--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Every decision is liberating, even if it…" description: "\"Every decision is liberating, even if it leads to disaster. Otherwise, why do so many people walk upright and with open eyes into their misfortune?\" — ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77a/elias-canetti-3574_decision_every-decision-is-liberating-even-if-it_2553627.jpg" --- # Every decision is liberating, even if it leads to… ![“Every decision is liberating, even if it leads to disaster. Otherwise, why do so many people walk upright and with open eyes into their misfortune?” quote by Elias Canetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77a/elias-canetti-3574_decision_every-decision-is-liberating-even-if-it_2553627.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77a/elias-canetti-3574_decision_every-decision-is-liberating-even-if-it_2553627.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77a/elias-canetti-3574_decision_every-decision-is-liberating-even-if-it_2553627.jpg) > “Every decision is liberating, even if it leads to disaster. Otherwise, why do so many people walk upright and with open eyes into their misfortune?” [Elias Canetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elias-canetti/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Every choice frees us, yet many willingly walk into danger, perhaps for the thrill of autonomy. **In simple terms:** Choices free us, but people often choose risky paths. Key Takeaway Recognize freedom in decisions. Themes freedom risk autonomy Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career moves - investment decisions - adventure sports - social activism Key Concepts Psychology existentialism Questions to Reflect On - Why do we pursue dangerous freedoms? - How can we harness risk wisely? A Different Perspective Risk can lead to unnecessary harm if not balanced. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) [Decision Liberating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision-liberating-1542740/) [Decision making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision-making/) [Disaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disaster/) [Disaster People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disaster-people-1542742/) [Eye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eye/) [Liberating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberating/) [Misfortunes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/misfortunes/) [Open eyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/open-eyes/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Walk Upright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/walk-upright-1542741/) [Walks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/walks/) ## Related quotes > [“Every decision is liberating, even if it leads to disaster. Otherwise, why do so many people walk upright and with open arms into their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elias-canetti/every-decision-is-liberating-even-if-it-leads-to-disaster-otherwise/) [Elias Canetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elias-canetti/) > [Every decision is liberating, even if it leads to disaster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elias-canetti/every-decision-is-liberating-even-if-it-leads-to-disaster/) [Elias Canetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elias-canetti/) > [“Human beings wear clothing and walk upright, but when you take that away, we're nothing but monkeys.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osamu-tezuka/human-beings-wear-clothing-and-walk-upright-but-when-you-take-that/) [Osamu Tezuka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osamu-tezuka/) > [“What then drove forward the evolution of the massive human brain during those 2 million years? Frankly, we don’t know. Another singular human trait…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/what-then-drove-forward-the-evolution-of-the-massive-human-brain/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“I apologise for my friend's rudeness, he just learned how to to walk upright last year.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-l-mathewson/i-apologise-for-my-friend-s-rudeness-he-just-learned-how-to-to-walk/) [R.L. Mathewson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-l-mathewson/) > [If you live in a system that is suppressive, you don't walk upright, you always go with your head down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-heym/if-you-live-in-a-system-that-is-suppressive-you-don-t-walk-upright/) [Stefan Heym](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-heym/) > [We got new advice as to what motivated man to walk upright: to free his hands for masturbation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-wagner/we-got-new-advice-as-to-what-motivated-man-to-walk-upright-to-free/) [Jane Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-wagner/) > [A snake will always be a snake, even if you put a chain around its neck and try to make it walk upright.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-alther/a-snake-will-always-be-a-snake-even-if-you-put-a-chain-around-its/) [Lisa Alther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-alther/) > [We are proud because from the beginning of this nation man can walk upright no matter who he is or who she is. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-david-eisenhower/we-are-proud-because-from-the-beginning-of-this-nation-man-can-walk/) [Dwight David Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-david-eisenhower/) > [Why are we proud? We are proud, first of all, because from the beginning of this Nation, a man can walk upright, no matter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/why-are-we-proud-we-are-proud-first-of-all-because-from-the-beginning/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [I always leave disaster for other people to decide, because some of the things I consider to be disasters are some people's favorite movies.