--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Every time we decide for something, we…" description: "\"Every time we decide for something, we lose something else. Buying a car is a great example. A lot of people not only read ratings before they buy thei..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b23/renata-salecl-28047_buying-a-car_every-time-we-decide-for-something-we-lo_2978380.jpg" --- # Every time we decide for something, we lose something… ![“Every time we decide for something, we lose something else. Buying a car is a great example. A lot of people not only read ratings before they buy their car but they continue afterwards - to make sure they really made the right choice.” quote by Renata Salecl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b23/renata-salecl-28047_buying-a-car_every-time-we-decide-for-something-we-lo_2978380.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b23/renata-salecl-28047_buying-a-car_every-time-we-decide-for-something-we-lo_2978380.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b23/renata-salecl-28047_buying-a-car_every-time-we-decide-for-something-we-lo_2978380.jpg) > “Every time we decide for something, we lose something else. Buying a car is a great example. A lot of people not only read ratings before they buy their car but they continue afterwards - to make sure they really made the right choice.” [Renata Salecl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renata-salecl/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Every decision involves trade‑offs; we must accept loss when choosing, as illustrated by car purchases. **In simple terms:** Choosing means losing something else. Key Takeaway Accept trade‑offs in decisions. Themes decision‑making loss choice consumer behavior psychology Mood reflective practical Type personal economic When to use this quote - shopping - career moves - relationships - investment - time management Key Concepts trade‑off theory satisficing Questions to Reflect On - What criteria help you prioritize choices? - How do you cope with regret after a decision? A Different Perspective Too many options can cause paralysis. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Buying a car](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buying-a-car/) [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Right choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-choice/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [I'm not just buying a car... I'm buying a lifestyle!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-johnston/i-m-not-just-buying-a-car-i-m-buying-a-lifestyle/) [Lynn Johnston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-johnston/) > [With Zipcar, consumers avoid the upfront cost of buying a car, not to mention gas, insurance, and repairs. Plus, they reduce the number of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-jurich/with-zipcar-consumers-avoid-the-upfront-cost-of-buying-a-car-not-to/) [Lynn Jurich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-jurich/) > [Buying a car used to be an experience so soul-scorching, so confidence-splattering, so existentially rattling that an entire car company was based on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/buying-a-car-used-to-be-an-experience-so-soul-scorching-so-confidence/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [Consumers may put off buying a car, but they don't put off buying a vacation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dara-khosrowshahi/consumers-may-put-off-buying-a-car-but-they-don-t-put-off-buying-a/) [Dara Khosrowshahi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dara-khosrowshahi/) > [Congratulations on buying a car that will go 0-60 in 5 seconds whether you want it to or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/congratulations-on-buying-a-car-that-will-go-0-60-in-5-seconds/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't go by the ratings. I buy wine that tastes good. Statistically, anybody's ability to predict what will be a good wine a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-thaler/i-don-t-go-by-the-ratings-i-buy-wine-that-tastes-good-statistically/) [Richard Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-thaler/) > [“You are going to find that buying the car is much less satisfying than working for it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-m-sterner/you-are-going-to-find-that-buying-the-car-is-much-less-satisfying/) [Thomas M. Sterner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-m-sterner/) > [“When I counsel people who have been following God’s principles and have reached a point at which they can afford to drive any car…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celso-cukierkorn/when-i-counsel-people-who-have-been-following-god-s-principles-and/) [Celso Cukierkorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celso-cukierkorn/) > [There are not a ton of people buying cars - cars are expensive. So people usually go for the cheapest car they can get.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-paine/there-are-not-a-ton-of-people-buying-cars-cars-are-expensive-so/) [Chris Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-paine/) > [An old man marrying a young girl is like buying a car for somebody else to drive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/an-old-man-marrying-a-young-girl-is-like-buying-a-car-for-somebody/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [“It's one thing to guess or use trial and error with respect to trivial matters or decisions that can easily be reversed, but you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooks-jackson/it-s-one-thing-to-guess-or-use-trial-and-error-with-respect-to/) [Brooks Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brooks-jackson/) > [People tend to think that paying a debt is like going out and buying a car, buying more food or buying more clothes. