--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A true history of human events would show…" description: "\"A true history of human events would show that a far larger proportion of our acts are the result of sudden impulse and accident than of that reason of..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d9/peter-cooper-47583_accident_a-true-history-of-human-events-would-sho_1018591.jpg" --- # A true history of human events would show that a far… ![“A true history of human events would show that a far larger proportion of our acts are the result of sudden impulse and accident than of that reason of which we so much boast.” quote by Peter Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d9/peter-cooper-47583_accident_a-true-history-of-human-events-would-sho_1018591.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d9/peter-cooper-47583_accident_a-true-history-of-human-events-would-sho_1018591.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d9/peter-cooper-47583_accident_a-true-history-of-human-events-would-sho_1018591.jpg) > “A true history of human events would show that a far larger proportion of our acts are the result of sudden impulse and accident than of that reason of which we so much boast.” [Peter Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-cooper/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human actions are often driven by impulse and accident more than by rational planning. **In simple terms:** We act more on spontaneity than reason. Key Takeaway Recognize and manage impulsive tendencies. Themes human nature history psychology chance reason Mood reflective analytical Type philosophical historical When to use this quote - decision making - risk assessment - personal reflection Key Concepts determinism behavioral economics historical analysis Questions to Reflect On - What impulses have shaped your major choices? - Can you balance spontaneity with foresight? A Different Perspective Impulse can lead to unintended negative outcomes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accident](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accident/) [Acts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acts/) [Boast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boast/) [Events](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/events/) [Far](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/far/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [History Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history-human/) [Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human/) [Human Events](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-events-1279949/) [Impulse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impulse/) [Impulse Accident](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impulse-accident-2255431/) [Larger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/larger/) [Much](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/much/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [Our](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our/) [Proportion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/proportion/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Reason Boast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason-boast-2255432/) [Result](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/result/) [Show](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/show/) [Sudden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sudden/) [Sudden Impulse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sudden-impulse-2255430/) [Than](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/than/) [True](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true/) [Which](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/which/) [Would](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would/) ## Related quotes > [“Though he had determined upon this in the first moment of joyful enthusiasm, yet the delay of four-and-twenty hours had made a material change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-edgeworth/though-he-had-determined-upon-this-in-the-first-moment-of-joyful/) [Maria Edgeworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-edgeworth/) > [Can I confess something? I tell you this as an artist, I think you'll understand. Sometimes when I'm driving on the road at night…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-walken/can-i-confess-something-i-tell-you-this-as-an-artist-i-think-you-ll/) [Christopher Walken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-walken/) > [“Why not?” but without conviction, confirming for them both that this was a sudden impulse that most likely would not last out the afternoon.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mcdermott/why-not-but-without-conviction-confirming-for-them-both-that-this-was/) [Alice McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mcdermott/) > [“If I ever marry, it will be on a sudden impulse - as a man shoots himself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken-2/if-i-ever-marry-it-will-be-on-a-sudden-impulse-as-a-man-shoots-himself/) [H.L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken-2/) > [“With the invention of the clock, Eternity ceased to serve as the measure and focus of human events.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/with-the-invention-of-the-clock-eternity-ceased-to-serve-as-the/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [“No harm's done to history by making it something someone would want to read." ( The Course of Human Events , NEH Jefferson Lecture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/no-harm-s-done-to-history-by-making-it-something-someone-would-want-2/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [Anxiety is the poison of human life; the parent of many sins and of more miseries. In a world where everything is doubtful, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tryon-edwards/anxiety-is-the-poison-of-human-life-the-parent-of-many-sins-and-of-2/) [Tryon Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tryon-edwards/) > [Surely no man can reflect, without wonder upon the vicissitudes of human life arising from causes in the highest degree accidental and trifling. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sir-fulke-greville/surely-no-man-can-reflect-without-wonder-upon-the-vicissitudes-of/) [Sir Fulke Greville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sir-fulke-greville/) > [Few people realize the profound part angelic forces play in human events.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/few-people-realize-the-profound-part-angelic-forces-play-in-human/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [I do not believe that there is any person, method, or tool that can consistently and reliably predict specific human events, X- or otherwise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-l-casti/i-do-not-believe-that-there-is-any-person-method-or-tool-that-can/) [John L. Casti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-l-casti/) > [Is it not that in the chain of human events, the birthday of a nation is indissolubly linked with the birthday of the Savior?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-quincy-adams/is-it-not-that-in-the-chain-of-human-events-the-birthday-of-a-nation/) [John Quincy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-quincy-adams/) > [The web is just another stunning point in the two-hundred-thousand-year history of human beings on earth. The taming of fire; the discovery of penicillin;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-ullman/the-web-is-just-another-stunning-point-in-the-two-hundred-thousand/) [Ellen Ullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-ullman/) > [The history of the human race is a continual struggle from darkness into light. It is, therefore, to no purpose to discuss the use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fridtjof-nansen/the-history-of-the-human-race-is-a-continual-struggle-from-darkness/) [Fridtjof Nansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fridtjof-nansen/) > [Culture, the acquainting ourselves with the best that has been known and said in the world, and thus with the history of the human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-arnold/culture-the-acquainting-ourselves-with-the-best-that-has-been-known/) [Matthew Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-arnold/) > [“THE GREATEST MYSTERY OF ALL TIME… THE HISTORY OF HUMAN ORIGINS… WILL BE REVEALED. 70,000 years ago, the human race almost went extinct. