--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I mean,he decided we'd be better…" description: "\"I mean,he decided we'd be better apart,you know?it wasn't a joint decision.like, if your gonna make a decision about me and my life without consulting ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d3/james-patterson-171_consulting_i-mean-he-decided-we-d-be-better-apart-y_727203.png" --- # I mean,he decided we'd be better apart,you know?it wasn't… ![“I mean,he decided we'd be better apart,you know?it wasn't a joint decision.like, if your gonna make a decision about me and my life without consulting me,i'd better be dying and unconscious and you'd better be following carefully written instructions.” quote by James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d3/james-patterson-171_consulting_i-mean-he-decided-we-d-be-better-apart-y_727203.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d3/james-patterson-171_consulting_i-mean-he-decided-we-d-be-better-apart-y_727203.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d3/james-patterson-171_consulting_i-mean-he-decided-we-d-be-better-apart-y_727203.png) > “I mean,he decided we'd be better apart,you know?it wasn't a joint decision.like, if your gonna make a decision about me and my life without consulting me,i'd better be dying and unconscious and you'd better be following carefully written instructions.” [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A unilateral decision about someone's life is unfair and dehumanizing. **In simple terms:** Making decisions for others without consent is wrong. Key Takeaway Respect autonomy and seek consent. Themes autonomy relationships power dynamics Mood frustrated empathetic Type ethical reflective When to use this quote - personal relationships - medical decisions - legal guardianship - workplace management Key Concepts consent agency ethical decision-making Questions to Reflect On - How do you ensure consent in collaborative decisions? - When is it acceptable to act without consent? A Different Perspective It may be necessary in emergencies, but consent remains vital. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) ## Related quotes > [Nothing is a joint decision anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mazher/nothing-is-a-joint-decision-anymore/) [Mazher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mazher/) > [Acting was never my first choice as a profession, but I came to terms with it when I decided I better buckle down and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mickey-rourke/acting-was-never-my-first-choice-as-a-profession-but-i-came-to-terms/) [Mickey Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mickey-rourke/) > [“Generally, I decided, it was better to wait, if you had any feeling for the individual. If you hated her right off, it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/generally-i-decided-it-was-better-to-wait-if-you-had-any-feeling-for/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [Dying fOr ¥ (LOVE) Is BeTter tHan Dying WiThout ¥ (LOVE)..!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tailor-jay/dying-for-love-is-better-than-dying-without-love/) Tailor Jay > [“...hurting was better than dying.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-howard/hurting-was-better-than-dying/) [Linda Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-howard/) > [People always say things like, Oh, well, he was suffering so much that he was better off dying. But that's not true. You're always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/people-always-say-things-like-oh-well-he-was-suffering-so-much-that/) [Dashiell Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/) > [“apologizing for something you didn’t do is better than dying for it!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/apologizing-for-something-you-didn-t-do-is-better-than-dying-for-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Then you'll die in the midst of trying to realize your Personal Legend. That's a lot better than dying like millions of other people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/then-you-ll-die-in-the-midst-of-trying-to-realize-your-personal/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [I miss you so much and there is so much of me that wishes you were back in my life, but the worst part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernajoy-vaal/i-miss-you-so-much-and-there-is-so-much-of-me-that-wishes-you-were/) [Bernajoy Vaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernajoy-vaal/) > [“I never do anything that pleases you, so maybe we are better off apart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandy/i-never-do-anything-that-pleases-you-so-maybe-we-are-better-off-apart/) [Brandy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandy/) > [“I married you, Evelyn, because you made sense to me. We make sense. We're a whole lot better together than apart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kylie-scott/i-married-you-evelyn-because-you-made-sense-to-me-we-make-sense-we-re/) [Kylie Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kylie-scott/) > [I still have feelings for you and no matter how many times I tell myself I'm better off without you apart of me just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dianna/i-still-have-feelings-for-you-and-no-matter-how-many-times-i-tell-2/) Dianna > [I loved when we were together, but I know we're better off apart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/i-loved-when-we-were-together-but-i-know-we-re-better-off-apart/) [Sonya Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/) > [“We’re better together than we are apart. The American Dream has us looking out for ourselves even at the expense of our neighbors. