--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The bottom line was that people who…" description: "\"“The bottom line was that people who leaned too heavily on someone else were setting themselves up for a terrible fall, and they had no one to blame in..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/004/william-kent-krueger-10066_bottom-line_the-bottom-line-was-that-people-who-lean_574553.png" --- # The bottom line was that people who leaned too heavily on… ![“The bottom line was that people who leaned too heavily on someone else were setting themselves up for a terrible fall, and they had no one to blame in the end but themselves for the hurt they suffered. Cork had learned the hard way.” quote by William Kent Krueger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/004/william-kent-krueger-10066_bottom-line_the-bottom-line-was-that-people-who-lean_574553.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/004/william-kent-krueger-10066_bottom-line_the-bottom-line-was-that-people-who-lean_574553.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/004/william-kent-krueger-10066_bottom-line_the-bottom-line-was-that-people-who-lean_574553.png) > ““The bottom line was that people who leaned too heavily on someone else were setting themselves up for a terrible fall, and they had no one to blame in the end but themselves for the hurt they suffered. Cork had learned the hard way.”” [William Kent Krueger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kent-krueger/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Relying too much on others creates vulnerability; when they fail, you bear the pain alone. **In simple terms:** Overdependence leads to personal hurt. Key Takeaway Cultivate self‑reliance. Themes self‑reliance vulnerability personal responsibility Mood reflective cautious Type advice cautionary When to use this quote - relationships - career mentorship - financial decisions - healthcare choices Key Concepts dependency trust fallibility Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance trust and independence? - What safeguards protect you from over‑reliance? A Different Perspective If you lack support, you may still be blamed for outcomes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bottom line](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bottom-line/) [Cork Learned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cork-learned-2600731/) [Fall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fall/) [Fall Blame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fall-blame-4735645/) [Hard way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-way/) [Leaned Heavily](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leaned-heavily-4735646/) [Suffered Cork](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffered-cork-4735644/) [Terrible Fall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrible-fall-777030/) ## Related quotes > [ “He'd \[Cork\] learned early not to invest a lot of emotion in thinking about the truth in a crime. As a cop, he'd gathered… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kent-krueger/he-d-cork-learned-early-not-to-invest-a-lot-of-emotion-in-thinking/) [William Kent Krueger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kent-krueger/) > [He leaned heavily on the desk now, as if danger had strengthened him before and its lack now made him weak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-cashore/he-leaned-heavily-on-the-desk-now-as-if-danger-had-strengthened-him/) [Kristin Cashore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-cashore/) > [I have a feeling that you're riding for some kind of a terrible, terrible fall. But I don't honestly know what kind… It may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger-2/i-have-a-feeling-that-you-re-riding-for-some-kind-of-a-terrible-3/) [J. D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger-2/) > [“I have a feeling that you’re riding for some kind of terrible, terrible fall. . . . 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I learned the hard way by not taking auditions seriously…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-hoffman/there-are-no-shortcuts-and-you-can-t-wing-your-way-through-real-hard/) [Rick Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-hoffman/) > [“Let’s order too much of something just to see where our limits are. Let’s take a chance precisely because it might fail. Let’s take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-monteiro/let-s-order-too-much-of-something-just-to-see-where-our-limits-are/) [Mike Monteiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-monteiro/) > [Do it the hard way! Think ahead of your job. Then nothing in the world can keep the job ahead from reaching out for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harlow-curtice/do-it-the-hard-way-think-ahead-of-your-job-then-nothing-in-the-world/) [Harlow Curtice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harlow-curtice/) > [We often learn the hard way that our world is ruled by external factors. We don't always get what is rightfully ours, even if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-holiday/we-often-learn-the-hard-way-that-our-world-is-ruled-by-external/) [Ryan Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-holiday/) > [“History reveals that times of suffering for the church have also been times of looking upward. Tribulation has always sobered God’s people and encouraged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-w-tozer/history-reveals-that-times-of-suffering-for-the-church-have-also-been/) [A.W. Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-w-tozer/) > [“You've always been a know-it-all. Well, you're about to find out how much you don't know." "Believe me," I muttered, "I'm the first one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-kleypas/you-ve-always-been-a-know-it-all-well-you-re-about-to-find-out-how/) [Lisa Kleypas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-kleypas/) ## More by William Kent Krueger > [“Once someone's dead, being sorry doesn't cut it. If you hit a man, you can apologize. If you destroy his property, you can pay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kent-krueger/once-someone-s-dead-being-sorry-doesn-t-cut-it-if-you-hit-a-man-you/) [William Kent Krueger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kent-krueger/) > [“The devil's best defense is a person's disbelief in his existence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kent-krueger/the-devil-s-best-defense-is-a-person-s-disbelief-in-his-existence/) [William Kent Krueger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kent-krueger/) > [“leaning hard into the wind in order to complete the job expected of him. He was an Eagle”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kent-krueger/leaning-hard-into-the-wind-in-order-to-complete-the-job-expected-of/) [William Kent Krueger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kent-krueger/) > [“Sam's Place had never felt so empty. He suspected the emptiness was not in the old Quonset hut; it was in him. 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The”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kent-krueger/i-watched-the-storm-as-i-might-have-watched-the-approach-and-passing/) [William Kent Krueger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kent-krueger/) > [“preferred the more informal service of the Methodists to the religious rigor of the Lutherans, who were as ubiquitous in Minnesota as ragweed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kent-krueger/preferred-the-more-informal-service-of-the-methodists-to-the/) [William Kent Krueger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kent-krueger/) > [“The things that ask the most of us are the things most worth having.