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-g-riddle/the-greatest-mystery-of-all-time-the-history-of-human-origins-will-be/) [A.G. Riddle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-g-riddle/) ## More by Peter Cooper > [“Don Light talks ... ... The Marines help teach you patience, and patience is a virtue. My old friend Les Beasley was in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-cooper/don-light-talks-the-marines-help-teach-you-patience-and-patience-is-a/) [Peter Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-cooper/) > [Money is so unlike every other article that I believe a man has neither a legal or a moral right to take all that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-cooper/money-is-so-unlike-every-other-article-that-i-believe-a-man-has/) [Peter Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-cooper/) > [“(Skip Litz) was road managing Todd Snider one time, which meant he had to sneak Todd's tiny dog, Lulu, into hotels. In Atlanta, Skip…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-cooper/skip-litz-was-road-managing-todd-snider-one-time-which-meant-he-had/) [Peter Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-cooper/) > [“See, Shel (Silverstein) was possessed with one of the worst singing verses ever heard. Musical appreciation is inherently subjective, and it's normally senseless to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-cooper/see-shel-silverstein-was-possessed-with-one-of-the-worst-singing/) [Peter Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-cooper/) > [I have always recognized that the object of business is to make money in an honorable manner. I have endeavored to remember that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-cooper/i-have-always-recognized-that-the-object-of-business-is-to-make-money/) [Peter Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-cooper/) > [“One of the most fulfilling things about programming is that you can turn your dreams into reality. The amount of skill you need varies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-cooper/one-of-the-most-fulfilling-things-about-programming-is-that-you-can/) [Peter Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-cooper/) > [“I wound up writing a review that asserted her greatness but also said that this was not her career album, and that she could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-cooper/i-wound-up-writing-a-review-that-asserted-her-greatness-but-also-said/) [Peter Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-cooper/) [Explore all 8 Peter Cooper quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-cooper/) ## More Accident quotes > [Fame, we may understand, is no sure test of merit, but only a probability of such: it is an accident, not a property, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/fame-we-may-understand-is-no-sure-test-of-merit-but-only-a/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [I went to school at night in L.A. to brush up on my engineering while I applied to the astronaut program. I really did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-jemison/i-went-to-school-at-night-in-l-a-to-brush-up-on-my-engineering-while/) [Mae Jemison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-jemison/) > [“The accident in your rearview mirror already happened. The one in front of you is still preventable. Pay attention.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nakia-r-laushaul/the-accident-in-your-rearview-mirror-already-happened-the-one-in/) [Nakia R. Laushaul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nakia-r-laushaul/) > [People dont get married by accident and they dont get divorced by accident.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darren-hayes/people-dont-get-married-by-accident-and-they-dont-get-divorced-by/) [Darren Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darren-hayes/) > [My father had Parkinson's, though he actually died following a bicycle accident.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kt-tunstall/my-father-had-parkinson-s-though-he-actually-died-following-a-bicycle/) [KT Tunstall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kt-tunstall/) > [A tragic car accident put me in a wheelchair and dashed my hopes and dreams for the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madison-cawthorn/a-tragic-car-accident-put-me-in-a-wheelchair-and-dashed-my-hopes-and/) [Madison Cawthorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madison-cawthorn/) > [My musical career was an accident.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sade-adu/my-musical-career-was-an-accident/) [Sade Adu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sade-adu/) > [The spirit in the body is like wine in a glass; when it spills, it seeps into air and earth and light….It’s a mistake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-michaels/the-spirit-in-the-body-is-like-wine-in-a-glass-when-it-spills-it/) [Anne Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-michaels/) > [accident ruled every corner of the universe except the chambers of the human heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-guterson/accident-ruled-every-corner-of-the-universe-except-the-chambers-of/) [David Guterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-guterson/) > [There is a French expression that says: to be exposed to an accident, to cross a street without looking at the cars means exposing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-virilio/there-is-a-french-expression-that-says-to-be-exposed-to-an-accident/) [Paul Virilio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-virilio/) > [It's no accident that most self-help groups use 'anonymous' in their names; to Americans, the first step toward redemption is a ritual wiping out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-kirn/it-s-no-accident-that-most-self-help-groups-use-anonymous-in-their/) [Walter Kirn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-kirn/) > [High birth is an accident, not a virtue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pietro-metastasio/high-birth-is-an-accident-not-a-virtue/) [Pietro Metastasio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pietro-metastasio/) > [“I just got out of the hospital. I was in a speed reading accident. I hit a book mark and flew across the room.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/i-just-got-out-of-the-hospital-i-was-in-a-speed-reading-accident-i/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [However, I met with a horrible accident while riding my bike in Sangla Valley. The accident was a wakeup call for me stop getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhinav-shukla/however-i-met-with-a-horrible-accident-while-riding-my-bike-in-sangla/) [Abhinav Shukla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhinav-shukla/) > [“Because the core of my personal philosophy is that everything that happens to us benefits us, I was also spared the futility of cursing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/because-the-core-of-my-personal-philosophy-is-that-everything-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 922 Accident quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accident/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A true history of human events would show that a far larger proportion of our acts are the result of sudden impulse and accident than of that reason of which we so much boast.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Peter Cooper" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-cooper/a-true-history-of-human-events-would-show-that-a-far-larger/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Accident" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-cooper/a-true-history-of-human-events-would-show-that-a-far-larger/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d9/peter-cooper-47583_accident_a-true-history-of-human-events-would-sho_1018591.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d9/peter-cooper-47583_accident_a-true-history-of-human-events-would-sho_1018591.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d9/peter-cooper-47583_accident_a-true-history-of-human-events-would-sho_1018591.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A true history of human events would show that a far larger proportion of our acts are the result of sudden…” — Peter Cooper", "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": "Peter Cooper", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-cooper/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A true history of human events...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-cooper/a-true-history-of-human-events-would-show-that-a-far-larger/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-cooper/a-true-history-of-human-events-would-show-that-a-far-larger/#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 } } ] } ```