--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I suppose we're built with complete free…" description: "\"“I suppose we're built with complete free will, and as much as we're capable of depravity, to the same degree we are wired for greatness. Everyone gets..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/019/catherine-ryan-hyde-2597_choose_i-suppose-we-re-built-with-complete-free_1126211.jpg" --- # I suppose we're built with complete free will, and as much… ![“I suppose we're built with complete free will, and as much as we're capable of depravity, to the same degree we are wired for greatness. Everyone gets to choose, I think. And my challenge is to decide where I'll place the bulk of my attention. What I'll most believe in.” quote by Catherine Ryan Hyde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/019/catherine-ryan-hyde-2597_choose_i-suppose-we-re-built-with-complete-free_1126211.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/019/catherine-ryan-hyde-2597_choose_i-suppose-we-re-built-with-complete-free_1126211.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/019/catherine-ryan-hyde-2597_choose_i-suppose-we-re-built-with-complete-free_1126211.jpg) > ““I suppose we're built with complete free will, and as much as we're capable of depravity, to the same degree we are wired for greatness. Everyone gets to choose, I think. And my challenge is to decide where I'll place the bulk of my attention. What I'll most believe in.”” [Catherine Ryan Hyde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-ryan-hyde/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human potential is dual; we can choose to focus on greatness or depravity, shaping our destiny. **In simple terms:** Choose greatness. Key Takeaway Focus on what matters most. Themes free will choice potential Mood hopeful reflective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - career decisions - personal values - creative pursuits Key Concepts ethics psychology Questions to Reflect On - What will you prioritize? - How does attention shape identity? A Different Perspective External pressures can cloud judgment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [Greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatness/) ## Related quotes > [Only the man who extols the purity of love devoid of desire, is capable of the depravity of a desire devoid of love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/only-the-man-who-extols-the-purity-of-love-devoid-of-desire-is/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [“What you choose to think about yourself and about your life becomes true for you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-hay/what-you-choose-to-think-about-yourself-and-about-your-life-becomes/) [Louise Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-hay/) > [Nothing has power over you unless you allow it. No matter what happens, you can choose what and how to think, act, and speak!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/nothing-has-power-over-you-unless-you-allow-it-no-matter-what-happens/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The thoughts we choose to think are the tools we use to paint the canvas of our lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-hay/the-thoughts-we-choose-to-think-are-the-tools-we-use-to-paint-the/) [Louise Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-hay/) > [There's nothing so dangerous for manipulators as people who choose to think for themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-greenfield/there-s-nothing-so-dangerous-for-manipulators-as-people-who-choose-to/) [Meg Greenfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-greenfield/) > [There are many things in life over which you have no choice. But the greatest activity of life is well within your dominion. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/there-are-many-things-in-life-over-which-you-have-no-choice-but-the/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) > [“Your happiness does not depend on your situation or your results; it depends on how you choose to think about yourself, your situation, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-giles/your-happiness-does-not-depend-on-your-situation-or-your-results-it/) [Kimberly Giles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-giles/) > [The thoughts you choose to think and believe right now are creating your future. These thoughts form your experiences, tomorrow, next week, and next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-hay/the-thoughts-you-choose-to-think-and-believe-right-now-are-creating/) [Louise Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-hay/) > [Don't choose someone if they have to think twice about choosing you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kalsie-snyder/don-t-choose-someone-if-they-have-to-think-twice-about-choosing-you/) [Kalsie Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kalsie-snyder/) > [“There are those wonderful moments of clarity in life when one is reminded how irreparably flawed we humans are. Once, when I was nineteen,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-poundstone/there-are-those-wonderful-moments-of-clarity-in-life-when-one-is/) [Paula Poundstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-poundstone/) > [You are the power in your world! You get to have whatever you choose to think!