--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We never choose anything at all. Things…" description: "\"We never choose anything at all. Things happen. Or not.\" — Haruki Murakami" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e7e/haruki-murakami-21_things-happen_we-never-choose-anything-at-all-things-h_1158873.jpg" --- # We never choose anything at all. Things happen. Or not. ![“We never choose anything at all. Things happen. Or not.” quote by Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e7e/haruki-murakami-21_things-happen_we-never-choose-anything-at-all-things-h_1158873.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e7e/haruki-murakami-21_things-happen_we-never-choose-anything-at-all-things-h_1158873.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e7e/haruki-murakami-21_things-happen_we-never-choose-anything-at-all-things-h_1158873.jpg) > “We never choose anything at all. Things happen. Or not.” [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. Life unfolds without our choosing; events occur independently of our will. **In simple terms:** We don’t choose everything; things just happen. Key Takeaway Accept uncertainty and flow with events. Themes determinism existence acceptance randomness philosophy Mood reflective melancholic Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - daily decision making - career planning - relationship dynamics - creative projects Key Concepts existentialism chaos theory mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - What events feel beyond your control? - How do you balance acceptance with agency? A Different Perspective Over‑acceptance may lead to passivity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Things happen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-happen/) ## Related quotes > [“Which is to say that wrong choices can produce right results, and vice versa. I myself have adopted the position that, in fact, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/which-is-to-say-that-wrong-choices-can-produce-right-results-and-vice/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“Choose the things that matter to God. See things as He sees them. Whatever results, that is the best way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-m-steffens/choose-the-things-that-matter-to-god-see-things-as-he-sees-them/) Jason M. 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Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [If somebody asks me to choose a biopic, it would be Narain Karthikeyan because I love racing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naga-chaitanya/if-somebody-asks-me-to-choose-a-biopic-it-would-be-narain-karthikeyan/) [Naga Chaitanya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naga-chaitanya/) > [“Either you soften your ego, or the world will do it for you. Choose!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bert-mccoy/either-you-soften-your-ego-or-the-world-will-do-it-for-you-choose/) [Bert McCoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bert-mccoy/) > [I'm aware of who I am and I'm comfortable with who I choose to date.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shibani-dandekar/i-m-aware-of-who-i-am-and-i-m-comfortable-with-who-i-choose-to-date/) [Shibani Dandekar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shibani-dandekar/) > [No actor wants to choose - they just want all of the options available to them all the time; we tend to be pretty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-jacobs/no-actor-wants-to-choose-they-just-want-all-of-the-options-available/) [Gillian Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-jacobs/) > [If you choose to work at a larger company over a smaller company, you are more likely to be higher paid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-sweet/if-you-choose-to-work-at-a-larger-company-over-a-smaller-company-you/) [Julie Sweet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-sweet/) > [You can't choose what stays and what stays away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florence-welch/you-can-t-choose-what-stays-and-what-stays-away/) [Florence Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florence-welch/) > [It's only a thought and a thought can be changed. Choose good ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/it-s-only-a-thought-and-a-thought-can-be-changed-choose-good-ones/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime...so you gotta choose who is good for you! Be wise, be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/people-come-into-your-life-for-a-reason-a-season-or-a-lifetime-so-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm not opposed - we manufacture a lot of socks in North Carolina - I just choose not to wear them. It's a Southern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-burr/i-m-not-opposed-we-manufacture-a-lot-of-socks-in-north-carolina-i/) [Richard Burr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-burr/) > [Having too many options is bad. I want one person, just one. 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