--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: life has a way of forcing decisions on…" description: "\"“life has a way of forcing decisions on those who vacillate.”\" — Nelson Mandela" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b17/nelson-mandela-248_decision-making_life-has-a-way-of-forcing-decisions-on-t_1801700.jpg" --- # life has a way of forcing decisions on those who vacillate. ![“life has a way of forcing decisions on those who vacillate.” quote by Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b17/nelson-mandela-248_decision-making_life-has-a-way-of-forcing-decisions-on-t_1801700.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b17/nelson-mandela-248_decision-making_life-has-a-way-of-forcing-decisions-on-t_1801700.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b17/nelson-mandela-248_decision-making_life-has-a-way-of-forcing-decisions-on-t_1801700.jpg) > ““life has a way of forcing decisions on those who vacillate.”” [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Indecision invites external forces to dictate outcomes, urging decisive action. **In simple terms:** Indecision leads to forced choices. Key Takeaway Act decisively. Themes decision‑making agency force Mood serious urgent Type inspirational practical When to use this quote - business strategy - personal life - political activism Key Concepts political theory behavioral economics Questions to Reflect On - What decisions are you avoiding? - How can you balance speed and thought? A Different Perspective Too rapid decisions can cause errors. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Decision making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision-making/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) ## Related quotes > [Don't force life. It has a way of forcing you back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/don-t-force-life-it-has-a-way-of-forcing-you-back/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [Forcing states to take refugees doesn't take Europe any further.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-kurz/forcing-states-to-take-refugees-doesn-t-take-europe-any-further/) [Sebastian Kurz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-kurz/) > [Leadership is not about forcing your will on others. It's about mastering the art of letting go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-jackson/leadership-is-not-about-forcing-your-will-on-others-it-s-about/) [Phil Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-jackson/) > [Lots of times I was out through forcing the game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-woolley/lots-of-times-i-was-out-through-forcing-the-game/) [Frank Woolley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-woolley/) > [There is a difference between willing and forcing. Willing something simply means you are not being lazy. Forcing something means you are trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/there-is-a-difference-between-willing-and-forcing-willing-something/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [“For once, Lemon. Please open for me without me forcing you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noyar-cecil/for-once-lemon-please-open-for-me-without-me-forcing-you/) [Noyar Cecil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noyar-cecil/) > [I have always believed that if you need to take your clothes off to get your man, you've begun to lose the battle. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bipasha-basu/i-have-always-believed-that-if-you-need-to-take-your-clothes-off-to/) [Bipasha Basu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bipasha-basu/) > [Forcing myself back to sleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanna-beth/forcing-myself-back-to-sleep/) [Hanna Beth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanna-beth/) > [I've been in situations, when I was younger, when I had people forcing me doing stuff that they don't want to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoh-aalegra/i-ve-been-in-situations-when-i-was-younger-when-i-had-people-forcing/) [Snoh Aalegra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoh-aalegra/) > [We will have a lot of video sessions and it will get mind-blowing for the guys. The training sessions are forcing you to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-hasenhuttl/we-will-have-a-lot-of-video-sessions-and-it-will-get-mind-blowing-for/) [Ralph Hasenhuttl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-hasenhuttl/) > [Performing live is difficult. But nobody's forcing us to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-sandoval/performing-live-is-difficult-but-nobody-s-forcing-us-to-do-it/) [Hope Sandoval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-sandoval/) > [“Forcing an answer only guarantees That no answer will come. -Six, The Power of Six”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pittaculus-lore/forcing-an-answer-only-guarantees-that-no-answer-will-come-six-the/) Pittaculus Lore > [One look at an email can rob you of 15 minutes of focus. One call on your cell phone, one tweet, one instant message…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-leo/one-look-at-an-email-can-rob-you-of-15-minutes-of-focus-one-call-on/) [Jacqueline Leo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-leo/) > [I don't think forcing an athlete to stay in school does anything for the athlete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-williams/i-don-t-think-forcing-an-athlete-to-stay-in-school-does-anything-for/) [Jay Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-williams/) > [If America is truly Israel's greatest ally, we should not be asking it to put its citizens and future at risk by forcing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-hasner/if-america-is-truly-israel-s-greatest-ally-we-should-not-be-asking-it/) [Adam Hasner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-hasner/) ## More by Nelson Mandela > [We must work together to ensure the equitable distribution of wealth, opportunity and power in our society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/we-must-work-together-to-ensure-the-equitable-distribution-of-wealth/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [Especially for those of us who lived in single cells, you had the time to sit down and think, and we discovered that sitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/especially-for-those-of-us-who-lived-in-single-cells-you-had-the-time/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [If you don't allow people to contribute, to offer their point of view, or to criticize what has been put before them, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/if-you-don-t-allow-people-to-contribute-to-offer-their-point-of-view/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [Courageous people do not fear forgiving, for the sake of peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/courageous-people-do-not-fear-forgiving-for-the-sake-of-peace/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [As a leader... I have always endeavored to listen to what each and every person in a discussion had to say before venturing my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/as-a-leader-i-have-always-endeavored-to-listen-to-what-each-and-every/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [Some of the mission groups that have been responsible for our education have not been part of the government. In fact, they acted contrary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/some-of-the-mission-groups-that-have-been-responsible-for-our/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [“I believed that I would become a counsellor to the Thembu king,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/i-believed-that-i-would-become-a-counsellor-to-the-thembu-king/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [What he means by this is that instead of saying you'll "try", you need to "do". And as we let our light