--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You do the job you're trained to do. Pull…" description: "\"“You do the job you're trained to do. Pull a lever. Push a button. You don't understand any of it, and then you just die.”\" — Chuck Palahniuk" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3cd/chuck-palahniuk-37_life_you-do-the-job-you-re-trained-to-do-pull_1931294.jpg" --- # You do the job you're trained to do. Pull a lever. Push a… ![“You do the job you're trained to do. Pull a lever. Push a button. You don't understand any of it, and then you just die.” quote by Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3cd/chuck-palahniuk-37_life_you-do-the-job-you-re-trained-to-do-pull_1931294.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3cd/chuck-palahniuk-37_life_you-do-the-job-you-re-trained-to-do-pull_1931294.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3cd/chuck-palahniuk-37_life_you-do-the-job-you-re-trained-to-do-pull_1931294.jpg) > ““You do the job you're trained to do. Pull a lever. Push a button. You don't understand any of it, and then you just die.”” [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Blind obedience to authority leads to meaningless death. **In simple terms:** Follow orders without questioning. Key Takeaway Question authority, seek understanding. Themes authority blind obedience existential risk Mood dark provocative Type philosophical warning When to use this quote - workplace compliance - military orders - bureaucratic tasks Key Concepts critical thinking personal agency Questions to Reflect On - When is obedience justified? - How can you balance obedience with autonomy? A Different Perspective Sometimes following rules is necessary for safety. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Just Die](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just-die/) [Lever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lever/) [Lever Push](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lever-push-3024109/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Pull Lever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pull-lever-1169928/) [Trained](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trained/) ## Related quotes > [“I am the love machine of desire. I’m easy to operate. Just pull on my lever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-am-the-love-machine-of-desire-i-m-easy-to-operate-just-pull-on-my/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“A rubber band is attached to a lever. Pull on the lever to increase the tension in the room.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/a-rubber-band-is-attached-to-a-lever-pull-on-the-lever-to-increase/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [Rant said that view of time was set up so folks won't live forever. It's the planned obsolescence we've all agreed to...'Nothing says you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/rant-said-that-view-of-time-was-set-up-so-folks-won-t-live-forever-it/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [I don't know the difference between what I want and what I'm trained to want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/i-don-t-know-the-difference-between-what-i-want-and-what-i-m-trained/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“You’re a lever and a fulcrum, you two, looking for a city to turn upside down.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-lynch/you-re-a-lever-and-a-fulcrum-you-two-looking-for-a-city-to-turn/) [Scott Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-lynch/) > [“«À force de se lever tôt», pensa-t-il, «on devient complètement stupide.» L'être humain a besoin de sommeil.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/force-de-se-lever-t-t-pensa-t-il-on-devient-compl-tement-stupide-l/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [I am a big fan of Johnny Lever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiku-sharda/i-am-a-big-fan-of-johnny-lever/) [Kiku Sharda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiku-sharda/) > [“Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it and I'll move the world”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archimedes/give-me-a-lever-long-enough-and-a-fulcrum-on-which-to-place-it-and-i/) [Archimedes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archimedes/) > [“A belief is a lever that, once pulled, moves almost everything in a person’s life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/a-belief-is-a-lever-that-once-pulled-moves-almost-everything-in-a-2/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [“...I'm not in control and without a firm spot, like Archimedes I can't move the world - let alone your heart..”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-geddes/i-m-not-in-control-and-without-a-firm-spot-like-archimedes-i-can-t/) [John Geddes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-geddes/) > [The mightiest lever known to the world: imagination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wordsworth/the-mightiest-lever-known-to-the-world-imagination/) [William Wordsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wordsworth/) > [This whole idea of visibility by the public creates a pretty powerful lever. In the new transparency era, you are able to make change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-o-reilly/this-whole-idea-of-visibility-by-the-public-creates-a-pretty-powerful/) [Tim O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-o-reilly/) > [Give me a place to stand, and a lever long enough, and I will move the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archimedes/give-me-a-place-to-stand-and-a-lever-long-enough-and-i-will-move-the/) [Archimedes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archimedes/) > [Actors are like Swiss Army knives - we're ready to use any lever at any moment. But I learned long ago that, unfortunately, this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allison-williams/actors-are-like-swiss-army-knives-we-re-ready-to-use-any-lever-at-any/) [Allison Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allison-williams/) > [“When our thoughts are stammering in our mind, and memorial failure dumbs down our passion for life, a deep dive in the brainwaves can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-pevernagie/when-our-thoughts-are-stammering-in-our-mind-and-memorial-failure/) [Erik Pevernagie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-pevernagie/) ## More by Chuck Palahniuk > [Because after you've crossed some lines, you just keep crossing them. And there's no escaping from constant escape. Distracting ourselves. Avoiding confrontation. Getting past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/because-after-you-ve-crossed-some-lines-you-just-keep-crossing-them/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [According to Plato, we don't learn anything. Our soul has lived so many lives that we know everything. Teachers and education can only remind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/according-to-plato-we-don-t-learn-anything-our-soul-has-lived-so-many/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [His saliva tasted like the wet dicks of ten thousand lonely truck drivers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/his-saliva-tasted-like-the-wet-dicks-of-ten-thousand-lonely-truck/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“shoulder. They weigh that much. Tyler’s a banquet waiter,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/shoulder-they-weigh-that-much-tyler-s-a-banquet-waiter/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [We'll never be as young as we are tonight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/we-ll-never-be-as-young-as-we-are-tonight/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“We drive west the rest of the night, away from where the sun will come up, trying to outrace it, trying not to see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/we-drive-west-the-rest-of-the-night-away-from-where-the-sun-will-come/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [Just for the record, how I feel right now is very terrific.