--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: They couldn’t have known that even this…" description: "\"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 a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb9/lauren-oliver-109_choice_they-couldn-t-have-known-that-even-this_3173443.jpg" --- # They couldn’t have known that even this was a lie—that we… ![“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…” quote by Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb9/lauren-oliver-109_choice_they-couldn-t-have-known-that-even-this_3173443.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb9/lauren-oliver-109_choice_they-couldn-t-have-known-that-even-this_3173443.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb9/lauren-oliver-109_choice_they-couldn-t-have-known-that-even-this_3173443.jpg) > “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.” [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life often feels predetermined, yet we keep moving forward, finding meaning in acceptance rather than control. **In simple terms:** We may not choose our path, but we can find peace in embracing it. Key Takeaway Embrace the journey, not the illusion of control. Themes destiny acceptance illusion choice happiness Mood reflective melancholic hopeful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - career decisions - relationships - personal growth - coping with uncertainty - mental health Key Concepts existentialism determinism mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - Do you feel you truly choose your path? - How can acceptance coexist with striving for change? A Different Perspective The view may overlook personal agency and the power of intentional change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice/) [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Steps forward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/steps-forward/) ## Related quotes > [We are always being pushed and squeezed down one road or another. We have no choice but to step forward, and then step forward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/we-are-always-being-pushed-and-squeezed-down-one-road-or-another-we/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/but-maybe-happiness-isn-t-in-the-choosing-maybe-it-s-in-the-fiction/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [“I look away, toward the hundreds and hundreds of people who have been driven out of their homes, out of their lives, to this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/i-look-away-toward-the-hundreds-and-hundreds-of-people-who-have-been/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [If we do not pay attention to the details we can miss the moment where the fork in the road was a choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-blake-michiels/if-we-do-not-pay-attention-to-the-details-we-can-miss-the-moment/) [Jordan Blake Michiels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-blake-michiels/) > [“Every challenge you encounter in life is a fork in the road. You have the choice to choose which way to go - backward,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ifeanyi-enoch-onuoha/every-challenge-you-encounter-in-life-is-a-fork-in-the-road-you-have/) [Ifeanyi Enoch Onuoha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ifeanyi-enoch-onuoha/) > [This is the strange way of the world, that people who simply want to love are instead forced to become warriors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/this-is-the-strange-way-of-the-world-that-people-who-simply-want-to/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [Mama, Mama, put me to bed I won’t make it home, I’m already half-dead I met an Invalid, and fell for his art He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/mama-mama-put-me-to-bed-i-won-t-make-it-home-i-m-already-half-dead-i/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [“Take down the walls.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/take-down-the-walls/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [“What am I go­ing to do?” Coral asks. “Stay here,” I say. “Watch. Cov­er me if some­thing goes wrong.” “That’s bull­shit,” she says half­heart­ed­ly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/what-am-i-go-ing-to-do-coral-asks-stay-here-i-say-watch-cov-er-me-if/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > ['Requiem' has been controversial because people don't feel I gave it closure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/requiem-has-been-controversial-because-people-don-t-feel-i-gave-it/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [“How can someone have the power to shatter you to dust—and also to make you feel so whole? The”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/how-can-someone-have-the-power-to-shatter-you-to-dust-and-also-to/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [Requiem has been controversial because people dont feel I gave it closure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/requiem-has-been-controversial-because-people-dont-feel-i-gave-it/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [“For a minute he stands there, looking at me, and I can tell that he knows why I'm crying, and he understands, and it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/for-a-minute-he-stands-there-looking-at-me-and-i-can-tell-that-he/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [“And then she left, and it broke my heart so completely I could hardly breathe.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/and-then-she-left-and-it-broke-my-heart-so-completely-i-could-hardly/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [I'm a believer in that you can't really choose your audience, your audience chooses you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chali-2na/i-m-a-believer-in-that-you-can-t-really-choose-your-audience-your/) [Chali 2na](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chali-2na/) ## More by Lauren Oliver > [“My aunt Carol hasn’t heard her say a word in the whole six years and three months of Grace’s life—not a single syllable. Carol…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/my-aunt-carol-hasn-t-heard-her-say-a-word-in-the-whole-six-years-and/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [This is what happens when you try to help people. You get screwed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/this-is-what-happens-when-you-try-to-help-people-you-get-screwed/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [We'll walk together holding hands, and kiss in broad daylight, and love each other as much as we want to, and no one will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/we-ll-walk-together-holding-hands-and-kiss-in-broad-daylight-and-love/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [“It seem absurd to me that they don't know, haven't felt any change or