--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think we should stop asking people in…" description: "\"I think we should stop asking people in their 20s what they 'want to do' and start asking them what they don't want to do. Instead of asking students t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a01/amy-poehler-1084_asking_i-think-we-should-stop-asking-people-in_1457086.jpg" --- # I think we should stop asking people in their 20s what… ![“I think we should stop asking people in their 20s what they 'want to do' and start asking them what they don't want to do. Instead of asking students to 'declare their major' we should ask students to 'list what they will do anything to avoid.' It just makes a lot more sense.” quote by Amy Poehler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a01/amy-poehler-1084_asking_i-think-we-should-stop-asking-people-in_1457086.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a01/amy-poehler-1084_asking_i-think-we-should-stop-asking-people-in_1457086.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a01/amy-poehler-1084_asking_i-think-we-should-stop-asking-people-in_1457086.jpg) > “I think we should stop asking people in their 20s what they 'want to do' and start asking them what they don't want to do. Instead of asking students to 'declare their major' we should ask students to 'list what they will do anything to avoid.' It just makes a lot more sense.” [Amy Poehler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-poehler/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Encourages focusing on avoiding undesirable paths rather than chasing vague aspirations, helping clarify values and decisions. **In simple terms:** Identify what to avoid instead of what to pursue. Key Takeaway Define clear boundaries to guide choices. Themes career planning self‑awareness decision making Mood thoughtful pragmatic Type advice reflective When to use this quote - college major selection - job search - life planning - relationship choices Key Concepts avoidance strategy values clarification risk management Questions to Reflect On - What would you avoid if you could? - How does avoidance shape your goals? A Different Perspective May overlook positive opportunities by focusing only on negatives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Students](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/students/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [You can't refuse to move forward when you're educating in design, because that's what we're asking students to do the whole time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-wilson/you-can-t-refuse-to-move-forward-when-you-re-educating-in-design/) [Louise Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-wilson/) > [I often ask students: 'Is this what you would show Tom Ford?' and they say: 'No, we'd have done more work' or 'We'd have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-wilson/i-often-ask-students-is-this-what-you-would-show-tom-ford-and-they/) [Louise Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-wilson/) > [“I always ask my students to answer two questions about the work they and their peers have written: What happened in this story? and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/i-always-ask-my-students-to-answer-two-questions-about-the-work-they/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [I don't ask my students to have studied film or any education in general. What I ask them is to come and sit and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbas-kiarostami/i-don-t-ask-my-students-to-have-studied-film-or-any-education-in/) [Abbas Kiarostami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbas-kiarostami/) > [I think we should stop asking people in their twenties what they 'want to do' and start asking them what they don't want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-poehler/i-think-we-should-stop-asking-people-in-their-twenties-what-they-want/) [Amy Poehler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-poehler/) > [In adolescence, it's 'How do I fit in?' In your 20s, 'What do I want to do?' Your 30s, 'Is this what I'm meant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-pine/in-adolescence-it-s-how-do-i-fit-in-in-your-20s-what-do-i-want-to-do/) [Chris Pine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-pine/) > [You get married, you start having responsibilities. 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If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-marche/when-you-ask-single-men-in-their-20s-do-you-want-children-they-want/) [Stephen Marche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-marche/) > [Sometimes you just have to pretend that you are happy just to stop everyone from asking what happened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-you-just-have-to-pretend-that-you-are-happy-just-to-stop/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Stop feeding the ego food, then it will stop asking for more.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bert-mccoy/stop-feeding-the-ego-food-then-it-will-stop-asking-for-more/) [Bert McCoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bert-mccoy/) > [“Stop asking yourself how or why and tell yourself you can." - Charmainism”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charmaine-smith-ladd/stop-asking-yourself-how-or-why-and-tell-yourself-you-can-charmainism/) [Charmaine Smith Ladd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charmaine-smith-ladd/) ## More by Amy Poehler > [When youre a stay-at-home mother you have to pretend its really boring, but its not. Its enriching and fulfilling, and an amazing experience. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-poehler/when-youre-a-stay-at-home-mother-you-have-to-pretend-its-really/) [Amy Poehler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-poehler/) > [I hope and assume that every good comedy writer, no matter the age, has a moment where they discover how great Cheers is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-poehler/i-hope-and-assume-that-every-good-comedy-writer-no-matter-the-age-has/) [Amy Poehler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-poehler/) > [I also think if you're an actor and you can improvise, when you go on an audition and you can improvise you're just a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-poehler/i-also-think-if-you-re-an-actor-and-you-can-improvise-when-you-go-on/) [Amy Poehler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-poehler/) > [It seems a strange thing, but once I was able to get past that kind of self-image problem, I was able to open up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-poehler/it-seems-a-strange-thing-but-once-i-was-able-to-get-past-that-kind-of/) [Amy Poehler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-poehler/) > [Sleep can completely change your entire outlook on life. 