--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We can never know what to want, because…" description: "\"“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. ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae5/milan-kundera-120_life_we-can-never-know-what-to-want-because-l_2207987.jpg" --- # We can never know what to want, because, living only one… ![“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/i/ae5/milan-kundera-120_life_we-can-never-know-what-to-want-because-l_2207987.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae5/milan-kundera-120_life_we-can-never-know-what-to-want-because-l_2207987.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae5/milan-kundera-120_life_we-can-never-know-what-to-want-because-l_2207987.jpg) > ““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 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 the 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.”” [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life lacks a definitive reference point, making desires and decisions uncertain, like an unfinished sketch without a final picture. **In simple terms:** Life is uncertain and lacks a clear picture. Key Takeaway Accept uncertainty and act in the present. Themes existentialism uncertainty choice meaning impermanence Mood contemplative melancholic Type philosophical reflective literary When to use this quote - personal decision making - career planning - relationships - creative projects Key Concepts philosophical reflection subjectivity comparative analysis Questions to Reflect On - How do you make choices without a clear future picture? - What does living as a sketch mean for your goals? A Different Perspective Life’s unpredictability can lead to paralysis or regret if not embraced. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life itself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-itself/) ## Related quotes > [There is no means of testing which decision is better, because there is no basis for comparison. We live everything as it comes, without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/there-is-no-means-of-testing-which-decision-is-better-because-there/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“y life is always like a sketch. No, sketch is not quite the word, because a sketch is an outline of something, the groundwork…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/y-life-is-always-like-a-sketch-no-sketch-is-not-quite-the-word/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“We can never know what we want, because, living only one life, we can neither compare it with our previous lives nor perfect it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/we-can-never-know-what-we-want-because-living-only-one-life-we-can/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“we live everything as it comes, without warning , like an actor going on cold. and what can life be worth if the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/we-live-everything-as-it-comes-without-warning-like-an-actor-going-on-2/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“Magozzi was still smiling, which seemed absolutely inappropriate given the information he was about to deliver, but when had life ever been anything but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-tracy/magozzi-was-still-smiling-which-seemed-absolutely-inappropriate-given/) [P.J. Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-tracy/) > [There is force and vitality in a first sketch from life which the after-work rarely has... In your sketches keep the first vivid impression!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-morris-hunt/there-is-force-and-vitality-in-a-first-sketch-from-life-which-the/) [William Morris Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-morris-hunt/) > [There is force and vitality in a first sketch from life which the after-work rarely has. You want a picture to seize you as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-morris-hunt/there-is-force-and-vitality-in-a-first-sketch-from-life-which-the-2/) [William Morris Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-morris-hunt/) > [I call it 'the Etch A Sketch life.' Every few years, you should shake that thing up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tesh/i-call-it-the-etch-a-sketch-life-every-few-years-you-should-shake/) [John Tesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tesh/) > [I am a keen medievalist and like going around museums and ruins and finding out about the people and local culture. I'm not one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jools-holland/i-am-a-keen-medievalist-and-like-going-around-museums-and-ruins-and/) [Jools Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jools-holland/) > [I like to sketch and draw and a lot of people don't know is that I drew a lot of my tats.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-beal/i-like-to-sketch-and-draw-and-a-lot-of-people-don-t-know-is-that-i/) [Bradley Beal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-beal/) > [I don't really like sketch shows and panel shows. I just can't get my head round them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-evans/i-don-t-really-like-sketch-shows-and-panel-shows-i-just-can-t-get-my/) [Lee Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-evans/) > [We can never know what to want, because, living only one life, we can neither compare it with our previous lives nor perfect it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/we-can-never-know-what-to-want-because-living-only-one-life-we-can-2/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“We can never know what to want, because, living only one life, we can neither compare it with our previous lives nor perfect it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/we-can-never-know-what-to-want-because-living-only-one-life-we-can/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [When we consider the beginning of our life, and compare the same with the eternal life, which we have in the promise, we cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jakob-bohme/when-we-consider-the-beginning-of-our-life-and-compare-the-same-with/) [Jakob Bohme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jakob-bohme/) > [“Milan Kundera, the Czech-born writer, has a pithy quote about this in his novel The Unbearable Lightness of Being: “Human life occurs only once,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-stephens-davidowitz/milan-kundera-the-czech-born-writer-has-a-pithy-quote-about-this-in/) [Seth Stephens-Davidowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-stephens-davidowitz/) ## More by Milan Kundera > [“The future is only an indifferent void no one cares about, but the past is filled with life, and its countenance is irritating, repellent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-future-is-only-an-indifferent-void-no-one-cares-about-but-the/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“From that time on they both looked forward to sleeping together. I might even say that the goal of their lovemaking was not so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/from-that-time-on-they-both-looked-forward-to-sleeping-together-i/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“Beauty in the European sense has always had a premeditated quality to it. We've always had an aesthetic intention and a long-range plan. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/beauty-in-the-european-sense-has-always-had-a-premeditated-quality-to/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [The beauty of New York is unintentional; it arose independent of human design, like a stalagmite cavern.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-beauty-of-new-york-is-unintentional-it-arose-independent-of-human/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Children, Never look Back!" and this meant that we must never allow the future to be weighed down by memory . for children have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/children-never-look-back-and-this-meant-that-we-must-never-allow-the/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“Our lives may be separate, but they run in the same direction, like parallel lines.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/our-lives-may-be-separate-but-they-run-in-the-same-direction-like/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“Having a child is to show an absolute accord with mankind. If I have a child, it's as though I'm saying: I was born…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/having-a-child-is-to-show-an-absolute-accord-with-mankind-if-i-have-a/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Love is a battle," said Marie-Claude, still smiling. "And I plan to go on fighting. To the end." Love is a battle?" said Franz.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/love-is-a-battle-said-marie-claude-still-smiling-and-i-plan-to-go-on/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“He remained annoyed with himself until he realized that not knowing what he wanted was actually quite natural. We can never know what to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/he-remained-annoyed-with-himself-until-he-realized-that-not-knowing/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“Whenever I think about ancient cultures nostalgia seizes me. Perhaps this is nothing but envy of the sweet slowness of the history of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/whenever-i-think-about-ancient-cultures-nostalgia-seizes-me-perhaps/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [When we ignore the body, we are more easily victimized by it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/when-we-ignore-the-body-we-are-more-easily-victimized-by-it/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“Do stories, apart from happening, being, have something to say? For all my skepticism, some trace of irrational superstition did survive in me, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/do-stories-apart-from-happening-being-have-something-to-say-for-all/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“Os extremos delimitam a fronteira para além da qual a vida termina, e a paixão pelo extremismo, tanto em arte como em política, é…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/os-extremos-delimitam-a-fronteira-para-al-m-da-qual-a-vida-termina-e/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [The characters in my novels are my own unrealized possibilities. That is why I am equally fond of them all and equally horrified by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-characters-in-my-novels-are-my-own-unrealized-possibilities-that/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Anyone whose goal is 'something higher' must expect someday to suffer vertigo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/anyone-whose-goal-is-something-higher-must-expect-someday-to-suffer/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) [Explore all 952 Milan Kundera quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) ## More Artist quotes > [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [“People in coats and ties were milling around the Talley gallery, and on the wall were the minimally rendered still lifes by Giorgio Morandi,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/people-in-coats-and-ties-were-milling-around-the-talley-gallery-and/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/) [Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/) > [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/) Taf Teh > [From as long as I can remember, I was always fond of drawing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-lucia/from-as-long-as-i-can-remember-i-was-always-fond-of-drawing/) [St. Lucia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-lucia/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) > [The sublime in art is the attempt to express the infinite without finding in the realm of phenomena any object which proves itself fitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/the-sublime-in-art-is-the-attempt-to-express-the-infinite-without/) [Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/) > [Art isn't done to decorate apartments, but to wage war against the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-isn-t-done-to-decorate-apartments-but-to-wage-war-against-the/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [Designers shouldn’t design for museums any more than mummies should die for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-caplan/designers-shouldn-t-design-for-museums-any-more-than-mummies-should/) [Ralph Caplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-caplan/) > [I don't believe in competitions between artists. 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I can't fix a car, sew, knit, cook, etc. Statistically, there is more I don't do than do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/i-am-a-horrible-visual-artist-i-can-t-fix-a-car-sew-knit-cook-etc/) [Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/) [Browse all 32,600 Artist quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“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 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. 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