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hudson/people-tend-to-think-that-paying-a-debt-is-like-going-out-and-buying/) [Michael Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hudson/) > [“Experiencing the outdoors or – even better, the untamed wilderness – imparts a certain wisdom about what is truly needed to be happy. Though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-foskett/experiencing-the-outdoors-or-even-better-the-untamed-wilderness/) [Keith Foskett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-foskett/) > [Although the quality of the vehicles is tremendously improving year after year but the underlying reasons that people are buying cars have really gotten…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-mulally/although-the-quality-of-the-vehicles-is-tremendously-improving-year/) [Alan Mulally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-mulally/) > [Whether you are buying a car or casting a ballot, choosing a job or planning a family, follow your moral compass. Don't let others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-hayes/whether-you-are-buying-a-car-or-casting-a-ballot-choosing-a-job-or/) [Denis Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-hayes/) ## More by Renata Salecl > [“The ego (one’s self-perception) is a very shaky structure, easily undermined by unconscious drives and desires. It is possible to repress those drives for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renata-salecl/the-ego-one-s-self-perception-is-a-very-shaky-structure-easily/) [Renata Salecl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renata-salecl/) > [Freud also said we choose our own neuroses. Capitalism is the neurosis of humanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renata-salecl/freud-also-said-we-choose-our-own-neuroses-capitalism-is-the-neurosis/) [Renata Salecl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renata-salecl/) > [“No matter how much we may try to manipulate our feelings of anger with the techniques these books suggest, in the end we will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renata-salecl/no-matter-how-much-we-may-try-to-manipulate-our-feelings-of-anger/) [Renata Salecl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renata-salecl/) > [We still can't control the consequences our choices will bring. Not only do we want freedom of choice, but we also want a guarantee…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renata-salecl/we-still-can-t-control-the-consequences-our-choices-will-bring-not/) [Renata Salecl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renata-salecl/) > [When I speak about the "tyranny of choice," I mean an ideology that originates in the era of post-industrial capitalism. It began with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renata-salecl/when-i-speak-about-the-tyranny-of-choice-i-mean-an-ideology-that/) [Renata Salecl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renata-salecl/) > [“The film nicely shows how a person may make a rational decision to achieve a goal while at the same time unconsciously doing everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renata-salecl/the-film-nicely-shows-how-a-person-may-make-a-rational-decision-to/) [Renata Salecl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renata-salecl/) > [“Love is linked to the fact that in the end we know nothing about the object that attracts us in the Other, and that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renata-salecl/love-is-linked-to-the-fact-that-in-the-end-we-know-nothing-about-the/) [Renata Salecl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renata-salecl/) > [“By working so hard at self-improvement we lose the energy and ability to participate in any form of social change”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renata-salecl/by-working-so-hard-at-self-improvement-we-lose-the-energy-and-ability/) [Renata Salecl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renata-salecl/) > [I do have the power. I can decide for myself what I want, even if the thought stresses me out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renata-salecl/i-do-have-the-power-i-can-decide-for-myself-what-i-want-even-if-the/) [Renata Salecl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renata-salecl/) > [One of the greatest gains of capitalism is that even the proletarian slave feels like a master. He believes he has the power to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renata-salecl/one-of-the-greatest-gains-of-capitalism-is-that-even-the-proletarian/) [Renata Salecl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renata-salecl/) > [Love emerges at the point of a lacking word, and one offers one's being to fill the lack.