--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: So what to do? . . . She shook her head…" description: "\"“So what to do? . . . She shook her head impatiently. Choice is a largely delusional concept, her tutor used to say. Whether in politics, morals or sho..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/239/reginald-hill-47538_choice_so-what-to-do-she-shook-her-head-impatie_1567525.jpg" --- # So what to do? . . . She shook her head impatiently… ![“So what to do? . . . She shook her head impatiently. Choice is a largely delusional concept, her tutor used to say. Whether in politics, morals or shopping, we have far less than we imagine. In the end what we have to do often doesn't even figure on our list of pseudo-options.” quote by Reginald Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/239/reginald-hill-47538_choice_so-what-to-do-she-shook-her-head-impatie_1567525.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/239/reginald-hill-47538_choice_so-what-to-do-she-shook-her-head-impatie_1567525.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/239/reginald-hill-47538_choice_so-what-to-do-she-shook-her-head-impatie_1567525.jpg) > ““So what to do? . . . She shook her head impatiently. Choice is a largely delusional concept, her tutor used to say. Whether in politics, morals or shopping, we have far less than we imagine. In the end what we have to do often doesn't even figure on our list of pseudo-options.”” [Reginald Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reginald-hill/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator argues that free choice is an illusion; many decisions are constrained by unseen factors, making true autonomy rare. **In simple terms:** Choice is often an illusion. Key Takeaway Recognize hidden constraints before deciding. Themes philosophy psychology decision‑making illusion Mood skeptical reflective Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - personal finance - career planning - political voting - ethical dilemmas Key Concepts determinism cognitive bias agency Questions to Reflect On - Do we truly have free will? - How can we uncover hidden influences on our choices? A Different Perspective The claim may overstate determinism, ignoring genuine agency in many contexts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice/) [Choice Largely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice-largely-2215322/) [Delusional Concept](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delusional-concept-5894168/) [Impatiently Choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impatiently-choice-5894170/) [Morals Shopping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morals-shopping-607190/) [Pseudo Options](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pseudo-options-5894169/) ## Related quotes > [What is the disposition which makes men rejoice in good bargains? There are few people who will not be benefited by pondering over the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/what-is-the-disposition-which-makes-men-rejoice-in-good-bargains/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [My career choice has largely been what I wanted to do. I always knew that technology would be one of the threads.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-reed/my-career-choice-has-largely-been-what-i-wanted-to-do-i-always-knew/) [Harper Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-reed/) > [So we in Congress have a very clear choice. We can take largely symbolic action and sit back and fiddle while Americans burn more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherwood-boehlert/so-we-in-congress-have-a-very-clear-choice-we-can-take-largely/) [Sherwood Boehlert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherwood-boehlert/) > [If you choose to draw from the inner well of free will, then you can make choices that are outside your current karmic patterns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/if-you-choose-to-draw-from-the-inner-well-of-free-will-then-you-can/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Change is inevitable but personal growth is a choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/change-is-inevitable-but-personal-growth-is-a-choice/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [“Amazing how a small choice can change your life forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-c-dockens/amazing-how-a-small-choice-can-change-your-life-forever/) [Randy C. Dockens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-c-dockens/) > [I have too many options when it comes to guitars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-nielsen/i-have-too-many-options-when-it-comes-to-guitars/) [Rick Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-nielsen/) > [There has always been a feeling with people that they love my singing but not always the choice of material.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-moyet/there-has-always-been-a-feeling-with-people-that-they-love-my-singing/) [Alison Moyet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-moyet/) > [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/) [Pancho Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pancho-barnes/) > [“too—I realized that my only hope was to give up the life that had been, in order to make room for the life that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-lesser/too-i-realized-that-my-only-hope-was-to-give-up-the-life-that-had/) [Elizabeth Lesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-lesser/) > [“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/) > [“In a world of fixed future, there can be no right or wrong. Right and wrong demand freedom of choice, but if each action…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lightman/in-a-world-of-fixed-future-there-can-be-no-right-or-wrong-right-and/) [Alan Lightman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lightman/) > [“That’s all! Now either leave us alone or join us as a father rather than a receiver of sacrifices. You have the choice