---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: While most of the things you've worried…"
description: "\"While most of the things you've worried about have never happened, it's a different story with the things you haven't worried about. They are the ones ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49f/ruth-rendell-16367_different_while-most-of-the-things-you-ve-worried_1270147.png"
---

#  While most of the things you've worried about have never…

![“While most of the things you've worried about have never happened, it's a different story with the things you haven't worried about. They are the ones that happen.” quote by Ruth Rendell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49f/ruth-rendell-16367_different_while-most-of-the-things-you-ve-worried_1270147.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49f/ruth-rendell-16367_different_while-most-of-the-things-you-ve-worried_1270147.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49f/ruth-rendell-16367_different_while-most-of-the-things-you-ve-worried_1270147.png)

> “While most of the things you've worried about have never happened, it's a different story with the things you haven't worried about. They are the ones that happen.”

[Ruth Rendell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-rendell/)

## About This Quote

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

Unforeseen events often arise from what we neglect, not from our anxieties.

**In simple terms:** Worries miss the real risks.

Key Takeaway

Pay attention to unknowns.

Themes

uncertainty risk attention

Mood

anxious reflective

Type

cautionary observational

When to use this quote

- project planning
- financial investing
- health monitoring
- strategic decision making

Key Concepts

probability unknown unknowns

Questions to Reflect On

- What blind spots might you be ignoring?
- How can you prepare for unknown risks?

A Different Perspective

Unforeseen events can be unpredictable and uncontrollable.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different/) [Different story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-story/) [Happened](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happened/) [Happened Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happened-different-436048/) [Ones Happen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ones-happen-2934198/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Ve Worried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ve-worried-568601/) [Worried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worried/) [Worried Happened](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worried-happened-926109/) [Worry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worry/)

## Related quotes

> [Almost everything that I've ever worried about has never happened .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-tucker/almost-everything-that-i-ve-ever-worried-about-has-never-happened/)

[Ian Tucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-tucker/)

> [The biggest revolutions are the ones that happen in-between our ears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-brown/the-biggest-revolutions-are-the-ones-that-happen-in-between-our-ears/)

[Rob Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-brown/)

> [You don’t take pictures, the good ones happen to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernst-haas/you-don-t-take-pictures-the-good-ones-happen-to-you/)

[Ernst Haas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernst-haas/)

> [I've never worried about age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanne-moreau/i-ve-never-worried-about-age/)

[Jeanne Moreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanne-moreau/)

> [It was a moment I've worried about all my life. What if my kids are scared of me? But my daughter was holding my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-brooker/it-was-a-moment-i-ve-worried-about-all-my-life-what-if-my-kids-are/)

[Alex Brooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-brooker/)

> [“I’ve been worried for a long time. I’ve just been doing what I could. I don’t really have much choice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/makoto-shinkai/i-ve-been-worried-for-a-long-time-i-ve-just-been-doing-what-i-could-i/)

[Makoto Shinkai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/makoto-shinkai/)

> [My whole life, I've never worried about being No. 1, because that's the guy they've got to get out of there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-benson/my-whole-life-i-ve-never-worried-about-being-no-1-because-that-s-the/)

[George Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-benson/)

> [I've worried more and more as the years have gone on. The more you're seen to be doing well, the more stress there is.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-macfadyen/i-ve-worried-more-and-more-as-the-years-have-gone-on-the-more-you-re/)

[Matthew Macfadyen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-macfadyen/)

> [I know worrying works, because none of the stuff I worried about ever happened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/i-know-worrying-works-because-none-of-the-stuff-i-worried-about-ever/)

[Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/)

> [You've got to be in the moment, especially in the playoffs. If you're worried about the past, worried about what happened last game, that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-storen/you-ve-got-to-be-in-the-moment-especially-in-the-playoffs-if-you-re/)

[Drew Storen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-storen/)

> [“There was one big rule in life - the things you worried about never happened, and the things that happened were never the ones…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bellairs/there-was-one-big-rule-in-life-the-things-you-worried-about-never/)

[John Bellairs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bellairs/)

> [Forgiveness is giving up the hope of what happened to you from being different.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-perry/forgiveness-is-giving-up-the-hope-of-what-happened-to-you-from-being/)

[Tyler Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-perry/)

> [When the movie 'Sliding Doors' came out, it almost sent me into existential crisis because I think about that all the time. Like, 'Wait.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-rothe/when-the-movie-sliding-doors-came-out-it-almost-sent-me-into/)

[Jessica Rothe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-rothe/)

> [Then suddenly Jack was a changed boy. Something wonderful had happened to him, and it had made him different. It sometimes happened to people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-nesbit/then-suddenly-jack-was-a-changed-boy-something-wonderful-had-happened/)

[E. Nesbit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-nesbit/)

> [History isn't just what happened, but what happened to whom and why and what would have been different if the cast of characters had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/history-isn-t-just-what-happened-but-what-happened-to-whom-and-why/)

[David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/)

## More by Ruth Rendell

> [“Literacy is in our veins like blood. It enters every other phrase. It is next to impossible to hold a real conversation, as against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-rendell/literacy-is-in-our-veins-like-blood-it-enters-every-other-phrase-it/)

[Ruth Rendell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-rendell/)

> [“I don't judge people. I don't think we should/”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-rendell/i-don-t-judge-people-i-don-t-think-we-should/)

[Ruth Rendell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-rendell/)

> [“You make someone into a object of – not so much of pity as of weakness, sickness, stupidity, inefectiveness, do you see what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-rendell/you-make-someone-into-a-object-of-not-so-much-of-pity-as-of-weakness/)

[Ruth Rendell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-rendell/)

> [there must be a routine to life, a framework to hang life on. Routines were what kept you sane, gave you something to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-rendell/there-must-be-a-routine-to-life-a-framework-to-hang-life-on-routines/)

