--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: How many times in life can we make…" description: "\"How many times in life can we make decisions that are important but will not hurt anyone? Are we obligated- maybe we are- to say yes to any choice when..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/474/dave-eggers-638_animal_how-many-times-in-life-can-we-make-decis_752382.png" --- # How many times in life can we make decisions that are… ![“How many times in life can we make decisions that are important but will not hurt anyone? Are we obligated- maybe we are- to say yes to any choice when no one will be hurt? We use the word hurt when talking about things like this because when these things go wrong it can feel as if you were hit in…” quote by Dave Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/474/dave-eggers-638_animal_how-many-times-in-life-can-we-make-decis_752382.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/474/dave-eggers-638_animal_how-many-times-in-life-can-we-make-decis_752382.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/474/dave-eggers-638_animal_how-many-times-in-life-can-we-make-decis_752382.png) > “How many times in life can we make decisions that are important but will not hurt anyone? Are we obligated- maybe we are- to say yes to any choice when no one will be hurt? We use the word hurt when talking about things like this because when these things go wrong it can feel as if you were hit in the sternum by a huge animal that's run for miles just to strike you.” [Dave Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-eggers/) ## 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 often involves choices that affect only oneself, raising questions about moral duty when no harm is caused. **In simple terms:** Choices that only affect you still matter. Key Takeaway Consider the impact of personal choices. Themes ethics personal responsibility decision making Mood contemplative curious Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - career choices - relationships - personal growth - risk assessment Key Concepts moral philosophy autonomy Questions to Reflect On - Do you feel obligated to act when no one is harmed? - How do you weigh personal benefit against societal expectations? A Different Perspective Even harmless choices can have indirect consequences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) [Choice Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice-hurt-1080412/) [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) [Feels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feels/) [Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hurt/) [Hurt Obligated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hurt-obligated-5850991/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Important Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important-hurt-5850992/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Miles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/miles/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) [Strikes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strikes/) [Talking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talking/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/) [Word Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/word-hurt-867137/) [Words hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words-hurt/) ## Related quotes > [“They have a choice to hurt us but we have a choice to be free from pain...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mhel-tin-prado/they-have-a-choice-to-hurt-us-but-we-have-a-choice-to-be-free-from/) [Mhel-tin Prado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mhel-tin-prado/) > [“Everyone makes a choice: to hurt or to be hurt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aquib-ali/everyone-makes-a-choice-to-hurt-or-to-be-hurt/) [Aquib Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aquib-ali/) > [Sometimes you have to accept someone else's choice even though it will hurt you more than they will ever know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-you-have-to-accept-someone-else-s-choice-even-though-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Believe me when I tell you this: the easiest choice is always the wrong one. Choose the path that matters in the long term,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-c-reed/believe-me-when-i-tell-you-this-the-easiest-choice-is-always-the/) [J.C. Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-c-reed/) > [“Whoever hurt you had a choice to hurt you or love you. It was his choice whoever he is, not yours. It is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-richards/whoever-hurt-you-had-a-choice-to-hurt-you-or-love-you-it-was-his/) [Sarah Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-richards/) > [We both followed our hearts and had no choice but to hurt each other deeply.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-dunham/we-both-followed-our-hearts-and-had-no-choice-but-to-hurt-each-other/) [Lena Dunham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-dunham/) > [“Sometimes you do you're best and it's just not good enough. Then you have to look to yourself and make a choice, Would you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dries-wils/sometimes-you-do-you-re-best-and-it-s-just-not-good-enough-then-you/) [Dries Wils](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dries-wils/) > [Express everything you like. No word can hurt you. None. No idea can hurt you. Not being able to express an idea or word…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/express-everything-you-like-no-word-can-hurt-you-none-no-idea-can/) [Jamaica Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/) > [“Dont love too musch, dont trust too much... the word too much will hurt you so much...