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Other people and other people's ideas are often better than your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-poehler/as-you-navigate-through-the-rest-of-your-life-be-open-to/) [Amy Poehler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-poehler/) > [I like hard work and I don’t like pretending things are perfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-poehler/i-like-hard-work-and-i-don-t-like-pretending-things-are-perfect/) [Amy Poehler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-poehler/) > [The pressure of 'what are you going to do?' makes everyone feel like they haven't done anything yet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-poehler/the-pressure-of-what-are-you-going-to-do-makes-everyone-feel-like/) [Amy Poehler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-poehler/) > [I ate two waffles, a banana and cereal with blueberries. And that whas between my two breakfasts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-poehler/i-ate-two-waffles-a-banana-and-cereal-with-blueberries-and-that-whas/) [Amy Poehler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-poehler/) > [ “\[On getting older\]: You can witness young people embarrassing themselves and get a thrill--that it's not you. You can watch them throw around their… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-poehler/on-getting-older-you-can-witness-young-people-embarrassing-themselves/) [Amy Poehler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-poehler/) > [Too often we women try to tackle chaos that is not ours to fix.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-poehler/too-often-we-women-try-to-tackle-chaos-that-is-not-ours-to-fix/) [Amy Poehler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-poehler/) > [Try to keep your mind open to possibilities and your mouth closed on matters that you don't know about. Limit your 'always' and your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-poehler/try-to-keep-your-mind-open-to-possibilities-and-your-mouth-closed-on/) [Amy Poehler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-poehler/) > [All we do is watch The Wire and go out to dinner with our friends. I wish I could tell you that we had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-poehler/all-we-do-is-watch-the-wire-and-go-out-to-dinner-with-our-friends-i/) [Amy Poehler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-poehler/) > [I have these meetings with really powerful men and they ask me all the time, 'Where are your kids? Are your kids here?' It's such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-poehler/i-have-these-meetings-with-really-powerful-men-and-they-ask-me-all/) [Amy Poehler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-poehler/) [Explore all 296 Amy Poehler quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-poehler/) ## More Asking quotes > [Why did Erich von Stronheim leave Germany? Why did Hitchcock leave England? 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And you're going to have to holler…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/and-in-your-new-lives-you-ll-have-to-live-entirely-for-that-one/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [“Stop asking yourself how or why and tell yourself you can." - Charmainism”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charmaine-smith-ladd/stop-asking-yourself-how-or-why-and-tell-yourself-you-can-charmainism/) [Charmaine Smith Ladd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charmaine-smith-ladd/) > [Closing his eyes, he sent up a prayer to anyone who was listening, asking please, for God's sake, stop sending him signals that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/closing-his-eyes-he-sent-up-a-prayer-to-anyone-who-was-listening/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [People will identify with a persecuted minority without asking themselves what they are identifying with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mantel/people-will-identify-with-a-persecuted-minority-without-asking/) [Hilary Mantel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mantel/) > [If you're having a bad day already and everybody is just asking you petty questions, it drives people to the edge, or something really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jess-weixler/if-you-re-having-a-bad-day-already-and-everybody-is-just-asking-you/) [Jess Weixler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jess-weixler/) > [You never give away your heart; you lend it from time to time. If it were not so, how could we take it back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/you-never-give-away-your-heart-you-lend-it-from-time-to-time-if-it/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [I'm not asking people to feel sorry for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-abramoff/i-m-not-asking-people-to-feel-sorry-for-me/) [Jack Abramoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-abramoff/) > [The boldness of asking deep questions may require unforeseen flexibility if we are to accept the answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-greene/the-boldness-of-asking-deep-questions-may-require-unforeseen/) [Brian Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-greene/) > [Use Google Before Asking A Stupid Question.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muskaan/use-google-before-asking-a-stupid-question/) [Muskaan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muskaan/) > [There were people asking 'Can women be funny?' People still ask that. It's like asking: 'Can women breathe in and out?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-walters/there-were-people-asking-can-women-be-funny-people-still-ask-that-it/) [Julie Walters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-walters/) > [Whether that's speaking up in your job or asking for a promotion or saying, 'I think I can do that.' Using your voice in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-shriver/whether-that-s-speaking-up-in-your-job-or-asking-for-a-promotion-or/) [Maria Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-shriver/) > [Love cannot be had for the asking; it comes only as a gift from the heart of another](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paramahansa-yogananda/love-cannot-be-had-for-the-asking-it-comes-only-as-a-gift-from-the/) [Paramahansa Yogananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paramahansa-yogananda/) > [The Baseball Hall of Fame is something every player dreams about, but being a member of God's Hall of Fame is the greatest achievement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-carter/the-baseball-hall-of-fame-is-something-every-player-dreams-about-but/) [Gary Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-carter/) > [“In such a regime, I say you died a good death if your life had inspired someone to come forward and shoot your murdered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/in-such-a-regime-i-say-you-died-a-good-death-if-your-life-had/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) Browse all 3,313 Asking quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think we should stop asking people in their 20s what they 'want to do' and start asking them what they don't want to do. 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