of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/that-s-all-now-either-leave-us-alone-or-join-us-as-a-father-rather/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [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/) ## More by Reginald Hill > [“Hope is a black beetle. Stamp on it hard as you liked, it still scuttled on”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reginald-hill/hope-is-a-black-beetle-stamp-on-it-hard-as-you-liked-it-still/) [Reginald Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reginald-hill/) > [“The pain of ignorance can end. The pain of knowledge is forever”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reginald-hill/the-pain-of-ignorance-can-end-the-pain-of-knowledge-is-forever/) [Reginald Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reginald-hill/) > [“His attitude to physical clues was rather like that of the modern Christian to miracles. They could happen, but probably not just at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reginald-hill/his-attitude-to-physical-clues-was-rather-like-that-of-the-modern/) [Reginald Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reginald-hill/) > [“For the first time, she felt she’d laid a glove on Doll Trapp. ‘Well, you really are full of surprises,’ she said. ‘Interesting theory.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reginald-hill/for-the-first-time-she-felt-she-d-laid-a-glove-on-doll-trapp-well-you/) [Reginald Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reginald-hill/) > [“One of Dalziel's dicta for police and public was, if you can't be honest you'd better be fucking clever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reginald-hill/one-of-dalziel-s-dicta-for-police-and-public-was-if-you-can-t-be/) [Reginald Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reginald-hill/) > [“He was full of the glossy self-regard of men who shrugged off their importance in a way that only emphasized it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reginald-hill/he-was-full-of-the-glossy-self-regard-of-men-who-shrugged-off-their/) [Reginald Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reginald-hill/) > [Pace doesn't mean speed; it means the right speed. Diagnosis and cure are simple. If you've reached where you want to be in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reginald-hill/pace-doesn-t-mean-speed-it-means-the-right-speed-diagnosis-and-cure/) [Reginald Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reginald-hill/) [Explore all 8 Reginald Hill quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reginald-hill/) ## More Choice 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/) > [“That’s all! Now either leave us alone or join us as a father rather than a receiver of sacrifices. You have the choice of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/that-s-all-now-either-leave-us-alone-or-join-us-as-a-father-rather/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [“In a world of fixed future, there can be no right or wrong. Right and wrong demand freedom of choice, but if each action…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lightman/in-a-world-of-fixed-future-there-can-be-no-right-or-wrong-right-and/) [Alan Lightman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lightman/) > [“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/) > [“too—I realized that my only hope was to give up the life that had been, in order to make room for the life that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-lesser/too-i-realized-that-my-only-hope-was-to-give-up-the-life-that-had/) [Elizabeth Lesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-lesser/) > [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/) [Pancho Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pancho-barnes/) > [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [There has always been a feeling with people that they love my singing but not always the choice of material.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-moyet/there-has-always-been-a-feeling-with-people-that-they-love-my-singing/) [Alison Moyet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-moyet/) > [I have too many options when it comes to guitars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-nielsen/i-have-too-many-options-when-it-comes-to-guitars/) [Rick Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-nielsen/) > [“Amazing how a small choice can change your life forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-c-dockens/amazing-how-a-small-choice-can-change-your-life-forever/) [Randy C. Dockens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-c-dockens/) > [Change is inevitable but personal growth is a choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/change-is-inevitable-but-personal-growth-is-a-choice/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [If you choose to draw from the inner well of free will, then you can make choices that are outside your current karmic patterns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/if-you-choose-to-draw-from-the-inner-well-of-free-will-then-you-can/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Since I don't outline my books very much, I feel like sometimes I don't have a choice in what the characters do; they just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-todd/since-i-don-t-outline-my-books-very-much-i-feel-like-sometimes-i-don/) [Anna Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-todd/) > [Act always so as to increase the number of choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinz-von-foerster/act-always-so-as-to-increase-the-number-of-choices/) [Heinz von Foerster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinz-von-foerster/) > [Words can only have an effect on you if you choose to listen to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernajoy-vaal/words-can-only-have-an-effect-on-you-if-you-choose-to-listen-to-them/) [Bernajoy Vaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernajoy-vaal/) [Browse all 8,092 Choice quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“So what to do? . . . 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