--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The illusion of control has to be there…" description: "\"The illusion of control has to be there, but mostly I'm following characters and the consequences of their own decisions, because a lot of the time the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63e/bob-shacochis-25211_behave_the-illusion-of-control-has-to-be-there_384308.jpg" --- # The illusion of control has to be there, but mostly I'm… ![“The illusion of control has to be there, but mostly I'm following characters and the consequences of their own decisions, because a lot of the time they made decisions about what to do or how to behave that I had no idea were coming down the pike. As I would sit and try to inhabit a character…” quote by Bob Shacochis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63e/bob-shacochis-25211_behave_the-illusion-of-control-has-to-be-there_384308.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63e/bob-shacochis-25211_behave_the-illusion-of-control-has-to-be-there_384308.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63e/bob-shacochis-25211_behave_the-illusion-of-control-has-to-be-there_384308.jpg) > “The illusion of control has to be there, but mostly I'm following characters and the consequences of their own decisions, because a lot of the time they made decisions about what to do or how to behave that I had no idea were coming down the pike. As I would sit and try to inhabit a character, they themselves in my imagination would have quite a bit of free will.” [Bob Shacochis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-shacochis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Characters often act independently, revealing that control is an illusion and outcomes arise from their own choices. **In simple terms:** Control is an illusion; characters act on their own. Key Takeaway Embrace uncertainty and adapt to others' choices. Themes creative writing character development free will Mood reflective curious Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - novel writing - screenwriting - roleplaying - improvisation Key Concepts narrative agency psychology of choice Questions to Reflect On - How does free will shape narrative? - Can author and character truly coexist? A Different Perspective Characters may still be constrained by authorial intent. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Consequence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consequence/) [Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) [Free will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-will/) [Illusion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illusion/) [Illusion of control](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illusion-of-control/) [Imagination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagination/) [My imagination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/my-imagination/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Many of us rely on our own illusion of control. But when God makes it known to you that you're not the one steering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmin-mogahed/many-of-us-rely-on-our-own-illusion-of-control-but-when-god-makes-it/) [Yasmin Mogahed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmin-mogahed/) > [When you surrender and release the illusion of control, you begin to free-fall toward your destiny of a grand reunion with your original-self; a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-h-mcgill/when-you-surrender-and-release-the-illusion-of-control-you-begin-to/) [Bryant H. McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-h-mcgill/) > [Adulthood brings with it a pernicious illusion of control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-gabriel/adulthood-brings-with-it-a-pernicious-illusion-of-control/) [Juan Gabriel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-gabriel/) > [“illusion of control to describe what happens when we place ourselves in the role of agent in a situation that truly lacks one.8 We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-disalvo/illusion-of-control-to-describe-what-happens-when-we-place-ourselves/) [David DiSalvo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-disalvo/) > [If you want real control, drop the illusion of control; let life have you. It does anyway. You’re just telling yourself the story of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-katie/if-you-want-real-control-drop-the-illusion-of-control-let-life-have/) [Byron Katie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-katie/) > [“When you release the illusion of control, you begin an effortless free-fall toward a grand reunion with your original self.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/when-you-release-the-illusion-of-control-you-begin-an-effortless-free/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [“Perhaps the strangest thing about this illusion of control is not that it happens but that it seems to confer many of the psychological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-gilbert/perhaps-the-strangest-thing-about-this-illusion-of-control-is-not/) [Daniel Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-gilbert/) > [You must let go of the illusion of control..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oogway/you-must-let-go-of-the-illusion-of-control/) Oogway > [“Do I see control on all sides, or the illusion of control?" List’s face twisted slightly. "Sometimes the two are one and the same.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-erikson/do-i-see-control-on-all-sides-or-the-illusion-of-control-list-s-face/) [Steven Erikson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-erikson/) > [“Was he just humouring me? Just giving me the illusion of control while he manipulated me into doing what he wanted with his overwhelming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ripley-patton/was-he-just-humouring-me-just-giving-me-the-illusion-of-control-while/) [Ripley Patton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ripley-patton/) > [“An illusion of control is still only an illusion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meredith-duran/an-illusion-of-control-is-still-only-an-illusion/) [Meredith Duran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meredith-duran/) > [“A market need no longer be run by the Invisible Hand, but now could create itself-its own logic, momentum, style, from inside. Putting the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pynchon/a-market-need-no-longer-be-run-by-the-invisible-hand-but-now-could/) [Thomas Pynchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pynchon/) > [“People who do affirmations will have the sensation that they are causing the environment to conform to their will. This is an immensely enjoyable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/people-who-do-affirmations-will-have-the-sensation-that-they-are/) [Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) > [“The first step in battling the illusion of control is to be aware of if. But even then it is difficult, once we think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-mlodinow/the-first-step-in-battling-the-illusion-of-control-is-to-be-aware-of/) [Leonard Mlodinow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-mlodinow/) > [“I don't like when I can't control what reality is doing. Which is unfortunate because reality works independently of the things I want, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allie-brosh/i-don-t-like-when-i-can-t-control-what-reality-is-doing-which-is/) [Allie Brosh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allie-brosh/) ## More by Bob Shacochis > [“It almost felt like too much, just by the sad weight of its being so little.