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-hay/you-are-the-power-in-your-world-you-get-to-have-whatever-you-choose/) [Louise Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-hay/) > [“You have the power to feel good—or not—just by being conscious of what you choose to think. Choose to focus on hope and healing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-barbara-apollon/you-have-the-power-to-feel-good-or-not-just-by-being-conscious-of/) [Susan Barbara Apollon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-barbara-apollon/) > [Nothing can bring you happiness but yourself especially how you choose to think about your situation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/nothing-can-bring-you-happiness-but-yourself-especially-how-you/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“When you finally get down to making a choice from your narrowed-down list of alternatives, and you’ve cognitively evaluated the issues, and emotionally and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-burnett/when-you-finally-get-down-to-making-a-choice-from-your-narrowed-down/) [Bill Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-burnett/) > [Politics is not how you vote, it is how you live. It is not how you choose, but how you think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-fox/politics-is-not-how-you-vote-it-is-how-you-live-it-is-not-how-you/) Nancy Fox ## More by Catherine Ryan Hyde > [“That’s all addiction really is. It’s trading away the future so you can feel OK right now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-ryan-hyde/that-s-all-addiction-really-is-it-s-trading-away-the-future-so-you/) [Catherine Ryan Hyde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-ryan-hyde/) > [“He knew then why his voice had abandoned him. Because it takes courage to talk to people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-ryan-hyde/he-knew-then-why-his-voice-had-abandoned-him-because-it-takes-courage/) [Catherine Ryan Hyde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-ryan-hyde/) > [“Besides, they looked like brothers. They looked like two examples of the same theme.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-ryan-hyde/besides-they-looked-like-brothers-they-looked-like-two-examples-of/) [Catherine Ryan Hyde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-ryan-hyde/) > [“he was upset. Though hopefully not at her. But upset is a funny thing. It looks for places to direct itself. It’s an emotion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-ryan-hyde/he-was-upset-though-hopefully-not-at-her-but-upset-is-a-funny-thing/) [Catherine Ryan Hyde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-ryan-hyde/) > [“I see the sun, high overhead, and then I know. This darkness doesn’t belong to the night. It belongs to me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-ryan-hyde/i-see-the-sun-high-overhead-and-then-i-know-this-darkness-doesn-t/) [Catherine Ryan Hyde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-ryan-hyde/) > [“No. It’s not your job to convince him. It’s his job to believe it. This is his shortcoming, not yours. He needs to think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-ryan-hyde/no-it-s-not-your-job-to-convince-him-it-s-his-job-to-believe-it-this/) [Catherine Ryan Hyde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-ryan-hyde/) > [“When are you going to learn to act in your own best interests? In spite of what your emotions tell you to do?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-ryan-hyde/when-are-you-going-to-learn-to-act-in-your-own-best-interests-in/) [Catherine Ryan Hyde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-ryan-hyde/) > [“Until you get it that’s he’s only what his experience has shaped him to be, you’re seeing him as subhuman. As ‘other’ somehow. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-ryan-hyde/until-you-get-it-that-s-he-s-only-what-his-experience-has-shaped-him/) [Catherine Ryan Hyde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-ryan-hyde/) > [“I find it touching, almost enviable, that a person with so little feels she has all she needs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-ryan-hyde/i-find-it-touching-almost-enviable-that-a-person-with-so-little-feels/) [Catherine Ryan Hyde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-ryan-hyde/) > [Because it proves that you don't need much to change the entire world for the better. You can start with the most ordinary ingredients.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-ryan-hyde/because-it-proves-that-you-don-t-need-much-to-change-the-entire-world/) [Catherine Ryan Hyde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-ryan-hyde/) > [“Other people always bring complications. That’s just the nature of human relationships. You can’t separate people from their complications. Uncomplicated and alone are more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-ryan-hyde/other-people-always-bring-complications-that-s-just-the-nature-of/) [Catherine Ryan Hyde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-ryan-hyde/) > [“Everything grows best in oxygen and sunlight except secrets and guilt and regrets. They”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-ryan-hyde/everything-grows-best-in-oxygen-and-sunlight-except-secrets-and-guilt/) [Catherine Ryan Hyde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-ryan-hyde/) > [“No happy marriage was, in his estimation, ever based on thoughtless, automatic untruths and exclusions. And the best way to make someone unhappy, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-ryan-hyde/no-happy-marriage-was-in-his-estimation-ever-based-on-thoughtless/) [Catherine Ryan Hyde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-ryan-hyde/) > [“But mostly I just kept reminding myself to burn every moment into my memory. I just tried to be sure I was always there.