--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In my life, had I ever made a decision…" description: "\"“In my life, had I ever made a decision harder than choosing between a French dip and a Reuben? How could I ever learn to make, and live with, such jud..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09a/paul-kalanithi-5204_choosing_in-my-life-had-i-ever-made-a-decision-ha_2818885.jpg" --- # In my life, had I ever made a decision harder than… ![“In my life, had I ever made a decision harder than choosing between a French dip and a Reuben? How could I ever learn to make, and live with, such judgment calls? I still had a lot of practical medicine to learn, but would knowledge alone be enough, with life and death hanging in the balance?” quote by Paul Kalanithi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09a/paul-kalanithi-5204_choosing_in-my-life-had-i-ever-made-a-decision-ha_2818885.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09a/paul-kalanithi-5204_choosing_in-my-life-had-i-ever-made-a-decision-ha_2818885.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09a/paul-kalanithi-5204_choosing_in-my-life-had-i-ever-made-a-decision-ha_2818885.jpg) > ““In my life, had I ever made a decision harder than choosing between a French dip and a Reuben? How could I ever learn to make, and live with, such judgment calls? I still had a lot of practical medicine to learn, but would knowledge alone be enough, with life and death hanging in the balance?”” [Paul Kalanithi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kalanithi/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Choosing between two similar options can feel life‑altering when stakes are high, yet the decision itself is a learning opportunity. **In simple terms:** Hard choices teach us about judgment. Key Takeaway Embrace uncertainty as a teacher. Themes decision making medicine ethics Mood introspective serious Type medical existential When to use this quote - clinical practice - career choices - personal dilemmas - ethical reviews Key Concepts philosophy psychology Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance knowledge with emotional readiness? - What strategies help live with difficult decisions? A Different Perspective Even with knowledge, outcomes remain uncertain, causing anxiety. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Decision making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision-making/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life and death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-and-death/) [Life decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-decision/) ## Related quotes > [Live without judgment, give without expecting, and love for no reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-sutter/live-without-judgment-give-without-expecting-and-love-for-no-reason/) [Rick Sutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-sutter/) > [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/) > [The decision is harder than the process of starting over...Gods work is never done, therefore I shall remain to smile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-decision-is-harder-than-the-process-of-starting-over-gods-work-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The question of when to start a family is not easy for any career woman. 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I needed time to get together with my family and closest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kepa-arrizabalaga/it-was-a-life-decision-deciding-which-path-to-take-in-my-career-i/) [Kepa Arrizabalaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kepa-arrizabalaga/) > [I always take everything serious when it comes to my career and my life, but this decision to go back to the cage is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-del-rio/i-always-take-everything-serious-when-it-comes-to-my-career-and-my/) [Alberto Del Rio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-del-rio/) > [“For me, it was a Gold Star day. 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For the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kalanithi/learn-to-be-fast-now-you-can-learn-to-be-good-later-in-the-or/) [Paul Kalanithi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kalanithi/) > [“I felt that the last thing he needed was the obligation to service a new friendship.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kalanithi/i-felt-that-the-last-thing-he-needed-was-the-obligation-to-service-a/) [Paul Kalanithi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kalanithi/) [Explore all 100 Paul Kalanithi quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kalanithi/) ## More Choosing quotes > [Our world is drowning in a sea of self-centeredness. You can make yourself quite unique right away by leaving this ocean of selfishness and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bytheway/our-world-is-drowning-in-a-sea-of-self-centeredness-you-can-make/) [John Bytheway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bytheway/) > [Choosing a job or business is the same thing. 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Sometimes, things are not always as we see or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanda-kaushik/anyone-who-will-look-at-my-life-from-the-outside-won-t-see-the/) [Chanda Kaushik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanda-kaushik/) > [I can always choose, but I ought to know that if I do not choose, I am still choosing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/i-can-always-choose-but-i-ought-to-know-that-if-i-do-not-choose-i-am/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [Choosing what you want to do, and when to do it, is an act of creation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-mcwilliams/choosing-what-you-want-to-do-and-when-to-do-it-is-an-act-of-creation/) [Peter McWilliams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-mcwilliams/) > [“So much must be established at birth . . . in the random choosing of a name.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-barich/so-much-must-be-established-at-birth-in-the-random-choosing-of-a-name/) [Bill Barich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-barich/) > [The thing that counts most in the pursuit of happiness is choosing the right companion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate/the-thing-that-counts-most-in-the-pursuit-of-happiness-is-choosing/) [Nate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate/) > [“In choosing a mate, don't pick the tallest and most handsome or the most beautiful. Don't choose one just because that person raises your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-quist-milligan/in-choosing-a-mate-don-t-pick-the-tallest-and-most-handsome-or-the/) Helen Quist Milligan > [I see myself as a roving mosquito, choosing it's target.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-williams/i-see-myself-as-a-roving-mosquito-choosing-it-s-target/) [Kenneth Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-williams/) > [Travel, I was coming to realize, was a metaphor not only for the countless options life offers but also for the fact that choosing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rolf-potts/travel-i-was-coming-to-realize-was-a-metaphor-not-only-for-the/) [Rolf Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rolf-potts/) > [“If I am to choose between integrity and wealth, I will go for integrity because I believe that lack of integrity is the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/if-i-am-to-choose-between-integrity-and-wealth-i-will-go-for/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [Every time I've gotten myself into trouble, it's because I'm choosing a project based on a long-term career goal as opposed to something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-reynolds/every-time-i-ve-gotten-myself-into-trouble-it-s-because-i-m-choosing/) [Ryan Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-reynolds/) > [Growing up as a singer, and a cast member, and now as an adult, a songwriter, I get the luxury of choosing the kinds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-mraz/growing-up-as-a-singer-and-a-cast-member-and-now-as-an-adult-a/) [Jason Mraz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-mraz/) Browse all 585 Choosing quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“In my life, had I ever made a decision harder than choosing between a French dip and a Reuben? 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