--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We all experience many freakish and…" description: "\"We all experience many freakish and unexpected events - you have to be open to suffering a little. The philosopher Schopenhauer talked about how out of..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f61/viggo-mortensen-1554_events_we-all-experience-many-freakish-and-unex_46051.jpg" --- # We all experience many freakish and unexpected events… ![“We all experience many freakish and unexpected events - you have to be open to suffering a little. The philosopher Schopenhauer talked about how out of the randomness, there is an apparent intention in the fate of an individual that can be glimpsed later on. When you are an old guy, you can look…” quote by Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f61/viggo-mortensen-1554_events_we-all-experience-many-freakish-and-unex_46051.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f61/viggo-mortensen-1554_events_we-all-experience-many-freakish-and-unex_46051.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f61/viggo-mortensen-1554_events_we-all-experience-many-freakish-and-unex_46051.jpg) > “We all experience many freakish and unexpected events - you have to be open to suffering a little. The philosopher Schopenhauer talked about how out of the randomness, there is an apparent intention in the fate of an individual that can be glimpsed later on. When you are an old guy, you can look back, and maybe this rambling life has some through-line. Others can see it better sometimes. But when you glimpse it yourself, you see it more clearly than anyone.” [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) ## 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 randomness may later reveal a hidden pattern or purpose, especially when reflected upon in old age, suggesting meaning can be retroactively constructed. **In simple terms:** Chaos can seem purposeful after reflection. Key Takeaway Retrospective meaning‑making gives coherence to chaotic lives. Themes meaning randomness reflection life narrative Mood reflective hopeful Type existential narrative When to use this quote - career changes - personal loss - travel experiences - long‑term projects Key Concepts post hoc rationalization existential purpose Practical Applications - keep a journal for later pattern spotting - embrace uncertainty as fertile ground Questions to Reflect On - Can we truly know if patterns are real or imagined? - Does seeking meaning diminish acceptance of randomness? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Events](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/events/) [Fate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fate/) [Glimpse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/glimpse/) [Guy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guy/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Individual Glimpsed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual-glimpsed-673571/) [Intention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intention/) [Lines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lines/) [Littles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/littles/) [Looks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks/) [Old guy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-guy/) [Open Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/open-suffering-673570/) [Philosopher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosopher/) [Rambling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rambling/) [Randomness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/randomness/) [Randomness Apparent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/randomness-apparent-673569/) [Sometimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sometimes/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) [Unexpected](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unexpected/) [Unexpected events](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unexpected-events/) ## Related quotes > [Precautions shoul be taken to prepare for unexpected events which could have terrible consequencces'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/precautions-shoul-be-taken-to-prepare-for-unexpected-events-which/) [Mak\_786](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786/) > [“We cannot decide who is on right path and who is not because our own life is series of unexpected events passing through time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santosh-kalwar/we-cannot-decide-who-is-on-right-path-and-who-is-not-because-our-own/) [Santosh Kalwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santosh-kalwar/) > [Listening to your own mind gives you "good reasons" why you should be fearful over unexpected events is just like being friends with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-finley/listening-to-your-own-mind-gives-you-good-reasons-why-you-should-be/) [Guy Finley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-finley/) > [“There can be unexpected events, unreasonable waiting, unpredictable people and an uncertain future, yet nothing happens beyond the sovereign knowledge of an unchanging God”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/royal-raj-s/there-can-be-unexpected-events-unreasonable-waiting-unpredictable/) [Royal Raj S](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/royal-raj-s/) > [Most travel disasters turn into something else: a story of survival, a story of bravery, of heroism, sometimes villainy. You just don't know when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitchell-zuckoff/most-travel-disasters-turn-into-something-else-a-story-of-survival-a/) [Mitchell Zuckoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitchell-zuckoff/) > [We must be listened to: above and beyond our personal experience, we have collectively witnessed a fundamental unexpected event, fundamental precisely because unexpected, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/primo-levi/we-must-be-listened-to-above-and-beyond-our-personal-experience-we/) [Primo Levi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/primo-levi/) > [Almost all of your