--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We chose whether to be warriors or to be…" description: "\"We chose whether to be warriors or to be ordinary.\" — Carlos Castaneda" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b63/carlos-castaneda-1384_ordinary_we-chose-whether-to-be-warriors-or-to-be_2038540.jpg" --- # We chose whether to be warriors or to be ordinary. ![“We chose whether to be warriors or to be ordinary.” quote by Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b63/carlos-castaneda-1384_ordinary_we-chose-whether-to-be-warriors-or-to-be_2038540.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b63/carlos-castaneda-1384_ordinary_we-chose-whether-to-be-warriors-or-to-be_2038540.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b63/carlos-castaneda-1384_ordinary_we-chose-whether-to-be-warriors-or-to-be_2038540.jpg) > “We chose whether to be warriors or to be ordinary.” [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Individuals choose either a heroic, warrior‑like path or a mundane, ordinary existence, shaping their destiny through conscious decision. **In simple terms:** Choose to be a warrior or stay ordinary. Key Takeaway Make conscious choices to live boldly. Themes choice heroism ordinary life consciousness destiny Mood determined challenging Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - leadership - risk taking - self‑improvement - daily decision making Key Concepts warrior ethos personal agency spiritual discipline Questions to Reflect On - What does being a warrior mean to you? - Are you settling for ordinary? A Different Perspective Fear of failure may deter people from the warrior path. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chose/) [Chose Warriors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chose-warriors-3780795/) [Ordinary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ordinary/) [Warrior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/warrior/) [Warriors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/warriors/) [Warriors Ordinary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/warriors-ordinary-3780794/) ## Related quotes > [Nothing can temper the spirit of a warrior as much as the challenge of dealing with impossible people in positions of power. Only under…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/nothing-can-temper-the-spirit-of-a-warrior-as-much-as-the-challenge/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) > [A warrior, or any man for that matter, cannot possibly wish he were somewhere else; a warrior because he lives by challenge, an ordinary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/a-warrior-or-any-man-for-that-matter-cannot-possibly-wish-he-were/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) > [“The basic difference between an ordinary man and a warrior is that a warrior takes everything as a challenge, while an ordinary man takes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/the-basic-difference-between-an-ordinary-man-and-a-warrior-is-that-a/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) > [“Sandgorse chose his own destiny. Why should he get to choose yours, too?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-hunter/sandgorse-chose-his-own-destiny-why-should-he-get-to-choose-yours-too/) [Erin Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-hunter/) > [“You’re a warrior. A warrior isn’t a killer because a warrior, a true one, has honor. The men who’ll come aren’t warriors.” “No,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/you-re-a-warrior-a-warrior-isn-t-a-killer-because-a-warrior-a-true/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [“Almost every culture has its own version of “forty days and forty nights,” where some young person is sent into the wilderness to survive,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-sizer/almost-every-culture-has-its-own-version-of-forty-days-and-forty/) [Gary Sizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-sizer/) > [We must be warriors in the struggle against ignorance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/we-must-be-warriors-in-the-struggle-against-ignorance/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [“Warriors, warriors we call ourselves. We fight for splendid virtue, for high endeavor, for sublime wisdom, therefore we call ourselves warriors.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aunguttara-nikaya/warriors-warriors-we-call-ourselves-we-fight-for-splendid-virtue-for/) [Aunguttara Nikaya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aunguttara-nikaya/) > [“If he can't reach you he can't hit you If he can't hit you he can't hurt you”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arun-d-ellis/if-he-can-t-reach-you-he-can-t-hit-you-if-he-can-t-hit-you-he-can-t/) [Arun D. Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arun-d-ellis/) > [Often, warriors find their lives meaningless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/often-warriors-find-their-lives-meaningless/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [I played with Mike Dunleavy Jr., and we got a great relationship on the Warriors. Knowing him and now knowing his dad, all I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baron-davis/i-played-with-mike-dunleavy-jr-and-we-got-a-great-relationship-on-the/) [Baron Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baron-davis/) > [“WARRIORS KNOW EVERY ASPECT OF THEIR BEING MOST INTIMATELY, EVEN THEIR LATENT TENDENCIES, AND MOST ESPECIALLY THEIR HIDDEN POTENTIAL. TO ACHIEVE THIS WARRIORS USE…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/th-un-mares/warriors-know-every-aspect-of-their-being-most-intimately-even-their/) [Théun Mares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/th-un-mares/) > [“It takes a female to have a baby, It takes a woman to raise a child, It takes a mother to raise them correctly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/it-takes-a-female-to-have-a-baby-it-takes-a-woman-to-raise-a-child-it/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [The Warriors are a lifestyle. I love every Warrior that stayed. They represented Oakland with pride. I love the Warriors. I love Oakland. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-b/the-warriors-are-a-lifestyle-i-love-every-warrior-that-stayed-they/) [Lil B](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-b/) > [“It is one thing to study war and another to live the warriors life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/telamon-of-arcadia/it-is-one-thing-to-study-war-and-another-to-live-the-warriors-life/) [Telamon of Arcadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/telamon-of-arcadia/) ## More by Carlos Castaneda > [A warrior, or any man for that matter, cannot possibly wish he were somewhere else; a warrior because he lives by challenge, an ordinary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/a-warrior-or-any-man-for-that-matter-cannot-possibly-wish-he-were/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) > [You see all of us go through the same doubts. We are afraid of being mad; unfortunately for us, of course, all of us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/you-see-all-of-us-go-through-the-same-doubts-we-are-afraid-of-being/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) > [Intent is what can make a man succeed when his thoughts tell him that he is defeated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/intent-is-what-can-make-a-man-succeed-when-his-thoughts-tell-him-that/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) > [The shadows in the early morning don't tell much. The shadows rest at that time. So it's useless to gaze very early in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/the-shadows-in-the-early-morning-don-t-tell-much-the-shadows-rest-at/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) > [One can say that the nagual accounts for creativity. The nagual is the only part of us that can create.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/one-can-say-that-the-nagual-accounts-for-creativity-the-nagual-is-the/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) > [Do you know at this very moment you are surrounded by eternity? And do you know that you can use that eternity if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/do-you-know-at-this-very-moment-you-are-surrounded-by-eternity-and-do/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) > [When a warrior learns to stop the internal dialogue, everything becomes possible; the most far-fetched schemes become attainable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/when-a-warrior-learns-to-stop-the-internal-dialogue-everything/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) > [Nothing in this world is a gift. Whatever must be learned must be learned the hard way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/nothing-in-this-world-is-a-gift-whatever-must-be-learned-must-be/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) > [Our normal expectations about reality are created by a social consensus. We are taught how to see and understand the world. The trick of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/our-normal-expectations-about-reality-are-created-by-a-social/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) > [Inner silence works from the moment you begin to accrue it. What the old sorcerers were after was the final dramatic, end result of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/inner-silence-works-from-the-moment-you-begin-to-accrue-it-what-the/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) > [In a world where death is the hunter, my friend, there is no time for regrets or doubts. There is only time for decisions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/in-a-world-where-death-is-the-hunter-my-friend-there-is-no-time-for/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) > [Fright is something one can never get over. When a warrior is caught in such a tight spot he would simply turn his back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/fright-is-something-one-can-never-get-over-when-a-warrior-is-caught/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) > [You're in a terrible spot. It's too late for you to retreat but too soon to act. All you can do is witness. You're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/you-re-in-a-terrible-spot-it-s-too-late-for-you-to-retreat-but-too/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) > [A hunter that is worth his salt does not catch game because he sets his traps, or because he knows the hunting routines of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/a-hunter-that-is-worth-his-salt-does-not-catch-game-because-he-sets/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) > [If you were a warrior, you would know that the worst thing one can do is confront human beings directly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/if-you-were-a-warrior-you-would-know-that-the-worst-thing-one-can-do/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) [Explore all 244 Carlos Castaneda quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) ## More Chose