--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It had never occurred to me that our…" description: "\"It had never occurred to me that our lives, which had been so closely interwoven, could unravel with such speed.\" — Kazuo Ishiguro" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/442/kazuo-ishiguro-1029_inspirational_it-had-never-occurred-to-me-that-our-liv_2180641.jpg" --- # It had never occurred to me that our lives, which had been… ![“It had never occurred to me that our lives, which had been so closely interwoven, could unravel with such speed.” quote by Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/442/kazuo-ishiguro-1029_inspirational_it-had-never-occurred-to-me-that-our-liv_2180641.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/442/kazuo-ishiguro-1029_inspirational_it-had-never-occurred-to-me-that-our-liv_2180641.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/442/kazuo-ishiguro-1029_inspirational_it-had-never-occurred-to-me-that-our-liv_2180641.jpg) > “It had never occurred to me that our lives, which had been so closely interwoven, could unravel with such speed.” [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Relationships can dissolve quickly when the bonds that held them together fray. **In simple terms:** Close ties can break fast. Key Takeaway Cherish and maintain connections. Themes relationships impermanence loss Mood melancholic thoughtful Type literary reflective When to use this quote - friendships - family ties - romantic relationships Key Concepts human connection fragility of bonds Questions to Reflect On - How do you nurture lasting bonds? - What signs indicate a relationship is weakening? A Different Perspective Assuming permanence leads to surprise. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Interwoven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interwoven/) [Speed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speed/) ## Related quotes > [“It had never occurred to me that our lives, which had been so closely interwoven, could unravel with such speed. If I’d known, maybe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/it-had-never-occurred-to-me-that-our-lives-which-had-been-so-closely-2/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [“It never occurred to me that our lives, until then so closely interwoven, could unravel and separate”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/it-never-occurred-to-me-that-our-lives-until-then-so-closely/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [It never occurred to me that our lives, until then so closely interwoven, could unravel and separate over a thing like that. But the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/it-never-occurred-to-me-that-our-lives-until-then-so-closely-2/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [“As I’ve said, it wasn’t until a long time afterwards—long after I’d left the Cottages—that I realized just how significant out little encounter in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/as-i-ve-said-it-wasn-t-until-a-long-time-afterwards-long-after-i-d/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [So closely interwoven have been our lives, our purposes, and experiences that, separated, we have a feeling of incompletenessunited, such strength of self-association that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-cady-stanton/so-closely-interwoven-have-been-our-lives-our-purposes-and/) [Elizabeth Cady Stanton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-cady-stanton/) > [I just write characters, and somehow they happen to be a boy and a girl. When the story is put together, and their characters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imtiaz-ali/i-just-write-characters-and-somehow-they-happen-to-be-a-boy-and-a/) [Imtiaz Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/imtiaz-ali/) > [“In nature everything is connected, interwoven, subject to natural law. We cannot separate ourselves from that, no matter how hard we try.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-anderson/in-nature-everything-is-connected-interwoven-subject-to-natural-law/) [Jeffrey R. Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-anderson/) > [The cells of an organism are nodes in a richly interwoven communications network, transmitting and receiving, coding and decoding. Evolution itself embodies an ongoing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/the-cells-of-an-organism-are-nodes-in-a-richly-interwoven/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [I try not to become friends with musicians, but life happens and dinner happens and going out happens - it becomes interwoven in L.A.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ariel-rechtshaid/i-try-not-to-become-friends-with-musicians-but-life-happens-and/) [Ariel Rechtshaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ariel-rechtshaid/) > [We do not fully understand the consequences of rising populations and increasing energy consumption on the interwoven fabric of atmosphere, water, land and life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/we-do-not-fully-understand-the-consequences-of-rising-populations-and/) [Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/) > [I spent my life folded between the pages of books. In the absence of human relationships I formed bonds with paper characters. I lived…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/i-spent-my-life-folded-between-the-pages-of-books-in-the-absence-of/) [Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/) > [“Visitors are not permitted to see me twice. You will have to join the cult in order to do so. If the visitor sees…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-harlem/visitors-are-not-permitted-to-see-me-twice-you-will-have-to-join-the/) [Rebecca Harlem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-harlem/) > [“All life in the planet is interwoven with all the other creatures in multiple ways. This is the web of life, we don't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beatriz-moisset/all-life-in-the-planet-is-interwoven-with-all-the-other-creatures-in/) Beatriz Moisset > [The only reason we don't notice how absolutely interwoven our thinking processes have become with older technologies - pencils, paper, electric light, penicillin, fire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-thompson/the-only-reason-we-don-t-notice-how-absolutely-interwoven-our/) [Clive Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-thompson/) > [Everything is interwoven, and the web is holy; none of its parts are unconnected. They are composed harmoniously, and together - they compose the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/everything-is-interwoven-and-the-web-is-holy-none-of-its-parts-are/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) ## More by Kazuo Ishiguro > [The evening's the best part of the day. You've done your day's work. Now you can put your feet up and enjoy it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/the-evening-s-the-best-part-of-the-day-you-ve-done-your-day-s-work/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [As a writer, I'm more interested in what people tell themselves happened rather than what actually happened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/as-a-writer-i-m-more-interested-in-what-people-tell-themselves/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [“About him and his wife voting for different parties. A few years ago that would have been unthinkable.” “No doubt.” “Quite extraordinary the things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/about-him-and-his-wife-voting-for-different-parties-a-few-years-ago/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [“But what is the sense in forever speculating what might have happened had such and such a moment turned out differently? One could presumably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/but-what-is-the-sense-in-forever-speculating-what-might-have-happened/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [“Silence is just as likely to indicate the most profound ideas forming, the deepest energies being summoned.