--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Last year we had many smallish hopes…" description: "\"“Last year we had many smallish hopes, made many smallish attempts, suffered many smallish failures, and we died one by one. This year a change of plan..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d89/louisa-young-35105_failure_last-year-we-had-many-smallish-hopes-mad_372196.jpg" --- # Last year we had many smallish hopes, made many smallish… ![“Last year we had many smallish hopes, made many smallish attempts, suffered many smallish failures, and we died one by one. This year a change of plan! One big hope, one big push, one big fuck-up, and we all die at once.” quote by Louisa Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d89/louisa-young-35105_failure_last-year-we-had-many-smallish-hopes-mad_372196.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d89/louisa-young-35105_failure_last-year-we-had-many-smallish-hopes-mad_372196.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d89/louisa-young-35105_failure_last-year-we-had-many-smallish-hopes-mad_372196.jpg) > ““Last year we had many smallish hopes, made many smallish attempts, suffered many smallish failures, and we died one by one. This year a change of plan! One big hope, one big push, one big fuck-up, and we all die at once.”” [Louisa Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-young/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote contrasts incremental efforts with a bold, risky plan that could lead to collective failure, emphasizing the danger of overreliance on a single big move. **In simple terms:** Big risks can cause collective downfall. Key Takeaway Beware of over‑centralizing effort. Themes risk strategy collective fate Mood cautious thoughtful Type philosophical strategic When to use this quote - project planning - startup pivots - team strategy Key Concepts overconfidence failure dynamics Questions to Reflect On - Is it better to pursue many small goals or one big one? - How do you balance risk and resilience? A Different Perspective Large gambles can backfire dramatically. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attempts Suffered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attempts-suffered-3393043/) [Change Of Plan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change-of-plan/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Failures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failures/) [Failures Died](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failures-died-3393045/) [Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope/) [Last year](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/last-year/) [Smallish Failures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smallish-failures-3393046/) [Year Smallish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/year-smallish-3393044/) ## Related quotes > [Ricky, we've had a change of plans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bean/ricky-we-ve-had-a-change-of-plans/) [Bean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bean/) > [Change of plans. It's a good change. I prefer Odessa.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/transporter-3/change-of-plans-it-s-a-good-change-i-prefer-odessa/) [Transporter 3](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/transporter-3/) > [“Hey, Dorkangelo, change of plans. Take the next right.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-clare-naked-edge/hey-dorkangelo-change-of-plans-take-the-next-right/) [Pamela Clare Naked Edge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-clare-naked-edge/) > [“I think it's Jace he's trying to get back at. Jace must have done something last night on the boat, something that really pissed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/i-think-it-s-jace-he-s-trying-to-get-back-at-jace-must-have-done/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Change Of plans.. I'm Not Posting a Video of Me Singing Beaucse I Sound Like a Dieing Cat..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/change-of-plans-i-m-not-posting-a-video-of-me-singing-beaucse-i-sound/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“God ordered Abraham to make a burnt offering of his longed-for son. Abraham built an altar, put firewood upon it, and trussed Isaac up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/god-ordered-abraham-to-make-a-burnt-offering-of-his-longed-for-son/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Mr. Devlin, there's been a change of plans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-tuxedo/mr-devlin-there-s-been-a-change-of-plans/) [The Tuxedo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-tuxedo/) > [We've had a change of plans, Data.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/star-trek/we-ve-had-a-change-of-plans-data/) [Star Trek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/star-trek/) > [“I shot up out of my chair. “Change of plans. Finish your drink so we can go.” Jay responded flatly, “Go where exactly?” “I’m…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-kelly/i-shot-up-out-of-my-chair-change-of-plans-finish-your-drink-so-we-can/) [Amanda Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-kelly/) > [Spinners spin, on the 20-twins that Mercedes-Benz. Dividends made a change of plans well that all depends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asap-rocky/spinners-spin-on-the-20-twins-that-mercedes-benz-dividends-made-a/) [Asap Rocky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asap-rocky/) > [Oh, oh, bad da, oh, oh bad da, oh bad da Oh no, I just can't understand. How come you want a change of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-isaacs/oh-oh-bad-da-oh-oh-bad-da-oh-bad-da-oh-no-i-just-can-t-understand-how/) [Gregory Isaacs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-isaacs/) > [Ready for cloning process. - We got a slight change of plans here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judge-dredd/ready-for-cloning-process-we-got-a-slight-change-of-plans-here/) [Judge Dredd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judge-dredd/) > [A slight change of plans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bedazzled/a-slight-change-of-plans/) [Bedazzled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bedazzled/) > [There's been a change of plans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/x2/there-s-been-a-change-of-plans/) [X2](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/x2/) > [“Luke looked baffled"What makes you think that Valentine's change of plans had anything to do with your brother?" "Because,"Clary said with grim certainity, "only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/luke-looked-baffled-what-makes-you-think-that-valentine-s-change-of/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) ## More by Louisa Young > [“Other people", Rose thought. "Other people and their bloody love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-young/other-people-rose-thought-other-people-and-their-bloody-love/) [Louisa Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-young/) > [“More talk of love would lead to the difficulties surrounding...Oh, God, he loved her, he did, she did, they did, it was. It was.