--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The power of human habit never failed to…" description: "\"“The power of human habit never failed to astonish her. How was it that two intelligent, decent people who basically loved each other could get so lock..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b4/nicholas-evans-21492_decent-people_the-power-of-human-habit-never-failed-to_1777984.jpg" --- # The power of human habit never failed to astonish her. How… ![“The power of human habit never failed to astonish her. How was it that two intelligent, decent people who basically loved each other could get so locked into a pattern of behavior that neither of them - or so she presumed - enjoyed? It was as if each knew the role he or she was expected to take…” quote by Nicholas Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b4/nicholas-evans-21492_decent-people_the-power-of-human-habit-never-failed-to_1777984.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b4/nicholas-evans-21492_decent-people_the-power-of-human-habit-never-failed-to_1777984.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b4/nicholas-evans-21492_decent-people_the-power-of-human-habit-never-failed-to_1777984.jpg) > ““The power of human habit never failed to astonish her. How was it that two intelligent, decent people who basically loved each other could get so locked into a pattern of behavior that neither of them - or so she presumed - enjoyed? It was as if each knew the role he or she was expected to take and had no choice but to play it”” [Nicholas Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-evans/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Habitual behavior can trap even loving, intelligent people in unfulfilling roles, limiting growth. **In simple terms:** Habits can imprison loving people. Key Takeaway Recognize and break limiting patterns. Themes habit relationships psychology Mood reflective empathetic Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - marriage counseling - personal growth - conflict resolution Key Concepts behavioral conditioning identity formation Questions to Reflect On - Which habit holds you back? - How can you renegotiate roles in a relationship? A Different Perspective Changing deep habits requires effort and support. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Habit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habit/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) ## Related quotes > [What we believe as human nature in actuality is human habit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jewel/what-we-believe-as-human-nature-in-actuality-is-human-habit/) [Jewel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jewel/) > [“Another issue, called the single-action bias,2 is the human habit of taking just one action in response to a problem in situations where multiple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-cullen/another-issue-called-the-single-action-bias-2-is-the-human-habit-of/) [Heidi Cullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-cullen/) > [What we call human nature, is actually human habit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jewel/what-we-call-human-nature-is-actually-human-habit/) [Jewel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jewel/) > [“It is the human habit to think in centuries from a grandparent to a grandchild because it just does take about a hundred years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/it-is-the-human-habit-to-think-in-centuries-from-a-grandparent-to-a/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [Religious factions will go on imposing their will on others unless the decent people connected to them recognize that religion has no place in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-goldwater/religious-factions-will-go-on-imposing-their-will-on-others-unless/) [Barry Goldwater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-goldwater/) > [“They just don't know you,' Penelope said, patting her on the hand. 'And they don't know \*you\*, either,' Lady Danbury quite pointedly replied ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-quinn/they-just-don-t-know-you-penelope-said-patting-her-on-the-hand-and/) [Julia Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-quinn/) > [“On the one hand we must never imagine that our own unaided efforts can be relied on to carry us even through the next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/on-the-one-hand-we-must-never-imagine-that-our-own-unaided-efforts/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [Don't try to be fancy. Shoot for the center of mass. The world is full of decent people. Criminals we can do without.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-cooper/don-t-try-to-be-fancy-shoot-for-the-center-of-mass-the-world-is-full/) [Jeff Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-cooper/) > [Ineos is a friendly organisation. Very few people leave. It's collegiate. There's not much politics, and we like decent people. We don't like arrogance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-ratcliffe/ineos-is-a-friendly-organisation-very-few-people-leave-it-s/) [Jim Ratcliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-ratcliffe/) > [Certain types of loudmouthism should be a capital offense among decent people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/certain-types-of-loudmouthism-should-be-a-capital-offense-among/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [I have a treasure trove of Baker