--- 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 arms into their misfortune?”\" ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c25/elias-canetti-3574_decision-making_every-decision-is-liberating-even-if-it_1965944.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 arms into their misfortune?” quote by Elias Canetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c25/elias-canetti-3574_decision-making_every-decision-is-liberating-even-if-it_1965944.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c25/elias-canetti-3574_decision-making_every-decision-is-liberating-even-if-it_1965944.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c25/elias-canetti-3574_decision-making_every-decision-is-liberating-even-if-it_1965944.jpg) > ““Every decision is liberating, even if it leads to disaster. Otherwise, why do so many people walk upright and with open arms 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. Each choice frees us, even when it ends badly, highlighting our tendency to embrace risky paths knowingly **In simple terms:** Choices free us, even disastrous ones, and we often choose risky paths Key Takeaway Recognize freedom in decisions, but assess risks Themes choice freedom risk human behavior Mood reflective serious Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career moves - relationships - investment decisions - political activism Key Concepts existentialism psychology agency Questions to Reflect On - What drives you to repeat harmful choices? - How can you balance freedom with caution? A Different Perspective Decisions can trap you if not reflected upon ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Decision Liberating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision-liberating-1542740/) [Decision making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision-making/) [Disaster People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disaster-people-1542742/) [Liberating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberating/) [Open arms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/open-arms/) [Walk Upright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/walk-upright-1542741/) ## Related quotes > [Every decision is liberating, even if it leads to disaster. 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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. 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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 making 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/) > [“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/) > [“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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [“Slow down your thinking so you can note the criteria you are using to make your decision. 2. Write the criteria down as a principle.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/slow-down-your-thinking-so-you-can-note-the-criteria-you-are-using-to/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [My best business decision was to be independent as a musician and artist. My worst was compromising on certain aspects of a deal for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ziggy-marley/my-best-business-decision-was-to-be-independent-as-a-musician-and/) [Ziggy Marley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ziggy-marley/) > [“Making a decision takes a moment, living a decision takes a life-time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherif-a-el-mawardy/making-a-decision-takes-a-moment-living-a-decision-takes-a-life-time/) [Sherif A. El-Mawardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherif-a-el-mawardy/) > [Cheshvan starts tonight," Rixon said, "What are you doing arsing around in a graveyard?" "Thinking." "Thinking?" 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