--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are really only two ways to…" description: "\"There are really only two ways to approach life - as victim or as gallant fighter - and you must decide if you want to act or react, deal your own card..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff6/merle-shain-11858_acting_there-are-really-only-two-ways-to-approa_1963520.png" --- # There are really only two ways to approach life - as… ![“There are really only two ways to approach life - as victim or as gallant fighter - and you must decide if you want to act or react, deal your own cards or play with a stacked deck. And if you don't decide which way to play with life, it always plays with you.” quote by Merle Shain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff6/merle-shain-11858_acting_there-are-really-only-two-ways-to-approa_1963520.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff6/merle-shain-11858_acting_there-are-really-only-two-ways-to-approa_1963520.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff6/merle-shain-11858_acting_there-are-really-only-two-ways-to-approa_1963520.png) > “There are really only two ways to approach life - as victim or as gallant fighter - and you must decide if you want to act or react, deal your own cards or play with a stacked deck. And if you don't decide which way to play with life, it always plays with you.” [Merle Shain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merle-shain/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life presents a choice between passive victimhood and active, courageous engagement; indecision lets life control you. **In simple terms:** Choose to act rather than react, or life will dictate your path. Key Takeaway Take responsibility for your actions and decisions. Themes choice agency responsibility Mood motivational reflective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - career decisions - personal growth - relationships - health choices Key Concepts victimhood gallant fighter react vs act Questions to Reflect On - What areas of your life are you reacting instead of acting? - How might you shift from a victim mindset to a proactive one? A Different Perspective Passive acceptance can lead to feeling powerless and missed opportunities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Approach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/approach/) [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) [Fighter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fighter/) [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Power of choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power-of-choice/) [Victim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/victim/) ## Related quotes > [Life plays the same lovely and agonizing joke on all of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/life-plays-the-same-lovely-and-agonizing-joke-on-all-of-us/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [Music is the soundtrack to life. It plays the melody of our being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jackson/music-is-the-soundtrack-to-life-it-plays-the-melody-of-our-being/) [Michael Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jackson/) > [The meaningful Broadway experiences of my life have been plays by great writers with excellent casts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-reid/the-meaningful-broadway-experiences-of-my-life-have-been-plays-by/) [Noah Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-reid/) > [I'm trying to take culture and put it onstage, demonstrate it is capable of sustaining you. There is no idea that can't be contained…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/i-m-trying-to-take-culture-and-put-it-onstage-demonstrate-it-is/) [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) > [“When life plays her cards. When all you have given is not enough. When all roads seem closed, and there is no hope for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owoade-oladepo-yussuff/when-life-plays-her-cards-when-all-you-have-given-is-not-enough-when/) Owoade Oladepo Yussuff > [I had done plays all my life. Many, many, many plays, off-Broadway plays.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margo-martindale/i-had-done-plays-all-my-life-many-many-many-plays-off-broadway-plays/) [Margo Martindale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margo-martindale/) > [“The only difference was, you could play the music again and again; a life plays only once.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-robinson/the-only-difference-was-you-could-play-the-music-again-and-again-a/) [Peter Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-robinson/) > [“Life plays out the same way, as we mature and grow year after year, month after month, and day after day. We are not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-ruvalcaba/life-plays-out-the-same-way-as-we-mature-and-grow-year-after-year/) [Luis Ruvalcaba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-ruvalcaba/) > [Your success and failure , happiness and sorrow, love and hate, peace and stress lies in response to situations And this response depends on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/your-success-and-failure-happiness-and-sorrow-love-and-hate-peace-and/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [You don't have to go where you don't want to be to get where you want to be. You can go from where you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/you-don-t-have-to-go-where-you-don-t-want-to-be-to-get-where-you-want/) [Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/) > [Having the choice at the end of my life has become incredibly important. It has given me a sense of peace during a time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittany-maynard/having-the-choice-at-the-end-of-my-life-has-become-incredibly/) [Brittany Maynard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittany-maynard/) > [Most of our decisions