--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We’re making our decisions … or so we…" description: "\"“We’re making our decisions … or so we think. Yet in truth, ignorance, greed, and the scourge of immediate gratification are often the things that are ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42f/craig-d-lounsbrough-285_control_we-re-making-our-decisions-or-so-we-thin_94395.jpg" --- # We’re making our decisions … or so we think. Yet in truth… ![“We’re making our decisions … or so we think. Yet in truth, ignorance, greed, and the scourge of immediate gratification are often the things that are making them. So if we’re going to truly live well, maybe the first thing we need to decide is who’s deciding.” quote by Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42f/craig-d-lounsbrough-285_control_we-re-making-our-decisions-or-so-we-thin_94395.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42f/craig-d-lounsbrough-285_control_we-re-making-our-decisions-or-so-we-thin_94395.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42f/craig-d-lounsbrough-285_control_we-re-making-our-decisions-or-so-we-thin_94395.jpg) > ““We’re making our decisions … or so we think. Yet in truth, ignorance, greed, and the scourge of immediate gratification are often the things that are making them. So if we’re going to truly live well, maybe the first thing we need to decide is who’s deciding.”” [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Decision‑making is often driven by unconscious forces—ignorance, greed, instant gratification—so we must first identify who truly controls those choices. **In simple terms:** Identify the decision‑maker Key Takeaway Self‑awareness precedes better choices Themes psychology ethics self‑control society motivation Mood thoughtful introspective Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - personal finance planning - political voting - corporate strategy sessions Key Concepts cognitive bias agency Practical Applications - self‑reflection workshops - ethical decision‑making frameworks Questions to Reflect On - What hidden motives shape your daily decisions? - How can you reclaim agency over impulsive urges? A Different Perspective Others claim external structures, not internal impulses, dominate our choices. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Control](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/control/) [Decision making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision-making/) [Decisions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decisions/) [Direction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/direction/) [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [Gratification](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gratification/) [Greed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greed/) [Ignorance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignorance/) [Influence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/influence/) [Making decisions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/making-decisions/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [Theatre is immediate gratification](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chita-rivera/theatre-is-immediate-gratification/) [Chita Rivera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chita-rivera/) > [Writing never had the immediate gratification I was looking for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-shaffer/writing-never-had-the-immediate-gratification-i-was-looking-for/) [Paul Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-shaffer/) > [Actively deciding to give to causes that move you deeply is far more fulfilling than the momentary gratification derived from signing a check and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-arrillaga-andreessen/actively-deciding-to-give-to-causes-that-move-you-deeply-is-far-more/) [Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-arrillaga-andreessen/) > [“I am far too often the author of terribly poor decisions. Yet I must rest in the unalterable fact that God says I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/i-am-far-too-often-the-author-of-terribly-poor-decisions-yet-i-must/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [“Sometimes we prefer not deciding because it relieves us of the fear of making the wrong decision. But how many times is not deciding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/sometimes-we-prefer-not-deciding-because-it-relieves-us-of-the-fear/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [“To think that you don’t have a choice is actually a choice that’s an attempt to relieve you of the guilt of not making…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/to-think-that-you-don-t-have-a-choice-is-actually-a-choice-that-s-an/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [“Most of my failures can be ascribed to the fact that I chose that which was ‘easy’ over that which was ‘right’. And while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/most-of-my-failures-can-be-ascribed-to-the-fact-that-i-chose-that/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [“Quite often, the consequence of doing nothing is greater than the consequence of actually having done something and having done it wrong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/quite-often-the-consequence-of-doing-nothing-is-greater-than-the/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [“Sometimes it’s less about making the right decision and more about not making the wrong one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/sometimes-it-s-less-about-making-the-right-decision-and-more-about/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [“The common theme of common sense is that it’s commonly rejected as uncommonly demanding.