---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But there was never any knowing or any…"
description: "\"“But there was never any knowing or any certitude; the time to come always had more than one possible direction.”\" — Paul Bowles"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed2/paul-bowles-3731_time_but-there-was-never-any-knowing-or-any-c_1639975.jpg"
---

#  But there was never any knowing or any certitude; the time…

![“But there was never any knowing or any certitude; the time to come always had more than one possible direction.” quote by Paul Bowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed2/paul-bowles-3731_time_but-there-was-never-any-knowing-or-any-c_1639975.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed2/paul-bowles-3731_time_but-there-was-never-any-knowing-or-any-c_1639975.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed2/paul-bowles-3731_time_but-there-was-never-any-knowing-or-any-c_1639975.jpg)

> ““But there was never any knowing or any certitude; the time to come always had more than one possible direction.””

[Paul Bowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bowles/)

## About This Quote

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

Future events are uncertain, offering multiple possible paths rather than a single destiny.

**In simple terms:** Future is uncertain, many paths.

Key Takeaway

Embrace uncertainty, stay adaptable.

Themes

uncertainty future choice

Mood

thoughtful philosophical

Type

philosophical reflective

When to use this quote

- career planning
- travel
- creative projects

Key Concepts

probability existentialism

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you decide among many futures?
- What guides your direction?

A Different Perspective

Too many options can cause paralysis.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Come Possible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/come-possible-557973/) [Direction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/direction/) [Possible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possible/) [Possible Direction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possible-direction-557972/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Time Come](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time-come/)

## Related quotes

> [“It’s impossible to come back the same but it’s possible to come back better.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tareq-alqaed/it-s-impossible-to-come-back-the-same-but-it-s-possible-to-come-back/)

[Tareq alqaed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tareq-alqaed/)

> [In an ideal world you would carry on with the players who have come through with you but that's not always possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-howe/in-an-ideal-world-you-would-carry-on-with-the-players-who-have-come/)

[Eddie Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-howe/)

> [I grew up thinking anything was possible simply because of seeing women in power - like, you know, running the country. Which is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-nair/i-grew-up-thinking-anything-was-possible-simply-because-of-seeing/)

[Mira Nair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-nair/)

> [As a head coach you need a strong leadership group behind you and that is exactly what we have with Stuart Webber and our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-farke/as-a-head-coach-you-need-a-strong-leadership-group-behind-you-and/)

[Daniel Farke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-farke/)

> [“What is there, in the mention of Time To Come, that is so quick to wrench at the heart, to inflict a pain in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-llewellyn/what-is-there-in-the-mention-of-time-to-come-that-is-so-quick-to/)

[Richard Llewellyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-llewellyn/)

> [A time will come when the science of destruction shall bend before the arts of peace; when the genius which multiplies our powers, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-arago/a-time-will-come-when-the-science-of-destruction-shall-bend-before/)

[Francois Arago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-arago/)

> [No power on earth can stop an idea whose time has come.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-power-on-earth-can-stop-an-idea-whose-time-has-come/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [A person who really loves you is willing to wait for you until the right time will come, and that you can already say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-mae-sajo-gallego/a-person-who-really-loves-you-is-willing-to-wait-for-you-until-the/)

[Christine Mae Sajo Gallego](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-mae-sajo-gallego/)

> [The time will come when every change shall cease, This quick revolving wheel shall rest in peace: No summer then shall glow, not winter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petrarch/the-time-will-come-when-every-change-shall-cease-this-quick-revolving/)

[Petrarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petrarch/)

> [The time you come and save me,It will be too late.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasmine/the-time-you-come-and-save-me-it-will-be-too-late/)

[Jasmine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasmine/)

> [The time will come when man will know even what is going on in the other planets and perhaps be able to visit them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/the-time-will-come-when-man-will-know-even-what-is-going-on-in-the/)

[Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/)

> [The time will come to every human being when it must be known how well he can bear to die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-time-will-come-to-every-human-being-when-it-must-be-known-how/)

[Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/)

> [Work Hard, Be strong and Keep Believing. Youre Time Will Come!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricardo-housham/work-hard-be-strong-and-keep-believing-youre-time-will-come/)

[RICARDO HOUSHAM](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricardo-housham/)

