tend to happen the way they should happen, according to whatever plan was dictated by whoever’s in charge of this stinking universe. Changes, if they are minor, correct themselves in ways no one understands but which tend to make a hash of anybody’s theory of free will." - Meaning and context.">
QuotesCosmos
Chapter 6, “As Never Was” (pp. 89-90)
“

We speak of the rigid framework of events, but the fact is there is some leeway. Apparently things tend to happen the way they should happen, according to whatever plan was dictated by whoever’s in charge of this stinking universe. Changes, if they are minor, correct themselves in ways no one understands but which tend to make a hash of anybody’s theory of free will.

— John Varley

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "We speak of the rigid framework of events, but the fact is there is some leeway. Apparently things tend to happen the way they should happen, according to whatever plan was dictated by whoever’s in charge of this stinking universe. Changes, if they are minor, correct themselves in ways no one understands but which tend to make a hash of anybody’s theory of free will." in the context of "Chapter 6, “As Never Was” (pp. 89-90)" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

Source: Wikiquote: "John Varley" (Quotes, Millennium (1983): All page numbers from the mass market edition published by Berkley Books in May 1985, , 4th printing Italics as in the book ) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app

Tags

#John Varley#happen#tend#understands#apparently#themselves#framework#according#whatever#dictated#whoevers#stinking
John Varley

About John Varley

John Herbert Varley (born August 9, 1947, in Austin, Texas) is an American science fiction author.