--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That’s what happens when you force…" description: "\"“That’s what happens when you force someone to choose. Maybe they pick option A, maybe they pick option B, but most will go for a third option that isn..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ef/lish-mcbride-10317_choice_that-s-what-happens-when-you-force-someo_3144434.jpg" --- # That’s what happens when you force someone to choose… ![“That’s what happens when you force someone to choose. Maybe they pick option A, maybe they pick option B, but most will go for a third option that isn’t asking them to pick favorites in the first place.” quote by Lish McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ef/lish-mcbride-10317_choice_that-s-what-happens-when-you-force-someo_3144434.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ef/lish-mcbride-10317_choice_that-s-what-happens-when-you-force-someo_3144434.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ef/lish-mcbride-10317_choice_that-s-what-happens-when-you-force-someo_3144434.jpg) > ““That’s what happens when you force someone to choose. Maybe they pick option A, maybe they pick option B, but most will go for a third option that isn’t asking them to pick favorites in the first place.”” [Lish McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lish-mcbride/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Forced binary choices push people toward a third, unexpected path. **In simple terms:** Choices aren’t always black or white. Key Takeaway Embrace alternative solutions. Themes choice autonomy creativity Mood curious open Type philosophical strategic When to use this quote - team building - conflict resolution - personal growth Key Concepts decision theory psychology negotiation Questions to Reflect On - When have you chosen a third way? - What prevents you from accepting compromise? A Different Perspective Complex problems may lack clear options. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Asking Pick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asking-pick-5618000/) [Choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice/) [Choose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choose/) [Choose Maybe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choose-maybe-3013353/) [First place](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-place/) [Force Choose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/force-choose-2996977/) [Pick Favorites](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pick-favorites-887440/) ## Related quotes > [At some point in the idea process, I simply wear myself down and force myself to choose. But here's the thing: Once I do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-larson/at-some-point-in-the-idea-process-i-simply-wear-myself-down-and-force/) [Erik Larson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-larson/) > [“We are where we are, however we got here. What matters is where we go next.' 'But can we choose that?' 'I don't know.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-marion/we-are-where-we-are-however-we-got-here-what-matters-is-where-we-go-2/) [Isaac Marion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-marion/) > [A lot of people decide, if you're mixed, you're black. And so they try to force you to choose a culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-sampson/a-lot-of-people-decide-if-you-re-mixed-you-re-black-and-so-they-try/) [Kendrick Sampson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-sampson/) > [Can we really choose anything?' 'Maybe. If we want to bad enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-marion/can-we-really-choose-anything-maybe-if-we-want-to-bad-enough/) [Isaac Marion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-marion/) > [But we don’t remember those lives. We can’t read our diaries.’ ‘It doesn’t matter. We are where we are, however we got here. What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-marion/but-we-don-t-remember-those-lives-we-can-t-read-our-diaries-it-doesn/) [Isaac Marion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-marion/) > [I don't want to be poor, of course. But I try not to make that the guiding force behind whether I choose to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-freeman/i-don-t-want-to-be-poor-of-course-but-i-try-not-to-make-that-the/) [Martin Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-freeman/) > [I mean, movies are like your kids or your fingers and toes or something, it's pretty hard to pick favorites.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/i-mean-movies-are-like-your-kids-or-your-fingers-and-toes-or/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [Senorita was fun to sing, but I don't really have a favorite. When you write a bunch of songs, they're like your babies. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-timberlake/senorita-was-fun-to-sing-but-i-don-t-really-have-a-favorite-when-you/) [Justin Timberlake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-timberlake/) > [At school, they say you should never pick favorites, but my second nap of the day is the one I love the most. . .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-sutter/at-school-they-say-you-should-never-pick-favorites-but-my-second-nap/) [Rick Sutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-sutter/) > [To me, they are equally important, as they represent a certain period in my life and times. With that in mind, it really is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mayall/to-me-they-are-equally-important-as-they-represent-a-certain-period/) [John Mayall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mayall/) > [“Most people felt lost after high school. Sometimes I felt like I'd never really been found in the first place.