--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The two prime movers in the Universe are…" description: "\"The two prime movers in the Universe are Time and Luck.\" — Kurt Vonnegut" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f0/kurt-vonnegut-41_luck_the-two-prime-movers-in-the-universe-are_1773647.jpg" --- # The two prime movers in the Universe are Time and Luck. ![“The two prime movers in the Universe are Time and Luck.” quote by Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f0/kurt-vonnegut-41_luck_the-two-prime-movers-in-the-universe-are_1773647.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f0/kurt-vonnegut-41_luck_the-two-prime-movers-in-the-universe-are_1773647.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f0/kurt-vonnegut-41_luck_the-two-prime-movers-in-the-universe-are_1773647.jpg) > “The two prime movers in the Universe are Time and Luck.” [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Time and luck are the primary forces shaping outcomes, beyond human control. **In simple terms:** Time and luck drive what happens. Key Takeaway Adapt to time and luck. Themes fate chance impermanence Mood contemplative neutral Type philosophical observational When to use this quote - career planning - investment - creative projects - personal relationships Key Concepts existentialism probability Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance effort with chance? - Can you influence luck? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on luck may diminish agency. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Luck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/luck/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe/) ## Related quotes > [We the People' are the prime movers of the Republic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-nath-kovind/we-the-people-are-the-prime-movers-of-the-republic/) [Ram Nath Kovind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-nath-kovind/) > [Seriously, you tell me, if you aim at something, and then hit it time and time again, was it luck or did you just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-serra/seriously-you-tell-me-if-you-aim-at-something-and-then-hit-it-time/) [Matt Serra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-serra/) > [“If, as I've said all along, the universe at any time is what you say it is, then say.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-burke/if-as-i-ve-said-all-along-the-universe-at-any-time-is-what-you-say-it/) [James Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-burke/) > [Just as a lamp waved in darkness creates a figure of light in the air, which remains for as long as the lamp repeats…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-crowley/just-as-a-lamp-waved-in-darkness-creates-a-figure-of-light-in-the-air/) [John Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-crowley/) > [I think that the future of the human race is to spread through the universe, and now is the time that we should be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kip-thorne/i-think-that-the-future-of-the-human-race-is-to-spread-through-the/) [Kip Thorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kip-thorne/) > [We shall never meet, but there is something I want you to know. My time is not the same as your time. Our times…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erlend-loe/we-shall-never-meet-but-there-is-something-i-want-you-to-know-my-time/) [Erlend Loe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erlend-loe/) > [“In this universe there are no time machines or keys that can turn hearts back around.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-tregay/in-this-universe-there-are-no-time-machines-or-keys-that-can-turn/) [Sarah Tregay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-tregay/) > [The universe is Time's body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-crowley/the-universe-is-time-s-body/) [John Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-crowley/) > [There was no efore the beginning of our universe, because once upon a time there was no time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-was-no-efore-the-beginning-of-our-universe-because-once-upon-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“universe time brain memory psychology reality”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a/universe-time-brain-memory-psychology-reality/) a > [“As we were walking home the other night, Orafoura turned to me and said, “Were you aware that there are places in the universe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/as-we-were-walking-home-the-other-night-orafoura-turned-to-me-and/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [I'm glad He had the never while staring into space, to give this universe a time and place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-strait/i-m-glad-he-had-the-never-while-staring-into-space-to-give-this/) [George Strait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-strait/) > [We do not know whether there are extra dimensions or multiverse. Let's go forward with the possible ideas that come out of the mathematics.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-greene/we-do-not-know-whether-there-are-extra-dimensions-or-multiverse-let-s/) [Brian Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-greene/) > [“This is my universe, my time, my world. There is no going back to what was. There is only the future.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-lord/this-is-my-universe-my-time-my-world-there-is-no-going-back-to-what/) [Karen Lord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-lord/) > [Isn't it amazing that the God who is in total control of this universe will take time out of His day to hear us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-cahill/isn-t-it-amazing-that-the-god-who-is-in-total-control-of-this/) [Mark Cahill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cahill/) ## More by Kurt Vonnegut > [“You must bloom as a writer and I must bloom as a painter. Everything else about us is uninteresting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/you-must-bloom-as-a-writer-and-i-must-bloom-as-a-painter-everything/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“People aren't supposed to look back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/people-aren-t-supposed-to-look-back/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Have a good nap, did you?” said the porter. “Yes,” said Billy. “Man,” said the porter, “you sure had a hard-on.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/have-a-good-nap-did-you-said-the-porter-yes-said-billy-man-said-the/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“I told him that if we doubted that we are demons in Hell, he should read The Mysterious Stranger, which Mark Twain wrote in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-told-him-that-if-we-doubted-that-we-are-demons-in-hell-he-should/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [ “Thomas Jefferson High School \[..\] His high school was named after a slave owner who was also one of the world’s greatest theoreticians on… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/thomas-jefferson-high-school-his-high-school-was-named-after-a-slave/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“I had a certain amount of skill as a dramatist, and Dr. Goebbels wanted me to use it”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-had-a-certain-amount-of-skill-as-a-dramatist-and-dr-goebbels-wanted/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [I was some of the mud that got to sit up and look around. Lucky me, lucky mud.