---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Life is not linear, it is organic. We…"
description: "\"Life is not linear, it is organic. We create our lives symbiotically as we explore our talents in relation to the circumstances they help create for us..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/721/ken-robinson-2219_circumstances_life-is-not-linear-it-is-organic-we-crea_2215635.png"
---

#  Life is not linear, it is organic. We create our lives…

![“Life is not linear, it is organic. We create our lives symbiotically as we explore our talents in relation to the circumstances they help create for us” quote by Ken Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/721/ken-robinson-2219_circumstances_life-is-not-linear-it-is-organic-we-crea_2215635.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/721/ken-robinson-2219_circumstances_life-is-not-linear-it-is-organic-we-crea_2215635.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/721/ken-robinson-2219_circumstances_life-is-not-linear-it-is-organic-we-crea_2215635.png)

> “Life is not linear, it is organic. We create our lives symbiotically as we explore our talents in relation to the circumstances they help create for us”

[Ken Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-robinson/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Life unfolds organically, intertwining talents and circumstances, requiring adaptive, collaborative growth rather than linear planning.

**In simple terms:** Life is organic, not linear; adapt and collaborate.

Key Takeaway

Embrace flexibility and nurture talents.

Themes

education growth creativity adaptation

Mood

inspirational thoughtful

Type

philosophical motivational

When to use this quote

- career planning
- skill development
- team projects

Key Concepts

systems thinking organic development

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you map organic growth?
- What structures support symbiotic development?

A Different Perspective

Linear goals can still provide useful milestones.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Talent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talent/)

## Related quotes

> [Life's not linear at all. It happens in lighting flashes. So fast you don't see those lay-you-out cold moments coming at you until you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/life-s-not-linear-at-all-it-happens-in-lighting-flashes-so-fast-you/)

[Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/)

> [Life is not linear; you have ups and downs. It's how you deal with the troughs that defines you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lee-chin/life-is-not-linear-you-have-ups-and-downs-it-s-how-you-deal-with-the-2/)

[Michael Lee-Chin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lee-chin/)

> [The way that you remember your life, it's never linear. You have flashes of different moments of your life, and the flashes aren't equal;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjane-satrapi/the-way-that-you-remember-your-life-it-s-never-linear-you-have/)

[Marjane Satrapi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjane-satrapi/)

> [“It’s not enough to be good at something to be in your element… We’re being brought up with this idea that life is linear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sir-ken-robinson/it-s-not-enough-to-be-good-at-something-to-be-in-your-element-we-re/)

[Sir Ken Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sir-ken-robinson/)

> [Life is not linear; you have ups and downs. It's how you deal with the trough that defines you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lee-chin/life-is-not-linear-you-have-ups-and-downs-it-s-how-you-deal-with-the/)

[Michael Lee-Chin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lee-chin/)

> [I don't believe that life is linear. I think of it as circles - concentric circles that connect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-williams/i-don-t-believe-that-life-is-linear-i-think-of-it-as-circles/)

[Michelle Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-williams/)

> [“Life is a linear equation in which you can't cross multiply! If you think you can do it, you can do it. If you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/life-is-a-linear-equation-in-which-you-can-t-cross-multiply-if-you/)

[Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/)

> [I believe we create our own lives. And we create it by our thinking, feeling patterns in our belief system. I think we're all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-l-hay/i-believe-we-create-our-own-lives-and-we-create-it-by-our-thinking/)

[Louise L. Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-l-hay/)

> [Rich people believe that they create their lives while poor people believe that life happens to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/rich-people-believe-that-they-create-their-lives-while-poor-people/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [If you educate children, then they are capable of so much - you empower them, you give them choices, and you enable them to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomie-harris/if-you-educate-children-then-they-are-capable-of-so-much-you-empower/)

[Naomie Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomie-harris/)

> [Our thoughts really do create our lives. They've done a lot of research showing if you're an optimistic, positive person you will be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alana-stewart/our-thoughts-really-do-create-our-lives-they-ve-done-a-lot-of/)

[Alana Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alana-stewart/)

> [Faith is the determination to create with our lives what only our hearts can conceive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-mcmanus/faith-is-the-determination-to-create-with-our-lives-what-only-our/)

[Erwin McManus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-mcmanus/)

