---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Tragedies happen, accidents happen."
description: "\"Tragedies happen, accidents happen.\" — Sarah Hanson-Young"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa2/sarah-hanson-young-85348_accidents_tragedies-happen-accidents-happen-280920_2809209.jpg"
---

#  Tragedies happen, accidents happen.

![“Tragedies happen, accidents happen.” quote by Sarah Hanson-Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa2/sarah-hanson-young-85348_accidents_tragedies-happen-accidents-happen-280920_2809209.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa2/sarah-hanson-young-85348_accidents_tragedies-happen-accidents-happen-280920_2809209.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa2/sarah-hanson-young-85348_accidents_tragedies-happen-accidents-happen-280920_2809209.jpg)

> “Tragedies happen, accidents happen.”

[Sarah Hanson-Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-hanson-young/)

## About This Quote

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

Life includes inevitable tragedies and accidents, reminding us of unpredictability and the need for resilience.

**In simple terms:** Bad things happen unexpectedly.

Key Takeaway

Prepare for and adapt to unforeseen events.

Themes

risk uncertainty resilience life

Mood

serious hopeful

Type

statement philosophical

When to use this quote

- personal crises
- public policy
- emergency planning

Key Concepts

philosophy psychology preparedness

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you build resilience after loss?
- What policies reduce accident impact?

A Different Perspective

Focusing solely on tragedies can cause fear.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Accidents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accidents/) [Accidents happen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accidents-happen/) [Happen Accidents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happen-accidents-3508052/) [Happens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happens/) [Tragedies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tragedies/) [Tragedies Happen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tragedies-happen-1216375/) [Tragedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tragedy/)

## Related quotes

> [It's hard to believe, but anything can happen. Accidents do happen, unfortunately, it happened at the worst time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiger-woods/it-s-hard-to-believe-but-anything-can-happen-accidents-do-happen/)

[Tiger Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiger-woods/)

> [I think when tragedies happen a lot of people go to therapy, psychiatrists, whatever, because they need to have someone to talk to. There's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorrie-morgan/i-think-when-tragedies-happen-a-lot-of-people-go-to-therapy/)

[Lorrie Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorrie-morgan/)

> [We often think that tragedies happen because of great earthquakes in people's lives. I think they sometimes occur because of small things that become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-cormier/we-often-think-that-tragedies-happen-because-of-great-earthquakes-in/)

[Robert Cormier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-cormier/)

> [Tragedies do happen. We can discover the reason, blame others, imagine how different our lives would be had they not occurred. But none of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/tragedies-do-happen-we-can-discover-the-reason-blame-others-imagine/)

[Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/)

> [There are tragedies that happen all the time in America, but there are certain types of tragedies that kind of pull us together and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wilmore/there-are-tragedies-that-happen-all-the-time-in-america-but-there-are/)

[Larry Wilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wilmore/)

> [The Way It Is There’s a thread you follow. It goes among things that change. But it doesn’t change. People wonder about what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/the-way-it-is-there-s-a-thread-you-follow-it-goes-among-things-that/)

[William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/)

> [You've got all these parents who are projecting their pathologies of fear onto their kids and those kids are understandably messed up. Tragedies happen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-almond/you-ve-got-all-these-parents-who-are-projecting-their-pathologies-of/)

[Steve Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-almond/)

> [Accidents happen, whether they're car accidents, friendly fire, drug overdoses. Accidents happen, and they're tragic. It's like a bomb that goes off and pieces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-belushi/accidents-happen-whether-they-re-car-accidents-friendly-fire-drug/)

[James Belushi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-belushi/)

> [Did you ever observe to whom the accidents happen? Chance favors only the prepared mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-pasteur/did-you-ever-observe-to-whom-the-accidents-happen-chance-favors-only/)

[Louis Pasteur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-pasteur/)

> [I like to allow accidents to happen, not to force them, and yet not let myself feel miserable if they do happen, because they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-drumm/i-like-to-allow-accidents-to-happen-not-to-force-them-and-yet-not-let/)

[Kevin Drumm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-drumm/)

> [Accidents happen all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/accidents-happen-all-the-time/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Having a large amount of leverage is like driving a car with a dagger on the steering wheel pointed at your heart. If you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/having-a-large-amount-of-leverage-is-like-driving-a-car-with-a-dagger/)

[Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/)

> [The cinema was certainly an art, but television can't be, because it is the museum of accidents. In other words, its art is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-virilio/the-cinema-was-certainly-an-art-but-television-can-t-be-because-it-is/)

[Paul Virilio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-virilio/)

> [“Enlightenments, like accidents, happen only to prepared minds. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/enlightenments-like-accidents-happen-only-to-prepared-minds/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [In a city where you walk around, it's impossible to plan your day and your life as accidents will happen, you'll overhear things, bump…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-schwartzman/in-a-city-where-you-walk-around-it-s-impossible-to-plan-your-day-and/)

