--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It was not that he was feckless, more…" description: "\"“It was not that he was feckless, more that he had simply not been around the day they handed out feck.”\" — Neil Gaiman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/858/neil-gaiman-29_feckless_it-was-not-that-he-was-feckless-more-tha_1162412.jpg" --- # It was not that he was feckless, more that he had simply… ![“It was not that he was feckless, more that he had simply not been around the day they handed out feck.” quote by Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/858/neil-gaiman-29_feckless_it-was-not-that-he-was-feckless-more-tha_1162412.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/858/neil-gaiman-29_feckless_it-was-not-that-he-was-feckless-more-tha_1162412.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/858/neil-gaiman-29_feckless_it-was-not-that-he-was-feckless-more-tha_1162412.jpg) > ““It was not that he was feckless, more that he had simply not been around the day they handed out feck.”” [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A person may appear lazy because they missed a crucial opportunity, not due to inherent lack of ability. **In simple terms:** Missed chances can be mistaken for incompetence. Key Takeaway Recognize timing, not just effort. Themes responsibility opportunity perception Mood reflective analytical Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - career setbacks - education deadlines - team projects - life milestones Key Concepts social timing personal development Questions to Reflect On - How do you differentiate between missed timing and lack of effort? - What systems can you create to catch opportunities? A Different Perspective Timing alone doesn't guarantee success; effort still matters. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Feckless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feckless/) [Humorous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humorous/) [Wordplay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wordplay/) ## Related quotes > [“A mother to a reckless, feckless, one-off of a child—but what child isn’t?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/a-mother-to-a-reckless-feckless-one-off-of-a-child-but-what-child-isn/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [Listen, Mr. President, there's a no-fly zone in Syria. You fly in, it applies to you. And, yes, we would shoot down the planes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-christie/listen-mr-president-there-s-a-no-fly-zone-in-syria-you-fly-in-it/) [Chris Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-christie/) > [You three have done quite enough today: all of you and your feckless, treacherous god.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-morris/you-three-have-done-quite-enough-today-all-of-you-and-your-feckless/) [Janet Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-morris/) > [Say German cars are sort of very built and efficient. Italian cars are a bit flamboyant and quick. Mexican cars just going to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hammond/say-german-cars-are-sort-of-very-built-and-efficient-italian-cars-are/) [Richard Hammond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hammond/) > [Mexican cars are just going to be lazy, feckless, flatulent, overweight, leaning against a fence asleep looking at a cactus with a blanket with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hammond/mexican-cars-are-just-going-to-be-lazy-feckless-flatulent-overweight/) [Richard Hammond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hammond/) > [There's an old proverb that says the Russian bear never dies, it just hibernates and the truth of the matter is the weak and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/there-s-an-old-proverb-that-says-the-russian-bear-never-dies-it-just/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) > [A major Iowa newspaper published an op-ed against Trump calling him a 'self-absorbed, wholly unqualified feckless blowhard.' 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Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-n-crawford/) > [In his recent book, When Brute Force Fails, UCLA's Kleiman argues that new strategies for targeting repeat offenders--including reforms to make probation an effective…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-von-drehle/in-his-recent-book-when-brute-force-fails-ucla-s-kleiman-argues-that/) David Von Drehle > [I think that the S.E.C. has been pretty feckless when it comes to reigning in reckless behavior on Wall Street.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-o-malley/i-think-that-the-s-e-c-has-been-pretty-feckless-when-it-comes-to/) [Martin O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-o-malley/) > [The Jews had a love-hate relationship with the Greek culture. They craved its civilization but resented its dominance. Josephus says they regarded Greeks as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-jews-had-a-love-hate-relationship-with-the-greek-culture-they/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It may be that we have become so feckless as a people that we no longer care how things do work, but only what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-jacobs/it-may-be-that-we-have-become-so-feckless-as-a-people-that-we-no/) [Jane Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-jacobs/) > [for someone such as myself, who is kind of feckless and immature, it's better to have rich friends than to be rich yourself, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/for-someone-such-as-myself-who-is-kind-of-feckless-and-immature-it-s/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [“We show her that I am no feckless High king.' 'And how do we do that?' I ask. 'With great difficulty,' he says. 'Since…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-black/we-show-her-that-i-am-no-feckless-high-king-and-how-do-we-do-that-i/) [Holly Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-black/) ## More by Neil Gaiman > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“Like all sentient beings, Fat Charlie had a weirdness quotient. 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Nothing dates harder and faster and more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/you-can-tell-the-date-of-an-old-science-fiction-novel-by-every-word/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“The quickest way is sometimes the longest.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/the-quickest-way-is-sometimes-the-longest/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“They were spells, spelled with words to make worlds, waiting for me, in the pages of books.