are driven by either love or fear. Figure out who's doing the talking, then decide what you'll do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-goff/most-of-our-decisions-are-driven-by-either-love-or-fear-figure-out/) [Bob Goff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-goff/) > [We are both burdened and blessed by the great responsibility of the will - the power of choice. Our future is determined, in large…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-millman/we-are-both-burdened-and-blessed-by-the-great-responsibility-of-the/) [Dan Millman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-millman/) > [“The whole struggle was over, and yet there seemed to have been no moment of victory. You might say, if you liked, that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/the-whole-struggle-was-over-and-yet-there-seemed-to-have-been-no/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [And so it is, that both the Devil and the angelic Spirit present us with objects of desire to awaken our power of choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/and-so-it-is-that-both-the-devil-and-the-angelic-spirit-present-us/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) ## More by Merle Shain > [One often learns more from ten days of agony than ten years of contentment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merle-shain/one-often-learns-more-from-ten-days-of-agony-than-ten-years-of/) [Merle Shain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merle-shain/) > [Feelings take you into uncharted territory from time to time it's true, but you almost always benefit from the journey one way or the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merle-shain/feelings-take-you-into-uncharted-territory-from-time-to-time-it-s/) [Merle Shain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merle-shain/) > [The act is unjustifiable that either begs for a blessing, or, having succeeded gives no thanksgiving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merle-shain/the-act-is-unjustifiable-that-either-begs-for-a-blessing-or-having/) [Merle Shain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merle-shain/) > [Some men are more perfect than others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merle-shain/some-men-are-more-perfect-than-others/) [Merle Shain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merle-shain/) > [Loving someone means helping them to be more themselves, which can be different from being what you’d like them to be, although often they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merle-shain/loving-someone-means-helping-them-to-be-more-themselves-which-can-be/) [Merle Shain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merle-shain/) > [Anger is a passion, so it makes people feel alive and makes them feel they matter and are in charge of their lives. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merle-shain/anger-is-a-passion-so-it-makes-people-feel-alive-and-makes-them-feel/) [Merle Shain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merle-shain/) > [It can be much harder to be on the receiving end of a transaction than to be the one who gets to give. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merle-shain/it-can-be-much-harder-to-be-on-the-receiving-end-of-a-transaction/) [Merle Shain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merle-shain/) > [Love is short, forgetting is long, and understanding longer still.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merle-shain/love-is-short-forgetting-is-long-and-understanding-longer-still/) [Merle Shain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merle-shain/) > [The roots of love sink down and deep and strike out far, and they are arteries that feed our lives, so we must see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merle-shain/the-roots-of-love-sink-down-and-deep-and-strike-out-far-and-they-are/) [Merle Shain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merle-shain/) > [Friends are people who help you be more yourself, more the person you are intended to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merle-shain/friends-are-people-who-help-you-be-more-yourself-more-the-person-you/) [Merle Shain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merle-shain/) > [“ Whether the melon falls on the knife or the knife falls on the melon, it's the melon that suffers." And so it would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merle-shain/whether-the-melon-falls-on-the-knife-or-the-knife-falls-on-the-melon/) [Merle Shain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merle-shain/) > [when you put something good into the world, something good comes back to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merle-shain/when-you-put-something-good-into-the-world-something-good-comes-back/) [Merle Shain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merle-shain/) > [Our times are obsessed with finding fulfillment, so there are times when some people try too hard, and there are people who want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merle-shain/our-times-are-obsessed-with-finding-fulfillment-so-there-are-times/) [Merle Shain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merle-shain/) > [The day you spend hoping, the day you spend waiting, the day you spend in despair, is a day in your life as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merle-shain/the-day-you-spend-hoping-the-day-you-spend-waiting-the-day-you-spend/) [Merle Shain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merle-shain/) > [Marriage is supposed to do everything, like Duz, which is more than half its problem. It is said to save us, define us, give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merle-shain/marriage-is-supposed-to-do-everything-like-duz-which-is-more-than/) [Merle Shain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merle-shain/) [Explore all 57 Merle Shain quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merle-shain/) ## More Acting quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [Many Republicans have always reminded me of professional WWF wrestlers. They come into the ring all pumped up and acting like they're invincible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feig/many-republicans-have-always-reminded-me-of-professional-wwf/) [Paul Feig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feig/) > [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/) [Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/) > [Acting is a grind, just like music is a grind. Sometimes it takes longer than what you can give.