Actors Quote by Milan Kundera
“There is no means of testing which decision is better, because there is no basis for comparison. We live everything as it comes, without warning, like an actor going on cold. And what can life be worth if the first rehearsal for life is life itself? That is why life is always like a sketch. No, "sketch" is not quite a word, because a sketch is an outline of something, the groundwork for a picture, whereas the sketch that is our life is a sketch for nothing, an outline with no picture.”
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Unbearable Lightness of Being, 1984
Life lacks a definitive metric for better decisions; it unfolds unpredictably like an unplanned sketch without a final picture.
In simple terms: Life is unpredictable and lacks a clear standard for judging choices.
Key Takeaway
Embrace uncertainty and live without needing a perfect plan.
Themes
uncertainty
existence
meaninglessness
Mood
reflective
philosophical
Type
literary
inspirational
When to use this quote
- career planning
- relationship choices
- creative projects
Key Concepts
existentialism
absurdity
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you find meaning amid uncertainty?
- Can you accept life as an unfinished sketch?
A Different Perspective
Seeking certainty can cause anxiety and paralysis.
![“We can never know what to want, because, living only one life, we can neither compare it with our previous lives nor perfect it in our lives to come. [...] There is no means of testing which decision is better, because there is no basis for comparison. We live everything as it comes, without…” quote by Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ae5/milan-kundera-120_life_we-can-never-know-what-to-want-because-l_2207987.jpg)
![“We can never know what we want, because, living only one life, we can neither compare it with our previous lives nor perfect it in our lives to come. [...] And what can life be worth if the first rehearsal for life is life itself? That is why life is always like a sketch. No, 'sketch' is not quite…” quote by Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ab4/milan-kundera-120_life_we-can-never-know-what-we-want-because-l_1124146.jpg)
