--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That’s the way it is with Appian; things…" description: "\"“That’s the way it is with Appian; things that appear ridiculous on average just might have happened, so they cannot be entirely dismissed.”\" — Robert ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a19/robert-l-o-connell-42202_ridiculous_that-s-the-way-it-is-with-appian-things_2358255.jpg" --- # That’s the way it is with Appian; things that appear… ![“That’s the way it is with Appian; things that appear ridiculous on average just might have happened, so they cannot be entirely dismissed.” quote by Robert L. O'Connell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a19/robert-l-o-connell-42202_ridiculous_that-s-the-way-it-is-with-appian-things_2358255.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a19/robert-l-o-connell-42202_ridiculous_that-s-the-way-it-is-with-appian-things_2358255.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a19/robert-l-o-connell-42202_ridiculous_that-s-the-way-it-is-with-appian-things_2358255.jpg) > ““That’s the way it is with Appian; things that appear ridiculous on average just might have happened, so they cannot be entirely dismissed.”” [Robert L. O'Connell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-l-o-connell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Unusual events may seem absurd statistically but can’t be ignored entirely. **In simple terms:** Ridiculous‑looking data may still matter. Key Takeaway Consider outliers before dismissing them. Themes statistics critical thinking risk assessment Mood cautious analytical Type observational pragmatic When to use this quote - business analysis - policy planning - research design Key Concepts probability bias decision making Questions to Reflect On - How do you differentiate meaningful anomalies from random noise? - When should you act on rare events? A Different Perspective Outliers may be noise rather than signal. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Appear Ridiculous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appear-ridiculous-1925343/) [Appian Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appian-things-5765488/) [Ridiculous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ridiculous/) [Ridiculous Average](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ridiculous-average-5765489/) [Things Appear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-appear/) ## Related quotes > [One would appear ridiculous who would say, that it is only probable the sun will rise to-morrow, or that all men must die; thoughit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/one-would-appear-ridiculous-who-would-say-that-it-is-only-probable/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [Life is a game in which the player must appear ridiculous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-fellowes/life-is-a-game-in-which-the-player-must-appear-ridiculous/) [Julian Fellowes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-fellowes/) > [The aging process is not gradual or gentle. It rushes up, pushes you over, and runs off laughing. No one should grow old who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mortimer/the-aging-process-is-not-gradual-or-gentle-it-rushes-up-pushes-you/) [John Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mortimer/) > [“Though firm, we are never too firm, though we love fun, we never have fun in a silly way that makes us appear ridiculous,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/though-firm-we-are-never-too-firm-though-we-love-fun-we-never-have/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [“Certain things might appear to be bad or wrong in our eyes but if we try to look at from a different angle it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-jose/certain-things-might-appear-to-be-bad-or-wrong-in-our-eyes-but-if-we/) [Joseph Jose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-jose/) > [How you see things is how they appear. Think different and you'll see them differently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/how-you-see-things-is-how-they-appear-think-different-and-you-ll-see/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In spite of how things may appear to us, we are never trapped by where we are. The trap is always who we are](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-finley/in-spite-of-how-things-may-appear-to-us-we-are-never-trapped-by-where/) [Guy Finley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-finley/) > [“The harder I try to realistically portray real things, the more the things that appear in my work have a tendency to become unreal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/the-harder-i-try-to-realistically-portray-real-things-the-more-the/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [Things are not what they appear to be: nor are they otherwise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/things-are-not-what-they-appear-to-be-nor-are-they-otherwise/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [Any time things appear to be going better, you have overlooked something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-chisholm/any-time-things-appear-to-be-going-better-you-have-overlooked/) [Shirley Chisholm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-chisholm/) > [Art is when things appear rounded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-denis/art-is-when-things-appear-rounded/) [Maurice Denis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-denis/) > [“The philosophers write about things as they are and as they appear to be, but as an artist I find that appearance is everything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-inbinder/the-philosophers-write-about-things-as-they-are-and-as-they-appear-to/) [Gary Inbinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-inbinder/) > [Things are not always as they appear to be as.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-shannon/things-are-not-always-as-they-appear-to-be-as/) [Mike Shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-shannon/) > [“When the time is ripe for certain things, these things appear in different places in the manner of violets coming to light in early…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farkas-bolyai/when-the-time-is-ripe-for-certain-things-these-things-appear-in/) [Farkas Bolyai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/farkas-bolyai/) > [When every day seems the same, it is because we have stopped noticing the good things that appear in our lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/when-every-day-seems-the-same-it-is-because-we-have-stopped-noticing/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) ## More by Robert L. O'Connell > [“He wanted to bring up his plan for a retreat, but something told him not to. “Well, Grant, we’ve had the devil’s own day,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-l-o-connell/he-wanted-to-bring-up-his-plan-for-a-retreat-but-something-told-him/) [Robert L. O'Connell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-l-o-connell/) > [“Polybius managed to attach himself to the clan and person of Scipio Aemilianus, grandson of one of the two losing consuls at Cannae,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-l-o-connell/polybius-managed-to-attach-himself-to-the-clan-and-person-of-scipio/) [Robert L. O'Connell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-l-o-connell/) > [“He too was experimental and creatively disobedient, but he was still able to operate effectively in a fairly rigid hierarchy—something Americans do particularly well.