> [“If we are going to create lives of love, compassion, and purpose, we have the charge to question what we believe. It is only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-cates/if-we-are-going-to-create-lives-of-love-compassion-and-purpose-we/)

[Regina Cates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-cates/)

> [In the daily lives of most men and women, fear plays a greater part than hope: they are more filled with the thought of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/in-the-daily-lives-of-most-men-and-women-fear-plays-a-greater-part/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [The big thing I tell my kids is you have to control how you label things. It's very important to me they understand the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-smith/the-big-thing-i-tell-my-kids-is-you-have-to-control-how-you-label/)

[Will Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-smith/)

## More by Ken Robinson

> [“Shakespeare’s Hamlet: “There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-robinson/shakespeare-s-hamlet-there-is-nothing-either-good-or-bad-but-thinking/)

[Ken Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-robinson/)

> [“As humanity becomes more numerous and interwoven, living respectfully with diversity is not just an ethical choice, it is a practical imperative. There”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-robinson/as-humanity-becomes-more-numerous-and-interwoven-living-respectfully/)

[Ken Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-robinson/)

> [In a world where lifelong employment in the same job is a thing of the past, creativity is not a luxury. It is essential…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-robinson/in-a-world-where-lifelong-employment-in-the-same-job-is-a-thing-of/)

[Ken Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-robinson/)

> [“For most of us the problem isn’t that we aim too high and fail - it’s just the opposite - we aim too low…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-robinson/for-most-of-us-the-problem-isn-t-that-we-aim-too-high-and-fail-it-s/)

[Ken Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-robinson/)

> [Very often, organizations are inflexible because there is too little communication between functions; they are too segregated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-robinson/very-often-organizations-are-inflexible-because-there-is-too-little/)

[Ken Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-robinson/)

> [Every education system on Earth has the same hierarchy of subjects: at the top are mathematics and languages, then the humanities, and the bottom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-robinson/every-education-system-on-earth-has-the-same-hierarchy-of-subjects-at/)

[Ken Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-robinson/)

> [“We are all born with extraordinary powers of imagination, intelligence, feeling, intuition, spirituality, and of physical and sensory awareness. (p.9)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-robinson/we-are-all-born-with-extraordinary-powers-of-imagination-intelligence/)

[Ken Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-robinson/)

> [You create your life, and you can recreate it, too. In times of economic downturn and uncertainty, it's more important than ever to look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-robinson/you-create-your-life-and-you-can-recreate-it-too-in-times-of-economic/)

[Ken Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-robinson/)

> [“I asked a professor of nanotechnology what they use to measure the unthinkable small distances of nanospace? He said it was the nanometre. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-robinson/i-asked-a-professor-of-nanotechnology-what-they-use-to-measure-the/)

[Ken Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-robinson/)

> [We need to eliminate the existing hierarchy of subjects. Elevating some disciplines over others only reinforces outmoded assumptions of industrialism and offends the principle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-robinson/we-need-to-eliminate-the-existing-hierarchy-of-subjects-elevating/)

[Ken Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-robinson/)

> [Too many people never connect with their true talents and therefore don't know what they are capable of achieving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-robinson/too-many-people-never-connect-with-their-true-talents-and-therefore/)

[Ken Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-robinson/)

> [You can't just give someone a creativity injection. You have to create an environment for curiosity and a way to encourage people and get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-robinson/you-can-t-just-give-someone-a-creativity-injection-you-have-to-create/)

[Ken Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-robinson/)

> [The fact is that given the challenges we face, education doesn't need to be reformed -- it needs to be transformed. The key to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-robinson/the-fact-is-that-given-the-challenges-we-face-education-doesn-t-need/)

[Ken Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-robinson/)

> [Private imaginings may have no outcomes in the world at all. Creativity does. Being creative involves doing something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-robinson/private-imaginings-may-have-no-outcomes-in-the-world-at-all/)

[Ken Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-robinson/)

> [“Public schools were not only created in the interests of industrialism—they were created in the image of industrialism. In many ways, they reflect the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-robinson/public-schools-were-not-only-created-in-the-interests-of/)

[Ken Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-robinson/)

[Explore all 170 Ken Robinson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-robinson/)

