--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Contrary to what we've been told, life is…" description: "\"“Contrary to what we've been told, life is simple. We complicate matters with our choices.”\" — Michelle Richardson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8be/michelle-richardson-263166_choices_contrary-to-what-we-ve-been-told-life-is_290145.jpg" --- # Contrary to what we've been told, life is simple. We… ![“Contrary to what we've been told, life is simple. We complicate matters with our choices.” quote by Michelle Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8be/michelle-richardson-263166_choices_contrary-to-what-we-ve-been-told-life-is_290145.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8be/michelle-richardson-263166_choices_contrary-to-what-we-ve-been-told-life-is_290145.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8be/michelle-richardson-263166_choices_contrary-to-what-we-ve-been-told-life-is_290145.jpg) > ““Contrary to what we've been told, life is simple. We complicate matters with our choices.”” Michelle Richardson ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life is inherently simple; complications arise from our choices. **In simple terms:** Life is simple, choices complicate it. Key Takeaway Make mindful decisions. Themes simplicity choice complexity life philosophy Mood contemplative thoughtful Type Choices:1 Complicated:1 Life:1 Life is simple:1 Life Simple:1 Told Life:0 Complicate Matters:1 Matters Choices:1 When to use this quote - daily planning - ethical dilemmas - personal reflection Key Concepts decision theory human nature existential thought Questions to Reflect On - Which choices have complicated your life? - How can simplicity be restored? A Different Perspective Not all choices are equally impactful. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life is simple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-is-simple/) ## Related quotes > [“Life is simple, but we insist on making it complicated. —Confucius”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeb-blount/life-is-simple-but-we-insist-on-making-it-complicated-confucius/) [Jeb Blount](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeb-blount/) > [“Life is simple. You're the one making things complex.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-grafton/life-is-simple-you-re-the-one-making-things-complex/) [Sue Grafton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-grafton/) > [Life is simple, don't make it complicated...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiya/life-is-simple-don-t-make-it-complicated/) [Jiya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiya/) > [“I require simple things. You, My children of dust, always complicate matters.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-larson/i-require-simple-things-you-my-children-of-dust-always-complicate/) R.J. Larson > [When all else fails, complicate matters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-allston/when-all-else-fails-complicate-matters/) [Aaron Allston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-allston/) > [A brand is a storehouse of trust that matters more and more as choices multiply. People want to simplify their lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niall-fitzgerald/a-brand-is-a-storehouse-of-trust-that-matters-more-and-more-as/) Niall FitzGerald > [“We work our whole lives trying to get rich so we can impress the world with our fancy houses and cars, but in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-s-bailey/we-work-our-whole-lives-trying-to-get-rich-so-we-can-impress-the/) [J.S. Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-s-bailey/) > [My material life is simple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustavo-dudamel/my-material-life-is-simple/) [Gustavo Dudamel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustavo-dudamel/) > [Life is simple. Life is not complicated. Life is only one thing: Identify yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harbhajan-singh-yogi/life-is-simple-life-is-not-complicated-life-is-only-one-thing/) [Harbhajan Singh Yogi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harbhajan-singh-yogi/) > [Life is simple: go for it if you like, treasure it if you have got it, forget it if you lose it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-simple-go-for-it-if-you-like-treasure-it-if-you-have-got-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Life is simple but It will awesome when you know how to use.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sopharat/life-is-simple-but-it-will-awesome-when-you-know-how-to-use/) Sopharat > [Once you accept that you can do absolutely anything you really want to do, life is simple. You only have to decide what's worth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/once-you-accept-that-you-can-do-absolutely-anything-you-really-want/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life is simple: Make choices and don't look back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sung-kang/life-is-simple-make-choices-and-don-t-look-back/) [Sung Kang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sung-kang/) > [Life is simple, you make a choice and dont look back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-simple-you-make-a-choice-and-dont-look-back/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [This is your LIFE do what you love, and do it often. If you don't like something, change it. If you don't like your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-is-your-life-do-what-you-love-and-do-it-often-if-you-don-t-like/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More Choices quotes > [Of all the people who have affected my life and influenced the choices I've made, none has been more important than my father. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-atlas/of-all-the-people-who-have-affected-my-life-and-influenced-the/) [Teddy Atlas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-atlas/) > [“Don’t allow anyone to pressure you into taking a job in a field that doesn’t feel right in your gut. You are the one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-james/don-t-allow-anyone-to-pressure-you-into-taking-a-job-in-a-field-that/) Alison James > [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/) Pancho Barnes > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Movies have power. Power to impact society and the choices we make. I want to entertain, but I also want to say something to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-prince-bythewood/movies-have-power-power-to-impact-society-and-the-choices-we-make-i/) [Gina Prince-Bythewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-prince-bythewood/) > [If you have a different mindset, you will have a different outcome: if you make different choices from your peers, your life will then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-you-have-a-different-mindset-you-will-have-a-different-outcome-if/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [Personally, I prefer contemporary films, but the market calls for more period choices, especially since China opened up a cinema market in Hong Kong.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donnie-yen/personally-i-prefer-contemporary-films-but-the-market-calls-for-more/) [Donnie Yen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnie-yen/) > [Clarissa," he said, "here with the vampire, I see. When things have settled a bit, we really must discuss you choice in pets..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/clarissa-he-said-here-with-the-vampire-i-see-when-things-have-settled/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [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/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [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/) > [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/) > [Give me a platter of choice finnan haddie, freshly cooked in its bath of water and milk, add melted butter, a slice or two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-claiborne/give-me-a-platter-of-choice-finnan-haddie-freshly-cooked-in-its-bath/) [Craig Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-claiborne/) > [I don't know that any woman could ever not think about that at some point - even making the choice not to do it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-watts/i-don-t-know-that-any-woman-could-ever-not-think-about-that-at-some/) [Naomi Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-watts/) > [In this choice of inheritance we have given to our frame of polity the image of a relation in blood; binding up the constitution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/in-this-choice-of-inheritance-we-have-given-to-our-frame-of-polity/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) [Browse all 11,466 Choices quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Contrary to what we've been told, life is simple. 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