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-d-richardson/we-re-better-together-than-we-are-apart-the-american-dream-has-us/) [Trevor D. Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-d-richardson/) > [I know that human beings are better together than they are apart, as much as I fought that all my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-nathanson/i-know-that-human-beings-are-better-together-than-they-are-apart-as/) [Matt Nathanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-nathanson/) ## More by James Patterson > [It was a little weird that they were friends. But then, maybe freaks just tended to find each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/it-was-a-little-weird-that-they-were-friends-but-then-maybe-freaks/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [“The next forty-five minutes in that office was about as much fun as a day at Disney World—when it’s pouring rain. And all there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/the-next-forty-five-minutes-in-that-office-was-about-as-much-fun-as-a/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [As we go through this transition where a lot more people will be reading on devices, nobody is paying enough attention to make sure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/as-we-go-through-this-transition-where-a-lot-more-people-will-be/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [Max—you have a bigger mission than finding the flock's parents. Focus on helping the whole world, not just your friends. I held my wings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/max-you-have-a-bigger-mission-than-finding-the-flock-s-parents-focus/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [You're lying through your fangs," Iggy accused. Fang tried to play innocent--but "innocent Fang" is an oxymoron, so it didn't work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/you-re-lying-through-your-fangs-iggy-accused-fang-tried-to-play/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [There are reasons people seek escape in books, and one of those reasons is that the boundary of what can happen is beyond what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/there-are-reasons-people-seek-escape-in-books-and-one-of-those/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [I shot him the bird. (Get it? I shot him the—never mind.)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/i-shot-him-the-bird-get-it-i-shot-him-the-never-mind/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [I get up every morning and chop wood, and I pretty much do it seven days a week, and I like to do it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/i-get-up-every-morning-and-chop-wood-and-i-pretty-much-do-it-seven/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [Witihin seconds the headhunter had lost control of his car and it squealed, sliding sideways right into several other cars. Cool!' said the Gasman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/witihin-seconds-the-headhunter-had-lost-control-of-his-car-and-it/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [“It was scary. More than Sara could possibly know. More than anybody ought to know, or ever would. History wasn't for the general public--it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/it-was-scary-more-than-sara-could-possibly-know-more-than-anybody/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [Did I want a dog? No. Did I need a dog? Also no. We were six kids running for our lives, not knowing where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/did-i-want-a-dog-no-did-i-need-a-dog-also-no-we-were-six-kids-running/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [I'm a girl who has been tamping down her emotions and keeping them tightly guarded her whole life. And that works really well for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/i-m-a-girl-who-has-been-tamping-down-her-emotions-and-keeping-them/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [When my son, Jack, was four, I had to make a trip to Los Angeles. I asked him if he was going to miss…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/when-my-son-jack-was-four-i-had-to-make-a-trip-to-los-angeles-i-asked/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [“that kid’s nothing but a little hoodlum.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/that-kid-s-nothing-but-a-little-hoodlum/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [Jeezum—humans were like eggshells.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/jeezum-humans-were-like-eggshells/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) [Explore all 983 James Patterson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) ## More Consulting quotes > [When the Lilliputians first saw Gulliver's watch, that "wonderful kind of engine...a globe, half silver and half of some transparent metal," they identified it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/when-the-lilliputians-first-saw-gulliver-s-watch-that-wonderful-kind/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [I stayed in the astronaut program until 1993. People ask me why I left. I thought I had a lot of things to contribute…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-jemison/i-stayed-in-the-astronaut-program-until-1993-people-ask-me-why-i-left/) [Mae Jemison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-jemison/) > [We want to approach this in a multilateral way, talking with our friends, consulting with our security council colleagues in the United Nations, hoping…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/we-want-to-approach-this-in-a-multilateral-way-talking-with-our/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [Many of the mainstream agricultural scientists, especially at the agricultural schools, but at all of our major universities, are tied into all sorts of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-rifkin/many-of-the-mainstream-agricultural-scientists-especially-at-the/) [Jeremy Rifkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-rifkin/) > [“Earning is a product of learning. You're only one letter away from earning more.