--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: knew the futility of agonizing over why…" description: "\"“knew the futility of agonizing over why things had transpired as they had. What could have happened, did.”\" — Raymond E. Feist" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78d/raymond-e-feist-6614_acceptance-of-onesel_knew-the-futility-of-agonizing-over-why_2628056.jpg" --- # knew the futility of agonizing over why things had… ![“knew the futility of agonizing over why things had transpired as they had. What could have happened, did.” quote by Raymond E. Feist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78d/raymond-e-feist-6614_acceptance-of-onesel_knew-the-futility-of-agonizing-over-why_2628056.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78d/raymond-e-feist-6614_acceptance-of-onesel_knew-the-futility-of-agonizing-over-why_2628056.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78d/raymond-e-feist-6614_acceptance-of-onesel_knew-the-futility-of-agonizing-over-why_2628056.jpg) > ““knew the futility of agonizing over why things had transpired as they had. What could have happened, did.”” [Raymond E. Feist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-e-feist/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Accepting that some events are beyond our control reduces needless rumination. **In simple terms:** Stop overthinking past events. Key Takeaway Focus on present actions. Themes acceptance control mindfulness Mood reflective calm Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal loss - relationship conflict - career setbacks - health challenges Key Concepts Stoicism determinism Questions to Reflect On - What can you learn from the outcome? - How does acceptance change your future choices? A Different Perspective It may ignore valuable lessons from analysis. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acceptance-of-oneself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acceptance-of-oneself/) [Dwelling on the past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dwelling-on-the-past/) [Fate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fate/) [Futility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/futility/) ## Related quotes > [The things that transpired in my life, they didn't happen in the order that they're supposed to, or are ideal. Everything just kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-finau/the-things-that-transpired-in-my-life-they-didn-t-happen-in-the-order/) [Tony Finau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-finau/) > [Instead of agonizing about the things you can't change, why don't you try working on the things you can change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-sonnenblick/instead-of-agonizing-about-the-things-you-can-t-change-why-don-t-you/) [Jordan Sonnenblick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-sonnenblick/) > [As actors, we're always asked to portray and react to these extreme circumstances, otherwise it's not interesting. They are agonizing things to think about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-scott-thomas/as-actors-we-re-always-asked-to-portray-and-react-to-these-extreme/) [Kristin Scott Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-scott-thomas/) > [“Suddenly feeling overwhelmed, Talon said, 'It doesn’t matter. They are all dead.' He felt moisture gathering in his eyes and blinked. 'It’s been a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-e-feist/suddenly-feeling-overwhelmed-talon-said-it-doesn-t-matter-they-are/) [Raymond E. Feist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-e-feist/) > [“Robert had taught him to keep his thoughts in the present or near future, for as Robert had told him, To dwell in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-e-feist/robert-had-taught-him-to-keep-his-thoughts-in-the-present-or-near/) [Raymond E. Feist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-e-feist/) > [“I lied," I said. ... "I know it," he said. "Then do something about it. Do anything, just so it's something." "I cant," he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/i-lied-i-said-i-know-it-he-said-then-do-something-about-it-do/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [“The soul accepts the mystery within and all around, immersing itself in it, celebrating it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-woodman/the-soul-accepts-the-mystery-within-and-all-around-immersing-itself/) [Jay Woodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-woodman/) > [“And I never felt more alive, until I spread my wings and flew away. Flew away with the ravens. It was then that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-red-raven/and-i-never-felt-more-alive-until-i-spread-my-wings-and-flew-away/) The Red Raven > [“There's no beauty without difference and diversity. Love unconditionally.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rasheed-ogunlaru/there-s-no-beauty-without-difference-and-diversity-love/) [Rasheed Ogunlaru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rasheed-ogunlaru/) > [“To hate the hate was just more hate; to reject the rejection was just more rejection; to judge the judging, just more judging.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-scott-mcleod/to-hate-the-hate-was-just-more-hate-to-reject-the-rejection-was-just/) [T. Scott McLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-scott-mcleod/) > [“Accept me for who I am.