“There is no such thing as chance; there are only appointments.”
— Diane Dufresne · 1944 –Source: no specific work is documented · Check the source
Disputed attributionWhat we know
- What is documented
- Evidence links the wording to Diane Dufresne’s repertoire and stage lines—reported as an opening line or refrain—without a single documented original publication.
- What remains uncertain
- Attribution is disputed: some sources credit Paul Éluard, but that claim is not firmly established and remains contested.
Understanding the quote
The line reframes chance as meaningful encounter: instead of random events, it suggests moments meant to meet us. It circulates as a stage lyric tied to Diane Dufresne’s performances, which explains its dramatic rhythm, though the precise origin isn’t proven.
In the original · French
Il n’y a pas de hasard, il n’y a que des rendez-vous.
The story behind it
Diane Dufresne (born Sept 30, 1944, Montréal) is famed for theatrical shows; this sentence behaves like a catchy stage refrain that escaped the concert hall.
Going further
- The era
- In late-20th-century Quebec, chanson blended with performance art, a context that bred memorable lyrical lines like this.
- The thinking
- It expresses a belief that events aren’t mere randomness but meaningful meetings; in daily life it prompts you to notice and cherish encounters.
- Key word
- Hasard vs rendez‑vous: treating coincidence as a destined meeting.
- Who quoted it
- The line is widely reused in concert reviews, quote collections, and radio discussions that probe its provenance.
Three challenges to live it
In the app, you pick the one that fits your day, and in the evening you say how it went.
Write one page (10–15 minutes) about a chance encounter that changed you: describe the place, the feeling, and why it now feels like an appointment.
Putting a chance meeting into words makes it intentional. Writing links memory and meaning, echoing Diane Dufresne's line about appointments.
Call or message someone you recently crossed paths with (colleague, neighbor, someone new) and invite them for a 20‑minute coffee or chat this week.
If encounters are appointments, making the invite continues the intent. Scheduling a brief meeting turns a chance crossing into a chosen connection.
Create a small visual card or collage (10–20 minutes) that represents a meeting that felt anything but chance: use images, words, and colors to symbolize that appointment.
Art makes the meaning you give to chance visible. A quick collage concentrates symbols and feeling, like Diane Dufresne's refrain turning accident into purpose.
How do you decide whether a meeting feels like chance or a meaningful rendezvous?
Report an error
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