Ralph Cudworth Quotes

One of the many lessons that one learns in prison is, that things are what they are and will be what they will be.

What exists, exists. You cannot change that.

Fight if you wish. Deny what is before you if it comforts you. But nothing you do can change your fate.

You can think of my films as cautionary tales, but you might even think of them as despairing tales, because at least in a cautionary tale, you have this idea that by listening to the story you can assure a better outcome. Whereas I'm not at all convinced that's the case. In fact, if anything, I'm convinced that it's the opposite.

We didn't wish -- wishes are wasted... We didn't hope -- because our future was inevitable... And we didn't pray -- we were on our own.

Fact I know; and Law I know; but what is this Necessity, save an empty shadow of my own mind's throwing?

You can't shape it. You can't change it. Your life is what it is.

There are some things in the world we can't change.

And no matter what, there's not one thing in this world *or* the next that we can do or hope or guess at or wish or pray that can change it or help it one iota. Because whatever is, is. That's all. And all there is now is to be ready for it, strong enough for it, whatever it may be. That's all. That's all that matters. It's all that matters because it's all that's possible.

The universe is the way it is. It's not going to be changed by supplications.

Anything that happens, happens.

Everybody knows that the dice are loaded, Everybody rolls with their fingers crossed, Everybody knows that the war is over, Everybody knows the good guys lost.

One thing I do know, and that is, that neither hope, nor fear, belief, nor denial, can change the fact. It is as it is, and it will be as it must be.

If you know that things are bound to happen whatever you do, then you may feel free to give up the fight against them.

Ain't no use jiving, ain't no use joking, everything is broken.

It is useless, after all, to complain against inexorable reality.

And what do you wish?' he said at last. 'That what should be shall be,' she answered.

For he will do As he do do And there's no doing anything about it!

People say things like "it wasn't supposed to go this way" and "this isn't what I wanted." They're just making noise. There's no such thing as "supposed to," and what you want doesn't matter. All that matters is what happened.

Anyone could see it all coming and no one could possibly stop it and that was the beautiful thing. Friday night was open wide and writ in stone

As I get older, I think that things have been pre-determined for me, whether I liked it or wanted it, wished for it, whatever, way before in some way. And with others, you do have a choice that you can change. And that choice that you make is still part of this grand scheme.

I made no more protests. What was the use of struggling against fate

Things happen the way they happen because the world is the way it is.

Some things can't be changed. They'll always happen the way they were supposed to.

We are in the grip of some big machine grinding us along. The force of it simplifies everything. A weird calm settled over me from inside out. What is about to happen has stood in line to happen. All the roads out of that instant have been closed, one by one.