--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Human foresight often leaves its proudest…" description: "\"Human foresight often leaves its proudest possessor only a choice of evils.\" — Charles Caleb Colton" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c71/charles-caleb-colton-270_choices_human-foresight-often-leaves-its-proudes_2596106.png" --- # Human foresight often leaves its proudest possessor only a… ![“Human foresight often leaves its proudest possessor only a choice of evils.” quote by Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c71/charles-caleb-colton-270_choices_human-foresight-often-leaves-its-proudes_2596106.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c71/charles-caleb-colton-270_choices_human-foresight-often-leaves-its-proudes_2596106.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c71/charles-caleb-colton-270_choices_human-foresight-often-leaves-its-proudes_2596106.png) > “Human foresight often leaves its proudest possessor only a choice of evils.” [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Great foresight often forces its holder to choose between undesirable options. **In simple terms:** Foresight can lead to only bad choices. Key Takeaway Prepare for tough decisions that foresight may bring. Themes future choice ethics wisdom uncertainty Mood pensive serious Type philosophical thought‑provoking When to use this quote - business planning - policy making - personal life decisions - strategic forecasting - risk assessment Key Concepts moral dilemma predictive insight philosophy Questions to Reflect On - How do you handle decisions with no good outcome? - What strategies mitigate future regrets? A Different Perspective Not all foresight yields clear options. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Foresight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foresight/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) ## Related quotes > [The unbearableness of the future is easier to face than that of the present if only because human foresight is much more destructive than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-brodsky/the-unbearableness-of-the-future-is-easier-to-face-than-that-of-the/) [Joseph Brodsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-brodsky/) > [Life often presents us with a choice of evils, rather than of goods.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/life-often-presents-us-with-a-choice-of-evils-rather-than-of-goods/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [“If the choice is between two evils, it is still evil,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-heilbrunn/if-the-choice-is-between-two-evils-it-is-still-evil/) Fred Heilbrunn > [Pessimist: One who, when he has the choice of two evils, chooses both.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/pessimist-one-who-when-he-has-the-choice-of-two-evils-chooses-both/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Taxation under every form presents but a choice of evils.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ricardo/taxation-under-every-form-presents-but-a-choice-of-evils/) [David Ricardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ricardo/) > [Where there is a choice of two evils, most men take both.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-o-malley/where-there-is-a-choice-of-two-evils-most-men-take-both/) [Austin O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-o-malley/) > [Pity is often a reflection of our own evils in the ills of others. It is a delicate foresight of the troubles into which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/pity-is-often-a-reflection-of-our-own-evils-in-the-ills-of-others-it/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [It is with government as with medicine, its only business is the choice of evils. Every law is an evil, for every law is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-bentham/it-is-with-government-as-with-medicine-its-only-business-is-the/) [Jeremy Bentham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-bentham/) > [Choice of evils debates always produce extremism - people choose what they hope is the lesser evil, then call it good and demonize the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/choice-of-evils-debates-always-produce-extremism-people-choose-what/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [Evils in the journey of life are like the hills which alarm travelers upon their road; they both appear great at a distance, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/evils-in-the-journey-of-life-are-like-the-hills-which-alarm-travelers/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [There is this of good in real evils; they deliver us, while they last, from the petty despotism of all that were imaginary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/there-is-this-of-good-in-real-evils-they-deliver-us-while-they-last/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [“Visionary companies make some of their best moves by experimentation, trial and error, opportunism, and—quite literally—accident. What looks in retrospect like brilliant foresight and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-collins/visionary-companies-make-some-of-their-best-moves-by-experimentation/) [Jim Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-collins/) > [The superpowers often behave like two heavily armed blind men feeling their way around a room, each believing himself in mortal peril from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-superpowers-often-behave-like-two-heavily-armed-blind-men-feeling/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Often a certain abdication of prudence and foresight is an element of success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/often-a-certain-abdication-of-prudence-and-foresight-is-an-element-of/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“We ought to live each day as though it were our last day here below. But if I did, alas, I know it would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/piet-hein/we-ought-to-live-each-day-as-though-it-were-our-last-day-here-below/) [Piet Hein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/piet-hein/) ## More by Charles Caleb Colton > [Villainy that is vigilant will be an overmatch for virtue, if she slumber at her post.