> [“If the time should ever come when what is now called science, thus familiarised to men, shall be ready to put on, as it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wordsworth/if-the-time-should-ever-come-when-what-is-now-called-science-thus/)

[William Wordsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wordsworth/)

> [“The time will come when men such as I will look upon the murder of animals as they now look on the murder of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimitri-merejkowski/the-time-will-come-when-men-such-as-i-will-look-upon-the-murder-of/)

[Dimitri Merejkowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimitri-merejkowski/)

## More by Paul Bowles

> [“When I was young” … “Before I was twenty, I mean, I used to think that life was a thing that kept gaining impetus,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bowles/when-i-was-young-before-i-was-twenty-i-mean-i-used-to-think-that-life/)

[Paul Bowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bowles/)

> [A black star appears, a point of darkness in the night sky's clarity. Point of darkness and gateway to repose. Reach out, pierce the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bowles/a-black-star-appears-a-point-of-darkness-in-the-night-sky-s-clarity/)

[Paul Bowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bowles/)

> [We've never managed, either one of us, to get all the way into life. We're hanging on to the outside for all we're worth,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bowles/we-ve-never-managed-either-one-of-us-to-get-all-the-way-into-life-we/)

[Paul Bowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bowles/)

> [Everyone is isolated from everyone else. The concept of society is like a cushion to protect us from the knowledge of that isolation. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bowles/everyone-is-isolated-from-everyone-else-the-concept-of-society-is/)

[Paul Bowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bowles/)

> [Illness reduces man to his basic state: a cloaca in which the chemical processes continue. The meaningless hegemony of the involuntary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bowles/illness-reduces-man-to-his-basic-state-a-cloaca-in-which-the-chemical/)

[Paul Bowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bowles/)

> [“You know what?” he said with great earnestness. “I think we’re both afraid of the same thing. And for the same reason. We’ve never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bowles/you-know-what-he-said-with-great-earnestness-i-think-we-re-both/)

[Paul Bowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bowles/)

> [“... how could any young man merely sit back and wait for divine justice to take its course? It was asking the impossible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bowles/how-could-any-young-man-merely-sit-back-and-wait-for-divine-justice/)

[Paul Bowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bowles/)

> [“There could be nothing, he reflected, to equal a government which was simply the honest enforcement, by means of the sword, of the laws…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bowles/there-could-be-nothing-he-reflected-to-equal-a-government-which-was/)

[Paul Bowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bowles/)

> [Not all the ravages caused by our merciless age are tangible ones. The subtler forms of destruction, those involving only the human spirit, are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bowles/not-all-the-ravages-caused-by-our-merciless-age-are-tangible-ones-the/)

[Paul Bowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bowles/)

> [“What a wonderful thing to be an American!" he said impetuously. "Yes," said Dyar automatically, never having given much thought to what it would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bowles/what-a-wonderful-thing-to-be-an-american-he-said-impetuously-yes-said/)

[Paul Bowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bowles/)

> [“How peaceful it was, with the light evening breeze stirring the small leaves of the grapevine that clustered around the electric bulb, making the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bowles/how-peaceful-it-was-with-the-light-evening-breeze-stirring-the-small/)

[Paul Bowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bowles/)

> [“Because we don't know when we will die, we get to think of life as an inexhaustible well. Yet everything happens a certain number…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bowles/because-we-don-t-know-when-we-will-die-we-get-to-think-of-life-as-an/)

[Paul Bowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bowles/)

> [She was saved from prettiness by the intensity of her gaze.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bowles/she-was-saved-from-prettiness-by-the-intensity-of-her-gaze/)

[Paul Bowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bowles/)

> [“If people are living the same as always, with their bellies full of food, they'll just go on the same way. If they get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bowles/if-people-are-living-the-same-as-always-with-their-bellies-full-of/)

[Paul Bowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bowles/)

> [“Scene VI (1940) It is our fault we love only the skull of Beauty Without knowing who she was, of what she died. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bowles/scene-vi-1940-it-is-our-fault-we-love-only-the-skull-of-beauty/)

[Paul Bowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bowles/)

[Explore all 122 Paul Bowles quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bowles/)

## More Direction quotes

> [I'm not gonna squeal out that this is my 23rd retirement, my real, real retirement. But you know there comes a time where you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-funk/i-m-not-gonna-squeal-out-that-this-is-my-23rd-retirement-my-real-real/)

