-never-easy/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Conductors start getting good when everybody else retires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-rattle/conductors-start-getting-good-when-everybody-else-retires/) [Simon Rattle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-rattle/) ## More by Jules Feiffer > [When you do the kind of work I do, everything is challenging, but probably the most challenging thing is getting up in the morning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-feiffer/when-you-do-the-kind-of-work-i-do-everything-is-challenging-but/) [Jules Feiffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-feiffer/) > [When people started reading me and talking to me about the work, they didn't say how funny, or how satiric, or how brilliant, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-feiffer/when-people-started-reading-me-and-talking-to-me-about-the-work-they/) [Jules Feiffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-feiffer/) > [Artists can color the sky red because they know it's blue. Those of us who aren't artists must color things the way they really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-feiffer/artists-can-color-the-sky-red-because-they-know-it-s-blue-those-of-us/) [Jules Feiffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-feiffer/) > [I have no sense of direction; I never know where I am. When I back up a car, I'm more likely to hit what's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-feiffer/i-have-no-sense-of-direction-i-never-know-where-i-am-when-i-back-up-a/) [Jules Feiffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-feiffer/) > [Design is important because chaos is so hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-feiffer/design-is-important-because-chaos-is-so-hard/) [Jules Feiffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-feiffer/) > [I was doing cartoons and mocking white liberals, mocking the attitude of government who said to go slow, while intending to do absolutely nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-feiffer/i-was-doing-cartoons-and-mocking-white-liberals-mocking-the-attitude/) [Jules Feiffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-feiffer/) > [Cartoons were very conservative. The country was very conservative. Although the liberals were allegedly in charge for a long time, there was a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-feiffer/cartoons-were-very-conservative-the-country-was-very-conservative/) [Jules Feiffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-feiffer/) > [Remember when you were a kid and the boys didn't like the girls? Only sissies liked girls? What I'm trying to tell you is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-feiffer/remember-when-you-were-a-kid-and-the-boys-didn-t-like-the-girls-only/) [Jules Feiffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-feiffer/) > [I didn't have a job. Employers were afraid of losing their reputations. I didn't have a reputation. I had zilch. So, I had the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-feiffer/i-didn-t-have-a-job-employers-were-afraid-of-losing-their-reputations/) [Jules Feiffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-feiffer/) > [I come out of a Cold War sensibility, a Cold War mentality, and during those Cold War years, I used to know, I thought,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-feiffer/i-come-out-of-a-cold-war-sensibility-a-cold-war-mentality-and-during/) [Jules Feiffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-feiffer/) > [I seemed to have instinctually a strong idea of how the strip had to be written from the beginning. That changed too, but it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-feiffer/i-seemed-to-have-instinctually-a-strong-idea-of-how-the-strip-had-to/) [Jules Feiffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-feiffer/) > [That was exciting to be able to comment on civil rights. I mean, the civil rights movement that young people don't know about today,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-feiffer/that-was-exciting-to-be-able-to-comment-on-civil-rights-i-mean-the/) [Jules Feiffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-feiffer/) > [The artwork had very little to do with the thought process, and the writing too, for that matter. What happens, happens, and it happens…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-feiffer/the-artwork-had-very-little-to-do-with-the-thought-process-and-the/) [Jules Feiffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-feiffer/) > [I'm not electronically geared at all; I'm really a 19th century cartoonist. I have a 15-year-old daughter, and what she's attracted to is of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-feiffer/i-m-not-electronically-geared-at-all-i-m-really-a-19th-century/) [Jules Feiffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-feiffer/) > [I found it was my good fortune to somehow be able to work in these forms that I loved when I was a kid.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-feiffer/i-found-it-was-my-good-fortune-to-somehow-be-able-to-work-in-these/) [Jules Feiffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-feiffer/) [Explore all 62 Jules Feiffer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-feiffer/) ## More Chance quotes > [Before I debuted, it was my goal to make my debut, and afterwards, I aimed at winning champion titles on television music shows, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyuna/before-i-debuted-it-was-my-goal-to-make-my-debut-and-afterwards-i/) [Hyuna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyuna/) > [I understand it's promotion, but no one ever gave me a chance. 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With movies, you roll the dice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-campbell/the-happy-medium-is-television-and-if-you-find-a-good-suitor-you-can/) [Bruce Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-campbell/) > [I get afraid of the dark if I'm in a great deal of dark, and I have to move around inside of that fear...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ferris/i-get-afraid-of-the-dark-if-i-m-in-a-great-deal-of-dark-and-i-have-to/) [Emil Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ferris/) > [I have heard that if you pull a bent breath through the second hole of a harmonica tuned to the key of Georgia while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buddy-wakefield/i-have-heard-that-if-you-pull-a-bent-breath-through-the-second-hole/) [Buddy Wakefield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buddy-wakefield/) > [There are times when we can feel destiny close around us like a fist around a doorknob. Sure, we can resist. But a knob…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/there-are-times-when-we-can-feel-destiny-close-around-us-like-a-fist/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [Pain held no terror for him. Pain was, if not friend, then family, something he had grown up with in his crèche, learning to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-bacigalupi/pain-held-no-terror-for-him-pain-was-if-not-friend-then-family/) [Paolo Bacigalupi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-bacigalupi/) > [Love changes people, for better or for worse. You could look at it as a chance for you to change. The best kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-changes-people-for-better-or-for-worse-you-could-look-at-it-as-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“It's not who, it's when”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-taubas/it-s-not-who-it-s-when/) [Alejandro Taubas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-taubas/) > [Childhood is Last Chance Gulch for happiness. After that, you know too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/childhood-is-last-chance-gulch-for-happiness-after-that-you-know-too/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [I thought my first few jobs would just be off, off, off, off, off broadway. 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