---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ... He had always rather liked…"
description: "\"... He had always rather liked emergencies. Other people's at any rate. They put your own problems into perspective. It was like being on a ferry. You ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f28/mark-haddon-1056_emergencies_he-had-always-rather-liked-emergencies-o_2807428.png"
---

#  ... He had always rather liked emergencies. Other people's…

![“... He had always rather liked emergencies. Other people's at any rate. They put your own problems into perspective. It was like being on a ferry. You didn't have to think about what you had to do or where you had to go for the next few hours. It was all laid out for you.” quote by Mark Haddon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f28/mark-haddon-1056_emergencies_he-had-always-rather-liked-emergencies-o_2807428.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f28/mark-haddon-1056_emergencies_he-had-always-rather-liked-emergencies-o_2807428.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f28/mark-haddon-1056_emergencies_he-had-always-rather-liked-emergencies-o_2807428.png)

> “... He had always rather liked emergencies. Other people's at any rate. They put your own problems into perspective. It was like being on a ferry. You didn't have to think about what you had to do or where you had to go for the next few hours. It was all laid out for you.”

[Mark Haddon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-haddon/)

## About This Quote

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

Emergencies simplify perspective, making personal problems feel smaller and more manageable.

**In simple terms:** Crises put personal issues into perspective.

Key Takeaway

Use crises to reassess priorities.

Themes

perspective crisis mental health

Mood

thoughtful calm

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- personal setbacks
- health emergencies
- career crises

Key Concepts

psychology stress management

Questions to Reflect On

- When have emergencies helped you gain clarity?
- How can you simulate perspective without a crisis?

A Different Perspective

Overreliance on crises can delay proactive problem solving.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Emergencies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emergencies/) [Emergencies People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emergencies-people-3495259/) [Ferry Didn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ferry-didn-3495260/) [Hours](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hours/) [Like Ferry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-ferry-3495258/) [Liked Emergencies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liked-emergencies-3495257/) [Next](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/next/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Perspective](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perspective/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Rate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rate/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/)

## Related quotes

> [Never invest emergency savings in the stock market.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suze-orman/never-invest-emergency-savings-in-the-stock-market/)

[Suze Orman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suze-orman/)

> [I always feel the danger because you might always be subject to an unexpected or emergency event.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-baumgartner/i-always-feel-the-danger-because-you-might-always-be-subject-to-an/)

[Felix Baumgartner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-baumgartner/)

> [Cumulatively, American society is sliding toward a new form of 'authoritarian democracy'. Elections continue, free speech is generally protected, institutions operate in accordance with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-a-falk/cumulatively-american-society-is-sliding-toward-a-new-form-of/)

[Richard A. Falk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-a-falk/)

> [So if God should place me in serious perplexity, must He not give me much guidance; in places of great difficulty, much grace; in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hudson-taylor/so-if-god-should-place-me-in-serious-perplexity-must-he-not-give-me/)

[Hudson Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hudson-taylor/)

> [Where did that flashlight come from?" Chloe asked. "My purse." Chloe looked at Tara. "She carries a flashlight in her purse." "For emergencies," Maddie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-shalvis/where-did-that-flashlight-come-from-chloe-asked-my-purse-chloe-looked/)

[Jill Shalvis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-shalvis/)

> [I'd love to be a dead body in the emergency room and have George Clooney go, 'This one's gone!' while he puts a sheet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosie-o-donnell/i-d-love-to-be-a-dead-body-in-the-emergency-room-and-have-george/)

[Rosie O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosie-o-donnell/)

> [I'm most proud of the ambulance service. This is emergency work. Many times Edhi ambulances are the first to arrive and save people's lives.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abdul-sattar-edhi/i-m-most-proud-of-the-ambulance-service-this-is-emergency-work-many/)

[Abdul Sattar Edhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abdul-sattar-edhi/)

> [There is cruelty in divorce. There is cruelty in forced or unfortunate marriage. We will continue to cry at weddings because we know how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-roiphe/there-is-cruelty-in-divorce-there-is-cruelty-in-forced-or-unfortunate/)

[Anne Roiphe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-roiphe/)

> [Instead of a perpetual and perfect measure of the divine will, the fragments of the Koran were produced at the discretion of Mahomet; each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/instead-of-a-perpetual-and-perfect-measure-of-the-divine-will-the/)

[Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/)

> [Real Friends' are someone who are right next to you when you got in emergency, not in only parties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiroko-sakai/real-friends-are-someone-who-are-right-next-to-you-when-you-got-in/)

[Hiroko Sakai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiroko-sakai/)

> [It is in the genes of cities to bounce back from disasters - whether natural or man made. The denizens of suburbia have no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikas-swarup/it-is-in-the-genes-of-cities-to-bounce-back-from-disasters-whether/)

