--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Remember that you are not choosing what…" description: "\"“Remember that you are not choosing what to discard but rather what to keep.”\" — Marie Kondō" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d6/marie-kondo-8259_memory_remember-that-you-are-not-choosing-what_2116344.jpg" --- # Remember that you are not choosing what to discard but… ![“Remember that you are not choosing what to discard but rather what to keep.” quote by Marie Kondō](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d6/marie-kondo-8259_memory_remember-that-you-are-not-choosing-what_2116344.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d6/marie-kondo-8259_memory_remember-that-you-are-not-choosing-what_2116344.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d6/marie-kondo-8259_memory_remember-that-you-are-not-choosing-what_2116344.jpg) > ““Remember that you are not choosing what to discard but rather what to keep.”” [Marie Kondō](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-kondo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Choosing what to keep shapes our environment and mindset, focusing on items that bring joy and purpose. **In simple terms:** Keep what matters, discard the rest. Key Takeaway Prioritize joy‑bringing items. Themes minimalism joy decision‑making Mood calm reflective Type practical inspirational When to use this quote - home organization - moving houses - decluttering workshops - personal reflection Key Concepts attachment theory psychology of clutter Questions to Reflect On - What items truly enrich your life? - How does letting go affect your wellbeing? A Different Perspective Keeping only joy‑ful items can be emotionally difficult. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Memory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memory/) ## Related quotes > [“The only tasks that you will need to continue for the rest of your life are those of choosing what to keep and what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-kondo/the-only-tasks-that-you-will-need-to-continue-for-the-rest-of-your/) [Marie Kondō](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-kondo/) > [“Friends are good, too. They're the family you choose, which makes them special. Even if sometimes you look around and you don't remember choosing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-j-knight/friends-are-good-too-they-re-the-family-you-choose-which-makes-them/) J.J. Knight > [“I choose what to remember, and I am choosing Rhiannon. Again and again, I am choosing her, I am conjuring her, because to let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-choose-what-to-remember-and-i-am-choosing-rhiannon-again-and-again/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“But when we're caught up in the past and fear for the future, being unable to discard means that we can't see, what we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-kondo/but-when-we-re-caught-up-in-the-past-and-fear-for-the-future-being/) [Marie Kondō](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-kondo/) > [“To truly cherish the things that are important to you, you must first discard those that have outlived their purpose. To get rid of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-kondo/to-truly-cherish-the-things-that-are-important-to-you-you-must-first-2/) [Marie Kondō](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-kondo/) > [“Sorting papers Rule of thumb—discard everything Once”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-kondo/sorting-papers-rule-of-thumb-discard-everything-once/) [Marie Kondō](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-kondo/) > [Goethe said there would be little left of him if he were to discard what he owed to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-saunders-cushman/goethe-said-there-would-be-little-left-of-him-if-he-were-to-discard/) [Charlotte Saunders Cushman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-saunders-cushman/) > [Keep only those things that speak to your heart. Then take the plunge and discard all the rest. By doing this, you can reset…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-kondo/keep-only-those-things-that-speak-to-your-heart-then-take-the-plunge/) [Marie Kondo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-kondo/) > [“If we could renounce our artful contrivances and discard our (scheming for) gain, there would be no thieves nor robbers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lao-tzu/if-we-could-renounce-our-artful-contrivances-and-discard-our-scheming/) [Lao Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lao-tzu/) > [You can never discard too many bad ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashleigh-brilliant/you-can-never-discard-too-many-bad-ideas/) [Ashleigh Brilliant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashleigh-brilliant/) > [The challenge to Asia is to discard the dry, meatless bone of mysticism and fatalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-marcos/the-challenge-to-asia-is-to-discard-the-dry-meatless-bone-of/) [Ferdinand Marcos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-marcos/) > [“Study whatever you were told very carefully. Make the best choices for the best brands and discard the rest.