A profound little statement that does more to diagnose the human condition than all the analyses and textbooks ever could. Within its verbiage? The simple concept that whenever a thing occurs once, it is a fluke, but if something happens twice? Well, then it’s a thing that always occurs.
Your neighbor leaves their trash cans out past garbage day one week? Meh, it was a fluke. Now imagine they do it again the next week. Now … now it’s a pattern, it’s something that always occurs. Apply this to a multitude of situations and you will realize that it is just how people operate.
Mailman leaves the box’s door open. “Once is never, twice is always.”
Your coworker comes into work hungover? “Once is never, twice is always.”
You read a good—or bad—book from a particular author? You guessed it: “Once is never, twice is always.”
It’s such a delectable quote, and one that I find myself applying to many situations in my life. Perhaps I’m trying to give more ‘benefit-of-the-doubt’ to people, or perhaps I just enjoy seeing the pattern. One thing is for certain though, it’s not my quote. I borrowed this little gem from my recent audio book read, and maybe they borrowed it from somewhere else but it’s where I first heard it and so that is where it stays.
That little font of knowledge is something as epic in scope as its namesake, The Expanse, by James SA Corey, a wonderful space opera grounded in a pragmatic and possible view of humanity’s expanse into the solar system. It’s a series full of deep introspection, realistic battle sequences, and just downright good story telling. The author does a wonderful job of putting you directly into the character’s mind, and in so doing directly into the action. Now I could go on about all the nuances and beauties of this fantastic read, but that’s not why we are here today. No, we are here to talk about the quotes I found most impactful, like “Once is never, twice is always.”
Next up would be one that literally made my skin crawl. It’s gravity rippling across the entirety of my being.
“His words were full of hope and threat. Like the stars.”
-Fred Johnson, “Abaddon’s Gate”
Chilling, right? It was one of those little quotes that put my mind into action, keeping me up at night and forcing me to tell everyone in my immediate vicinity. My wife and eldest daughter both didn’t seem to appreciate the quote as much as me, or, far more likely, they are sick of hearing about books from me.
I must give them a break though, because—from their perspective—I talk about books and space and fantasy ALL THE TIME. After all, “Once is never; twice is always.”
Regardless, after I finished reeling from the shear weight of the quote, “His words were full of hope and threat. Like the stars,” I realized a few things. One, this is very similar to another favorite, albeit far more known, quote:
“Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the Universe, or we are not. Both are equally terrifying”
-Arthur C. Clarke
To me they both carry similar weights, similar meanings. The myriad stars in that vast expanse of our sky each hold the potential for a world just like our own. A whole other place filled with life, and all the complexities that come with it. Even if there is just one other world out there capable of carrying life, and even if it’s just a puddle filled with single-celled microorganisms, the implications of that are breathtaking. A whole other place ready to take on the hopes and dreams and ambitions of life. It’s magical.
And at the same time quite terrifying, because, after all, those other dreams and ambitions could consist of a few—very familiar—emotions we humans endure: greed, lust, desire. All of which could lead to the very real threat of our own demise. Like a vengeful sword from the heavens, whatever manages to traverse the vast expanses of space would surely wipe away whatever paltry defenses we may have.
Even if they don’t, in what way would we carry on our existence in the wake of superiority? Of course, there are those among us of religious scruples and perhaps that is a common feeling for them. But this? This, I think, would be different. Imagine another being, similar in capacity as yourself, but infinitely more powerful. Not some supernatural Marvel character, just another creature able to hold dominion over you from shear knowledge alone. Humanity would struggle to say the least.
Cheerful thoughts, right? Just don’t forget the flip side: The promise of new horizons. Existential dread aside, let’s move on to the final quote/haiku from The Expanse. Possibly my favorite and one that warmed my heart when I heard it first and warms my heart now when I reflect upon it:
“If life transcends death,
then I will seek for you there.
If not, then there too.”
-Arjun, “Caliban’s War”
Yes, I know that it’s ludicrous. Yes, I know that it flies in the face of all logic and reason—that it’s a contradiction of itself. But it wouldn’t be the first time love has made someone contradict themselves. Besides, the thought of this man manifesting an afterlife that didn’t exist solely so he can search for his spouse is somehow comforting, and not just in its wholesome expression of love. It allows someone to face that unknown void of the afterlife—the possibility that there is nothing at all—and still trudge on. They can do so because, regardless of the outcome, it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter because what you have here is real. Truly, I have heard few heavier expressions of love than this little piece. Powerful, poignant, and altogether wonderful.
I think I will leave you with that, an expression of love across our mortal bounds. What is your favorite quote from The Expanse or from another work that you enjoy? I would love to hear them!
Thank you all for reading! Stay tuned next week for more shorts and tidbits from me.
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