--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Human life, Borges said, is a cascade of…" description: "\"“Human life, Borges said, is a cascade of possible directions, and we take only one, or we perceive that we take only one—which is how novels are writt..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdb/david-mitchell-264_blank-page_human-life-borges-said-is-a-cascade-of-p_1733604.jpg" --- # Human life, Borges said, is a cascade of possible… ![“Human life, Borges said, is a cascade of possible directions, and we take only one, or we perceive that we take only one—which is how novels are written, too. You start with a blank page, and the first word opens up possibilities for the second word. If your first word is Call, those second two or…” quote by David Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdb/david-mitchell-264_blank-page_human-life-borges-said-is-a-cascade-of-p_1733604.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdb/david-mitchell-264_blank-page_human-life-borges-said-is-a-cascade-of-p_1733604.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdb/david-mitchell-264_blank-page_human-life-borges-said-is-a-cascade-of-p_1733604.jpg) > ““Human life, Borges said, is a cascade of possible directions, and we take only one, or we perceive that we take only one—which is how novels are written, too. You start with a blank page, and the first word opens up possibilities for the second word. If your first word is Call, those second two or three could be a doctor or it could be me Ishmael. It could be Call girls on Saturday nights generally cost more than . . . The second sentence opens up a multitude of third sentences, and on we go through that denseness of choices taken and choices not taken, swinging our machetes.”” [David Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mitchell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life offers many possible paths; choosing one shapes our narrative, similar to how a first word determines a story’s direction. **In simple terms:** Every choice opens new possibilities and closes others. Key Takeaway Embrace choices and their consequences. Themes choice possibility storytelling Mood contemplative inspired Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - career planning - writing - entrepreneurship - personal relationships Key Concepts narrative decision making creative process Questions to Reflect On - What does your “first word” represent? - How do you handle unexpected outcomes? A Different Perspective It may suggest fatalism, ignoring chance and external constraints. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Blank page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blank-page/) [Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/borges/) [Borges Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/borges-said-1453980/) [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Human life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-life/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-borges-1453981/) [Possibilities Second](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possibilities-second-1453982/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [Borges said there are only four stories to tell: a love story between two people, a love story between three people, the struggle for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/borges-said-there-are-only-four-stories-to-tell-a-love-story-between/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [This is how space begins, with words only, signs traced on the blank page. 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