memories, all of which reinforce my sense of Howard Baker as one of the most decent people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-yarmuth/i-have-a-treasure-trove-of-baker-memories-all-of-which-reinforce-my/) [John Yarmuth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-yarmuth/) > [“This attack is the greatest tragedy in human history,” Avasarala said. “They want the belt to rise up so they can hide behind the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/this-attack-is-the-greatest-tragedy-in-human-history-avasarala-said/) [James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) > [“You may of course ask whether we really need to refer to "saints". Wouldn't it suffice just to refer to decent people? It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-emil-frankl/you-may-of-course-ask-whether-we-really-need-to-refer-to-saints/) [Viktor Emil Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-emil-frankl/) > [“Experience often repeated, truly bitter experience, had taught him long ago that with decent people, especially Moscow people -- always slow to move and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/experience-often-repeated-truly-bitter-experience-had-taught-him-long/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [I guess the only thing to do now is meet his parents. I'm sure they're decent people. I mean they gotta be if they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-de-niro/i-guess-the-only-thing-to-do-now-is-meet-his-parents-i-m-sure-they-re/) [Robert De Niro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-de-niro/) ## More by Nicholas Evans > [“Of course she is. Hell hath no fury. You're not the only woman scorned. However much you and Ben tell her that it's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-evans/of-course-she-is-hell-hath-no-fury-you-re-not-the-only-woman-scorned/) [Nicholas Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-evans/) > [Sometimes what seems like surrender isn't surrender at all. It's about what's going on in our hearts. About seeing clearly the way life is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-evans/sometimes-what-seems-like-surrender-isn-t-surrender-at-all-it-s-about/) [Nicholas Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-evans/) > [Knowing is the easy part; saying it out loud is the hard part.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-evans/knowing-is-the-easy-part-saying-it-out-loud-is-the-hard-part/) [Nicholas Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-evans/) > [The imporant things in life never happened by accident. But even with those things that were meant to be, sometimes you had to wait…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-evans/the-imporant-things-in-life-never-happened-by-accident-but-even-with/) [Nicholas Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-evans/) > [“Her only shame was that she felt none.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-evans/her-only-shame-was-that-she-felt-none/) [Nicholas Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-evans/) > [It's a lot like nuts and bolts - if the rider's nuts, the horse bolts!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-evans/it-s-a-lot-like-nuts-and-bolts-if-the-rider-s-nuts-the-horse-bolts/) [Nicholas Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-evans/) > [She had seemed to need something from him that he hadn’t been able to give...at last he realized that what she had needed from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-evans/she-had-seemed-to-need-something-from-him-that-he-hadn-t-been-able-to/) [Nicholas Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-evans/) > [I am not gone but merely walk within you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-evans/i-am-not-gone-but-merely-walk-within-you/) [Nicholas Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-evans/) > [He's not going to look back if you don't,' he said, 'They're the most forgiving creatures God ever made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-evans/he-s-not-going-to-look-back-if-you-don-t-he-said-they-re-the-most/) [Nicholas Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-evans/) > [Look after each other. As a couple. When you have kids, you'll want to put them first. Don't. Marriage is like a plant. To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-evans/look-after-each-other-as-a-couple-when-you-have-kids-you-ll-want-to/) [Nicholas Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-evans/) > [“It was, she believed, a simple and unassailable fact of life that if a woman went to epic lengths to throw herself on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-evans/it-was-she-believed-a-simple-and-unassailable-fact-of-life-that-if-a/) [Nicholas Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-evans/) > [“And I said well luckily I was mature and old enough to take this success at my age. It was bullshit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-evans/and-i-said-well-luckily-i-was-mature-and-old-enough-to-take-this/) [Nicholas Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-evans/) > [“There was death at its beginning as there would be death again at its end.