--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our lives are led, and our decisions…" description: "\"Our lives are led, and our decisions made, within a network of needs and wants, some natural, some arising from the acts of others, some aggravated by ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef0/carl-cohen-85318_aggravated_our-lives-are-led-and-our-decisions-made_662475.png" --- # Our lives are led, and our decisions made, within a… ![“Our lives are led, and our decisions made, within a network of needs and wants, some natural, some arising from the acts of others, some aggravated by the acts of the state. We are all bored, or threatened, or tantalized in differing degrees by a perilous world, some hostile people, and a not very…” quote by Carl Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef0/carl-cohen-85318_aggravated_our-lives-are-led-and-our-decisions-made_662475.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef0/carl-cohen-85318_aggravated_our-lives-are-led-and-our-decisions-made_662475.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef0/carl-cohen-85318_aggravated_our-lives-are-led-and-our-decisions-made_662475.png) > “Our lives are led, and our decisions made, within a network of needs and wants, some natural, some arising from the acts of others, some aggravated by the acts of the state. We are all bored, or threatened, or tantalized in differing degrees by a perilous world, some hostile people, and a not very sensitive government.” Carl Cohen ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human behavior is shaped by personal desires, social influences, and governmental actions, creating varied emotional states. **In simple terms:** Our choices are driven by needs, others, and the state, leading to boredom, fear, or excitement. Key Takeaway Recognize external influences on decisions. Themes psychology politics human nature emotions society Mood anxious reflective critical Type philosophical analytical observational When to use this quote - personal relationships - political activism - career planning - public policy - mental health Key Concepts needs wants state power social influence Questions to Reflect On - How do societal structures shape your desires? - Can you mitigate state influence on personal choices? A Different Perspective Individual agency is limited by systemic pressures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bored](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bored/) [Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Needs and wants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs-and-wants/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [My writing is full of lives I might have led.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/my-writing-is-full-of-lives-i-might-have-led/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [The moment had passed, the door between the lives we could have led and the lives we led had shut in our faces.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-krauss/the-moment-had-passed-the-door-between-the-lives-we-could-have-led/) [Nicole Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-krauss/) > [As the excited passions of hostile people are of themselves a powerful enemy, both the general and his government should use their best efforts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-henri-jomini/as-the-excited-passions-of-hostile-people-are-of-themselves-a/) [Antoine-Henri Jomini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-henri-jomini/) > [You can give me 400,000 hostile people and I won't even break sweat. If you give me 200 adoring people, my mouth will dry out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/you-can-give-me-400-000-hostile-people-and-i-won-t-even-break-sweat/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [This war differs from other wars, in this particular. We are not fighting armies but a hostile people, and must make old and young,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-tecumseh-sherman/this-war-differs-from-other-wars-in-this-particular-we-are-not/) [William Tecumseh Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-tecumseh-sherman/) > [Loving people live in a loving world. Hostile people live in a hostile world. Same world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/loving-people-live-in-a-loving-world-hostile-people-live-in-a-hostile/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [I've had clients who've come in and and had damaged hair, and just sit there crying. You don't know how they're really feeling. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-mondo/i-ve-had-clients-who-ve-come-in-and-and-had-damaged-hair-and-just-sit/) [Brad Mondo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-mondo/) > [“People who are too sensitive go crazy, remember that”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-pope/people-who-are-too-sensitive-go-crazy-remember-that/) [Paul Pope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-pope/) > [People who are much too sensitive to demand of cripples that they run races ask of the poor that they get up and act…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-harrington/people-who-are-much-too-sensitive-to-demand-of-cripples-that-they-run/) [Michael Harrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-harrington/) > [People have always been sensitive. There is nothing wrong with being sensitive, it's a nice word. And in comedy, yes you've to be careful,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunil-grover/people-have-always-been-sensitive-there-is-nothing-wrong-with-being/) [Sunil Grover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunil-grover/) > [Things are more complex today, and I think humor has changed a a great deal. People are more sensitive today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-grizzard/things-are-more-complex-today-and-i-think-humor-has-changed-a-a-great/) [Lewis Grizzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-grizzard/) > [I'm inspired by people who are so sensitive and vulnerable that they try to cover it up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-chastain/i-m-inspired-by-people-who-are-so-sensitive-and-vulnerable-that-they/) [Jessica Chastain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-chastain/) > [The difference between me and other athletes is that I'm speaking on things that I go through that I know other people go through.