life is lived by the seat of your pants, one unexpected event crashing into another, with no pattern or reason,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-perlman/almost-all-of-your-life-is-lived-by-the-seat-of-your-pants-one/) [Ron Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-perlman/) > [Sometimes the best things in life are unexpected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faith-sullivan/sometimes-the-best-things-in-life-are-unexpected/) [Faith Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faith-sullivan/) > [In trusting, we let ourselves go. We know that all kinds of unexpected events may come our way. Our tension eases, our mind and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/piero-ferrucci/in-trusting-we-let-ourselves-go-we-know-that-all-kinds-of-unexpected/) [Piero Ferrucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/piero-ferrucci/) > [Any enterprise CEO really ought to be able to ask a question that involves connecting data across the organization, be able to run a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-berners-lee/any-enterprise-ceo-really-ought-to-be-able-to-ask-a-question-that/) [Tim Berners-Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-berners-lee/) > [“• Change and uncertainty are part of life. Our job is not to resist them but to build the capability to recover when unexpected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-catmull/change-and-uncertainty-are-part-of-life-our-job-is-not-to-resist-them/) [Ed Catmull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-catmull/) > [Everything is a grace, everything is the direct effect of our Father's love - difficulties, contradictions, humiliations, all the soul's miseries, her burdens, her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/therese-of-lisieux/everything-is-a-grace-everything-is-the-direct-effect-of-our-father-s/) [Therese of Lisieux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/therese-of-lisieux/) > [Your house is all about routine, not the unexpected events of your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-van-allsburg/your-house-is-all-about-routine-not-the-unexpected-events-of-your-life/) [Chris Van Allsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-van-allsburg/) > [Never judge others. You both know good and well how unexpected events can change who a person is. Always keep that in mind. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-hoover/never-judge-others-you-both-know-good-and-well-how-unexpected-events/) [Colleen Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-hoover/) > [Unexpected events can set you back or set you up. It's all a matter of - perspective.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-anne-radmacher/unexpected-events-can-set-you-back-or-set-you-up-it-s-all-a-matter-of/) [Mary Anne Radmacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-anne-radmacher/) ## More by Viggo Mortensen > [Speaking more than one language and living in a multicultural family and environment did not seem like anything but what it was: the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/speaking-more-than-one-language-and-living-in-a-multicultural-family/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [Most actors can't make any kind of living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/most-actors-can-t-make-any-kind-of-living/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [As far as money goes, there's a saying in Denmark: 'Your last suit doesn't have any pockets.' You can't take it with you. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/as-far-as-money-goes-there-s-a-saying-in-denmark-your-last-suit-doesn/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [Most movies are lucky to have one moment, one shot that you look at and you always remember that moment and that scene.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/most-movies-are-lucky-to-have-one-moment-one-shot-that-you-look-at/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [I like stories that leave you wanting more, leave you wondering, but don't tell you everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/i-like-stories-that-leave-you-wanting-more-leave-you-wondering-but/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [Usually the characters I play are men of few words, who communicate in non-verbal ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/usually-the-characters-i-play-are-men-of-few-words-who-communicate-in/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [You do need to get lucky, no matter how talented you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/you-do-need-to-get-lucky-no-matter-how-talented-you-are/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [When I was a little boy, I rode, but I didn't own horses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/when-i-was-a-little-boy-i-rode-but-i-didn-t-own-horses/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [I realise how important it is to use the time I have. I respect people who want to do that by watching television. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/i-realise-how-important-it-is-to-use-the-time-i-have-i-respect-people/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [When I land in a country and they ask for 'occupation,' I always just put 'artist.' I think that covers all of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/when-i-land-in-a-country-and-they-ask-for-occupation-i-always-just/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [I was born in New York but as a baby moved to Venezuela and Argentina. I've also lived in Denmark, where my father's from.