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-l-o-connell/he-too-was-experimental-and-creatively-disobedient-but-he-was-still/) [Robert L. O'Connell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-l-o-connell/) > [“I hope to have God on my side; but I must have Kentucky,” Lincoln reputedly said.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-l-o-connell/i-hope-to-have-god-on-my-side-but-i-must-have-kentucky-lincoln/) [Robert L. O'Connell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-l-o-connell/) > [“About the best that can be done is to try to place oneself in a position to get lucky. Nothing is certain, but shrewd,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-l-o-connell/about-the-best-that-can-be-done-is-to-try-to-place-oneself-in-a/) [Robert L. O'Connell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-l-o-connell/) > [“Rome, on the other hand, lost—suffering on that one day more battle deaths than the United States during the entire course of the war…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-l-o-connell/rome-on-the-other-hand-lost-suffering-on-that-one-day-more-battle/) [Robert L. O'Connell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-l-o-connell/) > [“Real strategists are warriors and must be willing and able to fight battles, to “see the elephant,” as Civil War soldiers were fond of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-l-o-connell/real-strategists-are-warriors-and-must-be-willing-and-able-to-fight/) [Robert L. O'Connell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-l-o-connell/) > [“In other words, what we know for sure is entirely limited, and all the rest is basically opinion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-l-o-connell/in-other-words-what-we-know-for-sure-is-entirely-limited-and-all-the/) [Robert L. O'Connell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-l-o-connell/) [Explore all 9 Robert L. O'Connell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-l-o-connell/) ## More Ridiculous quotes > [“I have never felt more ridiculous. If this is what it means to be a woman I am not the slightest bit interested.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/libba-bray/i-have-never-felt-more-ridiculous-if-this-is-what-it-means-to-be-a/) [Libba Bray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/libba-bray/) > [Be neither too early in the fashion, nor too long out of it, nor too precisely in it; what custom hath civilized is become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-quarles/be-neither-too-early-in-the-fashion-nor-too-long-out-of-it-nor-too/) [Francis Quarles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-quarles/) > [There is nothing about myself that I wouldn't reveal or write about. I don't care how horrendous or ridiculous I may appear in person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/there-is-nothing-about-myself-that-i-wouldn-t-reveal-or-write-about-i/) [Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/) > [Cultivate the habit of thinking ahead, and of anticipating the necessary and immediate consequences of all your actions… Likewise in your pleasures, ask yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/cultivate-the-habit-of-thinking-ahead-and-of-anticipating-the/) [Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/) > [My rule is, when you are unhappy, think about it. But when you're happy, don't. Why spoil it? You're probably happy for some ridiculous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/my-rule-is-when-you-are-unhappy-think-about-it-but-when-you-re-happy/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) > [It's very important to me that people accept me as a transgendered female. But it's ridiculous to a lot of people and I understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-arquette/it-s-very-important-to-me-that-people-accept-me-as-a-transgendered/) [Alexis Arquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-arquette/) > [We would go to photo sessions and it was just the most ridiculous stuff. It was like, 'Here, lick on these lollipops.' And we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-caffey/we-would-go-to-photo-sessions-and-it-was-just-the-most-ridiculous/) [Charlotte Caffey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-caffey/) > [I'm really looking forward to a time when generations after us look back and say how ridiculous it was that humans were driving cars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-thrun/i-m-really-looking-forward-to-a-time-when-generations-after-us-look/) [Sebastian Thrun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-thrun/) > [Behind many acts that are thought ridiculous there lie wise and weighty motives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/behind-many-acts-that-are-thought-ridiculous-there-lie-wise-and/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Every sensible man, every honorable man, must hold the Christian sect in horror." "Christianity is the most ridiculous, the most absurd and bloody religion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/every-sensible-man-every-honorable-man-must-hold-the-christian-sect/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [I can go right, I can go left, I'm amphibious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-shackleford/i-can-go-right-i-can-go-left-i-m-amphibious/) [Charles Shackleford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-shackleford/) > [This face. What is it like to wake up to this face?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giuliana-rancic/this-face-what-is-it-like-to-wake-up-to-this-face/) [Giuliana Rancic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giuliana-rancic/) > [At some point during almost every romantic comedy, the female lead suddenly trips and falls, stumbling helplessly over something ridiculous like a leaf, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-handler/at-some-point-during-almost-every-romantic-comedy-the-female-lead/) [Chelsea Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-handler/) > [Satire is tragedy plus time. You give it enough time, the public, the reviewers will allow you to satirize it. Which is rather ridiculous,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/satire-is-tragedy-plus-time-you-give-it-enough-time-the-public-the/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [Divorce is so common and accepted in America that beating myself up over it may sound ridiculous. But I was raised to believe that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trisha-yearwood/divorce-is-so-common-and-accepted-in-america-that-beating-myself-up/) [Trisha Yearwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trisha-yearwood/) [Browse all 2,168 Ridiculous quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ridiculous/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“That’s the way it is with Appian; things that appear ridiculous on average just might have happened, so they cannot be entirely dismissed.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Robert L. 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