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kent-krueger/the-things-that-ask-the-most-of-us-are-the-things-most-worth-having/) [William Kent Krueger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kent-krueger/) > [“Far better, I believe, to be like children and open ourselves to every beautiful possibility, for there is nothing our hearts can imagine that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kent-krueger/far-better-i-believe-to-be-like-children-and-open-ourselves-to-every/) [William Kent Krueger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kent-krueger/) > [ “Do you believe in God?" St. Kawasaki looked amused. "Hell of a question to ask a priest." \[...\] "I'm asking because I've been a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kent-krueger/do-you-believe-in-god-st-kawasaki-looked-amused-hell-of-a-question-to/) [William Kent Krueger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kent-krueger/) > [“Cork wished there were a forecast for his spirit. He felt the dark and the cold penetrating deep in him. He wondered when there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kent-krueger/cork-wished-there-were-a-forecast-for-his-spirit-he-felt-the-dark-and/) [William Kent Krueger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kent-krueger/) > [“She sang slowly and richly and delivered the heart of that great spiritual as if she was delivering heaven itself and her face was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kent-krueger/she-sang-slowly-and-richly-and-delivered-the-heart-of-that-great/) [William Kent Krueger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kent-krueger/) > [“Closing her eyes, she began to let herself dream. Not sleep dreaming, but dreaming of how her life might be. It was a thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kent-krueger/closing-her-eyes-she-began-to-let-herself-dream-not-sleep-dreaming/) [William Kent Krueger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kent-krueger/) > [“He who learns must suffer. And even in our sleep pain, which cannot forget, falls drop by drop upon the heart, until, in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kent-krueger/he-who-learns-must-suffer-and-even-in-our-sleep-pain-which-cannot/) [William Kent Krueger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kent-krueger/) > [“This anger in your eyes, is it because you are hunting the Windigo?". "I don't know what it is I'm hunting, Henry." Meloux nodded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kent-krueger/this-anger-in-your-eyes-is-it-because-you-are-hunting-the-windigo-i/) [William Kent Krueger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kent-krueger/) [Explore all 68 William Kent Krueger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kent-krueger/) ## More Bottom line quotes > [Filmmaking, like sex, isn't a polite enterprise. It involves a lot of mess and the bottom line is, if somebody ain't screaming, you're not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-woods/filmmaking-like-sex-isn-t-a-polite-enterprise-it-involves-a-lot-of/) [James Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-woods/) > [Cheer up. You're not going to be single forever. Bottom line is, you're young. Don't base your future on your past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/cheer-up-you-re-not-going-to-be-single-forever-bottom-line-is-you-re/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I plead with my Moonlight fans to give this show a chance if they let me give it a chance. I can’t do Moonlight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-o-loughlin/i-plead-with-my-moonlight-fans-to-give-this-show-a-chance-if-they-let/) [Alex O'Loughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-o-loughlin/) > [Well, the bottom line is that I'm extremely pleased with 'The Stupids.' I'm pleased that it's coming out, and it should look good. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-landis/well-the-bottom-line-is-that-i-m-extremely-pleased-with-the-stupids-i/) [John Landis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-landis/) > [I would have had a clause in my contract; I would've definitely put some fine print in my contract that said, "If the president…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-budden/i-would-have-had-a-clause-in-my-contract-i-would-ve-definitely-put/) [Joe Budden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-budden/) > [The bottom line, in the professional level, no matter where you go, there's going to be competition. That's what it is. At the end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-tolzien/the-bottom-line-in-the-professional-level-no-matter-where-you-go/) [Scott Tolzien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-tolzien/) > [The political satirist usually votes against their own interests, but the bottom line is that it doesn't really matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lizz-winstead/the-political-satirist-usually-votes-against-their-own-interests-but/) [Lizz Winstead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lizz-winstead/) > [I'm very grateful to be where I'm at and be able to play. That's really the bottom line for me. Survival and being able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/i-m-very-grateful-to-be-where-i-m-at-and-be-able-to-play-that-s/) [Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/) > [Bottom line is, work ethic equals dreams, and I am walking proof that that's a fact.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diamond-dallas-page/bottom-line-is-work-ethic-equals-dreams-and-i-am-walking-proof-that/) [Diamond Dallas Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diamond-dallas-page/) > [One of two things when the guy you're dating isn't really ready to commit. He's an a\*\*hole and he's cheating on you; bottom line…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-catherwood/one-of-two-things-when-the-guy-you-re-dating-isn-t-really-ready-to/) [Michael Catherwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-catherwood/) > [The bottom line on attitude is that a good one helps to increase your possibilities. Pessimists usually get what they expect. So do optimists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/the-bottom-line-on-attitude-is-that-a-good-one-helps-to-increase-your/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [If you look at the statistics, I genuinely understand why when we go to a production company or a broadcaster, and they say our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joivan-wade/if-you-look-at-the-statistics-i-genuinely-understand-why-when-we-go/) [Joivan Wade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joivan-wade/) > [With a reality show, the bottom line is, there's no plot; there's no finale.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-gosselin/with-a-reality-show-the-bottom-line-is-there-s-no-plot-there-s-no/) [Kate Gosselin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-gosselin/) > [Two to 4% of cancers respond to chemotherapy…The bottom line is for a few kinds of cancer chemo is a life extending procedure-Hodgkin's disease,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-w-moss/two-to-4-of-cancers-respond-to-chemotherapy-the-bottom-line-is-for-a/) [Ralph W. Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-w-moss/) > [The bottom line is that (a) people are never perfect, but love can be, (b) that is the one and only way that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/the-bottom-line-is-that-a-people-are-never-perfect-but-love-can-be-b/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) [Browse all 942 Bottom line quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bottom-line/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The bottom line was that people who leaned too heavily on someone else were setting themselves up for a terrible fall, and they had no one to blame in the end but themselves for the hurt they suffered. 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