--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Ever dumb thing I ever done in my life…" description: "\"Ever dumb thing I ever done in my life there was a decision I made before that got me into it. It was never the dumb thing. It was always some choice I..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db6/cormac-mccarthy-181_choice_ever-dumb-thing-i-ever-done-in-my-life-t_3202681.jpg" --- # Ever dumb thing I ever done in my life there was a… ![“Ever dumb thing I ever done in my life there was a decision I made before that got me into it. It was never the dumb thing. It was always some choice I'd made before it.” quote by Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db6/cormac-mccarthy-181_choice_ever-dumb-thing-i-ever-done-in-my-life-t_3202681.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db6/cormac-mccarthy-181_choice_ever-dumb-thing-i-ever-done-in-my-life-t_3202681.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db6/cormac-mccarthy-181_choice_ever-dumb-thing-i-ever-done-in-my-life-t_3202681.jpg) > “Ever dumb thing I ever done in my life there was a decision I made before that got me into it. It was never the dumb thing. It was always some choice I'd made before it.” [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Every action stems from a prior decision; what seems foolish is often the result of earlier choices. **In simple terms:** Our mistakes are linked to earlier choices. Key Takeaway Reflect on earlier decisions before judging outcomes. Themes choice consequence reflection Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - relationship conflicts - career moves - financial decisions - health habits Key Concepts determinism causality personal responsibility Questions to Reflect On - What earlier choice led to this outcome? - Can you change the pattern? A Different Perspective May oversimplify complex causality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice/) [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) [Decision Got](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision-got-5952426/) [Decision making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision-making/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Dumb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dumb/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-decision/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Regret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regret/) [Thing Choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-choice-764521/) ## Related quotes > [We often think of choice as a thing. But a choice is not a thing. Our options may be things, but a choice—a choice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mckeown/we-often-think-of-choice-as-a-thing-but-a-choice-is-not-a-thing-our/) [Greg McKeown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mckeown/) > [But a knife ain't just a thing, is it? It's a choice, it's something you do. A knife says yes or no, cut or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-ness/but-a-knife-ain-t-just-a-thing-is-it-it-s-a-choice-it-s-something-you/) [Patrick Ness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-ness/) > [There is no such thing as no choice. There is always a choice. The only question is whether it's a bearable one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/there-is-no-such-thing-as-no-choice-there-is-always-a-choice-the-only/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [With every choice you risk the life you would have had; with every decision, you lose it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/with-every-choice-you-risk-the-life-you-would-have-had-with-every/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It is said that history turns on small hinges. A human career, too, results from an accumulating series of decisions about large and small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/it-is-said-that-history-turns-on-small-hinges-a-human-career-too/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [I'm going to live my life. It's nobody else's decision, but mine. I think there are a lot worse things I could be doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-stewart/i-m-going-to-live-my-life-it-s-nobody-else-s-decision-but-mine-i/) [Tony Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-stewart/) > [It was a life decision, deciding which path to take in my career. I needed time to get together with my family and closest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kepa-arrizabalaga/it-was-a-life-decision-deciding-which-path-to-take-in-my-career-i/) [Kepa Arrizabalaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kepa-arrizabalaga/) > [“When smart people do dumb things it’s usually due to one of two things. The two things are greed and fear. They want something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/when-smart-people-do-dumb-things-it-s-usually-due-to-one-of-two/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [If you think about the long term then you can really make good life decisions that you won’t regret later.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/if-you-think-about-the-long-term-then-you-can-really-make-good-life/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) > [When you're a background singer, you're there to support the artist. The transition is up to the person. You have to follow your heart.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-hill/when-you-re-a-background-singer-you-re-there-to-support-the-artist/) [Judith Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-hill/) > [You come across a person that you dont know and they change your whole life but its your decision on if its going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-dorsey/you-come-across-a-person-that-you-dont-know-and-they-change-your/) [Eli Dorsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-dorsey/) > [I also remember the moment my life changed, the moment I finally said, "I've had it!" I know I'm much more than I'm demonstrating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-also-remember-the-moment-my-life-changed-the-moment-i-finally-said/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I need a minute to think,” she said. I automatically started the timer on my watch. Suddenly Rosie started laughing. I looked at her,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graeme-simsion/i-need-a-minute-to-think-she-said-i-automatically-started-the-timer/) [Graeme Simsion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graeme-simsion/) > [“For me, it was a Gold Star day. I'd identified an enemy, and I'd made a life decision: I might come home tore up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-turnage/for-me-it-was-a-gold-star-day-i-d-identified-an-enemy-and-i-d-made-a/) [Sheila Turnage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-turnage/) > [I always take everything serious when it comes to my career and my life, but this decision to go back to the cage is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-del-rio/i-always-take-everything-serious-when-it-comes-to-my-career-and-my/) [Alberto Del Rio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-del-rio/) ## More by Cormac McCarthy > [The cooler days have brought a wistful mood upon him. The smell of coalsmoke in the air at night. Old times, dead years. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/the-cooler-days-have-brought-a-wistful-mood-upon-him-the-smell-of/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“The events of the world can have no separate life from the world. And yet the world itself can have no temporal view of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/the-events-of-the-world-can-have-no-separate-life-from-the-world-and/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“I had two dreams about him after he died. I dont remember the first one all that well but it was about meetin him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/i-had-two-dreams-about-him-after-he-died-i-dont-remember-the-first/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“You think people was meaner then than they are now? the deputy said. The old man was looking out at the flooded town. No,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/you-think-people-was-meaner-then-than-they-are-now-the-deputy-said/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“They set forth in a crimson dawn where sky and earth closed in a razorous plane. Out there dark little archipelagos of cloud and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/they-set-forth-in-a-crimson-dawn-where-sky-and-earth-closed-in-a/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“Nothing. Where all was burnt to ash before them no fires were to be had and the nights were long and dark and cold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/nothing-where-all-was-burnt-to-ash-before-them-no-fires-were-to-be/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [He said that whether a man's life was writ in a book someplace or whether it took its form day by day was one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/he-said-that-whether-a-man-s-life-was-writ-in-a-book-someplace-or/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“He lives in a room above a courtyard behind a tavern and he comes down at night like some fairybook beast to fight with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/he-lives-in-a-room-above-a-courtyard-behind-a-tavern-and-he-comes/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“Ultimo hombre. Last man standing, must've been one. Where'd he go?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/ultimo-hombre-last-man-standing-must-ve-been-one-where-d-he-go/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“To seek out the upright. No fall but preceded by a declination. He took great marching steps into the nothingness, counting them against his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/to-seek-out-the-upright-no-fall-but-preceded-by-a-declination-he-took/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“They went through the last of the cars and then walked up the track to the locomotive and climbed up to the catwalk. Rust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/they-went-through-the-last-of-the-cars-and-then-walked-up-the-track/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“Night fell upon them dark and starblown and the wagon grew swollen near mute with dew. On their chairs in such black immobility these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/night-fell-upon-them-dark-and-starblown-and-the-wagon-grew-swollen/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“When I was in school I studied biology. I learned that in making their experiments scientists will take some group - bacteria, mice, people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/when-i-was-in-school-i-studied-biology-i-learned-that-in-making-their/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [ “We none of us knew him to speak \[Dutch\]. Asked him where he'd learned it you know what he said? What did he say.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/we-none-of-us-knew-him-to-speak-dutch-asked-him-where-he-d-learned-it/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“You know that the things you put it your head stay there, right?' 'Yeah. But you remember some things, don't you?' 'Yeah. You remember…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/you-know-that-the-things-you-put-it-your-head-stay-there-right-yeah/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) [Explore all 927 Cormac McCarthy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) ## More Choice quotes > [Making the right decision is hard,telling someone your decision is even harder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/making-the-right-decision-is-hard-telling-someone-your-decision-is/) [Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/) > [“That’s all! Now either leave us alone or join us as a father rather than a receiver of sacrifices. You have the choice of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/that-s-all-now-either-leave-us-alone-or-join-us-as-a-father-rather/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [“In a world of fixed future, there can be no right or wrong. Right and wrong demand freedom of choice, but if each action…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lightman/in-a-world-of-fixed-future-there-can-be-no-right-or-wrong-right-and/) [Alan Lightman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lightman/) > [“Exactly. So, what can't you take? Decide which of the two options is harder, and do the other. That way, no matter how hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-angelini/exactly-so-what-can-t-you-take-decide-which-of-the-two-options-is/) [Josephine Angelini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-angelini/) > [“too—I realized that my only hope was to give up the life that had been, in order to make room for the life that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-lesser/too-i-realized-that-my-only-hope-was-to-give-up-the-life-that-had/) [Elizabeth Lesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-lesser/) > [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/) [Pancho Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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/) > [There has always been a feeling with people that they love my singing but not always the choice of material.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-moyet/there-has-always-been-a-feeling-with-people-that-they-love-my-singing/) [Alison Moyet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-moyet/) > [I have too many options when it comes to guitars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-nielsen/i-have-too-many-options-when-it-comes-to-guitars/) [Rick Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-nielsen/) > [“Amazing how a small choice can change your life forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-c-dockens/amazing-how-a-small-choice-can-change-your-life-forever/) [Randy C. Dockens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-c-dockens/) > [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/) > [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/) > [Since I don't outline my books very much, I feel like sometimes I don't have a choice in what the characters do; they just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-todd/since-i-don-t-outline-my-books-very-much-i-feel-like-sometimes-i-don/) [Anna Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-todd/) > [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/) > [Words can only have an effect on you if you choose to listen to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernajoy-vaal/words-can-only-have-an-effect-on-you-if-you-choose-to-listen-to-them/) [Bernajoy Vaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernajoy-vaal/) [Browse all 8,092 Choice quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Ever dumb thing I ever done in my life there was a decision I made before that got me into it. It was never the dumb thing. It was always some choice I'd made before it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Cormac McCarthy" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/ever-dumb-thing-i-ever-done-in-my-life-there-was-a-decision-i-made/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Choice" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/ever-dumb-thing-i-ever-done-in-my-life-there-was-a-decision-i-made/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db6/cormac-mccarthy-181_choice_ever-dumb-thing-i-ever-done-in-my-life-t_3202681.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db6/cormac-mccarthy-181_choice_ever-dumb-thing-i-ever-done-in-my-life-t_3202681.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db6/cormac-mccarthy-181_choice_ever-dumb-thing-i-ever-done-in-my-life-t_3202681.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Ever dumb thing I ever done in my life there was a decision I made before that got me into it. It was never…” — Cormac McCarthy", "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": "Cormac McCarthy", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Ever dumb thing I ever done...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/ever-dumb-thing-i-ever-done-in-my-life-there-was-a-decision-i-made/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/ever-dumb-thing-i-ever-done-in-my-life-there-was-a-decision-i-made/#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 } } ] } ```