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-evans/there-was-death-at-its-beginning-as-there-would-be-death-again-at-its/) [Nicholas Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-evans/) > [“The gist of it was that there were two types of men who absconded from their marriages: the naughty and the needy. The naughty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-evans/the-gist-of-it-was-that-there-were-two-types-of-men-who-absconded/) [Nicholas Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-evans/) > [“I guess that's all forever is. Just one big long trail of nows. And I guess all you can do is try and live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-evans/i-guess-that-s-all-forever-is-just-one-big-long-trail-of-nows-and-i/) [Nicholas Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-evans/) [Explore all 28 Nicholas Evans quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-evans/) ## More Decent people quotes > [I guess the only thing to do now is meet his parents. I'm sure they're decent people. I mean they gotta be if they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-de-niro/i-guess-the-only-thing-to-do-now-is-meet-his-parents-i-m-sure-they-re/) [Robert De Niro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-de-niro/) > [“Experience often repeated, truly bitter experience, had taught him long ago that with decent people, especially Moscow people -- always slow to move and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/experience-often-repeated-truly-bitter-experience-had-taught-him-long/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“You may of course ask whether we really need to refer to "saints". Wouldn't it suffice just to refer to decent people? It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-emil-frankl/you-may-of-course-ask-whether-we-really-need-to-refer-to-saints/) [Viktor Emil Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-emil-frankl/) > [“This attack is the greatest tragedy in human history,” Avasarala said. “They want the belt to rise up so they can hide behind the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/this-attack-is-the-greatest-tragedy-in-human-history-avasarala-said/) [James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) > [I have a treasure trove of Baker memories, all of which reinforce my sense of Howard Baker as one of the most decent people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-yarmuth/i-have-a-treasure-trove-of-baker-memories-all-of-which-reinforce-my/) [John Yarmuth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-yarmuth/) > [Certain types of loudmouthism should be a capital offense among decent people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/certain-types-of-loudmouthism-should-be-a-capital-offense-among/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Ineos is a friendly organisation. Very few people leave. It's collegiate. There's not much politics, and we like decent people. We don't like arrogance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-ratcliffe/ineos-is-a-friendly-organisation-very-few-people-leave-it-s/) [Jim Ratcliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-ratcliffe/) > [Don't try to be fancy. Shoot for the center of mass. The world is full of decent people. Criminals we can do without.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-cooper/don-t-try-to-be-fancy-shoot-for-the-center-of-mass-the-world-is-full/) [Jeff Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-cooper/) > [“On the one hand we must never imagine that our own unaided efforts can be relied on to carry us even through the next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/on-the-one-hand-we-must-never-imagine-that-our-own-unaided-efforts/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“They just don't know you,' Penelope said, patting her on the hand. 'And they don't know \*you\*, either,' Lady Danbury quite pointedly replied ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-quinn/they-just-don-t-know-you-penelope-said-patting-her-on-the-hand-and/) [Julia Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-quinn/) > [Religious factions will go on imposing their will on others unless the decent people connected to them recognize that religion has no place in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-goldwater/religious-factions-will-go-on-imposing-their-will-on-others-unless/) [Barry Goldwater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-goldwater/) > [ I explain how America hatred and Jew hatred are \[INDEMIC\] to Modern Liberalism and delve deeper into why it is the otherwise good and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-sayet/i-explain-how-america-hatred-and-jew-hatred-are-indemic-to-modern/) [Evan Sayet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-sayet/) > [When someone puts you down and treats you badly, just remember that there is something wrong with them, not you. Decent people will not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unkown/when-someone-puts-you-down-and-treats-you-badly-just-remember-that/) Unkown > [Most of my heroes are just decent people. Decency is rare and underrated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/most-of-my-heroes-are-just-decent-people-decency-is-rare-and/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“No respecter of evidence has ever found the least clue as to what life is all about, and what people should do with it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut-jr/no-respecter-of-evidence-has-ever-found-the-least-clue-as-to-what/) [Kurt Vonnegut Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut-jr/) Browse all 156 Decent people quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The power of human habit never failed to astonish her. 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