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/study-whatever-you-were-told-very-carefully-make-the-best-choices-for/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [The notion that you could discard the old world and now make a new one. This is what was so bad about Modernism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-jacobs/the-notion-that-you-could-discard-the-old-world-and-now-make-a-new/) [Jane Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-jacobs/) > [“What people discard could make a nation”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/what-people-discard-could-make-a-nation/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [In science, each new result, sometimes quite surprising, heralds a step forward and allows one to discard some hypotheses, even though one or two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-b-prusiner/in-science-each-new-result-sometimes-quite-surprising-heralds-a-step/) [Stanley B. Prusiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-b-prusiner/) ## More by Marie Kondō > [I had been so focused on what to discard, on attacking the unwanted obstacles around me, that I had forgotten to cherish the things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-kondo/i-had-been-so-focused-on-what-to-discard-on-attacking-the-unwanted/) [Marie Kondo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-kondo/) > [“If you tidy your house all at once, you’ll rebound. It’s better to make it a habit to do a little at a time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-kondo/if-you-tidy-your-house-all-at-once-you-ll-rebound-it-s-better-to-make/) [Marie Kondō](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-kondo/) > [Being packed all the time, even when not in use, must feel something like going to bed on an empty stomach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-kondo/being-packed-all-the-time-even-when-not-in-use-must-feel-something/) [Marie Kondo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-kondo/) > [I'd like to tidy up the entire planet. I would go anywhere if there were something that needs tidying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-kondo/i-d-like-to-tidy-up-the-entire-planet-i-would-go-anywhere-if-there/) [Marie Kondo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-kondo/) > [“By handling each sentimental item and deciding what to discard, you process your past. If you just stow these things away in a drawer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-kondo/by-handling-each-sentimental-item-and-deciding-what-to-discard-you/) [Marie Kondō](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-kondo/) > [“The space in which we live should be for the person we are becoming now. Not for the person we were in the past.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-kondo/the-space-in-which-we-live-should-be-for-the-person-we-are-becoming/) [Marie Kondō](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-kondo/) > [I recommend tidying by category, not by place. For example, instead of deciding that today you'll tidy a particular room, set goals such as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-kondo/i-recommend-tidying-by-category-not-by-place-for-example-instead-of/) [Marie Kondo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-kondo/) > [“By acknowledging their contribution and letting them go with gratitude, you will be able to truly put the things you own, and your life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-kondo/by-acknowledging-their-contribution-and-letting-them-go-with/) [Marie Kondō](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-kondo/) > [Keep only those things that speak to your heart. Then take the plunge and discard all the rest. By doing this, you can reset…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-kondo/keep-only-those-things-that-speak-to-your-heart-then-take-the-plunge/) [Marie Kondo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-kondo/) > [“people who use the KonMari Method never revert to clutter again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-kondo/people-who-use-the-konmari-method-never-revert-to-clutter-again/) [Marie Kondō](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-kondo/) > [“Treat your socks and stockings with respect”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-kondo/treat-your-socks-and-stockings-with-respect/) [Marie Kondō](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-kondo/) > [Once you learn to choose your belongings properly, you will be left with only the amount that fits perfectly in the space you own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-kondo/once-you-learn-to-choose-your-belongings-properly-you-will-be-left/) [Marie Kondo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-kondo/) > [“Sorting papers Rule of thumb—discard everything Once”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-kondo/sorting-papers-rule-of-thumb-discard-everything-once/) [Marie Kondō](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-kondo/) > [I had a slight hope the phrase 'spark joy' might become popular, as it was the keyword that I wanted to put forward in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-kondo/i-had-a-slight-hope-the-phrase-spark-joy-might-become-popular-as-it/) [Marie Kondo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-kondo/) > [“The recent trend in Japan is to utilize time in the early morning to take seminars.