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richie-norton/earning-is-a-product-of-learning-you-re-only-one-letter-away-from/) [Richie Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richie-norton/) > [“Some people say they have 20 years experience, when in reality, they have 1 year's experience repeated 20 times. (Stephen M R Covey to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richie-norton/some-people-say-they-have-20-years-experience-when-in-reality-they/) [Richie Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richie-norton/) > [Facebook was looking at which links I clicked on, and it was noticing that I was clicking more on my liberal friends' links than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-pariser/facebook-was-looking-at-which-links-i-clicked-on-and-it-was-noticing/) [Eli Pariser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-pariser/) > [“the consultant’s process was the exact process consulting firms value. It was linear, logical, and based on facts (and reasonable estimates of them); it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-cheng/the-consultant-s-process-was-the-exact-process-consulting-firms-value/) [Victor Cheng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-cheng/) > ["(Big name research firm) says our market will be $50 billion in 2010." Every entrepreneur has a few slides about how the market potential…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-kawasaki/big-name-research-firm-says-our-market-will-be-50-billion-in-2010/) [Guy Kawasaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-kawasaki/) > [“In consulting, you always pick and choose your words carefully, because you need to be able to back up anything you say. If you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-cheng/in-consulting-you-always-pick-and-choose-your-words-carefully-because/) [Victor Cheng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-cheng/) > [When people, land, and community are as one, all three members prosper; when they relate not as members but as competing interests, all three…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-jackson/when-people-land-and-community-are-as-one-all-three-members-prosper/) [Wes Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-jackson/) > [“We all have a responsibility to be efficient stewards of resources.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hendrith-vanlon-smith-jr/we-all-have-a-responsibility-to-be-efficient-stewards-of-resources/) [Hendrith Vanlon Smith Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hendrith-vanlon-smith-jr/) > [Consulting the rules of composition before taking a photograph, is like consulting the laws of gravity before going for a walk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-weston/consulting-the-rules-of-composition-before-taking-a-photograph-is/) [Edward Weston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-weston/) > [If God gives you a watch, are you honoring Him more by asking Him what time it is or by simply consulting the watch?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/if-god-gives-you-a-watch-are-you-honoring-him-more-by-asking-him-what/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [What I really think of myself as is a person who's great at negotiation coaching and consulting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-voss/what-i-really-think-of-myself-as-is-a-person-who-s-great-at/) [Christopher Voss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-voss/) Browse all 145 Consulting quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I mean,he decided we'd be better apart,you know?it wasn't a joint decision.like, if your gonna make a decision about me and my life without consulting me,i'd better be dying and unconscious and you'd better be following carefully written instructions.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Patterson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/i-mean-he-decided-we-d-be-better-apart-you-know-it-wasn-t-a-joint/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Consulting" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/i-mean-he-decided-we-d-be-better-apart-you-know-it-wasn-t-a-joint/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d3/james-patterson-171_consulting_i-mean-he-decided-we-d-be-better-apart-y_727203.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d3/james-patterson-171_consulting_i-mean-he-decided-we-d-be-better-apart-y_727203.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d3/james-patterson-171_consulting_i-mean-he-decided-we-d-be-better-apart-y_727203.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I mean,he decided we'd be better apart,you know?it wasn't a joint decision.like, if your gonna make a…” — James Patterson", "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": "James Patterson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I mean,he decided we'd be better...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/i-mean-he-decided-we-d-be-better-apart-you-know-it-wasn-t-a-joint/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/i-mean-he-decided-we-d-be-better-apart-you-know-it-wasn-t-a-joint/#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 } } ] } ```