[Ruth Rendell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-rendell/)

> [We no more forget the faces of our enemies than of those we love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-rendell/we-no-more-forget-the-faces-of-our-enemies-than-of-those-we-love/)

[Ruth Rendell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-rendell/)

> [“It was useless arguing with people like her. They had stereotyped minds that ran along grooves of stock response and the commonplace.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-rendell/it-was-useless-arguing-with-people-like-her-they-had-stereotyped/)

[Ruth Rendell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-rendell/)

> [I get a lot of letters from people. They say "I want to be a writer. What should I do?" I tell them to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-rendell/i-get-a-lot-of-letters-from-people-they-say-i-want-to-be-a-writer/)

[Ruth Rendell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-rendell/)

> [The worst has happened ... it's rather liberating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-rendell/the-worst-has-happened-it-s-rather-liberating/)

[Ruth Rendell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-rendell/)

> [Growing old is not all sweetness and light. Old women especially are invisible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-rendell/growing-old-is-not-all-sweetness-and-light-old-women-especially-are/)

[Ruth Rendell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-rendell/)

> [When one has children one has no privacy. They take it for granted that what is yours is theirs, personal things and the secrets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-rendell/when-one-has-children-one-has-no-privacy-they-take-it-for-granted/)

[Ruth Rendell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-rendell/)

> [Many emotions go under the name of love, and almost any one of them will for a while divert the mind from the real,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-rendell/many-emotions-go-under-the-name-of-love-and-almost-any-one-of-them/)

[Ruth Rendell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-rendell/)

> [Ten thousand years of civilization shed in an instant when you put a woman behind the wheel of a car.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-rendell/ten-thousand-years-of-civilization-shed-in-an-instant-when-you-put-a/)

[Ruth Rendell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-rendell/)

> [Eunice Parchman killed the Coverdale family because she could not read or write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-rendell/eunice-parchman-killed-the-coverdale-family-because-she-could-not/)

[Ruth Rendell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-rendell/)

> [To be a classic, a novel should be original.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-rendell/to-be-a-classic-a-novel-should-be-original/)

[Ruth Rendell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-rendell/)

> [They say you cannot make a noise to annoy yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-rendell/they-say-you-cannot-make-a-noise-to-annoy-yourself/)

[Ruth Rendell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-rendell/)

[Explore all 40 Ruth Rendell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-rendell/)

## More Different quotes

> [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/)

[Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/)

> [I've seen a lot of people come out of Carol City, but I had this distinct vision for Carol City, just me coming out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-curry/i-ve-seen-a-lot-of-people-come-out-of-carol-city-but-i-had-this/)

[Denzel Curry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-curry/)

> [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/)

[Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/)

> [Some shows just go away - and that's fine. They serve their purpose and their entertainment value, but there are shows that touch people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cudlitz/some-shows-just-go-away-and-that-s-fine-they-serve-their-purpose-and/)

[Michael Cudlitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cudlitz/)

> [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/)

[David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/)

> [One of the reasons that I do a lot of different kinds of pictures is because I learn a lot when I'm doing them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-jason-leigh/one-of-the-reasons-that-i-do-a-lot-of-different-kinds-of-pictures-is/)

[Jennifer Jason Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-jason-leigh/)

> [I painted the words "GREAT ADVENTURE" in Beijing, Dallas, San Francisco, Copenhagen, and Japan. What it means to me is completely different to everybody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-eine/i-painted-the-words-great-adventure-in-beijing-dallas-san-francisco/)

[Ben Eine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-eine/)

> [I'm 38 and I'm single, and I'm having my most intense and gratifying relationship with a dog. But we all learn about love in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-knapp/i-m-38-and-i-m-single-and-i-m-having-my-most-intense-and-gratifying/)

[Caroline Knapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-knapp/)

> [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/)

[G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/)

> [If you have a different mindset, you will have a different outcome: if you make different choices from your peers, your life will then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-you-have-a-different-mindset-you-will-have-a-different-outcome-if/)

[Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/)

> [Suffering did different things to different people...Some souls became tempered, unshakable in their faith, while others became twisted and mis-shapen, throwing off all connection…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-ragen/suffering-did-different-things-to-different-people-some-souls-became/)

[Naomi Ragen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-ragen/)

> [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/)

[Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/)

> [I always aspired to do something different.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayushmann-khurrana/i-always-aspired-to-do-something-different/)

[Ayushmann Khurrana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayushmann-khurrana/)

> [The talk shows in the States want celebrities, not authors. In France, it is different; writers are called upon to comment on everything. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-white/the-talk-shows-in-the-states-want-celebrities-not-authors-in-france/)

[Edmund White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-white/)

> [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/)

[Browse all 28,697 Different quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "While most of the things you've worried about have never happened, it's a different story with the things you haven't worried about. They are the ones that happen.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Ruth Rendell"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-rendell/while-most-of-the-things-you-ve-worried-about-have-never-happened-it/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Different"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-rendell/while-most-of-the-things-you-ve-worried-about-have-never-happened-it/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49f/ruth-rendell-16367_different_while-most-of-the-things-you-ve-worried_1270147.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49f/ruth-rendell-16367_different_while-most-of-the-things-you-ve-worried_1270147.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49f/ruth-rendell-16367_different_while-most-of-the-things-you-ve-worried_1270147.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“While most of the things you've worried about have never happened, it's a different story with the things…” — Ruth Rendell",
                "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": "Ruth Rendell",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-rendell/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "While most of the things you've...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-rendell/while-most-of-the-things-you-ve-worried-about-have-never-happened-it/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-rendell/while-most-of-the-things-you-ve-worried-about-have-never-happened-it/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