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-kondo/the-recent-trend-in-japan-is-to-utilize-time-in-the-early-morning-to/) [Marie Kondō](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-kondo/) [Explore all 75 Marie Kondō quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-kondo/) ## More Choosing quotes > [Our world is drowning in a sea of self-centeredness. You can make yourself quite unique right away by leaving this ocean of selfishness and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bytheway/our-world-is-drowning-in-a-sea-of-self-centeredness-you-can-make/) [John Bytheway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bytheway/) > [Choosing a job or business is the same thing. I'm not the best one to advise someone how to make billions of dollars; I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-roy/choosing-a-job-or-business-is-the-same-thing-i-m-not-the-best-one-to/) [Rachel Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-roy/) > [Choosing how you live should be up to you not the people that would criticise your well being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-hayward/choosing-how-you-live-should-be-up-to-you-not-the-people-that-would/) [Courtney Hayward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-hayward/) > [I'm very smart when it comes to choosing dancers and trying to show the world that there's a whole lot of dancing going on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-jamison/i-m-very-smart-when-it-comes-to-choosing-dancers-and-trying-to-show/) [Judith Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-jamison/) > [Anyone who will look at my life from the outside won't see the struggles inside. Sometimes, things are not always as we see or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanda-kaushik/anyone-who-will-look-at-my-life-from-the-outside-won-t-see-the/) [Chanda Kaushik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanda-kaushik/) > [I can always choose, but I ought to know that if I do not choose, I am still choosing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/i-can-always-choose-but-i-ought-to-know-that-if-i-do-not-choose-i-am/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [Choosing what you want to do, and when to do it, is an act of creation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-mcwilliams/choosing-what-you-want-to-do-and-when-to-do-it-is-an-act-of-creation/) [Peter McWilliams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-mcwilliams/) > [“So much must be established at birth . . . in the random choosing of a name.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-barich/so-much-must-be-established-at-birth-in-the-random-choosing-of-a-name/) [Bill Barich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-barich/) > [The thing that counts most in the pursuit of happiness is choosing the right companion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate/the-thing-that-counts-most-in-the-pursuit-of-happiness-is-choosing/) [Nate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate/) > [“In choosing a mate, don't pick the tallest and most handsome or the most beautiful. Don't choose one just because that person raises your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-quist-milligan/in-choosing-a-mate-don-t-pick-the-tallest-and-most-handsome-or-the/) Helen Quist Milligan > [I see myself as a roving mosquito, choosing it's target.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-williams/i-see-myself-as-a-roving-mosquito-choosing-it-s-target/) [Kenneth Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-williams/) > [Travel, I was coming to realize, was a metaphor not only for the countless options life offers but also for the fact that choosing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rolf-potts/travel-i-was-coming-to-realize-was-a-metaphor-not-only-for-the/) [Rolf Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rolf-potts/) > [“If I am to choose between integrity and wealth, I will go for integrity because I believe that lack of integrity is the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/if-i-am-to-choose-between-integrity-and-wealth-i-will-go-for/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [Every time I've gotten myself into trouble, it's because I'm choosing a project based on a long-term career goal as opposed to something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-reynolds/every-time-i-ve-gotten-myself-into-trouble-it-s-because-i-m-choosing/) [Ryan Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-reynolds/) > [Growing up as a singer, and a cast member, and now as an adult, a songwriter, I get the luxury of choosing the kinds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-mraz/growing-up-as-a-singer-and-a-cast-member-and-now-as-an-adult-a/) [Jason Mraz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-mraz/) Browse all 585 Choosing quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Remember that you are not choosing what to discard but rather what to keep.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Marie Kondō" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-kondo/remember-that-you-are-not-choosing-what-to-discard-but-rather-what-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Choosing" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-kondo/remember-that-you-are-not-choosing-what-to-discard-but-rather-what-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d6/marie-kondo-8259_memory_remember-that-you-are-not-choosing-what_2116344.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d6/marie-kondo-8259_memory_remember-that-you-are-not-choosing-what_2116344.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d6/marie-kondo-8259_memory_remember-that-you-are-not-choosing-what_2116344.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Remember that you are not choosing what to discard but rather what to keep.” — Marie Kondō", "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": "Marie Kondō", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-kondo/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Remember that you are not choosing...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-kondo/remember-that-you-are-not-choosing-what-to-discard-but-rather-what-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-kondo/remember-that-you-are-not-choosing-what-to-discard-but-rather-what-to/#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 } } ] } ```