## More Circumstances quotes

> [I'm often moved by the circumstances around some of my characters, but I don't think I've actually cried watching myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-winslet/i-m-often-moved-by-the-circumstances-around-some-of-my-characters-but/)

[Kate Winslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-winslet/)

> [Jobs and money are never the primary cause of stress. Thinking, negative thinking causes stress. The real cause of all problems lie in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/jobs-and-money-are-never-the-primary-cause-of-stress-thinking/)

[Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/)

> [Although under particular circumstances, the violence method - any method - can be justified, nevertheless once you commit violence, then counterviolence will be returned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/although-under-particular-circumstances-the-violence-method-any/)

[Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/)

> [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [Trust is about keeping commitments, but in many instances, circumstances change and organizations therefore shed commitments, things such as retiree medical benefits, pension obligations,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-pfeffer/trust-is-about-keeping-commitments-but-in-many-instances/)

[Jeffrey Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-pfeffer/)

> [The fortunate circumstances of our lives are generally found, at last, to be of our own producing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/the-fortunate-circumstances-of-our-lives-are-generally-found-at-last/)

[Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/)

> [“The set of circumstances that justifies the use of deadly force is a situation of immediate danger of death or great bodily harm to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/massad-ayoob/the-set-of-circumstances-that-justifies-the-use-of-deadly-force-is-a/)

[Massad Ayoob](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/massad-ayoob/)

> [My sister-in-law works for a group that supports orphanages in Cairo. She and her colleagues take care of children left behind by circumstances beyond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamed-elbaradei/my-sister-in-law-works-for-a-group-that-supports-orphanages-in-cairo/)

[Mohamed ElBaradei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamed-elbaradei/)

> [It's impossible to know who Donald might have been under different circumstances and with different parents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-l-trump/it-s-impossible-to-know-who-donald-might-have-been-under-different/)

[Mary L. Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-l-trump/)

> [When we watch a play under the standard circumstances, we've lost volition and time is passing. A still play feels like an existential threat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-greenberg/when-we-watch-a-play-under-the-standard-circumstances-we-ve-lost/)

[Richard Greenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-greenberg/)

> [Being positive helps you to keep away negative thoughts. And helps you to stand in adverse circumstances with the hope that in the end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/being-positive-helps-you-to-keep-away-negative-thoughts-and-helps-you/)

[Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/)

> [It seemed to me that the human beings I met reacted pretty much the same to the same stimuli. Different idioms,yes. Circumstances and conditions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zora-neale-hurston/it-seemed-to-me-that-the-human-beings-i-met-reacted-pretty-much-the/)

[Zora Neale Hurston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zora-neale-hurston/)

> [I don't think you would have missed that putt, but in these circumstances, I would never give you the opportunity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/i-don-t-think-you-would-have-missed-that-putt-but-in-these/)

[Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/)

> [I used to think I could shape the circumstances around me, but now I know Jesus uses circumstances to shape me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-goff/i-used-to-think-i-could-shape-the-circumstances-around-me-but-now-i/)

[Bob Goff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-goff/)

> [Instead of complaining about your circumstances, get busy creating new ones. You either suffer the pain of discipline or the pain of regret.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/instead-of-complaining-about-your-circumstances-get-busy-creating-new/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

Browse all 4,560 Circumstances quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Life is not linear, it is organic. We create our lives symbiotically as we explore our talents in relation to the circumstances they help create for us",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Ken Robinson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-robinson/life-is-not-linear-it-is-organic-we-create-our-lives-symbiotically-as/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Circumstances"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-robinson/life-is-not-linear-it-is-organic-we-create-our-lives-symbiotically-as/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/721/ken-robinson-2219_circumstances_life-is-not-linear-it-is-organic-we-crea_2215635.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/721/ken-robinson-2219_circumstances_life-is-not-linear-it-is-organic-we-crea_2215635.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/721/ken-robinson-2219_circumstances_life-is-not-linear-it-is-organic-we-crea_2215635.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Life is not linear, it is organic. We create our lives symbiotically as we explore our talents in relation…” — Ken Robinson",
                "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": "Ken Robinson",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-robinson/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Life is not linear, it is...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-robinson/life-is-not-linear-it-is-organic-we-create-our-lives-symbiotically-as/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-robinson/life-is-not-linear-it-is-organic-we-create-our-lives-symbiotically-as/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