[Jason Schwartzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-schwartzman/)

## More by Sarah Hanson-Young

> [We would love to see walking groups more widely recommended by physicians, health trainers and nurses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-hanson-young/we-would-love-to-see-walking-groups-more-widely-recommended-by/)

[Sarah Hanson-Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-hanson-young/)

> [Banning refugees from fleeing west Africa is like shuttering up the windows while a house burns down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-hanson-young/banning-refugees-from-fleeing-west-africa-is-like-shuttering-up-the/)

[Sarah Hanson-Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-hanson-young/)

[Explore all 3 Sarah Hanson-Young quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-hanson-young/)

## More Accidents quotes

> [Almost all accidents take place because of human distraction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-thrun/almost-all-accidents-take-place-because-of-human-distraction/)

[Sebastian Thrun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-thrun/)

> [It was no accident, no coincidence, that the seasons came round and round year after year. It was the Lord speaking to us all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-rivers/it-was-no-accident-no-coincidence-that-the-seasons-came-round-and/)

[Francine Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-rivers/)

> [No, I think most astronauts recognize that the space shuttle program is very high-risk, and are prepared for accidents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-ride/no-i-think-most-astronauts-recognize-that-the-space-shuttle-program/)

[Sally Ride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-ride/)

> [In presenting a mathematical argument the great thing is to give the educated reader the chance to catch on at once to the momentary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edensor-littlewood/in-presenting-a-mathematical-argument-the-great-thing-is-to-give-the/)

[John Edensor Littlewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edensor-littlewood/)

> [The only way to have a funeral is to invite everyone who ever knew the person and just wait for the accident to happen-somebody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/the-only-way-to-have-a-funeral-is-to-invite-everyone-who-ever-knew/)

[Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/)

> [Good films are not made by accident, nor is good photography. You can have good things happen, on occasion, by accident that can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-willis/good-films-are-not-made-by-accident-nor-is-good-photography-you-can/)

[Gordon Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-willis/)

> [By education I am an Englishman, by views an internationalist, by culture a Muslim and a Hindu only by accident of birth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jawaharlal-nehru/by-education-i-am-an-englishman-by-views-an-internationalist-by/)

[Jawaharlal Nehru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jawaharlal-nehru/)

> [I made out with a homeless guy by accident. I had no idea -- he was really tan, he had no shoes on. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-schumer/i-made-out-with-a-homeless-guy-by-accident-i-had-no-idea-he-was/)

[Amy Schumer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-schumer/)

> [Naturally I feel no shame in writing these things because of the time which separates the moment when they are written--when only I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-ernaux/naturally-i-feel-no-shame-in-writing-these-things-because-of-the-time/)

[Annie Ernaux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-ernaux/)

> [In a city where you walk around, it's impossible to plan your day and your life as accidents will happen, you'll overhear things, bump…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-schwartzman/in-a-city-where-you-walk-around-it-s-impossible-to-plan-your-day-and/)

[Jason Schwartzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-schwartzman/)

> [I don't think it's by accident that I was first attracted to translating two French women poets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-hacker/i-don-t-think-it-s-by-accident-that-i-was-first-attracted-to/)

[Marilyn Hacker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-hacker/)

> [Despite my mentors advice that I would never go to heaven fishing with a weighted nymph and a float, I took it up. (As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-bishop/despite-my-mentors-advice-that-i-would-never-go-to-heaven-fishing/)

[Tony Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-bishop/)

> [Dont stand outside in a lightning shower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/padraig/dont-stand-outside-in-a-lightning-shower/)

[Padraig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/padraig/)

> [In the eyes of those lovers of perfection, a work is never finished a word that for them has no sense but abandoned; and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-valery/in-the-eyes-of-those-lovers-of-perfection-a-work-is-never-finished-a/)

[Paul Valery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-valery/)

> [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/)

[Browse all 1,971 Accidents quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accidents/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Tragedies happen, accidents happen.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Sarah Hanson-Young"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-hanson-young/tragedies-happen-accidents-happen/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Accidents"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-hanson-young/tragedies-happen-accidents-happen/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa2/sarah-hanson-young-85348_accidents_tragedies-happen-accidents-happen-280920_2809209.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa2/sarah-hanson-young-85348_accidents_tragedies-happen-accidents-happen-280920_2809209.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa2/sarah-hanson-young-85348_accidents_tragedies-happen-accidents-happen-280920_2809209.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Tragedies happen, accidents happen.” — Sarah Hanson-Young",
                "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": "Sarah Hanson-Young",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-hanson-young/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Tragedies happen, accidents happen.",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-hanson-young/tragedies-happen-accidents-happen/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-hanson-young/tragedies-happen-accidents-happen/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