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lish-mcbride/most-people-felt-lost-after-high-school-sometimes-i-felt-like-i-d/) [Lish McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lish-mcbride/) > [The politician attempts to remedy the evil by increasing the very thing that caused the evil in the first place: legal plunder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/the-politician-attempts-to-remedy-the-evil-by-increasing-the-very/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [“I felt like praying or something, when I was in bed, but I couldn't do it. I can't always pray when I feel like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/i-felt-like-praying-or-something-when-i-was-in-bed-but-i-couldn-t-do/) [J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/) > [The whole concept of stage fright is fascinating. Actors get stage fright, but they wouldn't be on the stage in the first place if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/the-whole-concept-of-stage-fright-is-fascinating-actors-get-stage/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) > [“But the process should not be confused with science. When tests are used as selections devices, they're not a neutral tool; they become a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-whyte/but-the-process-should-not-be-confused-with-science-when-tests-are/) [William H. Whyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-whyte/) ## More by Lish McBride > [“Ramon looked closely at the little guy as he ate. "Maybe he's Jewish. I mean, if Sammy Davis Jr. could convert to Judaism, why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lish-mcbride/ramon-looked-closely-at-the-little-guy-as-he-ate-maybe-he-s-jewish-i/) [Lish McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lish-mcbride/) > [“You couldn’t really tell people you weren’t out performing your civic duties because you were too busy raising the dead.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lish-mcbride/you-couldn-t-really-tell-people-you-weren-t-out-performing-your-civic/) [Lish McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lish-mcbride/) > [“Even if Douglas was trying to sacrifice me and harvest my creepy powers at the time, I feel like killing people for doing awful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lish-mcbride/even-if-douglas-was-trying-to-sacrifice-me-and-harvest-my-creepy/) [Lish McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lish-mcbride/) > [“And someone, somewhere, was having an even worse time of it than me. I tried to keep that in mind. No matter how crappy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lish-mcbride/and-someone-somewhere-was-having-an-even-worse-time-of-it-than-me-i/) [Lish McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lish-mcbride/) > [“Begin at the beginning," I said, "and go on till you come to the end. Then stop.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lish-mcbride/begin-at-the-beginning-i-said-and-go-on-till-you-come-to-the-end-then/) [Lish McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lish-mcbride/) > [“The cats, being cats, ignored her in that complete way only cats seem to be able to manage, and continued to drag her soul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lish-mcbride/the-cats-being-cats-ignored-her-in-that-complete-way-only-cats-seem/) [Lish McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lish-mcbride/) > [“I know you're frustrated, Sam, but the reality is you're in a world now where the majority of the people you run into will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lish-mcbride/i-know-you-re-frustrated-sam-but-the-reality-is-you-re-in-a-world-now/) [Lish McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lish-mcbride/) > [“I had an affinity for pandas. Something about clumsy vegetarians struck a chord with me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lish-mcbride/i-had-an-affinity-for-pandas-something-about-clumsy-vegetarians/) [Lish McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lish-mcbride/) > [“Sylvie-trin 5000: He was the Zelda to my Link, but that doesn't mean biker boy couldn't be the Princess Peach to my Mario. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lish-mcbride/sylvie-trin-5000-he-was-the-zelda-to-my-link-but-that-doesn-t-mean/) [Lish McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lish-mcbride/) > [“Most people felt lost after high school. Sometimes I felt like I'd never really been found in the first place.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lish-mcbride/most-people-felt-lost-after-high-school-sometimes-i-felt-like-i-d/) [Lish McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lish-mcbride/) > [“You want waffles?” I tried to keep the skepticism from my voice. “No firstborn or a pot of gold?” “I’m not a leprechaun, Sam.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lish-mcbride/you-want-waffles-i-tried-to-keep-the-skepticism-from-my-voice-no/) [Lish McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lish-mcbride/) > [“There’d been some nights when my fat ass had saved my ass (ba-dum-tsh).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lish-mcbride/there-d-been-some-nights-when-my-fat-ass-had-saved-my-ass-ba-dum-tsh/) [Lish McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lish-mcbride/) > [“Homework, classes, running around, and then—bam—nothing but a life of work stretching out before you. No one prepares you for that feeling or even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lish-mcbride/homework-classes-running-around-and-then-bam-nothing-but-a-life-of/) [Lish McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lish-mcbride/) > [“I stared at the pictogram of a burger nestled between similar representations of shakes, sodas, and fries, on the front of my register. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lish-mcbride/i-stared-at-the-pictogram-of-a-burger-nestled-between-similar/) [Lish McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lish-mcbride/) > [“Arriving on Bainbridge Island is the opposite of arriving in Seattle. When you got in your car and waited to unload off the ferry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lish-mcbride/arriving-on-bainbridge-island-is-the-opposite-of-arriving-in-seattle/) [Lish McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lish-mcbride/) [Explore all 66 Lish McBride quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lish-mcbride/) ## 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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": "“That’s what happens when you force someone to choose. 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