--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We still can't control the consequences…" description: "\"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 that whatever we ch..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed1/renata-salecl-28047_choice_we-still-can-t-control-the-consequences_596824.jpg" --- # We still can't control the consequences our choices will… ![“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 that whatever we choose will be exactly as we envisioned it.” quote by Renata Salecl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed1/renata-salecl-28047_choice_we-still-can-t-control-the-consequences_596824.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed1/renata-salecl-28047_choice_we-still-can-t-control-the-consequences_596824.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed1/renata-salecl-28047_choice_we-still-can-t-control-the-consequences_596824.jpg) > “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 that whatever we choose will be exactly as we envisioned it.” [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. People desire freedom but also seek certainty, creating a paradox where choice feels both empowering and threatening. **In simple terms:** Freedom seeks certainty. Key Takeaway Embrace uncertainty while making choices. Themes freedom choice certainty paradox psychology Mood thoughtful analytical Type psychological motivational When to use this quote - career planning - relationship decisions - personal goal setting - risk assessment Key Concepts existential freedom decision theory anxiety Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance desire for freedom with need for security? - What strategies help tolerate uncertainty? A Different Perspective Guaranteeing outcomes is impossible; over‑analysis can paralyze. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice/) [Choice Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice-want-1017718/) [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Consequence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consequence/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Freedom Choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom-choice-238332/) [Freedom of choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom-of-choice/) [Want Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want-freedom-331543/) ## Related quotes > [Freedom of choice is what we want but freedom from choice is what we need.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-marie/freedom-of-choice-is-what-we-want-but-freedom-from-choice-is-what-we/) [Anna Marie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-marie/) > [I was 37 when my father died-and I no longer had any freedom of choice over what I would do with the rest of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-was-37-when-my-father-died-and-i-no-longer-had-any-freedom-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“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/) > [Every market has some rules and boundaries that restrict freedom of choice. A market looks free only because we so unconditionally accept its underlying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ha-joon-chang/every-market-has-some-rules-and-boundaries-that-restrict-freedom-of/) [Ha-Joon Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ha-joon-chang/) > [“... freedom of choice is possible. Life is going to unfold however it does: pleasant or unpleasant, disappointing or thrilling, expected or unexpected, all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-boorstein/freedom-of-choice-is-possible-life-is-going-to-unfold-however-it-does/) [Sylvia Boorstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-boorstein/) > [In America, we have freedom of choice. But some are free to choose between Lamborghini and Rolls Royce while others are free to choose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-morello/in-america-we-have-freedom-of-choice-but-some-are-free-to-choose/) [Tom Morello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-morello/) > [Without freedom of choice, there is no creativity. Without creativity, there is no life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-spock/without-freedom-of-choice-there-is-no-creativity-without-creativity/) [Benjamin Spock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-spock/) > [“A Poem By Maximum Ride How does one describe freedom, How can one call themselves free, How does one sleep at night knowing all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/a-poem-by-maximum-ride-how-does-one-describe-freedom-how-can-one-call/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [I grew up with injustice and could do nothing about it. But once in America, I had freedom of choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zainab-salbi/i-grew-up-with-injustice-and-could-do-nothing-about-it-but-once-in/) [Zainab Salbi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zainab-salbi/) > [Without freedom of choice there is no creativity. The body dies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-t-kirk/without-freedom-of-choice-there-is-no-creativity-the-body-dies/) [James T Kirk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-t-kirk/) > [My gift to you will be to take away your freedom of choice for a while. Freedom can be very unhealthy and unproductive. Instead,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-filipacchi/my-gift-to-you-will-be-to-take-away-your-freedom-of-choice-for-a/) [Amanda Filipacchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-filipacchi/) > [Today, as never before, the issue is clearly defined-liberty and freedom of choice, or oppression and subjugation for the individual and for nations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-o-mckay/today-as-never-before-the-issue-is-clearly-defined-liberty-and/) [David O. McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-o-mckay/) > [We owe this freedom of choice and action to those men and women in uniform who have served this nation and its interests in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/we-owe-this-freedom-of-choice-and-action-to-those-men-and-women-in/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [We need the children of Indonesia and the Philippines to manufacture our freedom of choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-maron/we-need-the-children-of-indonesia-and-the-philippines-to-manufacture/) [Marc Maron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-maron/) > [Voting is a meaningless exercise. I'm not going to waste my time with it. These parties, these politicians are given to us as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/voting-is-a-meaningless-exercise-i-m-not-going-to-waste-my-time-with/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) ## 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/) > [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/) > [The position of the hysterical subject is that he or she always guesses what is behind the curtain, that is why such a subject…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renata-salecl/the-position-of-the-hysterical-subject-is-that-he-or-she-always/) [Renata Salecl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renata-salecl/) [Explore all 20 Renata Salecl quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renata-salecl/) ## 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": "We still can't control the consequences our choices will bring. 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