[Vikas Swarup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikas-swarup/)

> [Carry always your earplugs with you in case of emergency, like meeting with a politician!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/carry-always-your-earplugs-with-you-in-case-of-emergency-like-meeting/)

[Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/)

> [We live in a world at constant risk of public health emergencies. In our increasingly interconnected world, public health emergencies can affect anyone, anywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tedros-adhanom/we-live-in-a-world-at-constant-risk-of-public-health-emergencies-in/)

[Tedros Adhanom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tedros-adhanom/)

> [Your goal should be to pay off your credit card bills in full at the end of each month and set aside money toward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suze-orman/your-goal-should-be-to-pay-off-your-credit-card-bills-in-full-at-the/)

[Suze Orman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suze-orman/)

> [Your clothing is the most important survival tool you have. Dress properly and any emergency you may have to endure becomes more manageable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mors-kochanski/your-clothing-is-the-most-important-survival-tool-you-have-dress/)

[Mors Kochanski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mors-kochanski/)

## More by Mark Haddon

> [But I said that you could still want something that is very unlikely to happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-haddon/but-i-said-that-you-could-still-want-something-that-is-very-unlikely/)

[Mark Haddon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-haddon/)

> [“So often these days she seemed to hover between worlds, none of them wholly real.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-haddon/so-often-these-days-she-seemed-to-hover-between-worlds-none-of-them/)

[Mark Haddon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-haddon/)

> [And I know I can do this because I went to London on my own, and because I solved the mystery…and I was brave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-haddon/and-i-know-i-can-do-this-because-i-went-to-london-on-my-own-and/)

[Mark Haddon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-haddon/)

> [And what he meant was that maths wasn't like life because in life there are no straightforward answers in the end](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-haddon/and-what-he-meant-was-that-maths-wasn-t-like-life-because-in-life/)

[Mark Haddon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-haddon/)

> [You love someone, you've got to let something go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-haddon/you-love-someone-you-ve-got-to-let-something-go/)

[Mark Haddon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-haddon/)

> [“when you describe something by using a word for something that it isn’t. This means that the word metaphor is a metaphor. I”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-haddon/when-you-describe-something-by-using-a-word-for-something-that-it-isn/)

[Mark Haddon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-haddon/)

> [“They are very logical but you could never work out the rules, even if you spent all your time thinking about them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-haddon/they-are-very-logical-but-you-could-never-work-out-the-rules-even-if/)

[Mark Haddon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-haddon/)

> [“Places remained and time flowed through them like wind through the grass. Right now. This was the future turning into the past. One thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-haddon/places-remained-and-time-flowed-through-them-like-wind-through-the/)

[Mark Haddon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-haddon/)

> [I suffer depression only in the sense that I am a writer. We don't have proper jobs to go to. We are on our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-haddon/i-suffer-depression-only-in-the-sense-that-i-am-a-writer-we-don-t/)

[Mark Haddon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-haddon/)

> [I better make the plot good. I wanted to make it grip people on the first page and have a big turning point in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-haddon/i-better-make-the-plot-good-i-wanted-to-make-it-grip-people-on-the/)

[Mark Haddon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-haddon/)

> [“And it was strange because he was calling, "Christopher. . . ? Christopher. . . ?" and I could see my name written out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-haddon/and-it-was-strange-because-he-was-calling-christopher-christopher-and/)

[Mark Haddon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-haddon/)

> [A lot of roles for people with disabilities are quite patronising. It's a real pity when they are just used to give dull PC…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-haddon/a-lot-of-roles-for-people-with-disabilities-are-quite-patronising-it/)

[Mark Haddon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-haddon/)

> [I do not like strangers because I do not like people I have never met before. They are hard to understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-haddon/i-do-not-like-strangers-because-i-do-not-like-people-i-have-never-met/)

[Mark Haddon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-haddon/)

> [“Lots of people wrote to the magazine to say that Marilyn vos Savant was wrong, even when she explained very carefully why she was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-haddon/lots-of-people-wrote-to-the-magazine-to-say-that-marilyn-vos-savant/)

[Mark Haddon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-haddon/)

> [I read very, very little fiction as a kid. All the books I can remember are junior science books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-haddon/i-read-very-very-little-fiction-as-a-kid-all-the-books-i-can-remember/)

[Mark Haddon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-haddon/)

[Explore all 278 Mark Haddon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-haddon/)

## More Emergencies quotes

> [Never invest emergency savings in the stock market.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suze-orman/never-invest-emergency-savings-in-the-stock-market/)

[Suze Orman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suze-orman/)