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/villainy-that-is-vigilant-will-be-an-overmatch-for-virtue-if-she/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [A beautiful woman, if poor, should use double circumspection; for her beauty will tempt others, her poverty herself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/a-beautiful-woman-if-poor-should-use-double-circumspection-for-her/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [Were the life of man prolonged, he would become such a proficient in villainy, that it would become necessary again to drown or to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/were-the-life-of-man-prolonged-he-would-become-such-a-proficient-in/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [To dare to live alone is the rarest courage; since there are many who had rather meet their bitterest enemy in the field, than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/to-dare-to-live-alone-is-the-rarest-courage-since-there-are-many-who/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [It is doubtful whether mankind are most indebted to those who like Bacon and Butler dig the gold from the mine of literature, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/it-is-doubtful-whether-mankind-are-most-indebted-to-those-who-like/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [Be very slow to believe that you are wiser than all others; it is a fatal but common error. 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I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-atlas/of-all-the-people-who-have-affected-my-life-and-influenced-the/) [Teddy Atlas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-atlas/) > [“Don’t allow anyone to pressure you into taking a job in a field that doesn’t feel right in your gut. You are the one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-james/don-t-allow-anyone-to-pressure-you-into-taking-a-job-in-a-field-that/) Alison James > [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/) Pancho Barnes > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Movies have power. Power to impact society and the choices we make. I want to entertain, but I also want to say something to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-prince-bythewood/movies-have-power-power-to-impact-society-and-the-choices-we-make-i/) [Gina Prince-Bythewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-prince-bythewood/) > [If you have a different mindset, you will have a different outcome: if you make different choices from your peers, your life will then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-you-have-a-different-mindset-you-will-have-a-different-outcome-if/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [Personally, I prefer contemporary films, but the market calls for more period choices, especially since China opened up a cinema market in Hong Kong.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donnie-yen/personally-i-prefer-contemporary-films-but-the-market-calls-for-more/) [Donnie Yen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnie-yen/) > [Clarissa," he said, "here with the vampire, I see. When things have settled a bit, we really must discuss you choice in pets..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/clarissa-he-said-here-with-the-vampire-i-see-when-things-have-settled/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Change is inevitable but personal growth is a choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/change-is-inevitable-but-personal-growth-is-a-choice/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [If you choose to draw from the inner well of free will, then you can make choices that are outside your current karmic patterns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/if-you-choose-to-draw-from-the-inner-well-of-free-will-then-you-can/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Act always so as to increase the number of choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinz-von-foerster/act-always-so-as-to-increase-the-number-of-choices/) [Heinz von Foerster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinz-von-foerster/) > [Give me a platter of choice finnan haddie, freshly cooked in its bath of water and milk, add melted butter, a slice or two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-claiborne/give-me-a-platter-of-choice-finnan-haddie-freshly-cooked-in-its-bath/) [Craig Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-claiborne/) > [I don't know that any woman could ever not think about that at some point - even making the choice not to do it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-watts/i-don-t-know-that-any-woman-could-ever-not-think-about-that-at-some/) [Naomi Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-watts/) > [In this choice of inheritance we have given to our frame of polity the image of a relation in blood; binding up the constitution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/in-this-choice-of-inheritance-we-have-given-to-our-frame-of-polity/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) [Browse all 11,466 Choices quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Human foresight often leaves its proudest possessor only a choice of evils.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Charles Caleb Colton" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/human-foresight-often-leaves-its-proudest-possessor-only-a-choice-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Choices" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/human-foresight-often-leaves-its-proudest-possessor-only-a-choice-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c71/charles-caleb-colton-270_choices_human-foresight-often-leaves-its-proudes_2596106.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c71/charles-caleb-colton-270_choices_human-foresight-often-leaves-its-proudes_2596106.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c71/charles-caleb-colton-270_choices_human-foresight-often-leaves-its-proudes_2596106.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Human foresight often leaves its proudest possessor only a choice of evils.” — Charles Caleb Colton", "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": "Charles Caleb Colton", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Human foresight often leaves its proudest...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/human-foresight-often-leaves-its-proudest-possessor-only-a-choice-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/human-foresight-often-leaves-its-proudest-possessor-only-a-choice-of/#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 } } ] } ```