--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It’s the first thing I always say at our…" description: "\"“It’s the first thing I always say at our new employee training seminars. I gaze around the room, pick one person, and have him stand up. And this is w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73c/haruki-murakami-21_bad-news_it-s-the-first-thing-i-always-say-at-our_3101034.jpg" --- # It’s the first thing I always say at our new employee… ![“It’s the first thing I always say at our new employee training seminars. I gaze around the room, pick one person, and have him stand up. And this is what I say: I have some good news for you, and some bad news. The bad news first. We’re going to have to rip off either your fingernails or your…” quote by Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73c/haruki-murakami-21_bad-news_it-s-the-first-thing-i-always-say-at-our_3101034.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73c/haruki-murakami-21_bad-news_it-s-the-first-thing-i-always-say-at-our_3101034.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73c/haruki-murakami-21_bad-news_it-s-the-first-thing-i-always-say-at-our_3101034.jpg) > ““It’s the first thing I always say at our new employee training seminars. I gaze around the room, pick one person, and have him stand up. And this is what I say: I have some good news for you, and some bad news. The bad news first. We’re going to have to rip off either your fingernails or your toenails with pliers. I’m sorry, but it’s already decided. It can’t be changed. I pull out a huge, scary pair of pliers from my briefcase and show them to everybody. Slowly, making sure everybody gets a good look. And then I say: Here’s the good news. You have the freedom to choose which it’s going to be—your fingernails, or your toenails. So, which will it be? You have ten seconds to make up your mind. If you’re unable to decide, we’ll rip off both your fingernails and your toenails. I start the count. At about eight seconds most people say, ‘The toes.’ Okay, I say, toenails it is. I’ll use these pliers to rip them off. But before I do, I’d like you to tell me something. Why did you choose your toes and not your fingers? The person usually says, ‘I don’t know. I think they probably hurt the same. But since I had to choose one, I went with the toes.’ I turn to him and warmly applaud him. And I say, Welcome to the real world.”” [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The story forces a choice between two painful options, highlighting that freedom lies in deciding which discomfort to accept, and that indecision leads to worse outcomes. **In simple terms:** Choosing a painful option shows freedom; indecision worsens pain. Key Takeaway Make a conscious choice, even if uncomfortable. Themes choice freedom consequence decision-making Mood thoughtful provocative Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - job interviews - team building - personal dilemmas - risk assessment Key Concepts agency risk psychology Questions to Reflect On - What does your choice reveal about your values? - How can you embrace uncertainty? A Different Perspective People may resist choosing, fearing loss of control. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad news](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-news/) [Choose Toes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choose-toes-5374377/) [Fitness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fitness/) [Freedom to choose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom-to-choose/) [Going Fingernails](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going-fingernails-4419242/) [Good news](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-news/) [Real world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-world/) [Rip Fingernails](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rip-fingernails-335228/) [Say Toenails](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/say-toenails-5374378/) [Toenails Start](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/toenails-start-5374376/) ## Related quotes > [I see a lot of girls going in with their fingernails. Again, I know it feels great, but you're going to ruin your hair.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-mondo/i-see-a-lot-of-girls-going-in-with-their-fingernails-again-i-know-it/) [Brad Mondo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-mondo/) > [I rip off my fingernails for fun! :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-rip-off-my-fingernails-for-fun/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You don't have to go where you don't want to be to get where you want to be. You can go from where you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/you-don-t-have-to-go-where-you-don-t-want-to-be-to-get-where-you-want/) [Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/) > [I have the freedom to choose the roles I want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/i-have-the-freedom-to-choose-the-roles-i-want/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [Having the choice at the end of my life has become incredibly important. 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Each receives the same amount equally, yet how we manage our time is reflected by our lives.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-mol/time-is-the-ultimate-form-of-socialism-each-receives-the-same-amount/) [Donald Mol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-mol/) > [You can live constrained within the confines of a solely material perspective, or choose instead the infinite field of quantum possibility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/you-can-live-constrained-within-the-confines-of-a-solely-material/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [Your capacity to say "No" determines your capacity to say "Yes" to greater things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-stanley-jones/your-capacity-to-say-no-determines-your-capacity-to-say-yes-to/) [E. Stanley Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-stanley-jones/) > [“I say this because all religions, accurately understood, will take away your fear of not being enough. 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It’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/when-the-time-comes-everybody-s-got-to-end-up-where-they-belong-only/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“You let something out of the bag before yourself knew what it was all about”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/you-let-something-out-of-the-bag-before-yourself-knew-what-it-was-all/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) [Explore all 2,928 Haruki Murakami quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) ## More Bad news quotes > [In the wake of such bad news, it was heartening to know that what 'Sense8' stood for meant so much to so many people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-j-smith/in-the-wake-of-such-bad-news-it-was-heartening-to-know-that-what/) [Brian J. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-j-smith/) > [“I remember a man, a very lonely man, coming up to me at the end of a reading and looking into my face and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-howe/i-remember-a-man-a-very-lonely-man-coming-up-to-me-at-the-end-of-a/) [Marie Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-howe/) > [In the business world, bad news is usually good news - for somebody else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-surowiecki/in-the-business-world-bad-news-is-usually-good-news-for-somebody-else/) [James Surowiecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-surowiecki/) > [You never want to have to give your child bad news of any kind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-dee/you-never-want-to-have-to-give-your-child-bad-news-of-any-kind/) [Jonathan Dee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-dee/) > [If there's one thing you should know about me it's that I'm utterly unsuited for bureaucracy. I don't know my passwords to anything. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julio-torres/if-there-s-one-thing-you-should-know-about-me-it-s-that-i-m-utterly/) [Julio Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julio-torres/) > [I seem to thrive by destroying the last thing I did, in a kind of cartoon Nietzsche way. Emerson says in "Experience" something like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-chiasson/i-seem-to-thrive-by-destroying-the-last-thing-i-did-in-a-kind-of/) [Dan Chiasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-chiasson/) > [“The bad news is that, measured in terms of geologic time, if the Earth’s history is an accurate guide, glaciers will soon return to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-bernstein/the-bad-news-is-that-measured-in-terms-of-geologic-time-if-the-earth/) [Andrew Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-bernstein/) > [I love an underdog. No, I don't necessarily mean the cartoon. 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You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrei-codrescu/the-real-secret-though-is-that-nobody-belongs-whether-they-are/) [Andrei Codrescu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrei-codrescu/) [Browse all 691 Bad news quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-news/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It’s the first thing I always say at our new employee training seminars. I gaze around the room, pick one person, and have him stand up. And this is what I say: I have some good news for you, and some bad news. The bad news first. We’re going to have to rip off either your fingernails or your toenails with pliers. I’m sorry, but it’s already decided. It can’t be changed. I pull out a huge, scary pair of pliers from my briefcase and show them to everybody. Slowly, making sure everybody gets a good look. And then I say: Here’s the good news. You have the freedom to choose which it’s going to be—your fingernails, or your toenails. So, which will it be? You have ten seconds to make up your mind. If you’re unable to decide, we’ll rip off both your fingernails and your toenails. I start the count. At about eight seconds most people say, ‘The toes.’ Okay, I say, toenails it is. I’ll use these pliers to rip them off. But before I do, I’d like you to tell me something. Why did you choose your toes and not your fingers? The person usually says, ‘I don’t know. I think they probably hurt the same. But since I had to choose one, I went with the toes.’ I turn to him and warmly applaud him. 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