---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ...that was what kept the world…"
description: "\"“...that was what kept the world interesting...reality had no gears, and you never knew what surprises would come spinning out of its chaos.”\" — Scott ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79e/scott-westerfeld-928_surprises-come_that-was-what-kept-the-world-interesting_872105.png"
---

#  ...that was what kept the world interesting...reality had…

![“...that was what kept the world interesting...reality had no gears, and you never knew what surprises would come spinning out of its chaos.” quote by Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79e/scott-westerfeld-928_surprises-come_that-was-what-kept-the-world-interesting_872105.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79e/scott-westerfeld-928_surprises-come_that-was-what-kept-the-world-interesting_872105.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79e/scott-westerfeld-928_surprises-come_that-was-what-kept-the-world-interesting_872105.png)

> ““...that was what kept the world interesting...reality had no gears, and you never knew what surprises would come spinning out of its chaos.””

[Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/)

## About This Quote

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

Life's unpredictability keeps it interesting; reality lacks predictable mechanisms.

**In simple terms:** Unpredictable life feels exciting.

Key Takeaway

Embrace uncertainty.

Themes

uncertainty adventure curiosity

Mood

wonder intrigue

Type

inspirational philosophical

When to use this quote

- creative writing
- risk taking
- exploration

Key Concepts

philosophy existentialism

Questions to Reflect On

- How does uncertainty shape your choices?
- What surprises have you welcomed?

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Kept World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kept-world-963679/) [Knew Surprises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knew-surprises-963677/) [Reality Gears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality-gears-963678/) [Surprises Come](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprises-come-743393/) [World Interesting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-interesting-963676/)

## Related quotes

> [Reality had no gears, and you never knew what surprises would come spinning out of its chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/reality-had-no-gears-and-you-never-knew-what-surprises-would-come/)

[Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/)

> [We can know a lot. And still, no doubt, there are rash and wonderful ideas brewing somewhere; there are many surprises yet to come.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-oliver/we-can-know-a-lot-and-still-no-doubt-there-are-rash-and-wonderful/)

[Mary Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-oliver/)

> [Hmmm! well! life is like full of surprises n they come with now knock as they see no doors tc n ks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sardar-hyder-abbas/hmmm-well-life-is-like-full-of-surprises-n-they-come-with-now-knock/)

[Sardar Hyder Abbas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sardar-hyder-abbas/)

> [My surprises come usually once I start rolling and photographing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-weston/my-surprises-come-usually-once-i-start-rolling-and-photographing/)

[Kim Weston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-weston/)

> [Sometimes, lovely surprises come out of things going wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-meaden/sometimes-lovely-surprises-come-out-of-things-going-wrong/)

[Deborah Meaden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-meaden/)

> [ As the writer of this book \[Lincoln in the Bardo\], what I loved was the feeling of having so many surprises come at the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/as-the-writer-of-this-book-lincoln-in-the-bardo-what-i-loved-was-the/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

> [I'm completely fascinated with American politics because I think they dictate the politics of every nation of the Western world. So, it's very interesting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolaj-arcel/i-m-completely-fascinated-with-american-politics-because-i-think-they/)

[Nikolaj Arcel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikolaj-arcel/)

> [The happiest people in this world are those who have the most interesting thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lyon-phelps/the-happiest-people-in-this-world-are-those-who-have-the-most/)

[William Lyon Phelps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lyon-phelps/)

> [No man living in a world as interesting as this ever writes a book if he can help it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-stanley-lee/no-man-living-in-a-world-as-interesting-as-this-ever-writes-a-book-if/)

[Gerald Stanley Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-stanley-lee/)

> [I think we're in the time when the metaphysical world is so interesting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alyssa-milano/i-think-we-re-in-the-time-when-the-metaphysical-world-is-so/)

[Alyssa Milano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alyssa-milano/)

> [I might enjoy writing some ghost stories set in Japan because their whole idea about the spirit world is so interesting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-t-vollmann/i-might-enjoy-writing-some-ghost-stories-set-in-japan-because-their/)

[William T. Vollmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-t-vollmann/)

> [The world is full of more interesting things than my voice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-fierstein/the-world-is-full-of-more-interesting-things-than-my-voice/)

[Harvey Fierstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-fierstein/)

> [“I have no plans to call on you, Clarice, the world being more interesting with you in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-harris/i-have-no-plans-to-call-on-you-clarice-the-world-being-more/)

[Thomas Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-harris/)

> [I'm just happy there are characters in the world. I think that anybody who's completely nuts and makes the world a more interesting place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassie-ramone/i-m-just-happy-there-are-characters-in-the-world-i-think-that-anybody/)

[Cassie Ramone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassie-ramone/)

> [My target audience is anyone who finds the world interesting and human behavior fascinating, terrible, inspiring, funny, and occasionally, mysterious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-bloom/my-target-audience-is-anyone-who-finds-the-world-interesting-and/)

[Amy Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-bloom/)

## More by Scott Westerfeld

> [“She thought of the orchids spreading across the plains below, choking the life out of the other plants, out of the soil itself, selfish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/she-thought-of-the-orchids-spreading-across-the-plains-below-choking/)

[Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/)

> [But it's always taking a risk, when you ... kiss someone new.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/but-it-s-always-taking-a-risk-when-you-kiss-someone-new/)

[Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/)

> [The Rusty Ruins were the remains of an old city, a hulking reminder of back when there'd been way too many people, and everyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/the-rusty-ruins-were-the-remains-of-an-old-city-a-hulking-reminder-of/)

[Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/)

> [High school wasn't a trial by fire or some ordeal that had to be survived. It was all a big joke. You just had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/high-school-wasn-t-a-trial-by-fire-or-some-ordeal-that-had-to-be/)

[Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/)

> [And you've actually watched it yourself?' I asked. 'Willingly?' Sure. I had to see it, you know? Besides we should be safe. Only one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/and-you-ve-actually-watched-it-yourself-i-asked-willingly-sure-i-had/)

[Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/)

> [Sometimes, the hardest thing was doing nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/sometimes-the-hardest-thing-was-doing-nothing/)

[Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/)

> [“Sure, zombies can “be a metaphor.” They can represent the oppressed, as in Land of the Dead, or humanity’s feral nature, as in 28…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/sure-zombies-can-be-a-metaphor-they-can-represent-the-oppressed-as-in/)

[Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/)

> [“You don't look very happy." Tally tried to smile. David had shared his biggest secret with her; she should tell him hers. But she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/you-don-t-look-very-happy-tally-tried-to-smile-david-had-shared-his/)

[Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/)

> [Dude, I just watched you climb up a f\*cking building!-Lace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/dude-i-just-watched-you-climb-up-a-f-cking-building-lace/)

[Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/)

> [“Weird, even for one of us. Or maybe she's worse." "Worse how?" "Normal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/weird-even-for-one-of-us-or-maybe-she-s-worse-worse-how-normal/)

[Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/)

> [Tally smiled. At least she was causing trouble to the end. "I'm Tally Youngblood," she said. "make me pretty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/tally-smiled-at-least-she-was-causing-trouble-to-the-end-i-m-tally/)

[Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/)

> [Out here, you find out that the city fools you about how things really work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/out-here-you-find-out-that-the-city-fools-you-about-how-things-really/)

[Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/)

> [“Growing up like rewriting is simply admitting how clueless you were not so long ago.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/growing-up-like-rewriting-is-simply-admitting-how-clueless-you-were/)

[Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/)

> [“The beauty of the world…has two edges, one of laughter, one of anguish, cutting the heart asunder. —Virginia Woolf, A Room of One's Own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/the-beauty-of-the-world-has-two-edges-one-of-laughter-one-of-anguish/)

[Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/)

> [Cure for writer's block: blow something up(in the story)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/cure-for-writer-s-block-blow-something-up-in-the-story/)

[Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/)

[Explore all 321 Scott Westerfeld quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/)

## More Surprises Come quotes

> [ As the writer of this book \[Lincoln in the Bardo\], what I loved was the feeling of having so many surprises come at the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/as-the-writer-of-this-book-lincoln-in-the-bardo-what-i-loved-was-the/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

> [Sometimes, lovely surprises come out of things going wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-meaden/sometimes-lovely-surprises-come-out-of-things-going-wrong/)

[Deborah Meaden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-meaden/)

> [My surprises come usually once I start rolling and photographing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-weston/my-surprises-come-usually-once-i-start-rolling-and-photographing/)

[Kim Weston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-weston/)

> [Hmmm! well! life is like full of surprises n they come with now knock as they see no doors tc n ks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sardar-hyder-abbas/hmmm-well-life-is-like-full-of-surprises-n-they-come-with-now-knock/)

[Sardar Hyder Abbas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sardar-hyder-abbas/)

> [Reality had no gears, and you never knew what surprises would come spinning out of its chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/reality-had-no-gears-and-you-never-knew-what-surprises-would-come/)

[Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/)

> [We can know a lot. And still, no doubt, there are rash and wonderful ideas brewing somewhere; there are many surprises yet to come.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-oliver/we-can-know-a-lot-and-still-no-doubt-there-are-rash-and-wonderful/)

[Mary Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-oliver/)

[Browse all 7 Surprises Come quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprises-come-743393/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“...that was what kept the world interesting...reality had no gears, and you never knew what surprises would come spinning out of its chaos.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Scott Westerfeld"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/that-was-what-kept-the-world-interesting-reality-had-no-gears-and-you/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Surprises Come"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/that-was-what-kept-the-world-interesting-reality-had-no-gears-and-you/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79e/scott-westerfeld-928_surprises-come_that-was-what-kept-the-world-interesting_872105.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79e/scott-westerfeld-928_surprises-come_that-was-what-kept-the-world-interesting_872105.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79e/scott-westerfeld-928_surprises-come_that-was-what-kept-the-world-interesting_872105.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“...that was what kept the world interesting...reality had no gears, and you never knew what surprises would…” — Scott Westerfeld",
                "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": "Scott Westerfeld",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“...that was what kept the world...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/that-was-what-kept-the-world-interesting-reality-had-no-gears-and-you/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/that-was-what-kept-the-world-interesting-reality-had-no-gears-and-you/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
