--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If it so happened that I had once written…" description: "\"If it so happened that I had once written a best-seller, this was a pure accident, due to inattention and naivete, and I would take very good care neve..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b57/thomas-merton-231_accidents_if-it-so-happened-that-i-had-once-writte_156145.jpg" --- # If it so happened that I had once written a best-seller… ![“If it so happened that I had once written a best-seller, this was a pure accident, due to inattention and naivete, and I would take very good care never to do the same again. If I had a message for my contemporaries, I said, it was surely this: Be anything you like, be madmen, drunks, and bastards…” quote by Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b57/thomas-merton-231_accidents_if-it-so-happened-that-i-had-once-writte_156145.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b57/thomas-merton-231_accidents_if-it-so-happened-that-i-had-once-writte_156145.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b57/thomas-merton-231_accidents_if-it-so-happened-that-i-had-once-writte_156145.jpg) > “If it so happened that I had once written a best-seller, this was a pure accident, due to inattention and naivete, and I would take very good care never to do the same again. If I had a message for my contemporaries, I said, it was surely this: Be anything you like, be madmen, drunks, and bastards of every shape and form, but at all costs avoid one thing: success.” [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Accidental success can be misleading; the author advises avoiding the pursuit of success to stay authentic and free. **In simple terms:** Success can trap you; stay true to yourself instead. Key Takeaway Prioritize authenticity over chasing success. Themes success authenticity freedom self-awareness Mood reflective philosophical Type inspirational personal When to use this quote - career choices - artistic pursuits - life philosophy Key Concepts personal growth creative integrity Questions to Reflect On - What does success mean to you personally? - How can you measure fulfillment beyond external achievements? A Different Perspective Success may bring pressure and loss of purpose. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accidents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accidents/) [Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) [Inattention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inattention/) [Madmen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/madmen/) [Messages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/messages/) [Naivete](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/naivete/) [Shapes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shapes/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [“There is an important difference between openness and naïveté. 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