--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think we are responsible for the…" description: "\"I think we are responsible for the universe, but that doesn't mean we decide anything.\" — Rene Magritte" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5af/rene-magritte-15247_decide_i-think-we-are-responsible-for-the-unive_869292.png" --- # I think we are responsible for the universe, but that… ![“I think we are responsible for the universe, but that doesn't mean we decide anything.” quote by Rene Magritte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5af/rene-magritte-15247_decide_i-think-we-are-responsible-for-the-unive_869292.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5af/rene-magritte-15247_decide_i-think-we-are-responsible-for-the-unive_869292.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5af/rene-magritte-15247_decide_i-think-we-are-responsible-for-the-unive_869292.png) > “I think we are responsible for the universe, but that doesn't mean we decide anything.” [Rene Magritte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-magritte/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We have a duty to the cosmos, yet we lack control over outcomes. **In simple terms:** Responsibility without control. Key Takeaway Act responsibly despite uncertainty. Themes responsibility cosmos determinism Mood thoughtful serious Type ethical existential When to use this quote - environmental activism - scientific research - policy making - personal choices Key Concepts philosophy ethics Questions to Reflect On - What can we truly affect? - How do we balance duty with humility? A Different Perspective Our influence is limited; over‑confidence can be harmful. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Physics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/physics/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe/) ## Related quotes > [“we are responsible for the Universe, because we are the Universe' (Brida)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/we-are-responsible-for-the-universe-because-we-are-the-universe-brida/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [We are responsible for the Universe because we are the Universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/we-are-responsible-for-the-universe-because-we-are-the-universe/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [In life, we don't know why things happen. I believe God is not responsible for the bad things that happen to you. Sometimes I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buck-brannaman/in-life-we-don-t-know-why-things-happen-i-believe-god-is-not/) [Buck Brannaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buck-brannaman/) > [All nations that have nuclear weapons think that they are responsible and it is the other guys who are irresponsible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-cirincione/all-nations-that-have-nuclear-weapons-think-that-they-are-responsible/) Joseph Cirincione > [“The universe doesn’t give you what you ask for with your thoughts; it gives you what you demand with your actions. In essence, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-maraboli/the-universe-doesn-t-give-you-what-you-ask-for-with-your-thoughts-it/) [Steve Maraboli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-maraboli/) > [“We take over six hundred pages of math and force-feed it to the universe through an electromagnetic funnel. We tell the universe ‘I don’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-clines/we-take-over-six-hundred-pages-of-math-and-force-feed-it-to-the/) [Peter Clines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-clines/) > [U are not responsible for what people think about you. But you are responsible for what you give them to think about you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/u-are-not-responsible-for-what-people-think-about-you-but-you-are/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I think that I am responsible for the death of thousands of things and for the misery of thousands of people, just through the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/i-think-that-i-am-responsible-for-the-death-of-thousands-of-things/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“To help our children gain responsibility we must offer them opportunities to be responsible, rather than order them to do what we think is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-fay/to-help-our-children-gain-responsibility-we-must-offer-them/) [Jim Fay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-fay/) > [“You’d think a responsible parent or two might’ve uttered the magic words “Settle the fuck down,” but nah.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-resnick/you-d-think-a-responsible-parent-or-two-might-ve-uttered-the-magic/) [Adam Resnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-resnick/) > [If you think someone or something other than yourself is responsible for your happiness or success, I'd guess you're not that happy or successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-liano/if-you-think-someone-or-something-other-than-yourself-is-responsible/) [Rob Liano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-liano/) > [A lot of people say that I'm an activist CEO. I just think I'm a responsible leader of a business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-schulman/a-lot-of-people-say-that-i-m-an-activist-ceo-i-just-think-i-m-a/) [Dan Schulman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-schulman/) > [“But I gave you my word, Tristran. And I will keep my word, and I have told Robert this/ I am responsible for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/but-i-gave-you-my-word-tristran-and-i-will-keep-my-word-and-i-have/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [Even though we're really, really happy with what we do, sometimes I think - as an adult, you think, 'Should I be more responsible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-lucia/even-though-we-re-really-really-happy-with-what-we-do-sometimes-i/) [St. Lucia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-lucia/) > [Your worries, your feelings, your thoughts arise in your own mind. You are totally responsible for all your feelings - how you feel, what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/your-worries-your-feelings-your-thoughts-arise-in-your-own-mind-you/) [Sri Sri Ravi Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/) ## More by Rene Magritte > [I want nevertheless to add that for me the world is a defiance of common sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-magritte/i-want-nevertheless-to-add-that-for-me-the-world-is-a-defiance-of/) [Rene Magritte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-magritte/) > [Everything we see hides another thing, we always want to see what is hidden by what we see, but it is impossible. Humans hide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-magritte/everything-we-see-hides-another-thing-we-always-want-to-see-what-is/) [Rene Magritte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-magritte/) > [We are surrounded by curtains. We only perceive the world behind a curtain of semblance. At the same time, an object needs to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-magritte/we-are-surrounded-by-curtains-we-only-perceive-the-world-behind-a/) [Rene Magritte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-magritte/) > [Everything that is visible hides something that is invisible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-magritte/everything-that-is-visible-hides-something-that-is-invisible/) [Rene Magritte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-magritte/) > [A thing which is present can be invisible, hidden by what it shows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-magritte/a-thing-which-is-present-can-be-invisible-hidden-by-what-it-shows/) [Rene Magritte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-magritte/) > [If one looks at a thing with the intention of trying to discover what it means, one ends up no longer seeing the thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-magritte/if-one-looks-at-a-thing-with-the-intention-of-trying-to-discover-what/) [Rene Magritte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-magritte/) > [“I despise my own past and that of others. I despise resignation, patience, professional heroism and all the obligatory sentiments. I also despise the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-magritte/i-despise-my-own-past-and-that-of-others-i-despise-resignation/) [René Magritte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-magritte/) > [The present reeks of mediocrity and the atom bomb.