--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I find that predicting the course of our…" description: "\"I find that predicting the course of our lives is like predicting the weather. You might be able to predict your future in the short term, but the long..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/102/leonard-mlodinow-7753_able_i-find-that-predicting-the-course-of-our_2517825.jpg" --- # I find that predicting the course of our lives is like… ![“I find that predicting the course of our lives is like predicting the weather. You might be able to predict your future in the short term, but the longer you look ahead, the less likely you are to be correct.” quote by Leonard Mlodinow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/102/leonard-mlodinow-7753_able_i-find-that-predicting-the-course-of-our_2517825.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/102/leonard-mlodinow-7753_able_i-find-that-predicting-the-course-of-our_2517825.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/102/leonard-mlodinow-7753_able_i-find-that-predicting-the-course-of-our_2517825.jpg) > “I find that predicting the course of our lives is like predicting the weather. You might be able to predict your future in the short term, but the longer you look ahead, the less likely you are to be correct.” [Leonard Mlodinow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-mlodinow/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Predicting life’s path is like forecasting weather: short‑term forecasts can be accurate, but long‑term predictions become increasingly unreliable. **In simple terms:** Short forecasts work; long forecasts fail. Key Takeaway Focus on short‑term planning. Themes uncertainty prediction time Mood thoughtful pragmatic Type analytical inspirational When to use this quote - career planning - financial investing - personal goals - climate modeling Key Concepts psychology statistics Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance short‑term actions with long‑term goals? - What strategies improve long‑term forecasting? A Different Perspective Long‑term planning still matters despite uncertainty. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/future/) [Prediction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prediction/) [Short term](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/short-term/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Weather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weather/) ## Related quotes > [Those market researchers... are playing games with you and me and with this entire country. 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Predicting the future is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/people-ask-me-to-predict-the-future-when-all-i-want-to-do-is-prevent-2/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [People ask me to predict the future, when all I want to do is prevent it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/people-ask-me-to-predict-the-future-when-all-i-want-to-do-is-prevent/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [It is hard to predict the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kane-williamson/it-is-hard-to-predict-the-future/) [Kane Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kane-williamson/) > [We have the same problem as everyone else: It's very hard to predict the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/we-have-the-same-problem-as-everyone-else-it-s-very-hard-to-predict/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [Trying to predict the future is like trying to drive down a country road at night with no lights while looking out the back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-drucker/trying-to-predict-the-future-is-like-trying-to-drive-down-a-country/) [Peter Drucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-drucker/) > [You don't need to predict the future. Just choose a future -- a good future, a useful future -- and make the kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-asimov/you-don-t-need-to-predict-the-future-just-choose-a-future-a-good/) [Isaac Asimov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-asimov/) > [“The only thing I cannot predict is the future”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-trivedi/the-only-thing-i-cannot-predict-is-the-future/) [Amit Trivedi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-trivedi/) > [“I cant predict the future, but I can plan for it”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nivisha-singh/i-cant-predict-the-future-but-i-can-plan-for-it/) Nivisha Singh > [The goal of forecasting is not to predict the future but to tell you what you need to know to take meaningful action in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-saffo/the-goal-of-forecasting-is-not-to-predict-the-future-but-to-tell-you/) [Paul Saffo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-saffo/) > [I'm a historian. The act of predicting the future discomfits me, in any event - and the bigger the prediction, the more distrusting I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-perlstein/i-m-a-historian-the-act-of-predicting-the-future-discomfits-me-in-any/) [Rick Perlstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-perlstein/) > [We're better at predicting events at the edge of the galaxy or inside the nucleus of an atom than whether it'll rain on auntie's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/we-re-better-at-predicting-events-at-the-edge-of-the-galaxy-or-inside/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [Not being optimistic falls a long way short of predicting that all is finished.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/not-being-optimistic-falls-a-long-way-short-of-predicting-that-all-is/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [A prediction about the direction of the stock market tells you nothing about where stocks are headed, but a whole lot about the person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/a-prediction-about-the-direction-of-the-stock-market-tells-you/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) ## More by Leonard Mlodinow > [Science has revealed a universe that is vast, ancient, violent, strange, and beautiful, a universe of almost infinite variety and possibility one in which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-mlodinow/science-has-revealed-a-universe-that-is-vast-ancient-violent-strange/) [Leonard Mlodinow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-mlodinow/) > [I always liked movies, so I started writing for Hollywood, but my day job was physics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-mlodinow/i-always-liked-movies-so-i-started-writing-for-hollywood-but-my-day/) [Leonard Mlodinow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-mlodinow/) > [“At the University of Bologna, there was another bizarre twist on what is the norm today: students fined their professors for unexcused absence or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-mlodinow/at-the-university-of-bologna-there-was-another-bizarre-twist-on-what/) [Leonard Mlodinow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-mlodinow/) > [“The first step in battling the illusion of control is to be aware of if. But even then it is difficult, once we think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-mlodinow/the-first-step-in-battling-the-illusion-of-control-is-to-be-aware-of/) [Leonard Mlodinow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-mlodinow/) > [Social connection is such a basic feature of human experience that when we are deprived of it, we suffer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-mlodinow/social-connection-is-such-a-basic-feature-of-human-experience-that/) [Leonard Mlodinow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-mlodinow/) > [You have to have passion for a subject to write about it. 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I was very, very curious about how everything worked: the world, the physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-mlodinow/i-ve-always-loved-science-as-far-back-as-i-can-remember-i-was-very/) [Leonard Mlodinow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-mlodinow/) [Explore all 88 Leonard Mlodinow quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-mlodinow/) ## More Able quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [In the '80s, the way radio was programmed, if you didn't have a hit record you weren't going to be able to make any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-lewis/in-the-80s-the-way-radio-was-programmed-if-you-didn-t-have-a-hit/) [Huey Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-lewis/) > [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. 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