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-bale/i-always-leave-disaster-for-other-people-to-decide-because-some-of/) [Christian Bale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-bale/) > [One interesting thing I found was that if you take an affluent modern society and collapse it during a crisis, like a war or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/one-interesting-thing-i-found-was-that-if-you-take-an-affluent-modern/) [Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) > [“Is your life ruined? Is it such a disaster for people to know the truth about you?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-kinsella/is-your-life-ruined-is-it-such-a-disaster-for-people-to-know-the/) [Sophie Kinsella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-kinsella/) > [There's nothing like a jolly good disaster to get people to start doing something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prince-charles/there-s-nothing-like-a-jolly-good-disaster-to-get-people-to-start/) [Prince Charles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prince-charles/) > [It's just natural, it's not a great disaster. People keep talking about it like it's The End of The Earth. It's only a rock…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/it-s-just-natural-it-s-not-a-great-disaster-people-keep-talking-about/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) ## More by Elias Canetti > [A 'modern' man has nothing to add to modernism, if only because he has nothing to oppose it with. The well-adapted drop off the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elias-canetti/a-modern-man-has-nothing-to-add-to-modernism-if-only-because-he-has/) [Elias Canetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elias-canetti/) > [The planet's survival has become so uncertain that any effort, any thought that presupposes an assured future amounts to a mad gamble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elias-canetti/the-planet-s-survival-has-become-so-uncertain-that-any-effort-any/) [Elias Canetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elias-canetti/) > [ “The hand which scoops up the water is the first vessel. The fingers of both hands intertwined are the first basket. \[p. 217\]” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elias-canetti/the-hand-which-scoops-up-the-water-is-the-first-vessel-the-fingers-of/) [Elias Canetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elias-canetti/) > [The planets survival has become so uncertain that any effort, any thought that presupposes an assured future amounts to a mad gamble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elias-canetti/the-planets-survival-has-become-so-uncertain-that-any-effort-any/) [Elias Canetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elias-canetti/) > [“Najbolјa definicija zavičaja jeste biblioteka.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elias-canetti/najbol-a-definicija-zavi-aja-jeste-biblioteka/) [Elias Canetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elias-canetti/) > [“Das Nicht-Wissen darf am Wissen nicht verarmen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elias-canetti/das-nicht-wissen-darf-am-wissen-nicht-verarmen/) [elias canetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elias-canetti/) > [In five minutes the earth would be a desert, and you cling to books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elias-canetti/in-five-minutes-the-earth-would-be-a-desert-and-you-cling-to-books/) [Elias Canetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elias-canetti/) > [The first effect of adjusting to other people is that one becomes boring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elias-canetti/the-first-effect-of-adjusting-to-other-people-is-that-one-becomes/) [Elias Canetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elias-canetti/) > [“Ionako ne postoji oskudica u osrednjim glavama.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elias-canetti/ionako-ne-postoji-oskudica-u-osrednjim-glavama/) [Elias Canetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elias-canetti/) > [Success is the space one occupies in the newspaper. Success is one day's insolence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elias-canetti/success-is-the-space-one-occupies-in-the-newspaper-success-is-one-day/) [Elias Canetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elias-canetti/) > [It is always the enemy who started it, even if he was not the first to speak out, he was certainly planning it; and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elias-canetti/it-is-always-the-enemy-who-started-it-even-if-he-was-not-the-first-to/) [Elias Canetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elias-canetti/) > [There emanates from superlatives a destructive force.