--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As I've said, freedom is really an…" description: "\"As I've said, freedom is really an illusion. Anytime we think we have a real choice, it just means we haven't seen the shotgun aimed at our navel.\" — J..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e3/jeff-lindsay-1259_choices_as-i-ve-said-freedom-is-really-an-illusi_3017385.png" --- # As I've said, freedom is really an illusion. Anytime we… ![“As I've said, freedom is really an illusion. Anytime we think we have a real choice, it just means we haven't seen the shotgun aimed at our navel.” quote by Jeff Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e3/jeff-lindsay-1259_choices_as-i-ve-said-freedom-is-really-an-illusi_3017385.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e3/jeff-lindsay-1259_choices_as-i-ve-said-freedom-is-really-an-illusi_3017385.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e3/jeff-lindsay-1259_choices_as-i-ve-said-freedom-is-really-an-illusi_3017385.png) > “As I've said, freedom is really an illusion. Anytime we think we have a real choice, it just means we haven't seen the shotgun aimed at our navel.” [Jeff Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-lindsay/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Freedom is an illusion; perceived choices are often constrained by unseen forces shaping our decisions. **In simple terms:** Freedom is often an illusion. Key Takeaway Recognize hidden constraints. Themes illusion choice control awareness Mood cynical reflective Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - political decisions - personal relationships - career choices Key Concepts determinism psychology social influence Questions to Reflect On - What unseen forces influence your decisions? - How can you reclaim agency within constraints? A Different Perspective Awareness of constraints may lead to fatalism rather than empowerment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Illusion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illusion/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [Real choice is clear information and the right to walk away from a bad deal without leaving your wallet behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-merkley/real-choice-is-clear-information-and-the-right-to-walk-away-from-a/) [Jeff Merkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-merkley/) > [The real choice we have to make is between peace and nationalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orhan-pamuk/the-real-choice-we-have-to-make-is-between-peace-and-nationalism/) [Orhan Pamuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orhan-pamuk/) > [I think that, given a real choice, people would like to hear something interesting, not something bland and right down the middle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sanborn/i-think-that-given-a-real-choice-people-would-like-to-hear-something/) [David Sanborn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sanborn/) > [The dream of life is really an illusion, and everybody lives in the reality he or she creates - a virtual reality that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-angel-ruiz/the-dream-of-life-is-really-an-illusion-and-everybody-lives-in-the/) [Miguel Angel Ruiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-angel-ruiz/) > [“Money is really made up. It is only because of the illusion of confidence and the ignorance of the masses that this house of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-t-kiyosaki/money-is-really-made-up-it-is-only-because-of-the-illusion-of/) [Robert T. Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-t-kiyosaki/) > [The experiences of promoting my first album were really something; there is so much illusion in my environment (touring and pop music) that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duncan-sheik/the-experiences-of-promoting-my-first-album-were-really-something/) [Duncan Sheik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duncan-sheik/) > [The ‘equilibrium’ that people see in me is really an illusion. I am as flawed as anyone. It’s only that I seem to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-segal/the-equilibrium-that-people-see-in-me-is-really-an-illusion-i-am-as/) [Erich Segal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-segal/) > [“...everything we cling to is really an illusion that's manufactured by people who want to control us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurel-dewey/everything-we-cling-to-is-really-an-illusion-that-s-manufactured-by/) [Laurel Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurel-dewey/) > [I find the older I get, the more I realize that time is really an illusion. Its like something we created, a constraint that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-wayans/i-find-the-older-i-get-the-more-i-realize-that-time-is-really-an/) [Kim Wayans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-wayans/) > [“While I was lying on the floor, they stood over me, kicking me in the teeth and punching me and using their hands and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janine-di-giovanni/while-i-was-lying-on-the-floor-they-stood-over-me-kicking-me-in-the/) [Janine Di Giovanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janine-di-giovanni/) > [“The Albany police chief, after one of the mass arrests, was taking the names of prisoners lined up before his desk. He looked up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/the-albany-police-chief-after-one-of-the-mass-arrests-was-taking-the/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [Offering hope to the