quotes > [“None of us can chose where we will love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-kay/none-of-us-can-chose-where-we-will-love/) [Susan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-kay/) > [I just decided to take some time off. I've been modeling since '93, '92, and that's a pretty long time. I'm a single mother…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-murphy/i-just-decided-to-take-some-time-off-i-ve-been-modeling-since-93-92/) [Carolyn Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-murphy/) > [“i chose not to run”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-seinfeld/i-chose-not-to-run/) [Jerry Seinfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-seinfeld/) > [I saw Islam as the correct way to live, and I chose to try to live that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/i-saw-islam-as-the-correct-way-to-live-and-i-chose-to-try-to-live/) [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) > [I chose Juventus for their winning mindset.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wojciech-szczesny/i-chose-juventus-for-their-winning-mindset/) [Wojciech Szczesny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wojciech-szczesny/) > [Perhaps God chose me to be an atheist?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-vaughan/perhaps-god-chose-me-to-be-an-atheist/) [Bill Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-vaughan/) > [“Everyone have the free willing to chose which kind of life he wanna live, to be remembered or forgotten”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/el-hachemi-sabi/everyone-have-the-free-willing-to-chose-which-kind-of-life-he-wanna/) [El hachemi Sabi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/el-hachemi-sabi/) > [“You can survive alone, or you can \*live\* together. I know which option William would chose—has chosen,” he said, shaking me as if he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-williams/you-can-survive-alone-or-you-can-live-together-i-know-which-option/) [Nicole Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-williams/) > [I chose deliberately for Harry Bosch to age chronologically with the books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/i-chose-deliberately-for-harry-bosch-to-age-chronologically-with-the/) [Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/) > [God chose what is weakest in the world to shame the strong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-eagleton/god-chose-what-is-weakest-in-the-world-to-shame-the-strong/) [Terry Eagleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-eagleton/) > [Chose the niche that you enjoy, where you can excel and stand a chance of becoming and acknowledged leader.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-koch/chose-the-niche-that-you-enjoy-where-you-can-excel-and-stand-a-chance/) [Richard Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-koch/) > [If you chose to be an actor, if you take that baton and say 'OK, this is what I want to do with my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-whannell/if-you-chose-to-be-an-actor-if-you-take-that-baton-and-say-ok-this-is/) [Leigh Whannell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-whannell/) > [What if I couldn't handle people's opinions of me? I know that shouldn't dictate a person's degree of peace or happiness in life, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-evans/what-if-i-couldn-t-handle-people-s-opinions-of-me-i-know-that-shouldn/) [Chris Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-evans/) > [You chose to give away your love. You chose to have a broken heart. You chose to give up. You chose to hang on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-chose-to-give-away-your-love-you-chose-to-have-a-broken-heart-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I chose to be a working wife and mother. Why should I compromise on either?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanda-kochhar/i-chose-to-be-a-working-wife-and-mother-why-should-i-compromise-on/) [Chanda Kochhar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanda-kochhar/) [Browse all 504 Chose quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chose/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We chose whether to be warriors or to be ordinary.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Carlos Castaneda" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/we-chose-whether-to-be-warriors-or-to-be-ordinary/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Chose" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/we-chose-whether-to-be-warriors-or-to-be-ordinary/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b63/carlos-castaneda-1384_ordinary_we-chose-whether-to-be-warriors-or-to-be_2038540.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b63/carlos-castaneda-1384_ordinary_we-chose-whether-to-be-warriors-or-to-be_2038540.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b63/carlos-castaneda-1384_ordinary_we-chose-whether-to-be-warriors-or-to-be_2038540.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We chose whether to be warriors or to be ordinary.” — Carlos Castaneda", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Carlos Castaneda", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We chose whether to be warriors...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/we-chose-whether-to-be-warriors-or-to-be-ordinary/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/we-chose-whether-to-be-warriors-or-to-be-ordinary/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```