--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It does not so much matter what happens…" description: "\"It does not so much matter what happens. It is what one does when it happens that really counts.\" — Laura Ingalls Wilder" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cff/laura-ingalls-wilder-3466_doe_it-does-not-so-much-matter-what-happens_954927.jpg" --- # It does not so much matter what happens. It is what one… ![“It does not so much matter what happens. It is what one does when it happens that really counts.” quote by Laura Ingalls Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cff/laura-ingalls-wilder-3466_doe_it-does-not-so-much-matter-what-happens_954927.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cff/laura-ingalls-wilder-3466_doe_it-does-not-so-much-matter-what-happens_954927.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cff/laura-ingalls-wilder-3466_doe_it-does-not-so-much-matter-what-happens_954927.jpg) > “It does not so much matter what happens. It is what one does when it happens that really counts.” [Laura Ingalls Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ingalls-wilder/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Actions taken during events define character more than the events themselves. **In simple terms:** What you do matters. Key Takeaway Act purposefully when challenges arise. Themes resilience agency character Mood determined hopeful Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - crisis response - daily decisions - parenting - career setbacks Key Concepts choice under pressure personal growth Questions to Reflect On - How do you decide your response in a crisis? - What values guide your actions? A Different Perspective External circumstances still influence outcomes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Perspective](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perspective/) ## Related quotes > [Experience is not what happens to a man; it is what a man does with what happens to him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/experience-is-not-what-happens-to-a-man-it-is-what-a-man-does-with-3/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [Once we see an aspect of what we or someone else does as something that happens, we lose our grip on the idea that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-nagel/once-we-see-an-aspect-of-what-we-or-someone-else-does-as-something/) [Thomas Nagel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-nagel/) > [When something happens to us, does it makes us who we are. Or did we just make something happen?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/when-something-happens-to-us-does-it-makes-us-who-we-are-or-did-we/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [Happiness is not something that happens ... It does not depend on outside events, but, rather, on how we interpret them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/happiness-is-not-something-that-happens-it-does-not-depend-on-outside/) [Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/) > [A memory is what is left when something happens and does not completely unhappen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-de-bono/a-memory-is-what-is-left-when-something-happens-and-does-not/) [Edward de Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-de-bono/) > [Continue this practice no matter what happens or what anyone does to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/continue-this-practice-no-matter-what-happens-or-what-anyone-does-to/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [Tennis taught me what happens when you really work on something, and what happens when you don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-jassy/tennis-taught-me-what-happens-when-you-really-work-on-something-and/) [Andy Jassy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-jassy/) > [The thing always happens that you really believe in; and the belief in a thing makes it happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-lloyd-wright/the-thing-always-happens-that-you-really-believe-in-and-the-belief-in/) [Frank Lloyd Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-lloyd-wright/) > [Life happens to all of us. 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Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [I don't count my sit-ups. I only start counting when it starts hurting. That is when I start counting, because then it really counts.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/i-don-t-count-my-sit-ups-i-only-start-counting-when-it-starts-hurting/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) ## More by Laura Ingalls Wilder > [I understood…that in my own life I represented a whole period of American history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-ingalls-wilder/i-understood-that-in-my-own-life-i-represented-a-whole-period-of/) [Laura Ingalls Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ingalls-wilder/) > [there is a spirit in every home, a sort of composite spirit composed of the thoughts and feelings of the members of the family…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-ingalls-wilder/there-is-a-spirit-in-every-home-a-sort-of-composite-spirit-composed/) [Laura Ingalls Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ingalls-wilder/) > [The uplift of a fearless heart will help us over barriers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-ingalls-wilder/the-uplift-of-a-fearless-heart-will-help-us-over-barriers/) [Laura Ingalls Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ingalls-wilder/) > [The world seems a lonesome place when mother has passed away and only memories of her are left.