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/they-were-spells-spelled-with-words-to-make-worlds-waiting-for-me-in/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [Finish what you're writing. Whatever you have to do to finish it, finish it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/finish-what-you-re-writing-whatever-you-have-to-do-to-finish-it/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [What do stars do? They shine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/what-do-stars-do-they-shine/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“What," asked Mr Croup, "do you want?" "What," asked the Marquis de Carabas, a little more rhetorically, "does anyone want?" "Dead things," suggested Mr…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/what-asked-mr-croup-do-you-want-what-asked-the-marquis-de-carabas-a/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [You get on with your own life. Lettie gave it to you. You just have to grow up and try and be worth it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/you-get-on-with-your-own-life-lettie-gave-it-to-you-you-just-have-to/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“Eyes will not see you. Minds will not hold you. Where you are is nothing and nobody”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/eyes-will-not-see-you-minds-will-not-hold-you-where-you-are-is/) [neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) [Explore all 2,526 Neil Gaiman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) ## More Feckless quotes > [“A mother to a reckless, feckless, one-off of a child—but what child isn’t?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/a-mother-to-a-reckless-feckless-one-off-of-a-child-but-what-child-isn/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [for someone such as myself, who is kind of feckless and immature, it's better to have rich friends than to be rich yourself, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/for-someone-such-as-myself-who-is-kind-of-feckless-and-immature-it-s/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [It may be that we have become so feckless as a people that we no longer care how things do work, but only what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-jacobs/it-may-be-that-we-have-become-so-feckless-as-a-people-that-we-no/) [Jane Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-jacobs/) > [The Jews had a love-hate relationship with the Greek culture. They craved its civilization but resented its dominance. Josephus says they regarded Greeks as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-jews-had-a-love-hate-relationship-with-the-greek-culture-they/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I think that the S.E.C. has been pretty feckless when it comes to reigning in reckless behavior on Wall Street.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-o-malley/i-think-that-the-s-e-c-has-been-pretty-feckless-when-it-comes-to/) [Martin O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-o-malley/) > [In his recent book, When Brute Force Fails, UCLA's Kleiman argues that new strategies for targeting repeat offenders--including reforms to make probation an effective…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-von-drehle/in-his-recent-book-when-brute-force-fails-ucla-s-kleiman-argues-that/) David Von Drehle > [“Lucky for me, I could easily rely on one of my favorite tactics: acting like a feckless dipshit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-n-crawford/lucky-for-me-i-could-easily-rely-on-one-of-my-favorite-tactics-acting/) [C.N. Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-n-crawford/) > [In the annals of American blunders, the Bay of Pigs may have been even more feckless, and the invasion of Iraq more costly, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-will/in-the-annals-of-american-blunders-the-bay-of-pigs-may-have-been-even/) [George Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-will/) > [A major Iowa newspaper published an op-ed against Trump calling him a 'self-absorbed, wholly unqualified feckless blowhard.' Or as Trump put it, 'You forgot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-fallon/a-major-iowa-newspaper-published-an-op-ed-against-trump-calling-him-a/) [Jimmy Fallon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-fallon/) > [There's an old proverb that says the Russian bear never dies, it just hibernates and the truth of the matter is the weak and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/there-s-an-old-proverb-that-says-the-russian-bear-never-dies-it-just/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) > [Mexican cars are just going to be lazy, feckless, flatulent, overweight, leaning against a fence asleep looking at a cactus with a blanket with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hammond/mexican-cars-are-just-going-to-be-lazy-feckless-flatulent-overweight/) [Richard Hammond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hammond/) > [Say German cars are sort of very built and efficient. Italian cars are a bit flamboyant and quick. 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'Since…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-black/we-show-her-that-i-am-no-feckless-high-king-and-how-do-we-do-that-i/) [Holly Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-black/) [Browse all 28 Feckless quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feckless/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It was not that he was feckless, more that he had simply not been around the day they handed out feck.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Neil Gaiman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/it-was-not-that-he-was-feckless-more-that-he-had-simply-not-been/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Feckless" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/it-was-not-that-he-was-feckless-more-that-he-had-simply-not-been/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/858/neil-gaiman-29_feckless_it-was-not-that-he-was-feckless-more-tha_1162412.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/858/neil-gaiman-29_feckless_it-was-not-that-he-was-feckless-more-tha_1162412.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/858/neil-gaiman-29_feckless_it-was-not-that-he-was-feckless-more-tha_1162412.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It was not that he was feckless, more that he had simply not been around the day they handed out feck.” — Neil Gaiman", "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": "Neil Gaiman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“It was not that he was...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/it-was-not-that-he-was-feckless-more-that-he-had-simply-not-been/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/it-was-not-that-he-was-feckless-more-that-he-had-simply-not-been/#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 } } ] } ```