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/accept-me-for-who-i-am/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“If folks don't like the way you look, they almost never take the time to find anything out about you. They just make up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-haywood-leal/if-folks-don-t-like-the-way-you-look-they-almost-never-take-the-time/) Ann Haywood Leal > [“The entire quest is for acceptance. You run from pillar to post for being accepted as you are. This quest ends only when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neelam-saxena-chandra/the-entire-quest-is-for-acceptance-you-run-from-pillar-to-post-for/) [Neelam Saxena Chandra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neelam-saxena-chandra/) > [“Your outside is just what you live in, sleep in, and has little connection with who you are and even less with what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/your-outside-is-just-what-you-live-in-sleep-in-and-has-little/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [“True success is accepting yourself for what you have to offer rather than for what you cannot do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-shepp/true-success-is-accepting-yourself-for-what-you-have-to-offer-rather/) Dave Shepp ## More by Raymond E. Feist > [Often I'll try things that just won't happen the way I'd like them to, so hearing that they're not working saves me some wear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-e-feist/often-i-ll-try-things-that-just-won-t-happen-the-way-i-d-like-them-to/) [Raymond E. Feist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-e-feist/) > [A hero is someone who simply got too frightened to use his good sense and run away, then somehow lived through it all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-e-feist/a-hero-is-someone-who-simply-got-too-frightened-to-use-his-good-sense/) [Raymond E. Feist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-e-feist/) > [“My father used to say, “a day spent breathing is a good day”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-e-feist/my-father-used-to-say-a-day-spent-breathing-is-a-good-day/) [Raymond E. Feist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-e-feist/) > [“Knowing what things are not is often as important as knowing what they are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-e-feist/knowing-what-things-are-not-is-often-as-important-as-knowing-what/) [Raymond E. Feist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-e-feist/) > [You would do well to know, Marcus, that irritating a better swordsman than yourself is a good way to end up dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-e-feist/you-would-do-well-to-know-marcus-that-irritating-a-better-swordsman/) [Raymond E. Feist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-e-feist/) > [“Kings and marshals can look back and relive their triumphs, their great victories. We common folk must take what pleasure we can from life's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-e-feist/kings-and-marshals-can-look-back-and-relive-their-triumphs-their/) [Raymond E. Feist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-e-feist/) > [I feel when a writer treats a character as 'precious,' the writer runs the risk of turning them into a comic book character. There's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-e-feist/i-feel-when-a-writer-treats-a-character-as-precious-the-writer-runs/) [Raymond E. Feist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-e-feist/) > [“All right, me darlings. You heard the Captain. Look around and tell ol'Biggo what you thieving rascals grabbed when you ran for your lives!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-e-feist/all-right-me-darlings-you-heard-the-captain-look-around-and-tell-ol/) [Raymond E. Feist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-e-feist/) > [Writing is hard work; it's also the best job I've ever had.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-e-feist/writing-is-hard-work-it-s-also-the-best-job-i-ve-ever-had/) [Raymond E. Feist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-e-feist/) > [If I leave my computer, I'm probably not going to get back for hours. If I take a few minutes to answer questions and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-e-feist/if-i-leave-my-computer-i-m-probably-not-going-to-get-back-for-hours/) [Raymond E. Feist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-e-feist/) > [I keep threatening to write a non-fantasy book, and they keep offering me the kind of money I can't refuse to write a fantasy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-e-feist/i-keep-threatening-to-write-a-non-fantasy-book-and-they-keep-offering/) [Raymond E. Feist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-e-feist/) > [I don't like fantasy where a king snaps his fingers and suddenly a whole army appears and goes off to war - he's got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-e-feist/i-don-t-like-fantasy-where-a-king-snaps-his-fingers-and-suddenly-a/) [Raymond E. Feist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-e-feist/) > [I know you'll think this odd, but I find it strangely exhilarating not knowing what's coming next.