--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have a history of making decisions very…" description: "\"I have a history of making decisions very quickly about men. I have always fallen in love fast and without measuring risks. I have a tendency not only ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/963/elizabeth-gilbert-131_assuming_i-have-a-history-of-making-decisions-ver_1295613.jpg" --- # I have a history of making decisions very quickly about… ![“I have a history of making decisions very quickly about men. I have always fallen in love fast and without measuring risks. I have a tendency not only to see the best in everyone, but to assume that everyone is emotionally capable of reaching his highest potential. I have fallen in love more times…” quote by Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/963/elizabeth-gilbert-131_assuming_i-have-a-history-of-making-decisions-ver_1295613.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/963/elizabeth-gilbert-131_assuming_i-have-a-history-of-making-decisions-ver_1295613.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/963/elizabeth-gilbert-131_assuming_i-have-a-history-of-making-decisions-ver_1295613.jpg) > “I have a history of making decisions very quickly about men. I have always fallen in love fast and without measuring risks. I have a tendency not only to see the best in everyone, but to assume that everyone is emotionally capable of reaching his highest potential. I have fallen in love more times than I care to count with the highest potential of a man, rather than with the man himself, and I have hung on to the relationship for a long time (sometimes far too long) waiting for the man to ascend to his own greatness. Many times in romance I have been a victim of my own optimism.” [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker reflects on repeatedly idealizing partners and staying in relationships hoping they will fulfill an imagined potential, revealing a pattern of optimistic over‑investment. **In simple terms:** She often loves an ideal version of a man rather than the real person, leading to prolonged disappointment. Key Takeaway Recognize and love people as they are, not as projected potentials. Themes relationships optimism self‑awareness expectations growth Mood reflective melancholic hopeful Type advice personal reflective When to use this quote - dating - long‑term partnership - friendship - self‑reflection - therapy Key Concepts idealization projection attachment self‑deception Questions to Reflect On - What expectations do you hold that prevent seeing partners clearly? - How can you balance hope with realistic appraisal? A Different Perspective Optimism can blind judgment and cause emotional stagnation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) [Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) [Disappointment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disappointment/) [Greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatness/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Making decisions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/making-decisions/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [More time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/more-time/) [Optimism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/optimism/) [Risk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risk/) [Romance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/romance/) [Victim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/victim/) ## Related quotes > [I will not reach my full potential as a man unless I find my partner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hill-harper/i-will-not-reach-my-full-potential-as-a-man-unless-i-find-my-partner/) [Hill Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hill-harper/) > [I think the potential for man is so enormous, if we can stay alive long enough, we're going to be seeing a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-spiner/i-think-the-potential-for-man-is-so-enormous-if-we-can-stay-alive/) [Brent Spiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-spiner/) > [And what is the potential man, after all? Is he not the sum of all that is human? Divine, in other words?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/and-what-is-the-potential-man-after-all-is-he-not-the-sum-of-all-that/) [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) > [“Inside every man there is a potential woman and inside every woman resides a potential man.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-maxwell-taylor/inside-every-man-there-is-a-potential-woman-and-inside-every-woman/) [John Maxwell Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-maxwell-taylor/) > [The political system of the People's Republic of China can make things easy. Decisions are made quickly and results come quickly, too. In our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ratan-tata/the-political-system-of-the-people-s-republic-of-china-can-make/) [Ratan Tata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ratan-tata/) > [“We live in a world that assumes that the quality of a decision is directly related to the time and effort that went into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/we-live-in-a-world-that-assumes-that-the-quality-of-a-decision-is/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [People who fail to accumulate money, without exception, have the habit of reaching decisions, if at all, very slowly, and of changing these decisions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/people-who-fail-to-accumulate-money-without-exception-have-the-habit/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [I make decisions quickly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norbert-leo-butz/i-make-decisions-quickly/) [Norbert Leo Butz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norbert-leo-butz/) > [“An astronaut is someone who’s able to make good decisions quickly, with incomplete information, when the consequences really matter.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hadfield/an-astronaut-is-someone-who-s-able-to-make-good-decisions-quickly-2/) [Chris Hadfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hadfield/) > [Get to book 19 flights right now. I hate booking flights cause I SUCK at making decisions! But now I have to make 19 decisions quickly!