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-ryan-hyde/but-mostly-i-just-kept-reminding-myself-to-burn-every-moment-into-my/) [Catherine Ryan Hyde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-ryan-hyde/) > [“So, I guess people figure it's not as hard to lose your mother when you never got along anyway. But they're wrong. They're dead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-ryan-hyde/so-i-guess-people-figure-it-s-not-as-hard-to-lose-your-mother-when/) [Catherine Ryan Hyde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-ryan-hyde/) [Explore all 154 Catherine Ryan Hyde quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-ryan-hyde/) ## More Choose quotes > [Everyone needs someone to love, and I choose you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyone-needs-someone-to-love-and-i-choose-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/) Pancho Barnes > [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [If somebody asks me to choose a biopic, it would be Narain Karthikeyan because I love racing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naga-chaitanya/if-somebody-asks-me-to-choose-a-biopic-it-would-be-narain-karthikeyan/) [Naga Chaitanya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naga-chaitanya/) > [“Either you soften your ego, or the world will do it for you. Choose!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bert-mccoy/either-you-soften-your-ego-or-the-world-will-do-it-for-you-choose/) [Bert McCoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bert-mccoy/) > [I'm aware of who I am and I'm comfortable with who I choose to date.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shibani-dandekar/i-m-aware-of-who-i-am-and-i-m-comfortable-with-who-i-choose-to-date/) [Shibani Dandekar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shibani-dandekar/) > [No actor wants to choose - they just want all of the options available to them all the time; we tend to be pretty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-jacobs/no-actor-wants-to-choose-they-just-want-all-of-the-options-available/) [Gillian Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-jacobs/) > [If you choose to work at a larger company over a smaller company, you are more likely to be higher paid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-sweet/if-you-choose-to-work-at-a-larger-company-over-a-smaller-company-you/) [Julie Sweet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-sweet/) > [You can't choose what stays and what stays away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florence-welch/you-can-t-choose-what-stays-and-what-stays-away/) [Florence Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florence-welch/) > [It's only a thought and a thought can be changed. Choose good ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/it-s-only-a-thought-and-a-thought-can-be-changed-choose-good-ones/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime...so you gotta choose who is good for you! Be wise, be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/people-come-into-your-life-for-a-reason-a-season-or-a-lifetime-so-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm not opposed - we manufacture a lot of socks in North Carolina - I just choose not to wear them. It's a Southern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-burr/i-m-not-opposed-we-manufacture-a-lot-of-socks-in-north-carolina-i/) [Richard Burr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-burr/) > [Having too many options is bad. I want one person, just one. Not a whole bunch to choose from,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roderickthefirst/having-too-many-options-is-bad-i-want-one-person-just-one-not-a-whole/) RoderickTheFirst > [If I could be anyone, I'd choose the lead singer of Arcade Fire, Win Butler.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-kardashian/if-i-could-be-anyone-i-d-choose-the-lead-singer-of-arcade-fire-win/) [Rob Kardashian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-kardashian/) > [People are as happy as they choose to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/people-are-as-happy-as-they-choose-to-be/) [Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/) Browse all 3,851 Choose quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I suppose we're built with complete free will, and as much as we're capable of depravity, to the same degree we are wired for greatness. Everyone gets to choose, I think. And my challenge is to decide where I'll place the bulk of my attention. 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