shine, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/what-he-means-by-this-is-that-instead-of-saying-you-ll-try-you-need/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/i-learned-that-courage-was-not-the-absence-of-fear-but-the-triumph/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [We need to exert ourselves that much more, and break out of the vicious cycle of dependence imposed on us by the financially powerful:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/we-need-to-exert-ourselves-that-much-more-and-break-out-of-the/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [“Prison is a still point in a turning world, and it is very easy to remain in the same place in jail while the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/prison-is-a-still-point-in-a-turning-world-and-it-is-very-easy-to/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [A fundamental concern for others in our individual and community lives would go a long way in making the world the better place we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/a-fundamental-concern-for-others-in-our-individual-and-community/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [I am aware of what the position is in the United States of America. If somebody gives to charity, then he gets a tax…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/i-am-aware-of-what-the-position-is-in-the-united-states-of-america-if/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [It is our duty to give support to the brother leader ... especially in regards to the sanctions which are not hitting just him,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/it-is-our-duty-to-give-support-to-the-brother-leader-especially-in/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [It was during those long and lonely years that my hunger for the freedom of our own people became a hunger for the freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/it-was-during-those-long-and-lonely-years-that-my-hunger-for-the/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) [Explore all 809 Nelson Mandela quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) ## More Decision making quotes > [Making the right decision is hard,telling someone your decision is even harder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/making-the-right-decision-is-hard-telling-someone-your-decision-is/) [Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/) > [It is said that history turns on small hinges. A human career, too, results from an accumulating series of decisions about large and small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/it-is-said-that-history-turns-on-small-hinges-a-human-career-too/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [“Exactly. So, what can't you take? Decide which of the two options is harder, and do the other. That way, no matter how hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-angelini/exactly-so-what-can-t-you-take-decide-which-of-the-two-options-is/) [Josephine Angelini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-angelini/) > [“How can you make an informed decision about whether to save the world if you never leave your tiny part of it?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-david-hutchinson/how-can-you-make-an-informed-decision-about-whether-to-save-the-world/) [Shaun David Hutchinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-david-hutchinson/) > [Indecision becomes decision with time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/indecision-becomes-decision-with-time/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you think of people as making decisions actively, every time we think about the cup of coffee, we say, "How much will I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/if-you-think-of-people-as-making-decisions-actively-every-time-we/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [Decision is a risk rooted in the courage of being free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/decision-is-a-risk-rooted-in-the-courage-of-being-free/) [Paul Tillich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tillich/) > [I never think of things rationally or intellectually. I swear, every single decision I make is just instinct and my instincts tend to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neill-blomkamp/i-never-think-of-things-rationally-or-intellectually-i-swear-every/) [Neill Blomkamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neill-blomkamp/) > [“Slow down your thinking so you can note the criteria you are using to make your decision. 2. Write the criteria down as a principle.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/slow-down-your-thinking-so-you-can-note-the-criteria-you-are-using-to/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [My best business decision was to be independent as a musician and artist. My worst was compromising on certain aspects of a deal for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ziggy-marley/my-best-business-decision-was-to-be-independent-as-a-musician-and/) [Ziggy Marley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ziggy-marley/) > [“Making a decision takes a moment, living a decision takes a life-time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherif-a-el-mawardy/making-a-decision-takes-a-moment-living-a-decision-takes-a-life-time/) [Sherif A. El-Mawardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherif-a-el-mawardy/) > [Cheshvan starts tonight," Rixon said, "What are you doing arsing around in a graveyard?" "Thinking." "Thinking?" "A process by which I use my brain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becca-fitzpatrick/cheshvan-starts-tonight-rixon-said-what-are-you-doing-arsing-around/) [Becca Fitzpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becca-fitzpatrick/) > [The right decision is the wrong decision if it's made too late.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-iacocca/the-right-decision-is-the-wrong-decision-if-it-s-made-too-late/) [Lee Iacocca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-iacocca/) > [“The decisions we take reflects our belief and our charachter”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajnish-borah/the-decisions-we-take-reflects-our-belief-and-our-charachter/) Rajnish Borah > [I think most of us are raised with preconceived notions of the choices we're supposed to make. We waste so much time making decisions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-bullock/i-think-most-of-us-are-raised-with-preconceived-notions-of-the/) [Sandra Bullock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-bullock/) [Browse all 4,912 Decision making quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision-making/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“life has a way of forcing decisions on those who vacillate.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nelson Mandela" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/life-has-a-way-of-forcing-decisions-on-those-who-vacillate/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Decision making" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/life-has-a-way-of-forcing-decisions-on-those-who-vacillate/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b17/nelson-mandela-248_decision-making_life-has-a-way-of-forcing-decisions-on-t_1801700.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b17/nelson-mandela-248_decision-making_life-has-a-way-of-forcing-decisions-on-t_1801700.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b17/nelson-mandela-248_decision-making_life-has-a-way-of-forcing-decisions-on-t_1801700.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“life has a way of forcing decisions on those who vacillate.” — Nelson Mandela", "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": "Nelson Mandela", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“life has a way of forcing...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/life-has-a-way-of-forcing-decisions-on-those-who-vacillate/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/life-has-a-way-of-forcing-decisions-on-those-who-vacillate/#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 } } ] } ```