German people, I said that freedom from militarism would give them the opportunity, if they would but seize it, "to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-f-byrnes/offering-hope-to-the-german-people-i-said-that-freedom-from/) [James F. Byrnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-f-byrnes/) > [“As President Reagan once said, “Freedom is a fragile thing and is never more than one generation from extinction. It is not ours by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-winters/as-president-reagan-once-said-freedom-is-a-fragile-thing-and-is-never/) Larry Winters > [My most basic credo is: I never said freedom was cheap. And it ain't. Never will be. It's been the highest priced and most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonny-barger/my-most-basic-credo-is-i-never-said-freedom-was-cheap-and-it-ain-t/) [Sonny Barger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonny-barger/) > [“The shortest man, codenamed RIMSKY, said to me that freedom means understanding our place within the laws of history; we are more free when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-t-vollmann/the-shortest-man-codenamed-rimsky-said-to-me-that-freedom-means/) [William T. Vollmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-t-vollmann/) ## More by Jeff Lindsay > [It revealed a cruelty that really made one wonder if the universe was such a good idea after all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-lindsay/it-revealed-a-cruelty-that-really-made-one-wonder-if-the-universe-was/) [Jeff Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-lindsay/) > [“Rather than see me or have me touch it again, it died.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-lindsay/rather-than-see-me-or-have-me-touch-it-again-it-died/) [Jeff Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-lindsay/) > [“We don't get to pick our kin. The best we can hope for is to survive them...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-lindsay/we-don-t-get-to-pick-our-kin-the-best-we-can-hope-for-is-to-survive/) [Jeff Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-lindsay/) > [I was never more alive than when the Dark Passenger was driving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-lindsay/i-was-never-more-alive-than-when-the-dark-passenger-was-driving/) [Jeff Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-lindsay/) > [I had killed our careful relationship by driving my tongue through its heart and pushing it off a cliff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-lindsay/i-had-killed-our-careful-relationship-by-driving-my-tongue-through/) [Jeff Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-lindsay/) > [I had become a perfect fake human, saying the stupid and pointless things that humans say to each other all day long.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-lindsay/i-had-become-a-perfect-fake-human-saying-the-stupid-and-pointless/) [Jeff Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-lindsay/) > [“Deborah led me away from it and over to the far end of the room. “Dexter,” she said, “promise me you didn’t kill this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-lindsay/deborah-led-me-away-from-it-and-over-to-the-far-end-of-the-room/) [Jeff Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-lindsay/) > [Detective, I don't know where the boyfriend is, really," I said. And it was true, considering tide, current, and the habits of marine scavengers.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-lindsay/detective-i-don-t-know-where-the-boyfriend-is-really-i-said-and-it/) [Jeff Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-lindsay/) > [“I came, I saw, I blew chunks.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-lindsay/i-came-i-saw-i-blew-chunks/) [Jeff Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-lindsay/) > [And what did you do last night, Dexter? Oh, I played with my dolls while a friend chopped up my sister.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-lindsay/and-what-did-you-do-last-night-dexter-oh-i-played-with-my-dolls-while/) [Jeff Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-lindsay/) > [In that tremendous flash of freedom, on my way to do The Thing for the first time, sanctioned by Almighty Harry, I receded, faded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-lindsay/in-that-tremendous-flash-of-freedom-on-my-way-to-do-the-thing-for-the/) [Jeff Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-lindsay/) > [“It would be much too difficult for anyone to get in and out of this area, especially if they were carrying questionable loads of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-lindsay/it-would-be-much-too-difficult-for-anyone-to-get-in-and-out-of-this/) [Jeff Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-lindsay/) > [“I spent the rest of the workday on routine paperwork, snarling at misplaced files and seething at the stupidity of everyone else's report writing--when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-lindsay/i-spent-the-rest-of-the-workday-on-routine-paperwork-snarling-at/) [Jeff Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-lindsay/) > [After a long moment I closed the freezer door. I wanted to lie down and press my cheek against the cool linoleum. Instead I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-lindsay/after-a-long-moment-i-closed-the-freezer-door-i-wanted-to-lie-down/) [Jeff Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-lindsay/) > [I mean, really: what kind of person could possibly dislike me?