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renata-salecl/love-emerges-at-the-point-of-a-lacking-word-and-one-offers-one-s/) [Renata Salecl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renata-salecl/) > [A friend, who's a psychologist, told me about a patient once: a woman who was well educated, had a good job, a house and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renata-salecl/a-friend-who-s-a-psychologist-told-me-about-a-patient-once-a-woman/) [Renata Salecl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renata-salecl/) > [I don't criticize political or electoral freedom, but capitalism's perversion of the concept: the illusion that I hold the power over my own life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renata-salecl/i-don-t-criticize-political-or-electoral-freedom-but-capitalism-s/) [Renata Salecl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renata-salecl/) > [We can live a more relaxed life. We can accept that our decisions aren't rational, that we are always conditioned by society; that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renata-salecl/we-can-live-a-more-relaxed-life-we-can-accept-that-our-decisions-aren/) [Renata Salecl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renata-salecl/) > [Sigmund Freud already discovered that suffering gives us pleasure - in a strange masochistic way. The tyranny of choice exploits that weakness. Consumer culture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renata-salecl/sigmund-freud-already-discovered-that-suffering-gives-us-pleasure-in/) [Renata Salecl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renata-salecl/) [Explore all 20 Renata Salecl quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renata-salecl/) ## More Buying a car quotes > [Whether you are buying a car or casting a ballot, choosing a job or planning a family, follow your moral compass. Don't let others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-hayes/whether-you-are-buying-a-car-or-casting-a-ballot-choosing-a-job-or/) [Denis Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-hayes/) > [With Zipcar, consumers avoid the upfront cost of buying a car, not to mention gas, insurance, and repairs. Plus, they reduce the number of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-jurich/with-zipcar-consumers-avoid-the-upfront-cost-of-buying-a-car-not-to/) [Lynn Jurich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-jurich/) > [Although the quality of the vehicles is tremendously improving year after year but the underlying reasons that people are buying cars have really gotten…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-mulally/although-the-quality-of-the-vehicles-is-tremendously-improving-year/) [Alan Mulally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-mulally/) > [Buying a car used to be an experience so soul-scorching, so confidence-splattering, so existentially rattling that an entire car company was based on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/buying-a-car-used-to-be-an-experience-so-soul-scorching-so-confidence/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [People tend to think that paying a debt is like going out and buying a car, buying more food or buying more clothes. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hudson/people-tend-to-think-that-paying-a-debt-is-like-going-out-and-buying/) [Michael Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hudson/) > [An old man marrying a young girl is like buying a car for somebody else to drive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/an-old-man-marrying-a-young-girl-is-like-buying-a-car-for-somebody/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Congratulations on buying a car that will go 0-60 in 5 seconds whether you want it to or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/congratulations-on-buying-a-car-that-will-go-0-60-in-5-seconds/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm not just buying a car... I'm buying a lifestyle!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-johnston/i-m-not-just-buying-a-car-i-m-buying-a-lifestyle/) [Lynn Johnston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-johnston/) > [There are not a ton of people buying cars - cars are expensive. So people usually go for the cheapest car they can get.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-paine/there-are-not-a-ton-of-people-buying-cars-cars-are-expensive-so/) [Chris Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-paine/) > [Consumers may put off buying a car, but they don't put off buying a vacation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dara-khosrowshahi/consumers-may-put-off-buying-a-car-but-they-don-t-put-off-buying-a/) [Dara Khosrowshahi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dara-khosrowshahi/) > [“It's one thing to guess or use trial and error with respect to trivial matters or decisions that can easily be reversed, but you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooks-jackson/it-s-one-thing-to-guess-or-use-trial-and-error-with-respect-to/) [Brooks Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brooks-jackson/) > [“Experiencing the outdoors or – even better, the untamed wilderness – imparts a certain wisdom about what is truly needed to be happy. Though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-foskett/experiencing-the-outdoors-or-even-better-the-untamed-wilderness/) [Keith Foskett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-foskett/) > [Getting a university education shouldn't be like buying a car, where money talks, so the rich get to buy a brand new shiny Ferrari…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hartley-brewer/getting-a-university-education-shouldn-t-be-like-buying-a-car-where/) [Julia Hartley-Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hartley-brewer/) [Browse all 14 Buying a car quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buying-a-car/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Every time we decide for something, we lose something else. Buying a car is a great example. 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