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frankie-muniz/get-to-book-19-flights-right-now-i-hate-booking-flights-cause-i-suck/) [Frankie Muniz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frankie-muniz/) > [Success Does Not Depend On Making Important Decisions Quickly, But Depends On Your Quick Actions On Important Decisions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pacifiersucker/success-does-not-depend-on-making-important-decisions-quickly-but/) Pacifiersucker > [I probably thought that about most of the things I did. But you wind up in situations where you have to make decisions very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lykke-li/i-probably-thought-that-about-most-of-the-things-i-did-but-you-wind/) [Lykke Li](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lykke-li/) > [I've always been able to make erroneous decisions very quickly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-kelleher/i-ve-always-been-able-to-make-erroneous-decisions-very-quickly/) [Herb Kelleher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-kelleher/) > [Successful people make decisions quickly (as soon as all the facts are available) and change them very slowly (if ever). Unsuccessful people make decisions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/successful-people-make-decisions-quickly-as-soon-as-all-the-facts-are/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [In modern football, you need to make decisions quickly and play fast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wissam-ben-yedder/in-modern-football-you-need-to-make-decisions-quickly-and-play-fast/) [Wissam Ben Yedder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wissam-ben-yedder/) ## More by Elizabeth Gilbert > [That's your friend. My husband is my best friend. He's not the mirror that holds up my flaws. He's just the guy who's like,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/that-s-your-friend-my-husband-is-my-best-friend-he-s-not-the-mirror/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [“Not to mention that I have finally arrived at that age where a woman starts to question whether the wisest way to get over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/not-to-mention-that-i-have-finally-arrived-at-that-age-where-a-woman/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [“The Buddha taught that all human suffering is rooted in desire. Don't we all know this to be true? Any of us who have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/the-buddha-taught-that-all-human-suffering-is-rooted-in-desire-don-t/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [ “And while \[we\] do have possibilities that are vast and magnificent and almost infinite in scope, it's important to remember that our choice-rich lives… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/and-while-we-do-have-possibilities-that-are-vast-and-magnificent-and/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [Learn your way around loneliness. Make a map of it. Sit with it, for once in your life. Welcome to the human experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/learn-your-way-around-loneliness-make-a-map-of-it-sit-with-it-for/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [If we never leave our house except to drive to work, do we need to be even remotely aware of this powerful, humbling, extraordinary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/if-we-never-leave-our-house-except-to-drive-to-work-do-we-need-to-be/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [I will tell you why we have these extraordinary minds and souls, Miss Whittaker," he continued, as though he had not heard her. "We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/i-will-tell-you-why-we-have-these-extraordinary-minds-and-souls-miss/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [Both the five-year-olds looked at me with bewilderment and a bit of fearful uncertainty. I had a sudden horrifying image of the woman I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/both-the-five-year-olds-looked-at-me-with-bewilderment-and-a-bit-of/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [“Clearing out all your misery gets you out of the way. You cease being an obstacle, not only to yourself but to anyone else.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/clearing-out-all-your-misery-gets-you-out-of-the-way-you-cease-being/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [The ingredients of both darkness and light are equally present in all of us,...The madness of this planet is largely a result of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/the-ingredients-of-both-darkness-and-light-are-equally-present-in-all/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [I was full of a hot, powerful sadness and would have loved to burst into the comfort of tears, but tried hard not to,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/i-was-full-of-a-hot-powerful-sadness-and-would-have-loved-to-burst/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [“I live in nature where everything is connected, circular. The seasons are circular. The planet is circular, and so is the planet around the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/i-live-in-nature-where-everything-is-connected-circular-the-seasons/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [“His spelling was several degrees beyond arbitrary, and his punctuation brought reason to sigh with unhappiness. But”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/his-spelling-was-several-degrees-beyond-arbitrary-and-his-punctuation/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [Before you realize this truth, say the Yogis, you will always be in despair, a notion nicely expressed in this exasperated line from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/before-you-realize-this-truth-say-the-yogis-you-will-always-be-in/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [I actually have a great deal of respect for antidepressants; I think they can be enormously mighty tools toward recovery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/i-actually-have-a-great-deal-of-respect-for-antidepressants-i-think/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) [Explore all 1,156 Elizabeth Gilbert quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) ## More Assuming quotes > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [Our young Marines of today are courageous, willing to make sacrifices, and are marvelous team players. I am confident our Corps, and indeed