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iman-shumpert/the-difference-between-me-and-other-athletes-is-that-i-m-speaking-on/) [Iman Shumpert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iman-shumpert/) > [There will be people who are sensitive about seeing the American point of view presented as less than sympathetic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/there-will-be-people-who-are-sensitive-about-seeing-the-american/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [I think more and more people are becoming much more sensitive to what they do with their money when they die, especially if they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-rippon/i-think-more-and-more-people-are-becoming-much-more-sensitive-to-what/) [Angela Rippon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-rippon/) ## More by Carl Cohen > [The elimination of horrible disease, the increase of the quality of lives (for humans and for animals) achieved through research using animals is so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-cohen/the-elimination-of-horrible-disease-the-increase-of-the-quality-of/) Carl Cohen > [“The critical issues here concern what is right, what is just -- not the balancing of benefits.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-cohen/the-critical-issues-here-concern-what-is-right-what-is-just-not-the/) Carl Cohen Explore all 3 Carl Cohen quotes ## More Aggravated quotes > [The computer actually may have aggravated management's degenerative tendency to focus inward on costs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-drucker/the-computer-actually-may-have-aggravated-management-s-degenerative/) [Peter Drucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-drucker/) > [My dad told me at the very beginning of my career, basically, "If you're gonna have a megaphone, you're gonna need to use it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-feldman/my-dad-told-me-at-the-very-beginning-of-my-career-basically-if-you-re/) [Ben Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-feldman/) > [When I tell a child something the first time, I'm nice. The 15th time, I start to get aggravated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abby-lee-miller/when-i-tell-a-child-something-the-first-time-i-m-nice-the-15th-time-i/) [Abby Lee Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abby-lee-miller/) > [I honestly really don't get aggravated at all. I just go with the flow. Whatever happens, happens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-lochte/i-honestly-really-don-t-get-aggravated-at-all-i-just-go-with-the-flow/) [Ryan Lochte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-lochte/) > [ I take life for what it has to offer me. I don't get aggravated about \[getting older\]. The wrinkles on my face are a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eartha-kitt/i-take-life-for-what-it-has-to-offer-me-i-don-t-get-aggravated-about/) [Eartha Kitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eartha-kitt/) > [Animals are just pure, uncomplicated entities of creation from God. They live like the Maasai do in Kenya-for each day is forever to them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-browne/animals-are-just-pure-uncomplicated-entities-of-creation-from-god/) [Sylvia Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-browne/) > [Courage enlarges, cowardice diminishes resources.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-nestell-bovee/courage-enlarges-cowardice-diminishes-resources/) [Christian Nestell Bovee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-nestell-bovee/) > [Called on the people of New Hampshire . . . to confess before God their aggravated transgressions and to implore His pardon and forgiveness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josiah-bartlett/called-on-the-people-of-new-hampshire-to-confess-before-god-their/) [Josiah Bartlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josiah-bartlett/) > [The police and other law enforcements agencies are going to concentrate their efforts on organised crime, especially organised aggravated robbery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-nqakula/the-police-and-other-law-enforcements-agencies-are-going-to/) Charles Nqakula > [all daughters, even when most aggravated by their mothers, have a secret respect for them. 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With the same mantle thrown over him from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elias-lyman-magoon/in-what-a-delightful-communion-with-god-does-that-man-live-who/) [Elias Lyman Magoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elias-lyman-magoon/) Browse all 44 Aggravated quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Our lives are led, and our decisions made, within a network of needs and wants, some natural, some arising from the acts of others, some aggravated by the acts of the state. 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