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/silence-is-just-as-likely-to-indicate-the-most-profound-ideas-forming/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [“I don't know why, but it didn't seem an option for more than one of us to storm off, and I wanted to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/i-don-t-know-why-but-it-didn-t-seem-an-option-for-more-than-one-of-us/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [Our family arrived in England in 1960. At that time I thought the war was ancient history. But if I think of 15 years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/our-family-arrived-in-england-in-1960-at-that-time-i-thought-the-war/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [He chose a certain path in life, it proved to be a misguided one, but there, he chose it, he can say that at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/he-chose-a-certain-path-in-life-it-proved-to-be-a-misguided-one-but/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [“For however one may come in later years to reassess one’s achievements, it is always a consolation to know that one’s life has contained…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/for-however-one-may-come-in-later-years-to-reassess-one-s/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [You're always in a rush, or else you're too exhausted to have a proper conversation. Soon enough, the long hours, the traveling, the broken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/you-re-always-in-a-rush-or-else-you-re-too-exhausted-to-have-a-proper/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [I don't think it's any fun, even if you are one of the most respected authors in the world like Margaret Atwood, to keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/i-don-t-think-it-s-any-fun-even-if-you-are-one-of-the-most-respected/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [I think it's quite difficult to understand what kind of life a writer leads. They might be millionaires, or they might be starving people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/i-think-it-s-quite-difficult-to-understand-what-kind-of-life-a-writer/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [“But this small episode is as good an illustration as any of the hazards of uttering witticisms. By the very nature of a witticism,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/but-this-small-episode-is-as-good-an-illustration-as-any-of-the/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [There comes a point when you can more or less count the number of books you're going to write before you die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/there-comes-a-point-when-you-can-more-or-less-count-the-number-of/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [My wife is the most savage critic. She doesn't feel intimidated by my reputation. As far as she's concerned, she's just criticising a boyfriend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/my-wife-is-the-most-savage-critic-she-doesn-t-feel-intimidated-by-my/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) [Explore all 292 Kazuo Ishiguro quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) ## More Inspirational quotes > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We talk to God--that is prayer; God talks to us--that is inspiration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-emilie-cady/we-talk-to-god-that-is-prayer-god-talks-to-us-that-is-inspiration/) [H. Emilie Cady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-emilie-cady/) > [You cant be controlling in improv.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-walsh/you-cant-be-controlling-in-improv/) [Matt Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-walsh/) > [The man who can master his time can master nearly anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/the-man-who-can-master-his-time-can-master-nearly-anything/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Just understand that the good that you want is already here. All you have to do is get in harmony with it. And you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/just-understand-that-the-good-that-you-want-is-already-here-all-you/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/if-you-want-to-build-a-ship-don-t-drum-up-the-men-to-gather-wood/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupéry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [Obviously, if you don't love life, you can't enjoy an oyster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-clark/obviously-if-you-don-t-love-life-you-can-t-enjoy-an-oyster/) [Eleanor Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-clark/) > [It's not the method, it's the mindset.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-gilbert/it-s-not-the-method-it-s-the-mindset/) [Andy Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-gilbert/) > [It's a hard thing to describe. It's just this sense that you got something to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-lehrer/it-s-a-hard-thing-to-describe-it-s-just-this-sense-that-you-got/) [Jonah Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-lehrer/) > [Too much familiarity breeds contempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/too-much-familiarity-breeds-contempt/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [We never really perceive what color is physically!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josef-albers/we-never-really-perceive-what-color-is-physically/) [Josef Albers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josef-albers/) > [Politics is not an issue whether you like or dislike , but every citizen must involve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khem-veasna/politics-is-not-an-issue-whether-you-like-or-dislike-but-every/) [Khem Veasna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khem-veasna/) > [God reveals Himself through surprises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/god-reveals-himself-through-surprises/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) [Browse all 114,561 Inspirational quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It had never occurred to me that our lives, which had been so closely interwoven, could unravel with such speed.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kazuo Ishiguro" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/it-had-never-occurred-to-me-that-our-lives-which-had-been-so-closely/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Inspirational" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/it-had-never-occurred-to-me-that-our-lives-which-had-been-so-closely/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/442/kazuo-ishiguro-1029_inspirational_it-had-never-occurred-to-me-that-our-liv_2180641.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/442/kazuo-ishiguro-1029_inspirational_it-had-never-occurred-to-me-that-our-liv_2180641.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/442/kazuo-ishiguro-1029_inspirational_it-had-never-occurred-to-me-that-our-liv_2180641.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It had never occurred to me that our lives, which had been so closely interwoven, could unravel with such…” — Kazuo Ishiguro", "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": "Kazuo Ishiguro", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It had never occurred to me...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/it-had-never-occurred-to-me-that-our-lives-which-had-been-so-closely/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/it-had-never-occurred-to-me-that-our-lives-which-had-been-so-closely/#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 } } ] } ```