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elias-canetti/there-emanates-from-superlatives-a-destructive-force/) [Elias Canetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elias-canetti/) > [The fear of burglars is not only the fear of being robbed, but also the fear of a sudden and unexpected clutch out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elias-canetti/the-fear-of-burglars-is-not-only-the-fear-of-being-robbed-but-also/) [Elias Canetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elias-canetti/) > [Justice begins with the recognition of the necessity of sharing. The oldest law is that which regulates it, and this is still themost important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elias-canetti/justice-begins-with-the-recognition-of-the-necessity-of-sharing-the/) [Elias Canetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elias-canetti/) > [I would like to become tolerant without overlooking anything, persecute no one even when all people persecute me; become better without noticing it; become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elias-canetti/i-would-like-to-become-tolerant-without-overlooking-anything/) [Elias Canetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elias-canetti/) [Explore all 100 Elias Canetti quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elias-canetti/) ## More Decision 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/) > [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/) > [Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/elections-belong-to-the-people-it-s-their-decision-if-they-decide-to/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [“How can you make an informed decision about whether to save the world if you never leave your tiny part of it?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-david-hutchinson/how-can-you-make-an-informed-decision-about-whether-to-save-the-world/) [Shaun David Hutchinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-david-hutchinson/) > [Love is the foundation from which your decisions about your life should be made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-the-foundation-from-which-your-decisions-about-your-life/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Indecision becomes decision with time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/indecision-becomes-decision-with-time/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you think of people as making decisions actively, every time we think about the cup of coffee, we say, "How much will I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/if-you-think-of-people-as-making-decisions-actively-every-time-we/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [It was a conscious decision on my part to take up fewer films. And if you're not seen that often on screen, nobody calls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-lever/it-was-a-conscious-decision-on-my-part-to-take-up-fewer-films-and-if/) [Johnny Lever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-lever/) > [Decision is a risk rooted in the courage of being free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/decision-is-a-risk-rooted-in-the-courage-of-being-free/) [Paul Tillich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tillich/) > [I never think of things rationally or intellectually. I swear, every single decision I make is just instinct and my instincts tend to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neill-blomkamp/i-never-think-of-things-rationally-or-intellectually-i-swear-every/) [Neill Blomkamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neill-blomkamp/) > [“it is either you happen to life or life happens to you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sesan-kareem/it-is-either-you-happen-to-life-or-life-happens-to-you/) [Sesan Kareem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sesan-kareem/) > [How strange that something so simple could have been instrumental in my decision to ruin one of my most relationships and friendships, and damage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/how-strange-that-something-so-simple-could-have-been-instrumental-in/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [I am encouraged President Obama now says he will fulfill his constitutional obligation to seek authorization for any potential military action in Syria. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/i-am-encouraged-president-obama-now-says-he-will-fulfill-his/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [In New York, you are constantly faced with this very urgent decision that you have to make, about every twenty minutes...you have to decide,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cross/in-new-york-you-are-constantly-faced-with-this-very-urgent-decision/) [David Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cross/) [Browse all 9,145 Decision quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Every decision is liberating, even if it leads to disaster. Otherwise, why do so many people walk upright and with open eyes into their misfortune?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Elias Canetti" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elias-canetti/every-decision-is-liberating-even-if-it-leads-to-disaster-otherwise-2/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Decision" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elias-canetti/every-decision-is-liberating-even-if-it-leads-to-disaster-otherwise-2/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77a/elias-canetti-3574_decision_every-decision-is-liberating-even-if-it_2553627.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77a/elias-canetti-3574_decision_every-decision-is-liberating-even-if-it_2553627.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77a/elias-canetti-3574_decision_every-decision-is-liberating-even-if-it_2553627.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Every decision is liberating, even if it leads to disaster. Otherwise, why do so many people walk upright…” — Elias Canetti", "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": "Elias Canetti", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elias-canetti/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Every decision is liberating, even if...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elias-canetti/every-decision-is-liberating-even-if-it-leads-to-disaster-otherwise-2/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elias-canetti/every-decision-is-liberating-even-if-it-leads-to-disaster-otherwise-2/#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 } } ] } ```