tremor, even as my life has been completely turned upside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/it-seem-absurd-to-me-that-they-don-t-know-haven-t-felt-any-change-or/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [“At least when I'm sleeping I can dream myself back to Alex, can dream myself into a different world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/at-least-when-i-m-sleeping-i-can-dream-myself-back-to-alex-can-dream/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [People are like ants: Just a few of them give all the orders. And most of them spend their lives getting squashed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/people-are-like-ants-just-a-few-of-them-give-all-the-orders-and-most/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [Summer explodes into Portland. In early June the heat was there but not the color--the green were still pale and tentative, the morning had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/summer-explodes-into-portland-in-early-june-the-heat-was-there-but/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [Mistake, mistake, mistake. A strange word: stinging, somehow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/mistake-mistake-mistake-a-strange-word-stinging-somehow/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [I wonder if it's ever really possible to know the truth about someone else, or if the best we can do is just stumble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/i-wonder-if-it-s-ever-really-possible-to-know-the-truth-about-someone/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [“Julian is somewhere among those lights, in that blur of people and buildings. I wonder whether he's scared. I wonder whether he's thinking of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/julian-is-somewhere-among-those-lights-in-that-blur-of-people-and/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [A room full of words that are nearly the truth but not quite, each note fluttering off the steam of its rose like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/a-room-full-of-words-that-are-nearly-the-truth-but-not-quite-each/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [“She’s the kind of person who makes you feel drunk just by being around her, like suddenly the world’s edges are dulled and all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/she-s-the-kind-of-person-who-makes-you-feel-drunk-just-by-being/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [“Stop!” His voice rings out sharply, hard as a slap. He releases me and I stumble backward. “Alex is dead, do you hear me?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/stop-his-voice-rings-out-sharply-hard-as-a-slap-he-releases-me-and-i/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [..in that moment i realize how much i love the little everyday routines of my life..the details that are my life's special pattern, like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/in-that-moment-i-realize-how-much-i-love-the-little-everyday-routines/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [“You can't judge a book by its steel-toed combat boots.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/you-can-t-judge-a-book-by-its-steel-toed-combat-boots/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) [Explore all 1,181 Lauren Oliver quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) ## More Choice quotes > [Making the right decision is hard,telling someone your decision is even harder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/making-the-right-decision-is-hard-telling-someone-your-decision-is/) [Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/) > [“That’s all! Now either leave us alone or join us as a father rather than a receiver of sacrifices. You have the choice of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/that-s-all-now-either-leave-us-alone-or-join-us-as-a-father-rather/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [“In a world of fixed future, there can be no right or wrong. Right and wrong demand freedom of choice, but if each action…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lightman/in-a-world-of-fixed-future-there-can-be-no-right-or-wrong-right-and/) [Alan Lightman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lightman/) > [“Exactly. So, what can't you take? Decide which of the two options is harder, and do the other. That way, no matter how hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-angelini/exactly-so-what-can-t-you-take-decide-which-of-the-two-options-is/) [Josephine Angelini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-angelini/) > [“too—I realized that my only hope was to give up the life that had been, in order to make room for the life that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-lesser/too-i-realized-that-my-only-hope-was-to-give-up-the-life-that-had/) [Elizabeth Lesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-lesser/) > [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/) Pancho Barnes > [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. 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/) > [There has always been a feeling with people that they love my singing but not always the choice of material.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-moyet/there-has-always-been-a-feeling-with-people-that-they-love-my-singing/) [Alison Moyet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-moyet/) > [I have too many options when it comes to guitars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-nielsen/i-have-too-many-options-when-it-comes-to-guitars/) [Rick Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-nielsen/) > [“Amazing how a small choice can change your life forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-c-dockens/amazing-how-a-small-choice-can-change-your-life-forever/) Randy C. Dockens > [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/) > [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/) > [Since I don't outline my books very much, I feel like sometimes I don't have a choice in what the characters do; they just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-todd/since-i-don-t-outline-my-books-very-much-i-feel-like-sometimes-i-don/) [Anna Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-todd/) > [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/) > [Words can only have an effect on you if you choose to listen to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernajoy-vaal/words-can-only-have-an-effect-on-you-if-you-choose-to-listen-to-them/) [Bernajoy Vaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernajoy-vaal/) [Browse all 8,092 Choice quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "They couldn’t have known that even this was a lie—that we never really choose, not entirely. 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