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-was-some-of-the-mud-that-got-to-sit-up-and-look-around-lucky-me/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“The town was Newport, Rhode Island, U.S.A., Earth, Solar System, Milky Way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/the-town-was-newport-rhode-island-u-s-a-earth-solar-system-milky-way/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Her face was one of a kind, a surprising variation that made observers think, Yes--that would be another very nice way for people to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/her-face-was-one-of-a-kind-a-surprising-variation-that-made-observers/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“You finally fell in love, I see,” said Salo. “Only an Earthling year ago,” said Constant. “It took us that long to realize that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/you-finally-fell-in-love-i-see-said-salo-only-an-earthling-year-ago/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Like all Earthlings at the point of death, Mary Young sent faint reminders of herself to those who had known her. She released a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/like-all-earthlings-at-the-point-of-death-mary-young-sent-faint/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“And contrast Mary Kathleen, if you will, with my wife Ruth, the Ophelia of the death camps, who believed that even the most intelligent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/and-contrast-mary-kathleen-if-you-will-with-my-wife-ruth-the-ophelia/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [Someday, someday, this crazy world will have to end, And our God will take things back that He to us did lend. And if,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/someday-someday-this-crazy-world-will-have-to-end-and-our-god-will/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“They were going back to the slaughterhouse for souvenirs of the war.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/they-were-going-back-to-the-slaughterhouse-for-souvenirs-of-the-war/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“There are plenty of good reasons for fighting," I said, "but no good reason ever to hate without reservation, to imagine that God Almighty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/there-are-plenty-of-good-reasons-for-fighting-i-said-but-no-good/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) [Explore all 2,089 Kurt Vonnegut quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) ## More Luck quotes > [I might, by chance, write something just as shoddy; But then I wouldn't show it to everybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/i-might-by-chance-write-something-just-as-shoddy-but-then-i-wouldn-t/) [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [You don't get lucky. You create lucky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sharma/you-don-t-get-lucky-you-create-lucky/) [Robin Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sharma/) > [“Coincidence is the exception, not the rule.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soheir-khashoggi/coincidence-is-the-exception-not-the-rule/) [Soheir Khashoggi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soheir-khashoggi/) > [If you don't meet luck halfway with really hard work, luck won't get you all the way there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asia-kate-dillon/if-you-don-t-meet-luck-halfway-with-really-hard-work-luck-won-t-get/) [Asia Kate Dillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asia-kate-dillon/) > [“Failing to meet your true destiny is a tragic act of free will.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthon-st-maarten/failing-to-meet-your-true-destiny-is-a-tragic-act-of-free-will/) [Anthon St. Maarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthon-st-maarten/) > [To be successful, one must take chances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-stargell/to-be-successful-one-must-take-chances/) [Willie Stargell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-stargell/) > [“Clent, however, suppressed any sense of pity without the slightest difficulty. His brain was busy with the icy clockwork of calculation. If only this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/clent-however-suppressed-any-sense-of-pity-without-the-slightest/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [If you scared to take chances, you'll never have the answers...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/if-you-scared-to-take-chances-you-ll-never-have-the-answers/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [Don't minimize the importance of luck in determining life's course.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-trebek/don-t-minimize-the-importance-of-luck-in-determining-life-s-course/) [Alex Trebek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-trebek/) > [I had a visit from an artist friend who basically said, "Your paintings are wonderful. Now stop." It did resonate with me. It hit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caio-fonseca/i-had-a-visit-from-an-artist-friend-who-basically-said-your-paintings/) [Caio Fonseca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caio-fonseca/) > [Everybody needs a chance to find love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-longoria/everybody-needs-a-chance-to-find-love/) [Eva Longoria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-longoria/) > [We seal our fate with the choices we take, but don't give a second thought to the chances we take.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-estefan/we-seal-our-fate-with-the-choices-we-take-but-don-t-give-a-second/) [Gloria Estefan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-estefan/) > [Life is a luck coin, once you're thrown into the pond..only you can make your worth the most by making it to the people's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zacomh/life-is-a-luck-coin-once-you-re-thrown-into-the-pond-only-you-can/) Zacomh > [Bad luck isn't brought by broken mirrors, but by broken minds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramandeep-singh/bad-luck-isn-t-brought-by-broken-mirrors-but-by-broken-minds/) [Ramandeep Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramandeep-singh/) [Browse all 5,673 Luck quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/luck/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The two prime movers in the Universe are Time and Luck.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kurt Vonnegut" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/the-two-prime-movers-in-the-universe-are-time-and-luck/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Luck" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/the-two-prime-movers-in-the-universe-are-time-and-luck/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f0/kurt-vonnegut-41_luck_the-two-prime-movers-in-the-universe-are_1773647.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f0/kurt-vonnegut-41_luck_the-two-prime-movers-in-the-universe-are_1773647.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f0/kurt-vonnegut-41_luck_the-two-prime-movers-in-the-universe-are_1773647.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The two prime movers in the Universe are Time and Luck.” — Kurt Vonnegut", "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": "Kurt Vonnegut", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The two prime movers in the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/the-two-prime-movers-in-the-universe-are-time-and-luck/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/the-two-prime-movers-in-the-universe-are-time-and-luck/#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 } } ] } ```