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/the-common-theme-of-common-sense-is-that-it-s-commonly-rejected-as/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [“Decisions are the privilege we’ve been granted to have a hand in penning the script of our lives. And in the writing, the question…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/decisions-are-the-privilege-we-ve-been-granted-to-have-a-hand-in/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [“I'm in a hole because at some point I found a shovel and started digging. Maybe I should trade my shovels for ladders and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/i-m-in-a-hole-because-at-some-point-i-found-a-shovel-and-started/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [“Sometimes the biggest milestone is deciding to create one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/sometimes-the-biggest-milestone-is-deciding-to-create-one/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [“That's what people do when they're in love. They make crazy decisions. They do what they think is best, and sometimes it turns out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-krokos/that-s-what-people-do-when-they-re-in-love-they-make-crazy-decisions/) [Dan Krokos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-krokos/) > [A film is a chain of very difficult decisions, and I think one of them is to choose an accurate cast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javier-camara/a-film-is-a-chain-of-very-difficult-decisions-and-i-think-one-of-them/) [Javier Camara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javier-camara/) ## More by Craig D. Lounsbrough > [“It is not the force of the wind, but the depth of the roots.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/it-is-not-the-force-of-the-wind-but-the-depth-of-the-roots/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [“Death is a reality that calls the rest of life and all of our assorted strivings into sharp relief.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/death-is-a-reality-that-calls-the-rest-of-life-and-all-of-our/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [“I’m not trying to save you from yourself. I’m trying to help you save yourself from yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/i-m-not-trying-to-save-you-from-yourself-i-m-trying-to-help-you-save/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [“The service of self terminates at our own death.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/the-service-of-self-terminates-at-our-own-death/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [“The fact that I can get away with something is the very reason why I shouldn’t do it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/the-fact-that-i-can-get-away-with-something-is-the-very-reason-why-i/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [“Rather than being incensed by the nature of the bruise, maybe we should be inspired by the possibilities in the bruise.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/rather-than-being-incensed-by-the-nature-of-the-bruise-maybe-we/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [“A ‘good’ father will tenderly cultivate his children. But a ‘good’ father who is also a ‘brave’ father will let the children without cultivate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/a-good-father-will-tenderly-cultivate-his-children-but-a-good-father/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [“It’s better to die for what’s right than live for what’s wrong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/it-s-better-to-die-for-what-s-right-than-live-for-what-s-wrong/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [“To stand at the very moment when all seems lost is the point of insanity for the coward, but it is the home of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/to-stand-at-the-very-moment-when-all-seems-lost-is-the-point-of/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [“Thankfulness acknowledges that we can’t own anything, but we can experience everything. And just knowing that makes me thankful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/thankfulness-acknowledges-that-we-can-t-own-anything-but-we-can/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [“Do not be fooled. Passive prayers hastily tossed out as some second-thought appeasement at those junctures when life’s more pressing duties benevolently grant us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/do-not-be-fooled-passive-prayers-hastily-tossed-out-as-some-second/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [“The measure of who you are will always exceed measurement.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/the-measure-of-who-you-are-will-always-exceed-measurement/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [“Darkness is the absence of light. Therefore, darkness is always fleeing from where light is and scurrying off to where it is not. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/darkness-is-the-absence-of-light-therefore-darkness-is-always-fleeing/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [“To recklessly excuse a failure is to believe that I’ve effectively erased it from the story of my life, when I’ve actually imprinted it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/to-recklessly-excuse-a-failure-is-to-believe-that-i-ve-effectively/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [“If I’m my biggest fan, the only person in the stadium is probably me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/if-i-m-my-biggest-fan-the-only-person-in-the-stadium-is-probably-me/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) [Explore all 754 Craig D. Lounsbrough quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) ## More Control quotes > [We have to get control of our borders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-coffman/we-have-to-get-control-of-our-borders/) [Mike Coffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-coffman/) > [Grit and self-control are related, but they're not the same thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/grit-and-self-control-are-related-but-they-re-not-the-same-thing/) [Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/) > [“You can't control who loves you...you can't let someone love you anymore than you can make someone love you”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-harmon/you-can-t-control-who-loves-you-you-can-t-let-someone-love-you/) [Amy Harmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-harmon/) > [I thought I fought a really good Orlando Salido. I never let him get into his fight. I knew what I needed to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikey-garcia/i-thought-i-fought-a-really-good-orlando-salido-i-never-let-him-get/) [Mikey Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikey-garcia/) > [Don't think you can...know you can! You human body is the most impressive tool you'll ever own. Even if you can't control everything, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-hardy/don-t-think-you-can-know-you-can-you-human-body-is-the-most/) [Jeff Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-hardy/) > [If you have everything under control, you're not moving fast enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-andretti/if-you-have-everything-under-control-you-re-not-moving-fast-enough/) [Mario Andretti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-andretti/) > [“Without time management, you lose control of your life and do what other people tell you to do. You lose control and become a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-miller/without-time-management-you-lose-control-of-your-life-and-do-what/) Thomas Miller > [I started off as a model maker, so the first part of my career was a model maker and then a motion control camera…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-knoll/i-started-off-as-a-model-maker-so-the-first-part-of-my-career-was-a/) [John Knoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-knoll/) > [Many of us rely on our own illusion of control. But when God makes it known to you that you're not the one steering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmin-mogahed/many-of-us-rely-on-our-own-illusion-of-control-but-when-god-makes-it/) [Yasmin Mogahed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmin-mogahed/) > [In Congress, Florida Republicans worked with the Trump administration to secure funding for coastal restoration projects following the devastating impacts of Hurricanes Irma and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-waltz/in-congress-florida-republicans-worked-with-the-trump-administration/) [Michael Waltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-waltz/) > [“He who can destroy a thing has the real control of it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/he-who-can-destroy-a-thing-has-the-real-control-of-it/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [Sometimes you have to laugh to keep from crying or getting overly angry or to maintain control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-haysbert/sometimes-you-have-to-laugh-to-keep-from-crying-or-getting-overly/) [Dennis Haysbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-haysbert/) > [My sister-in-law works for a group that supports orphanages in Cairo. She and her colleagues take care of children left behind by circumstances beyond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamed-elbaradei/my-sister-in-law-works-for-a-group-that-supports-orphanages-in-cairo/) [Mohamed ElBaradei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamed-elbaradei/) > [Some nights I'm funny with the between-song commentary, some nights I'm not. I have no control over this. I pace the stage a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-berman/some-nights-i-m-funny-with-the-between-song-commentary-some-nights-i/) [David Berman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-berman/) > [“Control never be a means to any practical end. It can never be a means to anything but more control… Like punk.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/control-never-be-a-means-to-any-practical-end-it-can-never-be-a-means/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) [Browse all 6,032 Control quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/control/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“We’re making our decisions … or so we think. Yet in truth, ignorance, greed, and the scourge of immediate gratification are often the things that are making them. So if we’re going to truly live well, maybe the first thing we need to decide is who’s deciding.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Craig D. Lounsbrough" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/we-re-making-our-decisions-or-so-we-think-yet-in-truth-ignorance/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Control" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/we-re-making-our-decisions-or-so-we-think-yet-in-truth-ignorance/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42f/craig-d-lounsbrough-285_control_we-re-making-our-decisions-or-so-we-thin_94395.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42f/craig-d-lounsbrough-285_control_we-re-making-our-decisions-or-so-we-thin_94395.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42f/craig-d-lounsbrough-285_control_we-re-making-our-decisions-or-so-we-thin_94395.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We’re making our decisions … or so we think. Yet in truth, ignorance, greed, and the scourge of immediate…” — Craig D. Lounsbrough", "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": "Craig D. Lounsbrough", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“We’re making our decisions … or...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/we-re-making-our-decisions-or-so-we-think-yet-in-truth-ignorance/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/we-re-making-our-decisions-or-so-we-think-yet-in-truth-ignorance/#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 } } ] } ```