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandeep/dont-love-too-musch-dont-trust-too-much-the-word-too-much-will-hurt/) [Sandeep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandeep/) > [Word hurt so just think about what you say](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quiarabieber/word-hurt-so-just-think-about-what-you-say/) [QuiaraBieber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quiarabieber/) > [U will never know the meaning of the word hurt untill it really happens to u my heart has been fanilly broken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shanice-fling/u-will-never-know-the-meaning-of-the-word-hurt-untill-it-really/) [Shanice Fling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shanice-fling/) > [Stick and stone may break my bone but word hurt most](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelvin/stick-and-stone-may-break-my-bone-but-word-hurt-most/) [Kelvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelvin/) > [I hate boys, most of them don't know how much one word can hurt a girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-hate-boys-most-of-them-don-t-know-how-much-one-word-can-hurt-a-girl/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's better to use a curse word than to hurt somebody else, I find.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-manson/it-s-better-to-use-a-curse-word-than-to-hurt-somebody-else-i-find/) [Marilyn Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-manson/) > [“It doesn’t even—” one word “hurt ” was supposed to come out of my mouth. Instead, a string of obscenities to make a lifelong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-a-tucker-2/it-doesn-t-even-one-word-hurt-was-supposed-to-come-out-of-my-mouth/) [K A Tucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-a-tucker-2/) ## More by Dave Eggers > [“4. THE CRUMBLING WALL (Hamburger, prepared medium well, with bacon and barbecue sauce. Courtesy of that place on Solano, where, it should be mentioned,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-eggers/4-the-crumbling-wall-hamburger-prepared-medium-well-with-bacon-and/) [Dave Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-eggers/) > [“LOW-FLYING, QUICK-MOVING CLOUDS: I haven't long to live. TREETOPS, ROUNDED AND ROUGH: That's probably true. LOW-FLYING, QUICK-MOVING CLOUDS: I won't even make it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-eggers/low-flying-quick-moving-clouds-i-haven-t-long-to-live-treetops/) [Dave Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-eggers/) > [But the grind has begun. 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The trolls, who had more or less overtaken the internet, were driven back into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-eggers/overnight-all-comment-boards-became-civil-all-posters-held/) [Dave Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-eggers/) > [“Have we wasted precious space dust on you?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-eggers/have-we-wasted-precious-space-dust-on-you/) [Dave Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-eggers/) > [“What can one do with one's hands when the camera is interested in other things?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-eggers/what-can-one-do-with-one-s-hands-when-the-camera-is-interested-in/) [Dave Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-eggers/) > [“The money that could have saved the Shuttle, and the money we send to random countries, that we use to remake unchangeable countries ten…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-eggers/the-money-that-could-have-saved-the-shuttle-and-the-money-we-send-to/) [Dave Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-eggers/) > [Write your goddamned book now. 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He becomes uniquely human when he reaches out for the superfluous and extravagant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/when-grubbing-for-necessities-man-is-still-an-animal-he-becomes/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [I'm 38 and I'm single, and I'm having my most intense and gratifying relationship with a dog. But we all learn about love in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-knapp/i-m-38-and-i-m-single-and-i-m-having-my-most-intense-and-gratifying/) [Caroline Knapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-knapp/) > [Practically all animals which move fast in a homogeneous medium have found means of giving their body a streamlined shape, thereby reducing friction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/practically-all-animals-which-move-fast-in-a-homogeneous-medium-have/) [Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/) > [A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/a-horse-a-horse-my-kingdom-for-a-horse/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“it is a federal system of sadistic torture, vivisection, and animal genocide, which has been carried on for decades under the fraudulent guise of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tobias/it-is-a-federal-system-of-sadistic-torture-vivisection-and-animal/) [Michael Tobias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tobias/) > [“What does it mean to be a self-conscious animal? 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It makes no sense. None whatsoever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/animal-rights-without-veganism-is-like-human-rights-with-slavery-it/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) [Browse all 13,456 Animal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "How many times in life can we make decisions that are important but will not hurt anyone? Are we obligated- maybe we are- to say yes to any choice when no one will be hurt? 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