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-e-feist/i-know-you-ll-think-this-odd-but-i-find-it-strangely-exhilarating-not/) [Raymond E. Feist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-e-feist/) > [I don't write fantasy; I write historical novels about an imaginary place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-e-feist/i-don-t-write-fantasy-i-write-historical-novels-about-an-imaginary/) [Raymond E. Feist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-e-feist/) > [ATLANTA NIGHTS is sure to please the reader who enjoys this sort of thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-e-feist/atlanta-nights-is-sure-to-please-the-reader-who-enjoys-this-sort-of/) [Raymond E. Feist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-e-feist/) [Explore all 98 Raymond E. Feist quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-e-feist/) ## More Acceptance-of-oneself quotes > [“True success is accepting yourself for what you have to offer rather than for what you cannot do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-shepp/true-success-is-accepting-yourself-for-what-you-have-to-offer-rather/) Dave Shepp > [“Your outside is just what you live in, sleep in, and has little connection with who you are and even less with what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/your-outside-is-just-what-you-live-in-sleep-in-and-has-little/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [“The entire quest is for acceptance. You run from pillar to post for being accepted as you are. This quest ends only when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neelam-saxena-chandra/the-entire-quest-is-for-acceptance-you-run-from-pillar-to-post-for/) [Neelam Saxena Chandra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neelam-saxena-chandra/) > [“If folks don't like the way you look, they almost never take the time to find anything out about you. They just make up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-haywood-leal/if-folks-don-t-like-the-way-you-look-they-almost-never-take-the-time/) Ann Haywood Leal > [“Accept me for who I am.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/accept-me-for-who-i-am/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“To hate the hate was just more hate; to reject the rejection was just more rejection; to judge the judging, just more judging.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-scott-mcleod/to-hate-the-hate-was-just-more-hate-to-reject-the-rejection-was-just/) [T. Scott McLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-scott-mcleod/) > [“There's no beauty without difference and diversity. Love unconditionally.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rasheed-ogunlaru/there-s-no-beauty-without-difference-and-diversity-love/) [Rasheed Ogunlaru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rasheed-ogunlaru/) > [“And I never felt more alive, until I spread my wings and flew away. Flew away with the ravens. It was then that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-red-raven/and-i-never-felt-more-alive-until-i-spread-my-wings-and-flew-away/) The Red Raven > [“The soul accepts the mystery within and all around, immersing itself in it, celebrating it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-woodman/the-soul-accepts-the-mystery-within-and-all-around-immersing-itself/) [Jay Woodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-woodman/) > [“I lied," I said. ... "I know it," he said. "Then do something about it. Do anything, just so it's something." "I cant," he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/i-lied-i-said-i-know-it-he-said-then-do-something-about-it-do/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [“I am protective of the gentle slope of stomach bulging like an early pregnancy, at my waist. I've earned its existence with everything I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-roberts/i-am-protective-of-the-gentle-slope-of-stomach-bulging-like-an-early/) [Stephanie Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-roberts/) > [“The true dwellers help you embrace the darkness in yourself and wield it at will. It is never belittling but empowering.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harshita-gottipati/the-true-dwellers-help-you-embrace-the-darkness-in-yourself-and-wield/) Harshita Gottipati > [“You're not asking for input. You are asking your admirer's to prove they are paying attention.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-cleave/you-re-not-asking-for-input-you-are-asking-your-admirer-s-to-prove/) [Chris Cleave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-cleave/) > [“The things about others that irritate, annoy, and unsettle us are the very things we have not accepted and embraced about ourselves”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-alan-woods/the-things-about-others-that-irritate-annoy-and-unsettle-us-are-the/) [R. Alan Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-alan-woods/) > [“Then I close my eyes, and I imagine a world where I sabi and you sabi that we are okay, as we are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-brown/then-i-close-my-eyes-and-i-imagine-a-world-where-i-sabi-and-you-sabi/) [Diane Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-brown/) [Browse all 60 Acceptance-of-oneself quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acceptance-of-oneself/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“knew the futility of agonizing over why things had transpired as they had. What could have happened, did.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Raymond E. 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