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-young/more-talk-of-love-would-lead-to-the-difficulties-surrounding-oh-god/) [Louisa Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-young/) > [“He's a man, she thought, and the very word gave her s frisson, a lurch inside.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-young/he-s-a-man-she-thought-and-the-very-word-gave-her-s-frisson-a-lurch/) [Louisa Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-young/) > [“He was astounded, sometimes, by the fluid articulacy of his own fury.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-young/he-was-astounded-sometimes-by-the-fluid-articulacy-of-his-own-fury/) [Louisa Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-young/) > [“Length of service: one year or duration of war. Duration of war, of course. He didn't want to spend a whole year in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-young/length-of-service-one-year-or-duration-of-war-duration-of-war-of/) [Louisa Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-young/) > [“No one ever wins a war, and wars are never over.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-young/no-one-ever-wins-a-war-and-wars-are-never-over/) [Louisa Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-young/) > [“They were completely happy. They couldn't stop smiling at each other, beaming like fools till their cheeks ached.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-young/they-were-completely-happy-they-couldn-t-stop-smiling-at-each-other/) [Louisa Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-young/) > [“Courage for the big troubles in life, lad' he'd say, 'and patience for the small. Be of good cheer. God is awake.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-young/courage-for-the-big-troubles-in-life-lad-he-d-say-and-patience-for/) [Louisa Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-young/) > [“... what he could or couldn’t say to them. Everything he had to say: I love you, it’s hell, I walk on corpses and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-young/what-he-could-or-couldn-t-say-to-them-everything-he-had-to-say-i-love/) [Louisa Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-young/) > [“Look how beautiful the green lawns of the park are in the misty evening light, unmuddied, smooth, alive, no holes, no bodies, no barbed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-young/look-how-beautiful-the-green-lawns-of-the-park-are-in-the-misty/) [Louisa Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-young/) > [“Papa," she said easily, happily, walking across the park with him to the Albert Hall. "What is it like to be in love?" "Oh,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-young/papa-she-said-easily-happily-walking-across-the-park-with-him-to-the/) [Louisa Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-young/) > [“They did not talk about the larger present, so circumscribed, so uncontrollable. Their little present was two bodies and a bed, and that was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-young/they-did-not-talk-about-the-larger-present-so-circumscribed-so/) [Louisa Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-young/) [Explore all 13 Louisa Young quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-young/) ## More Failure quotes > [When you do things they're absolutely right at that time for you and it can always teach you something about yourself. You can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kym-marsh/when-you-do-things-they-re-absolutely-right-at-that-time-for-you-and/) [Kym Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kym-marsh/) > [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [No one is completely unhappy at the failure of his best friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/no-one-is-completely-unhappy-at-the-failure-of-his-best-friend/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [“Rhiannon's Law #28: If you're going to fuck up, be sure to fuck up good and proper. Nothing makes failure acceptable, so you might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/rhiannon-s-law-28-if-you-re-going-to-fuck-up-be-sure-to-fuck-up-good/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Failure is a part of life and you have to learn to deal with it. Failure is something that is part of life's cycle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/failure-is-a-part-of-life-and-you-have-to-learn-to-deal-with-it/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [First action was a mistake. What about the second? third? fourth and fifth?...Mehn you are bad...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/first-action-was-a-mistake-what-about-the-second-third-fourth-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God's love never fail :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-s-love-never-fail/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Don’t you just hate nights like that, when you think over every mistake you’ve made, every hurt you’ve received, every bit of meanness you’ve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/don-t-you-just-hate-nights-like-that-when-you-think-over-every/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [“Our failure to understand another being's inner reality doesn't make that reality any less real, or any less valuable to that being. (p.255)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-schulz/our-failure-to-understand-another-being-s-inner-reality-doesn-t-make/) [Kathryn Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-schulz/) > [I hope that the Palestinians don't make the mistake of unleashing a new intifada. They've tried it twice before, and the consequences were bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/i-hope-that-the-palestinians-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-unleashing-a/) [Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/) > [Don't take too much comfort in the fact that you're successful today because tomorrow could bring failure. There's no surety in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-savage/don-t-take-too-much-comfort-in-the-fact-that-you-re-successful-today/) [Michael Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-savage/) > [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [failure in the theater is more public, more brilliant, more unreal than in any other field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/failure-in-the-theater-is-more-public-more-brilliant-more-unreal-than/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [As we are coming to the end of the year, I want you to forget about the past, the failure, the negative thoughts or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-we-are-coming-to-the-end-of-the-year-i-want-you-to-forget-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 27,498 Failure quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Last year we had many smallish hopes, made many smallish attempts, suffered many smallish failures, and we died one by one. 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