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-ingalls-wilder/the-world-seems-a-lonesome-place-when-mother-has-passed-away-and-only/) [Laura Ingalls Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ingalls-wilder/) > [Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-ingalls-wilder/our-hearts-grow-tender-with-childhood-memories-and-love-of-kindred/) [Laura Ingalls Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ingalls-wilder/) > [We'd never get anything fixed to suit us if we waited for things to suit us before we started.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-ingalls-wilder/we-d-never-get-anything-fixed-to-suit-us-if-we-waited-for-things-to/) [Laura Ingalls Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ingalls-wilder/) > [All those golden autumn days the sky was full of wings. Wings beating low over the blue water of Silver Lake, wings beating high…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-ingalls-wilder/all-those-golden-autumn-days-the-sky-was-full-of-wings-wings-beating/) [Laura Ingalls Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ingalls-wilder/) > [These times are too progressive. Everything has changed too fast. Railroads and telegraphs and kerosene and coal stoves -- they're good to have but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-ingalls-wilder/these-times-are-too-progressive-everything-has-changed-too-fast/) [Laura Ingalls Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ingalls-wilder/) > [I am beginning to learn that it is the sweet, simple things in life which are the real ones after all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-ingalls-wilder/i-am-beginning-to-learn-that-it-is-the-sweet-simple-things-in-life/) [Laura Ingalls Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ingalls-wilder/) > [Life was not intended to be simply a round of work, no matter how interesting and important that work may be. A moment’s pause…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-ingalls-wilder/life-was-not-intended-to-be-simply-a-round-of-work-no-matter-how/) [Laura Ingalls Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ingalls-wilder/) > [Suffering passes, while love is eternal. That's a gift that you have received from God. Don't waste it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-ingalls-wilder/suffering-passes-while-love-is-eternal-that-s-a-gift-that-you-have/) [Laura Ingalls Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ingalls-wilder/) > [Remember well, and bear in mind, a constant friend is hard to find.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-ingalls-wilder/remember-well-and-bear-in-mind-a-constant-friend-is-hard-to-find/) [Laura Ingalls Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ingalls-wilder/) > [The only stupid thing about words is the spelling of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-ingalls-wilder/the-only-stupid-thing-about-words-is-the-spelling-of-them/) [Laura Ingalls Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ingalls-wilder/) > [“Little rabbits, you know, always have games together before they go to bed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-ingalls-wilder/little-rabbits-you-know-always-have-games-together-before-they-go-to/) [Laura Ingalls Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ingalls-wilder/) > [These happy golden years are passing by, these happy golden years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-ingalls-wilder/these-happy-golden-years-are-passing-by-these-happy-golden-years/) [Laura Ingalls Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ingalls-wilder/) [Explore all 127 Laura Ingalls Wilder quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ingalls-wilder/) ## More Doe quotes > [So the fool, as distinct from the scoundrel, is completely self- satisfied; in fact, he can easily become dangerous, as it does not take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/so-the-fool-as-distinct-from-the-scoundrel-is-completely-self/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [I cannot forbid a person to marry several wives, for it does not contradict Scripture. 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The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [He's a fool that marries; but he's a greater fool that does not marry a fool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wycherley/he-s-a-fool-that-marries-but-he-s-a-greater-fool-that-does-not-marry/) [William Wycherley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wycherley/) > [Nothing old is ever reborn but neither does it totally disappear. And that which has once been born, will always reappear in a new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvar-aalto/nothing-old-is-ever-reborn-but-neither-does-it-totally-disappear-and/) [Alvar Aalto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvar-aalto/) > [One of the things the United States does well is building coalitions. What the U.S. knows is that if you don't have a coalition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shimon-peres/one-of-the-things-the-united-states-does-well-is-building-coalitions/) [Shimon Peres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shimon-peres/) > [Preaching to the choir actually arms the choir with arguments and elevates the choir's discourse. There's a reason the right does it and does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/preaching-to-the-choir-actually-arms-the-choir-with-arguments-and/) [Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. 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