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-shacochis/it-almost-felt-like-too-much-just-by-the-sad-weight-of-its-being-so/) [Bob Shacochis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-shacochis/) > [With iron and blood, it seems, and from the rich depths of the earth, John Griswold has fashioned a classic American novel, its dignified…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-shacochis/with-iron-and-blood-it-seems-and-from-the-rich-depths-of-the-earth/) [Bob Shacochis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-shacochis/) > [You decide which characters you want and then do the best you can to bring their humanity to the forefront in the context that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-shacochis/you-decide-which-characters-you-want-and-then-do-the-best-you-can-to/) [Bob Shacochis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-shacochis/) > [The biggest challenge in the research process is to let go, to stop, to say enough, and then to reduce all of that beloved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-shacochis/the-biggest-challenge-in-the-research-process-is-to-let-go-to-stop-to/) [Bob Shacochis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-shacochis/) > [When you meet powerful men or just read about them in the newspapers, you see that they don't have a sense of boundaries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-shacochis/when-you-meet-powerful-men-or-just-read-about-them-in-the-newspapers/) [Bob Shacochis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-shacochis/) > [I'm asked all the time, 'Doesn't it feel great to finish the novel?' And the answer to that is, 'No.' It's sort of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-shacochis/i-m-asked-all-the-time-doesn-t-it-feel-great-to-finish-the-novel-and/) [Bob Shacochis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-shacochis/) > [The stories are there first, and they come from my experiences wandering around in the world. They will resonate into bigger things, forces sweeping…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-shacochis/the-stories-are-there-first-and-they-come-from-my-experiences/) [Bob Shacochis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-shacochis/) > [“I want you so much, he said with such heart-tugging sincerity that to be fair, a translation from Turkish to English would have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-shacochis/i-want-you-so-much-he-said-with-such-heart-tugging-sincerity-that-to/) [Bob Shacochis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-shacochis/) > [Trying to get the sentences right and the structure of the narration right is about as big a job as I can handle. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-shacochis/trying-to-get-the-sentences-right-and-the-structure-of-the-narration/) [Bob Shacochis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-shacochis/) > [For any artistic person who creates imaginary people, the art is like inhabiting the life and mind of a seven-year-old child with imaginary friends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-shacochis/for-any-artistic-person-who-creates-imaginary-people-the-art-is-like/) [Bob Shacochis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-shacochis/) > [“It is no secret that souls sometimes die in a person and are replaced by others. —Fernando Pessoa”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-shacochis/it-is-no-secret-that-souls-sometimes-die-in-a-person-and-are-replaced/) [Bob Shacochis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-shacochis/) > [“I should like to elbow aside the established pieties and raise my martini glass in salute to the mortal arts of pleasure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-shacochis/i-should-like-to-elbow-aside-the-established-pieties-and-raise-my/) [Bob Shacochis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-shacochis/) > [“And how could she ever open her mouth to tell him, in the guise of reminiscing, I haven't been on a ferry in twelve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-shacochis/and-how-could-she-ever-open-her-mouth-to-tell-him-in-the-guise-of/) [Bob Shacochis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-shacochis/) > [“--perhaps a soul is what you have spent your life making, not a piece of metaphysical equipment shipped ready-made from the factory, another myth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-shacochis/perhaps-a-soul-is-what-you-have-spent-your-life-making-not-a-piece-of/) [Bob Shacochis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-shacochis/) > [“His arm came tentatively across her side to hug her breasts and she sighed so long and deeply and with such intense relief that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-shacochis/his-arm-came-tentatively-across-her-side-to-hug-her-breasts-and-she/) [Bob Shacochis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-shacochis/) [Explore all 23 Bob Shacochis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-shacochis/) ## More Behave quotes > [If you are well-mannered towards those whose views are similar to yours, you may be said to exhibit a fairly good character. But, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-well-mannered-towards-those-whose-views-are-similar-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To behave creatively in art means behavior with skill; and skill comes from discipline, not derangement. The artist who knows the rules -and proportion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burne-hogarth/to-behave-creatively-in-art-means-behavior-with-skill-and-skill-comes/) Burne Hogarth > [You can behave as badly as you like in America. Nobody notices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/you-can-behave-as-badly-as-you-like-in-america-nobody-notices/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [For war to man, like childbirth to women, is simplifying in its emotions and activities. All the real problems of life can be put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/for-war-to-man-like-childbirth-to-women-is-simplifying-in-its/) [Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/) > [“Then Olympus it is. But do try to behave. I know it’s hard for you, but… (Delphine) I won’t piss on the floor. (Jericho)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/then-olympus-it-is-but-do-try-to-behave-i-know-it-s-hard-for-you-but/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [The possibility of saying anything about a thing rests on the assumption that it preserves its identity, or continues to be the same thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-knight/the-possibility-of-saying-anything-about-a-thing-rests-on-the/) [Frank Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-knight/) > [Why does man behave like perfect idiot? This is the problem I wish to deal with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-szent-gyorgyi/why-does-man-behave-like-perfect-idiot-this-is-the-problem-i-wish-to/) [Albert Szent-Gyorgyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-szent-gyorgyi/) > [This is a time in my life where I'm gonna behave like an elegant human being. Or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-stritch/this-is-a-time-in-my-life-where-i-m-gonna-behave-like-an-elegant/) [Elaine Stritch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-stritch/) > [Most people, even in simple risky situations, don't behave the way the theory of utility would have them behave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-raiffa/most-people-even-in-simple-risky-situations-don-t-behave-the-way-the/) [Howard Raiffa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-raiffa/) > [As a club, we have an educational purpose: to give back to those people who love Arsenal so that they learn moral values from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arsene-wenger/as-a-club-we-have-an-educational-purpose-to-give-back-to-those-people/) [Arsene Wenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arsene-wenger/) > [What astonishes many of us is not so much that human nature is fundamentally corrupt; we are astonished rather that it does not behave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morton-irving-seiden/what-astonishes-many-of-us-is-not-so-much-that-human-nature-is/) Morton Irving Seiden > [Do we behave out of fear of punishment, or out of the demands of our heart? For me, it is the latter, as I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-we-behave-out-of-fear-of-punishment-or-out-of-the-demands-of-our/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When you are in hard labor, remember that the length of labor is usually proportional to the number of people around. 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