--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Once you accept anything as tacked down…" description: "\"Once you accept anything as tacked down, then you begin to build a structure, to accept limits. Then you have to make a choice as to whether or not you..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06e/peter-coyote-15778_accepting_once-you-accept-anything-as-tacked-down_726495.jpg" --- # Once you accept anything as tacked down, then you begin to… ![“Once you accept anything as tacked down, then you begin to build a structure, to accept limits. Then you have to make a choice as to whether or not you're going to accept that structure. If you do, you give up the notion of total freedom.” quote by Peter Coyote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06e/peter-coyote-15778_accepting_once-you-accept-anything-as-tacked-down_726495.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06e/peter-coyote-15778_accepting_once-you-accept-anything-as-tacked-down_726495.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06e/peter-coyote-15778_accepting_once-you-accept-anything-as-tacked-down_726495.jpg) > “Once you accept anything as tacked down, then you begin to build a structure, to accept limits. Then you have to make a choice as to whether or not you're going to accept that structure. If you do, you give up the notion of total freedom.” [Peter Coyote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-coyote/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Accepting constraints allows building structures, but also limits total freedom. **In simple terms:** Choosing to accept limits builds order but reduces absolute freedom. Key Takeaway Decide if you value order over absolute freedom. Themes freedom structure choice limits Mood contemplative serious Type reflective philosophical When to use this quote - career planning - personal relationships - creative projects - political activism Key Concepts philosophy existentialism agency Questions to Reflect On - Do you prefer structure or unrestricted freedom? - How do limits shape your creativity? A Different Perspective Total freedom is unattainable; constraints may foster growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advertising](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advertising/) [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Giving up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving-up/) [Limits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/limits/) [Structure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/structure/) ## Related quotes > [Hip-hop can be limiting and I refuse to accept limits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ll-cool-j/hip-hop-can-be-limiting-and-i-refuse-to-accept-limits/) [LL Cool J](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ll-cool-j/) > [“I knew well the painful futility of reaching for more than you were ever likely to get, how much easier it was to simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-engel/i-knew-well-the-painful-futility-of-reaching-for-more-than-you-were/) [Amy Engel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-engel/) > [“Do what you can to help people but have the wisdom to accept your limits.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/do-what-you-can-to-help-people-but-have-the-wisdom-to-accept-your/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [Once we accept our limits, we go beyond them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/once-we-accept-our-limits-we-go-beyond-them/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [The "can do" logic, by its own nature, does not accept limits. And an empire does not have a graceful way to evolve out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graciela-chichilnisky/the-can-do-logic-by-its-own-nature-does-not-accept-limits-and-an/) [Graciela Chichilnisky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graciela-chichilnisky/) > [Learn to accept your limits and you'll become a happier person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-d-burns/learn-to-accept-your-limits-and-you-ll-become-a-happier-person/) [David D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-d-burns/) > [It takes a lot of guts to come out to your friends and family. For most gay people, coming out is the most traumatic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martina-navratilova/it-takes-a-lot-of-guts-to-come-out-to-your-friends-and-family-for/) [Martina Navratilova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martina-navratilova/) > [The more I expect, the more unhappy I am going to be. The more I accept, the more serene I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox/the-more-i-expect-the-more-unhappy-i-am-going-to-be-the-more-i-accept/) [Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) > [Someone in this world will accept you for who you are, all you're going to have to do is accept that you're going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/someone-in-this-world-will-accept-you-for-who-you-are-all-you-re/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I felt like people weren't going to accept me as a pop artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hayley-kiyoko/i-felt-like-people-weren-t-going-to-accept-me-as-a-pop-artist/) [Hayley Kiyoko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hayley-kiyoko/) > [People are either going to accept me for who I am or they're not. I don't know what people think I'm hiding. I've heard,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittney-griner/people-are-either-going-to-accept-me-for-who-i-am-or-they-re-not-i/) [Brittney Griner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittney-griner/) > [I made my excuses and left, thinking, really, after a certain age, people are just going to do what they're going to do and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fielding/i-made-my-excuses-and-left-thinking-really-after-a-certain-age-people/) [Helen Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fielding/) > [I'm from Brooklyn, New York. I'm a hip-hop artist. That's just that. You're going to have to accept me or just not be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/astro/i-m-from-brooklyn-new-york-i-m-a-hip-hop-artist-that-s-just-that-you/) [Astro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/astro/) > [But I would make it unambiguously clear that we are going to withdraw, and if Iraq falls into civil war and if all these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-odom/but-i-would-make-it-unambiguously-clear-that-we-are-going-to-withdraw/) [William Odom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-odom/) > [I'm never going to search for anyone's acceptance. I'm just going to be me, and people are eventually going to have to accept it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-abstract/i-m-never-going-to-search-for-anyone-s-acceptance-i-m-just-going-to/) [Kevin Abstract](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-abstract/) ## More by Peter Coyote > [The terrible thing about being an actor is that it's not a solo occupation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-coyote/the-terrible-thing-about-being-an-actor-is-that-it-s-not-a-solo/) [Peter Coyote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-coyote/) > [I would say 90 percent of my mail and phone calls are from people who want some kind of help or succor or commitment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-coyote/i-would-say-90-percent-of-my-mail-and-phone-calls-are-from-people-who/) [Peter Coyote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-coyote/) > [In 2001, Texaco was bought by Chevron, and during deliberations concerning that sale, an 800 page document listing the problems and liabilities connected to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-coyote/in-2001-texaco-was-bought-by-chevron-and-during-deliberations/) [Peter Coyote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-coyote/) > [My gift seems to be that I am able to tell a story in a