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/i-was-born-in-new-york-but-as-a-baby-moved-to-venezuela-and-argentina/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [People are becoming more intimately acquainted with people who are different than them - it's not so unusual anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/people-are-becoming-more-intimately-acquainted-with-people-who-are/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [There might be people out there who wouldn't hire me because they thought I should keep my mouth shut, but I'm not aware of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/there-might-be-people-out-there-who-wouldn-t-hire-me-because-they/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [Bernie Sanders has inspired millions of people in this country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/bernie-sanders-has-inspired-millions-of-people-in-this-country/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [When I make a movie, I don't break it down and analyze it. I could but it would get in the way of doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/when-i-make-a-movie-i-don-t-break-it-down-and-analyze-it-i-could-but/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) [Explore all 228 Viggo Mortensen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) ## More Events quotes > [History is, in its essentials, the science of change. It knows and it teaches that it is impossible to find two events that are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-bloch/history-is-in-its-essentials-the-science-of-change-it-knows-and-it/) [Marc Bloch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-bloch/) > [My political views have never made me insensitive to the pain and suffering caused to the innocent victims of events such as the Warrington…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-fox/my-political-views-have-never-made-me-insensitive-to-the-pain-and/) [Claire Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-fox/) > [Teaching children about the natural world should be seen as one of the most important events in their lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-berry/teaching-children-about-the-natural-world-should-be-seen-as-one-of/) [Thomas Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-berry/) > [In any event, it is one thing to assert, then or now, that the Iraq war was ill-advised. It is quite another to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-silberman/in-any-event-it-is-one-thing-to-assert-then-or-now-that-the-iraq-war/) [Laurence Silberman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-silberman/) > [I wasn’t like, boo hoo, Bin Laden’s dead, but I wasn’t jumping. America’s a very nationalistic country, and in episodes like that of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-scahill/i-wasn-t-like-boo-hoo-bin-laden-s-dead-but-i-wasn-t-jumping-america-s/) [Jeremy Scahill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-scahill/) > [Sometimes I am a collector of data, and only a collector, and am likely to be gross and miserly, piling up notes, pleased with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-fort/sometimes-i-am-a-collector-of-data-and-only-a-collector-and-am-likely/) [Charles Fort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-fort/) > [Things happen too quickly, crisis follows crisis, the soil of our minds is perpetually disturbed. Each of us, to relieve his feelings, broadcasts his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-struther/things-happen-too-quickly-crisis-follows-crisis-the-soil-of-our-minds/) [Jan Struther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-struther/) > [Do we make ourselves into what we become or is it built into our genes, into the fate spun for us by whatever shapes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-bruchac/do-we-make-ourselves-into-what-we-become-or-is-it-built-into-our/) [Joseph Bruchac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-bruchac/) > [First impressions are often the truest, as we find (not infrequently) to our cost, when we have been wheedled out of them by plausible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/first-impressions-are-often-the-truest-as-we-find-not-infrequently-to/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [The future and the past are equally meaningless because they are nebulous entities, times that do not exist, containing events which have no echo…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-lebbon/the-future-and-the-past-are-equally-meaningless-because-they-are/) [Tim Lebbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-lebbon/) > [History employs evolution to structure biological events in time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/history-employs-evolution-to-structure-biological-events-in-time/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [Sporting events like the Olympics have developed and maintained a clear message of promoting gender equality as an essential criterion in the success of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-attias/sporting-events-like-the-olympics-have-developed-and-maintained-a/) [Richard Attias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-attias/) > [There remains an experience of incomparable value . . . to see the great events of world history from below; from the perspective of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/there-remains-an-experience-of-incomparable-value-to-see-the-great/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [It's really a pity that there are observers who view political events like comic strips. There has to be a Zorro, there has to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sankara/it-s-really-a-pity-that-there-are-observers-who-view-political-events/) [Thomas Sankara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sankara/) > [Everything is not black-and-white . I'm really interested in the gray area - not justifying it, not glorifying it, not condoning it, but at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaiah-washington/everything-is-not-black-and-white-i-m-really-interested-in-the-gray/) [Isaiah Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaiah-washington/) [Browse all 5,384 Events quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/events/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We all experience many freakish and unexpected events - you have to be open to suffering a little. The philosopher Schopenhauer talked about how out of the randomness, there is an apparent intention in the fate of an individual that can be glimpsed later on. 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