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-lindsay/i-mean-really-what-kind-of-person-could-possibly-dislike-me/) [Jeff Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-lindsay/) [Explore all 258 Jeff Lindsay quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-lindsay/) ## More Choices quotes > [Of all the people who have affected my life and influenced the choices I've made, none has been more important than my father. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-atlas/of-all-the-people-who-have-affected-my-life-and-influenced-the/) [Teddy Atlas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-atlas/) > [“Don’t allow anyone to pressure you into taking a job in a field that doesn’t feel right in your gut. You are the one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-james/don-t-allow-anyone-to-pressure-you-into-taking-a-job-in-a-field-that/) Alison James > [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/) Pancho Barnes > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Movies have power. Power to impact society and the choices we make. I want to entertain, but I also want to say something to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-prince-bythewood/movies-have-power-power-to-impact-society-and-the-choices-we-make-i/) [Gina Prince-Bythewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-prince-bythewood/) > [If you have a different mindset, you will have a different outcome: if you make different choices from your peers, your life will then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-you-have-a-different-mindset-you-will-have-a-different-outcome-if/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [Personally, I prefer contemporary films, but the market calls for more period choices, especially since China opened up a cinema market in Hong Kong.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donnie-yen/personally-i-prefer-contemporary-films-but-the-market-calls-for-more/) [Donnie Yen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnie-yen/) > [Clarissa," he said, "here with the vampire, I see. When things have settled a bit, we really must discuss you choice in pets..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/clarissa-he-said-here-with-the-vampire-i-see-when-things-have-settled/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Change is inevitable but personal growth is a choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/change-is-inevitable-but-personal-growth-is-a-choice/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [If you choose to draw from the inner well of free will, then you can make choices that are outside your current karmic patterns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/if-you-choose-to-draw-from-the-inner-well-of-free-will-then-you-can/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Act always so as to increase the number of choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinz-von-foerster/act-always-so-as-to-increase-the-number-of-choices/) [Heinz von Foerster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinz-von-foerster/) > [Give me a platter of choice finnan haddie, freshly cooked in its bath of water and milk, add melted butter, a slice or two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-claiborne/give-me-a-platter-of-choice-finnan-haddie-freshly-cooked-in-its-bath/) [Craig Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-claiborne/) > [I don't know that any woman could ever not think about that at some point - even making the choice not to do it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-watts/i-don-t-know-that-any-woman-could-ever-not-think-about-that-at-some/) [Naomi Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-watts/) > [In this choice of inheritance we have given to our frame of polity the image of a relation in blood; binding up the constitution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/in-this-choice-of-inheritance-we-have-given-to-our-frame-of-polity/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) [Browse all 11,466 Choices quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "As I've said, freedom is really an illusion. Anytime we think we have a real choice, it just means we haven't seen the shotgun aimed at our navel.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jeff Lindsay" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-lindsay/as-i-ve-said-freedom-is-really-an-illusion-anytime-we-think-we-have-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Choices" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-lindsay/as-i-ve-said-freedom-is-really-an-illusion-anytime-we-think-we-have-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e3/jeff-lindsay-1259_choices_as-i-ve-said-freedom-is-really-an-illusi_3017385.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e3/jeff-lindsay-1259_choices_as-i-ve-said-freedom-is-really-an-illusi_3017385.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e3/jeff-lindsay-1259_choices_as-i-ve-said-freedom-is-really-an-illusi_3017385.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“As I've said, freedom is really an illusion. Anytime we think we have a real choice, it just means we…” — Jeff Lindsay", "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": "Jeff Lindsay", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-lindsay/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "As I've said, freedom is really...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-lindsay/as-i-ve-said-freedom-is-really-an-illusion-anytime-we-think-we-have-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-lindsay/as-i-ve-said-freedom-is-really-an-illusion-anytime-we-think-we-have-a/#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 } } ] } ```