comprehensible and engaging way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-coyote/my-gift-seems-to-be-that-i-am-able-to-tell-a-story-in-a/) [Peter Coyote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-coyote/) > [I think you have a social responsibility as the villain, which is pretty different from the hero's responsibility. If you have any kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-coyote/i-think-you-have-a-social-responsibility-as-the-villain-which-is/) [Peter Coyote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-coyote/) > [I think it's good that people value their bodies and take care of them. I think if you cross the line and begin using…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-coyote/i-think-it-s-good-that-people-value-their-bodies-and-take-care-of/) [Peter Coyote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-coyote/) > [When I got to Grinnell College, I was part of the black turtleneck sweater and Camel cigarette crowd of poets and writers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-coyote/when-i-got-to-grinnell-college-i-was-part-of-the-black-turtleneck/) [Peter Coyote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-coyote/) > [Writing is something I can do by myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-coyote/writing-is-something-i-can-do-by-myself/) [Peter Coyote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-coyote/) > [When I went to get my master's in creative writing at San Francisco State after Grinnell, I joined the moribund remnants of the Actor's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-coyote/when-i-went-to-get-my-master-s-in-creative-writing-at-san-francisco/) [Peter Coyote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-coyote/) > [Acting is the way I make my living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-coyote/acting-is-the-way-i-make-my-living/) [Peter Coyote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-coyote/) > [My house and my garden are built as part of nature, not over it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-coyote/my-house-and-my-garden-are-built-as-part-of-nature-not-over-it/) [Peter Coyote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-coyote/) > [My dad was a very violent, frightening and dangerous guy. Next to him, I was this vague kind of kid who walked around, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-coyote/my-dad-was-a-very-violent-frightening-and-dangerous-guy-next-to-him-i/) [Peter Coyote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-coyote/) > [Business is a subset of the environment, not the other way around. You can't have a healthy economy, you can't have a healthy anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-coyote/business-is-a-subset-of-the-environment-not-the-other-way-around-you/) [Peter Coyote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-coyote/) > [Young people, for whom I should have been a role model and an uncle, duplicated my worst habits and died as a result.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-coyote/young-people-for-whom-i-should-have-been-a-role-model-and-an-uncle/) [Peter Coyote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-coyote/) > [Money is a way of creating scarcity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-coyote/money-is-a-way-of-creating-scarcity/) [Peter Coyote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-coyote/) [Explore all 42 Peter Coyote quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-coyote/) ## More Accepting quotes > [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/) [Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/) > [Laughing, laughing, laughing, laughing! It is the jester! A voice from the Void, to cheer poor Cicero! I accept your gift, dearest Night Mother.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/laughing-laughing-laughing-laughing-it-is-the-jester-a-voice-from-the/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [This duo inside of me causes the perfect opportunity to live and learn twice as fast as those who choose to accept simplicity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tupac-shakur/this-duo-inside-of-me-causes-the-perfect-opportunity-to-live-and/) [Tupac Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tupac-shakur/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [We only enter into the full life if our faith gives thanks. Because how else do we accept His free gift of salvation if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/we-only-enter-into-the-full-life-if-our-faith-gives-thanks-because/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [Don't be bitter. Everybody suffers. If you can accept your suffering then you will understand other people better. Be grateful for pain. Love life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/don-t-be-bitter-everybody-suffers-if-you-can-accept-your-suffering/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [It takes an unusually philosophic mind to accept that all one’s suffering might be to no end, really, in the larger scheme of things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-takes-an-unusually-philosophic-mind-to-accept-that-all-one-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [No nation being under another nation can accept gifts, and kick at the responsibility attached to those gifts, imposed by the conquering nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/no-nation-being-under-another-nation-can-accept-gifts-and-kick-at-the/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Even with clothing naked animals, there were people who wanted to send in money. A woman in Santa Barbara, California, sent a $40,000 check.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-abel/even-with-clothing-naked-animals-there-were-people-who-wanted-to-send/) [Alan Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-abel/) > [Society understands the architecture of academia and knows there are relevant qualifications in different fields, and the media accepts the idea of specialisations and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-griffiths/society-understands-the-architecture-of-academia-and-knows-there-are/) [Jay Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-griffiths/) > [Whatever your conscious mind assumes and believes to be true, your subconscious mind will accept and bring to pass. Believe in good fortune, divine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-murphy/whatever-your-conscious-mind-assumes-and-believes-to-be-true-your/) [Joseph Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-murphy/) > [Losing someone is easy, but accepting it is hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/losing-someone-is-easy-but-accepting-it-is-hard/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [… and so he tried to accept the ache in his heart as what Dr. Larch would call the common symptoms of normal life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/and-so-he-tried-to-accept-the-ache-in-his-heart-as-what-dr-larch/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [I think what was special about 'Music by Prudence' was the classic story of the title subject's life path - from being an outcast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-think-what-was-special-about-music-by-prudence-was-the-classic/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [As my films are born at the moment when they are reflected into another person's mind and memories, there are no misconceptions. I totally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pirjo-honkasalo/as-my-films-are-born-at-the-moment-when-they-are-reflected-into/) [Pirjo Honkasalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pirjo-honkasalo/) Browse all 6,788 Accepting quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Once you accept anything as tacked down, then you begin to build a structure, to accept limits. Then you have to make a choice as to whether or not you're going to accept that structure. 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