Choice Quote by Lauren oliver
““Raven looks at me. “What about you, Lena?” I can feel Alex’s eyes on me. My mouth is so dry; the sun is so blinding. I look away, toward the hundreds and hundreds of people who have been driven out of their homes, out of their lives, to this place of dust and dirtiness, all because they wanted the power to feel, to think, to choose for themselves. They couldn’t have known that even this was a lie—that we never really choose, not entirely. We are always being pushed and squeezed down one road or another. We have no choice but to step forward, and then step forward again, and then step forward again; suddenly we find ourselves on a road we haven’t chosen at all. But maybe happiness isn’t in the choosing. Maybe it’s in the fiction, in the pretending: that wherever we have ended up is where we intended to be all along. Coral shifts, and moves her hand to Alex’s arm. “I’m with Julian,” I say at last. This, after all, is what I have chosen.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Untitled work by Lauren Oliver, 2022
The passage reflects on how external forces shape our paths, questioning true agency and suggesting acceptance of circumstance as a source of contentment.
In simple terms: We often follow paths forced on us, finding peace by embracing them.
Key Takeaway
Accept what you cannot control and find meaning.
Themes
agency
choice
acceptance
illusion
power
identity
Mood
reflective
melancholic
hopeful
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- refugee crisis
- personal decision
- identity crisis
- social oppression
- self‑realization
Key Concepts
determinism
existentialism
psychology
social pressure
fate
Questions to Reflect On
- Do you feel you truly choose your path?
- How can acceptance coexist with striving for change?
A Different Perspective
It may overlook personal resilience and the ability to change circumstances.