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-magritte/the-present-reeks-of-mediocrity-and-the-atom-bomb/) [Rene Magritte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-magritte/) > [Each thing we see hides something else we want to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-magritte/each-thing-we-see-hides-something-else-we-want-to-see/) [Rene Magritte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-magritte/) > [If the dream is a translation of waking life, waking life is also a translation of the dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-magritte/if-the-dream-is-a-translation-of-waking-life-waking-life-is-also-a/) [Rene Magritte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-magritte/) > [People who look for symbolic meaning fail to grasp the inherent poetry and mystery of the images.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-magritte/people-who-look-for-symbolic-meaning-fail-to-grasp-the-inherent/) [Rene Magritte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-magritte/) > [We must not fear daylight just because it almost always illuminates a miserable world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-magritte/we-must-not-fear-daylight-just-because-it-almost-always-illuminates-a/) [Rene Magritte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-magritte/) > [I have few illusions: the cause is lost in advance. As for me, I do my part, which is to drag a fairly drab…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-magritte/i-have-few-illusions-the-cause-is-lost-in-advance-as-for-me-i-do-my/) [Rene Magritte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-magritte/) > [Art evokes the mystery without which the world would not exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-magritte/art-evokes-the-mystery-without-which-the-world-would-not-exist/) [Rene Magritte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-magritte/) > [Painting bores me like everything else. Unfortunately, painting is one of the activities - it is bound up in the series of activities -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-magritte/painting-bores-me-like-everything-else-unfortunately-painting-is-one/) [Rene Magritte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-magritte/) [Explore all 43 Rene Magritte quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-magritte/) ## More Decide quotes > [“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/) > [DECIDE, v.i. To succumb to the preponderance of one set of influences over another set.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/decide-v-i-to-succumb-to-the-preponderance-of-one-set-of-influences/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [We do not know which irresponsible Israeli prime minister will take office and decide to use nuclear weapons in the struggle against neighboring Arab…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mordechai-vanunu/we-do-not-know-which-irresponsible-israeli-prime-minister-will-take/) [Mordechai Vanunu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mordechai-vanunu/) > [In New York, you are constantly faced with this very urgent decision that you have to make, about every twenty minutes...you have to decide,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cross/in-new-york-you-are-constantly-faced-with-this-very-urgent-decision/) [David Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cross/) > [Nothing is more private than a woman's body; it is her physical, emotional, and moral citadel. She cannot be free at all if she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-b-smedes/nothing-is-more-private-than-a-woman-s-body-it-is-her-physical/) [Lewis B. Smedes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-b-smedes/) > [LOOK before you pick,DECIDE WELL before you choose,because these two things are very important in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oluwatayo-oluwatoyosi/look-before-you-pick-decide-well-before-you-choose-because-these-two/) [Oluwatayo Oluwatoyosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oluwatayo-oluwatoyosi/) > [Decisions decide destiny, there is no action without decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/decisions-decide-destiny-there-is-no-action-without-decision/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [“Do you keep pace with those around you, or do you decide yourself just how you will live your life? The truth is...only you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-goodier/do-you-keep-pace-with-those-around-you-or-do-you-decide-yourself-just/) [Steve Goodier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-goodier/) > [All the people ought to decide, but now most states are tossed on the scrap heap and ignored](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-anderson/all-the-people-ought-to-decide-but-now-most-states-are-tossed-on-the/) [John Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-anderson/) > [Fear is going to be a player in your life, but you get to decide how much!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-carrey/fear-is-going-to-be-a-player-in-your-life-but-you-get-to-decide-how/) [Jim Carrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-carrey/) > [We cant choose our lives, but we can decide what to do with the joys or griefs were given.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/we-cant-choose-our-lives-but-we-can-decide-what-to-do-with-the-joys/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [It’s as easy as we choose to make it,” he murmured, pressing his forehead to mine. “At least, this decision is. Nothing’s truly easy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/it-s-as-easy-as-we-choose-to-make-it-he-murmured-pressing-his/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [What you believe in, is the life you decide.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keshia-chante/what-you-believe-in-is-the-life-you-decide/) [Keshia Chante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keshia-chante/) > [Heart is decide u want in ur life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raajni/heart-is-decide-u-want-in-ur-life/) Raajni > [I think hopefully we've got enough brain cells left to decide if our music is really worth something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-champion/i-think-hopefully-we-ve-got-enough-brain-cells-left-to-decide-if-our/) [Will Champion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-champion/) Browse all 1,644 Decide quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think we are responsible for the universe, but that doesn't mean we decide anything.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Rene Magritte" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-magritte/i-think-we-are-responsible-for-the-universe-but-that-doesn-t-mean-we/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Decide" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-magritte/i-think-we-are-responsible-for-the-universe-but-that-doesn-t-mean-we/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5af/rene-magritte-15247_decide_i-think-we-are-responsible-for-the-unive_869292.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5af/rene-magritte-15247_decide_i-think-we-are-responsible-for-the-unive_869292.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5af/rene-magritte-15247_decide_i-think-we-are-responsible-for-the-unive_869292.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think we are responsible for the universe, but that doesn't mean we decide anything.” — Rene Magritte", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Rene Magritte", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-magritte/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think we are responsible for...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-magritte/i-think-we-are-responsible-for-the-universe-but-that-doesn-t-mean-we/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-magritte/i-think-we-are-responsible-for-the-universe-but-that-doesn-t-mean-we/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```