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/just-for-the-record-how-i-feel-right-now-is-very-terrific/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [Nobody's told me anything to date that I've been completely reviled by.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/nobody-s-told-me-anything-to-date-that-i-ve-been-completely-reviled-by/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“Then you're trapped in your lovely nest, and the things you used to own, now they own you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/then-you-re-trapped-in-your-lovely-nest-and-the-things-you-used-to/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [Some stories, you use up. Others use you up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/some-stories-you-use-up-others-use-you-up/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [Verbs allow you to communicate a story in a much more converged or involuntary way for a reader. The verbs allow you to come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/verbs-allow-you-to-communicate-a-story-in-a-much-more-converged-or/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [Waiters will always pee in soup, people will always fall in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/waiters-will-always-pee-in-soup-people-will-always-fall-in-love/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“Branch Bacardi, star of The Da Vinci Load, To Drill a Mockingbird, The Postman Always Cums Twice, Chitty Chitty Gang Bang, The Twilight Bone,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/branch-bacardi-star-of-the-da-vinci-load-to-drill-a-mockingbird-the/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“Every unkind remark or crude gesture by others is a blessing, an opportunity to exercise our own capacity to forgive.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/every-unkind-remark-or-crude-gesture-by-others-is-a-blessing-an/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“Nuestro deber es enseñar a esos hombres y mujeres la libertad a través de la esclavitud; y el coraje a través del miedo.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/nuestro-deber-es-ense-ar-a-esos-hombres-y-mujeres-la-libertad-a-trav/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) [Explore all 2,041 Chuck Palahniuk quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) ## More Lever quotes > [“You’re a lever and a fulcrum, you two, looking for a city to turn upside down.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-lynch/you-re-a-lever-and-a-fulcrum-you-two-looking-for-a-city-to-turn/) [Scott Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-lynch/) > [Actors are like Swiss Army knives - we're ready to use any lever at any moment. But I learned long ago that, unfortunately, this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allison-williams/actors-are-like-swiss-army-knives-we-re-ready-to-use-any-lever-at-any/) [Allison Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allison-williams/) > [Give me a place to stand, and a lever long enough, and I will move the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archimedes/give-me-a-place-to-stand-and-a-lever-long-enough-and-i-will-move-the/) [Archimedes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archimedes/) > [This whole idea of visibility by the public creates a pretty powerful lever. In the new transparency era, you are able to make change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-o-reilly/this-whole-idea-of-visibility-by-the-public-creates-a-pretty-powerful/) [Tim O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-o-reilly/) > [The mightiest lever known to the world: imagination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wordsworth/the-mightiest-lever-known-to-the-world-imagination/) [William Wordsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wordsworth/) > [“When our thoughts are stammering in our mind, and memorial failure dumbs down our passion for life, a deep dive in the brainwaves can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-pevernagie/when-our-thoughts-are-stammering-in-our-mind-and-memorial-failure/) [Erik Pevernagie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-pevernagie/) > [“...I'm not in control and without a firm spot, like Archimedes I can't move the world - let alone your heart..”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-geddes/i-m-not-in-control-and-without-a-firm-spot-like-archimedes-i-can-t/) [John Geddes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-geddes/) > [“A belief is a lever that, once pulled, moves almost everything in a person’s life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/a-belief-is-a-lever-that-once-pulled-moves-almost-everything-in-a-2/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [“Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it and I'll move the world”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archimedes/give-me-a-lever-long-enough-and-a-fulcrum-on-which-to-place-it-and-i/) [Archimedes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archimedes/) > [I am a big fan of Johnny Lever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiku-sharda/i-am-a-big-fan-of-johnny-lever/) [Kiku Sharda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiku-sharda/) > [“«À force de se lever tôt», pensa-t-il, «on devient complètement stupide.» L'être humain a besoin de sommeil.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/force-de-se-lever-t-t-pensa-t-il-on-devient-compl-tement-stupide-l/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [Mind is the great lever of all things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-webster/mind-is-the-great-lever-of-all-things/) [Daniel Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-webster/) > [“some place to stand and place a lever, there’s nowhere from which to move the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cherie-priest/some-place-to-stand-and-place-a-lever-there-s-nowhere-from-which-to/) [Cherie Priest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cherie-priest/) > [Give anyone a lever long enough and they can change the world. It's unreliable levers that are the problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/give-anyone-a-lever-long-enough-and-they-can-change-the-world-it-s/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [Contradiction is the lever of transcendence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/contradiction-is-the-lever-of-transcendence/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) [Browse all 26 Lever quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lever/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“You do the job you're trained to do. Pull a lever. Push a button. 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