[Terry Funk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-funk/)

> [My favorite job is the next one. Its such a gratifying experience getting to creatively keep trying something new and push things in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-craig-smith/my-favorite-job-is-the-next-one-its-such-a-gratifying-experience/)

[Roger Craig Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-craig-smith/)

> [Every time you think a negative thought, it's one step in the wrong direction, for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-paul/every-time-you-think-a-negative-thought-it-s-one-step-in-the-wrong/)

[Sean Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-paul/)

> [“No matter how many times you get turned around,you will still find yourself going in the right direction \*B\*”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-easley/no-matter-how-many-times-you-get-turned-around-you-will-still-find/)

[B. Easley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-easley/)

> [Life's lessons don't come with books, notes nor instructions...just mistakes and EVERYONE makes them!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/life-s-lessons-don-t-come-with-books-notes-nor-instructions-just/)

[Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/)

> [I don't think comedy really does change people's minds; I think you can only get someone who is almost ready to change their mind.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-jefferies/i-don-t-think-comedy-really-does-change-people-s-minds-i-think-you/)

[Jim Jefferies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-jefferies/)

> [The prime communities of the Southwest are survival communities. Their sustenance is governed by rainfall and wind direction. You can study little enclaves of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-predock/the-prime-communities-of-the-southwest-are-survival-communities-their/)

[Antoine Predock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-predock/)

> [Napster has pointed the way for a new direction for music distribution, and we believe it will form the basis of important and exciting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-diller/napster-has-pointed-the-way-for-a-new-direction-for-music/)

[Barry Diller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-diller/)

> [But I would say if the Security Council is only relevant if it agrees with the United States, then we have come a long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-blix/but-i-would-say-if-the-security-council-is-only-relevant-if-it-agrees/)

[Hans Blix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-blix/)

> [Vote SNP for a party that always stands up for Scotland, that is stronger for Scotland, and a government that will keep the country…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-sturgeon/vote-snp-for-a-party-that-always-stands-up-for-scotland-that-is/)

[Nicola Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-sturgeon/)

> [I have a horrible sense of direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-polis/i-have-a-horrible-sense-of-direction/)

[Jared Polis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-polis/)

> [When I see Mario Gotze, his development does not go in the right direction. He has outstanding qualities, but he has not reached his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ballack/when-i-see-mario-gotze-his-development-does-not-go-in-the-right/)

[Michael Ballack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ballack/)

> [Even in 'Hollyoaks,' we were known as 'the black family' as opposed to just 'the new family.' But that's where we are in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-whittle/even-in-hollyoaks-we-were-known-as-the-black-family-as-opposed-to/)

[Ricky Whittle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-whittle/)

> [I love being a private company. I don't ever want to be forced to not do the things I need to do to keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendra-scott/i-love-being-a-private-company-i-don-t-ever-want-to-be-forced-to-not/)

[Kendra Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendra-scott/)

> [Nobody had anticipated that chemicals was the direction in which Reliance was headed. I did chemical engineering because it was supposed to be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mukesh-ambani/nobody-had-anticipated-that-chemicals-was-the-direction-in-which/)

[Mukesh Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mukesh-ambani/)

[Browse all 2,024 Direction quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/direction/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“But there was never any knowing or any certitude; the time to come always had more than one possible direction.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Paul Bowles"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bowles/but-there-was-never-any-knowing-or-any-certitude-the-time-to-come/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Direction"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bowles/but-there-was-never-any-knowing-or-any-certitude-the-time-to-come/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed2/paul-bowles-3731_time_but-there-was-never-any-knowing-or-any-c_1639975.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed2/paul-bowles-3731_time_but-there-was-never-any-knowing-or-any-c_1639975.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed2/paul-bowles-3731_time_but-there-was-never-any-knowing-or-any-c_1639975.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“But there was never any knowing or any certitude; the time to come always had more than one possible…” — Paul Bowles",
                "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": "Paul Bowles",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bowles/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“But there was never any knowing...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bowles/but-there-was-never-any-knowing-or-any-certitude-the-time-to-come/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bowles/but-there-was-never-any-knowing-or-any-certitude-the-time-to-come/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
