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Bad luck Quote by Richard Feynman

“I took a little walk outside for a while. I was surprised that I wasn't feeling what I thought people were supposed to feel under the circumstances. May be I was fooling myself. I wasn't delighted, but I didn't feel terribly upset, perhaps because we had known for a long time that it was going to…” quote by Richard Feynman
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““I took a little walk outside for a while. I was surprised that I wasn't feeling what I thought people were supposed to feel under the circumstances. May be I was fooling myself. I wasn't delighted, but I didn't feel terribly upset, perhaps because we had known for a long time that it was going to happen. It's hard to explain. If a Martian(who, we'll imagine never dies except by accident) came to Earth and saw this peculiar race of creatures-these humans who live about seventy or eighty years, knowing that death is going to come--it would look to hi like a terrible problem of psychology to live under those circumstances, knowing that life is only temporary Well, we humans somehow figure out how to live despite this problem: we laugh, we joke, we live. The only difference for me and Arlene was, instead of fifty years, it was five years. It was only a quantitative difference--the psychological problem was just the same. The only way it would have become any different is if we had said to ourselves, "But those other people have it better, because they might live fifty years." But that's crazy. Why make yourself miserable saying things like, "Why do we have such bad luck? What has God done to us? What have we done to deserve this?"--all of which, if you understand reality and take it completely into your heart, are irrelevant and unsolvable. They are just things that nobody can know. Your situation is just an accident of life.. We had a hell of good time together...””

Richard Feynman

About This Quote

Source Lecture: The Character of Physical Law, 1975

He reflects on confronting mortality, finding humor and acceptance despite limited time.

In simple terms: Accept life’s brevity with humor and perspective.

Key Takeaway

Embrace humor to cope with existential limits.

Themes

mortality psychology humor acceptance

Mood

contemplative philosophical

Type

existential inspirational

When to use this quote

  • end‑of‑life care
  • grief counseling
  • personal reflection

Key Concepts

existentialism coping mechanisms human resilience

Questions to Reflect On

  • How do you find meaning when time feels short?
  • What practices help you accept life’s impermanence?
A Different Perspective

Humor may not suit all grieving processes.

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