our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-t-conway/our-young-marines-of-today-are-courageous-willing-to-make-sacrifices/) James T. Conway > [Everyone assumes writers spend their time lounging around, writing and occasionally striking a pose whilst having a think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-sheridan/everyone-assumes-writers-spend-their-time-lounging-around-writing-and/) [Sara Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-sheridan/) > [Islam never differentiates between men and women as regards political rights and puts them on an equal footing. However, even if a woman is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yusuf-al-qaradawi/islam-never-differentiates-between-men-and-women-as-regards-political/) [Yusuf al-Qaradawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yusuf-al-qaradawi/) > [Whatever your conscious mind assumes and believes to be true, your subconscious mind will accept and bring to pass. Believe in good fortune, divine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-murphy/whatever-your-conscious-mind-assumes-and-believes-to-be-true-your/) [Joseph Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-murphy/) > [Assuming normal winter weather, we currently anticipate the coal markets to remain difficult through 2015; while we always strive to operate a full capacity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-craft/assuming-normal-winter-weather-we-currently-anticipate-the-coal/) [Joe Craft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-craft/) > [A state of mind is something that one assumes. It cannot be purchased, it must be created.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/a-state-of-mind-is-something-that-one-assumes-it-cannot-be-purchased/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [One must believe that every living thing whatsoever must change insensibly in its organization and in its form... One must therefore never expect to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baptiste-lamarck/one-must-believe-that-every-living-thing-whatsoever-must-change/) [Jean-Baptiste Lamarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baptiste-lamarck/) > [I think the biggest problem working with me would be that I'm an only child, and so I have an internal dialogue that goes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/i-think-the-biggest-problem-working-with-me-would-be-that-i-m-an-only/) [Maynard James Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-james-keenan/) > [It is worth noticing that those who assume an imposing demeanor and seek to pass themselves off for something beyond what they are, are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-whately/it-is-worth-noticing-that-those-who-assume-an-imposing-demeanor-and/) [Richard Whately](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-whately/) > [People just assume that if you're famous, you're in Hollywood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-fox/people-just-assume-that-if-you-re-famous-you-re-in-hollywood/) [Megan Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-fox/) > [The behavior of any bureaucratic organization can best be understood by assuming that it is controlled by a secret cabal of its enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-conquest/the-behavior-of-any-bureaucratic-organization-can-best-be-understood/) [Robert Conquest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-conquest/) > [Humans suffer from self-centred notions as to the nature of life. Humans assume that alien life forms should conform to standards that match our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-perry/humans-suffer-from-self-centred-notions-as-to-the-nature-of-life/) [Steve Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-perry/) > [We can use our art to become political, to become something you want to talk about. We make clothes, but we have the chance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivier-rousteing/we-can-use-our-art-to-become-political-to-become-something-you-want/) [Olivier Rousteing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivier-rousteing/) > [Everyone seems to assume that the unscrupulous parts of journalism will be the frivolous or jocular parts. This is against all ethical experience. Jokes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/everyone-seems-to-assume-that-the-unscrupulous-parts-of-journalism/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) Browse all 2,452 Assuming quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I have a history of making decisions very quickly about men. I have always fallen in love fast and without measuring risks. I have a tendency not only to see the best in everyone, but to assume that everyone is emotionally capable of reaching his highest potential. I have fallen in love more times than I care to count with the highest potential of a man, rather than with the man himself, and I have hung on to the relationship for a long time (sometimes far too long) waiting for the man to ascend to his own greatness. Many times in romance I have been a victim of my own optimism.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Elizabeth Gilbert" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/i-have-a-history-of-making-decisions-very-quickly-about-men-i-have/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Assuming" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/i-have-a-history-of-making-decisions-very-quickly-about-men-i-have/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/963/elizabeth-gilbert-131_assuming_i-have-a-history-of-making-decisions-ver_1295613.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/963/elizabeth-gilbert-131_assuming_i-have-a-history-of-making-decisions-ver_1295613.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/963/elizabeth-gilbert-131_assuming_i-have-a-history-of-making-decisions-ver_1295613.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I have a history of making decisions very quickly about men. I have always fallen in love fast and without…” — Elizabeth Gilbert", "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": "Elizabeth Gilbert", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I have a history of making...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/i-have-a-history-of-making-decisions-very-quickly-about-men-i-have/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/i-have-a-history-of-making-decisions-very-quickly-about-men-i-have/#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 } } ] } ```