#contingency

Men wiser and more learned than I have discerned in history a plot, a rhythm, a predetermined pattern. These harmonies are concealed from me. I can see only one emergency following upon another as wave follows upon wave, only one great fact with respect to which, since it is unique, there can be no generalizations; only one safe rule for the historian: that he should recognize in the development of human destinies the play of the contingent and the unforeseen. ↗

— H.A.L. Fisher

#destiny #europe #fate #harmony #history

I was either still dreaming or I had entered an alternate reality where I was a flippin' insane person. I doubted I had entered an alternate reality and a quick slap to my own face proved I wasn't still dreaming. -Sage Hannigan, Contingency ↗

— P.S. Martinez

#p-s-martinez #paranormal-romance #peggy-martinez #sage-hannigan #teen

Sometimes life can be unexpected. Sometimes things surprise you and all you can do is roll with the punches or let them beat you to a bloody pulp. -Sage Hannigan, Contingency ↗

— P.S. Martinez

#p-s-martinez #paranormal-romance #peggy-martinez #sage-hannigan #teen

I knew it to be very doubtful whether the Cabinet, Parliament, and the country would take this view on the outbreak of war, and through the whole of this week I had in view the probable contingency that we should not decide at the critical moment to support France. ↗

— Edward Grey

#contingency #country #critical #decide #doubtful

It seems to me that everything that happens to us is a disconcerting mix of choice and contingency. ↗

— Penelope Lively

#contingency #disconcerting #everything #happens #me

The world changed from having the determinism of a clock to having the contingency of a pinball machine. ↗

— Heinz R. Pagels

#clock #contingency #determinism #having #machine

New terms used like, 'overseas contingency operation' instead of the word 'war' - that reflects a worldview that is out of touch with the enemy that we face. We can't spin our way out of this threat. ↗

— Sarah Palin

#enemy #face #instead #like #new

Chance doesn't mean meaningless randomness, but historical contingency. This happens rather than that, and that's the way that novelty, new things, come about. ↗

— John Polkinghorne

#chance #come #contingency #happens #historical

And even, if circumstances required, a contingency plan for his contingency plan's contingency plan. ↗

— Frank Beddor

#circumstances #contingency #glass #humor #looking

Beauty Is the fume-track of necessity. This thought Is therapeutic. If, after several Applications, you do not find Relief, consult your family physician ↗

— Robert Penn Warren

#contingency #nature #necessity #poetry #beauty