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-sean/acting-is-a-grind-just-like-music-is-a-grind-sometimes-it-takes/) [Big Sean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-sean/) > [It was only when I started making short films in college and I was looking for girls to play the me-ish parts that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-dunham/it-was-only-when-i-started-making-short-films-in-college-and-i-was/) [Lena Dunham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-dunham/) > [Writing is something I took up rather than anything I had an inclination toward. I like acting -delivering someone else's message - but writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/writing-is-something-i-took-up-rather-than-anything-i-had-an/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [I can still function when I don't have that balance I crave. I had a tendency to be precious about acting, thinking of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-regan/i-can-still-function-when-i-don-t-have-that-balance-i-crave-i-had-a/) [Laura Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-regan/) > [Actors don't hate acting. Most people don't hate acting! Whether you're a child mucking around with your friends or a grown up being paid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liv-hewson/actors-don-t-hate-acting-most-people-don-t-hate-acting-whether-you-re/) [Liv Hewson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liv-hewson/) > [It was only when I went to acting school that I was like, "You are absolutely such a pigheaded freak show that you thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-matthey/it-was-only-when-i-went-to-acting-school-that-i-was-like-you-are/) [Giles Matthey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-matthey/) > [Once I committed to acting, this has been it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-hudson/once-i-committed-to-acting-this-has-been-it/) [Ernie Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-hudson/) > [It definitely helps to have the acting experience going into singing, because when you're singing, you have to portray the emotion you were feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-newman/it-definitely-helps-to-have-the-acting-experience-going-into-singing/) Ryan Newman > [The show was number one in the ratings, Gordon Russell was our head writer, the story lines were magnificent and the acting most exciting.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-storm/the-show-was-number-one-in-the-ratings-gordon-russell-was-our-head/) [Michael Storm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-storm/) > [I've done so many other projects where you're in a room with a reader and you're acting your lines out: 'We have to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cummings/i-ve-done-so-many-other-projects-where-you-re-in-a-room-with-a-reader/) [Jim Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cummings/) > [I do not believe in public shaming. I do believe that young adults go to college to learn things, and that this process will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/i-do-not-believe-in-public-shaming-i-do-believe-that-young-adults-go/) [Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/) > [Poetry has, in a way, been my bridge to my acting career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omari-hardwick/poetry-has-in-a-way-been-my-bridge-to-my-acting-career/) [Omari Hardwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omari-hardwick/) [Browse all 12,062 Acting quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There are really only two ways to approach life - as victim or as gallant fighter - and you must decide if you want to act or react, deal your own cards or play with a stacked deck. And if you don't decide which way to play with life, it always plays with you.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Merle Shain" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merle-shain/there-are-really-only-two-ways-to-approach-life-as-victim-or-as/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Acting" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merle-shain/there-are-really-only-two-ways-to-approach-life-as-victim-or-as/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff6/merle-shain-11858_acting_there-are-really-only-two-ways-to-approa_1963520.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff6/merle-shain-11858_acting_there-are-really-only-two-ways-to-approa_1963520.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff6/merle-shain-11858_acting_there-are-really-only-two-ways-to-approa_1963520.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There are really only two ways to approach life - as victim or as gallant fighter - and you must decide if…” — Merle Shain", "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": "Merle Shain", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merle-shain/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There are really only two ways...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merle-shain/there-are-really-only-two-ways-to-approach-life-as-victim-or-as/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merle-shain/there-are-really-only-two-ways-to-approach-life-as-victim-or-as/#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 } } ] } ```