> [Your goal should be to pay off your credit card bills in full at the end of each month and set aside money toward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suze-orman/your-goal-should-be-to-pay-off-your-credit-card-bills-in-full-at-the/)

[Suze Orman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suze-orman/)

> [We live in a world at constant risk of public health emergencies. In our increasingly interconnected world, public health emergencies can affect anyone, anywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tedros-adhanom/we-live-in-a-world-at-constant-risk-of-public-health-emergencies-in/)

[Tedros Adhanom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tedros-adhanom/)

> [Carry always your earplugs with you in case of emergency, like meeting with a politician!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/carry-always-your-earplugs-with-you-in-case-of-emergency-like-meeting/)

[Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/)

> [It is in the genes of cities to bounce back from disasters - whether natural or man made. The denizens of suburbia have no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikas-swarup/it-is-in-the-genes-of-cities-to-bounce-back-from-disasters-whether/)

[Vikas Swarup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikas-swarup/)

> [Real Friends' are someone who are right next to you when you got in emergency, not in only parties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiroko-sakai/real-friends-are-someone-who-are-right-next-to-you-when-you-got-in/)

[Hiroko Sakai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiroko-sakai/)

> [Instead of a perpetual and perfect measure of the divine will, the fragments of the Koran were produced at the discretion of Mahomet; each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/instead-of-a-perpetual-and-perfect-measure-of-the-divine-will-the/)

[Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/)

> [There is cruelty in divorce. There is cruelty in forced or unfortunate marriage. We will continue to cry at weddings because we know how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-roiphe/there-is-cruelty-in-divorce-there-is-cruelty-in-forced-or-unfortunate/)

[Anne Roiphe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-roiphe/)

> [I'm most proud of the ambulance service. This is emergency work. Many times Edhi ambulances are the first to arrive and save people's lives.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abdul-sattar-edhi/i-m-most-proud-of-the-ambulance-service-this-is-emergency-work-many/)

[Abdul Sattar Edhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abdul-sattar-edhi/)

> [I'd love to be a dead body in the emergency room and have George Clooney go, 'This one's gone!' while he puts a sheet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosie-o-donnell/i-d-love-to-be-a-dead-body-in-the-emergency-room-and-have-george/)

[Rosie O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosie-o-donnell/)

> [Where did that flashlight come from?" Chloe asked. "My purse." Chloe looked at Tara. "She carries a flashlight in her purse." "For emergencies," Maddie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-shalvis/where-did-that-flashlight-come-from-chloe-asked-my-purse-chloe-looked/)

[Jill Shalvis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-shalvis/)

> [So if God should place me in serious perplexity, must He not give me much guidance; in places of great difficulty, much grace; in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hudson-taylor/so-if-god-should-place-me-in-serious-perplexity-must-he-not-give-me/)

[Hudson Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hudson-taylor/)

> [Cumulatively, American society is sliding toward a new form of 'authoritarian democracy'. Elections continue, free speech is generally protected, institutions operate in accordance with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-a-falk/cumulatively-american-society-is-sliding-toward-a-new-form-of/)

[Richard A. Falk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-a-falk/)

> [I always feel the danger because you might always be subject to an unexpected or emergency event.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-baumgartner/i-always-feel-the-danger-because-you-might-always-be-subject-to-an/)

[Felix Baumgartner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-baumgartner/)

> [Your clothing is the most important survival tool you have. Dress properly and any emergency you may have to endure becomes more manageable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mors-kochanski/your-clothing-is-the-most-important-survival-tool-you-have-dress/)

[Mors Kochanski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mors-kochanski/)

[Browse all 485 Emergencies quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emergencies/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "... He had always rather liked emergencies. Other people's at any rate. They put your own problems into perspective. It was like being on a ferry. You didn't have to think about what you had to do or where you had to go for the next few hours. It was all laid out for you.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Mark Haddon"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-haddon/he-had-always-rather-liked-emergencies-other-people-s-at-any-rate/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Emergencies"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-haddon/he-had-always-rather-liked-emergencies-other-people-s-at-any-rate/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f28/mark-haddon-1056_emergencies_he-had-always-rather-liked-emergencies-o_2807428.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f28/mark-haddon-1056_emergencies_he-had-always-rather-liked-emergencies-o_2807428.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f28/mark-haddon-1056_emergencies_he-had-always-rather-liked-emergencies-o_2807428.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“... He had always rather liked emergencies. Other people's at any rate. They put your own problems into…” — Mark Haddon",
                "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": "Mark Haddon",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-haddon/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "... He had always rather liked...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-haddon/he-had-always-rather-liked-emergencies-other-people-s-at-any-rate/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-haddon/he-had-always-rather-liked-emergencies-other-people-s-at-any-rate/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
