You had no choice No, but you'd be amazed at how often people who have no choice act as if they had one, and lose everything because they could not bear to do what had to be done
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- People often act as if they have free will even when constrained, leading to disaster when they fail to act.
- In plain terms
- People act like they have choices even when they don't.
- What can you take from it?
- Denial of constraints can lead to catastrophic inaction.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Are you acting out of fear?
- What constraints are real?
Another view
Sometimes there truly is no viable choice.
More from Orson Scott Card
People always believer things were better - before
Permalink to quote #1008 The puppet, wishes to be free You are free. Stay and die, go and live - you have your choice What choice is that! What do you expect, an infinite selection? To…
Permalink to quote #1010 I wish I had been like you I wish I had been like you
Permalink to quote #1007
Related quotes
I'd rather be a sparrow than a snail Yes I would, if I could, I surely would I'd rather be a hammer than a nail Yes I would, if I only could, I surely would
Paul SimonPaul Simon quote #28 Destiny is what we work toward. The future doesn't exist yet. Fate is for losers.
Douglas CouplandDouglas Coupland quote #46 His mother had often said, When you choose an action, you choose the consequences of that action. She had emphasized the corollary of this axiom even more vehe…
Lois McMaster BujoldLois McMaster Bujold quote #92