--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The other possibility was that there was…" description: "\"The other possibility was that there was no right thing to say, that the choice wasn't between right and wrong but between wrong, more wrong, and as wr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/561/richard-russo-1691_choice_the-other-possibility-was-that-there-was_1817454.png" --- # The other possibility was that there was no right thing to… ![“The other possibility was that there was no right thing to say, that the choice wasn't between right and wrong but between wrong, more wrong, and as wrong as you can get.” quote by Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/561/richard-russo-1691_choice_the-other-possibility-was-that-there-was_1817454.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/561/richard-russo-1691_choice_the-other-possibility-was-that-there-was_1817454.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/561/richard-russo-1691_choice_the-other-possibility-was-that-there-was_1817454.png) > “The other possibility was that there was no right thing to say, that the choice wasn't between right and wrong but between wrong, more wrong, and as wrong as you can get.” [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Choosing between varying degrees of wrongness highlights moral ambiguity and the lack of a clear right answer. **In simple terms:** Moral choices can be all wrong. Key Takeaway Recognize nuance in ethical decisions. Themes ethics ambiguity decisionmaking Mood thoughtful serious Type philosophical practical When to use this quote - political negotiations - personal dilemmas - business ethics Key Concepts moral relativism complexity right vs wrong Questions to Reflect On - How do you navigate morally gray situations? - What criteria help prioritize lesser evils? A Different Perspective Sometimes a clear right exists. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice/) [Choice Wasn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice-wasn-1322636/) [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Possibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possibility/) [Possibility Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possibility-right-2099186/) [Right and wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-and-wrong/) [Right thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-thing/) [Say Choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/say-choice-364088/) [Wrong Wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrong-wrong/) ## Related quotes > [As I celebrated what was right with the world, I began to build a vision of possibility, not scarcity. Possibility... always another right answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dewitt-jones/as-i-celebrated-what-was-right-with-the-world-i-began-to-build-a/) [Dewitt Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dewitt-jones/) > [A happy home is one in which each spouse grants the possibility that the other may be right, though neither believes it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-happy-home-is-one-in-which-each-spouse-grants-the-possibility-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A theory has only the alternative of being right or wrong. A model has a third possibility: it may be right, but irrelevant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manfred-eigen/a-theory-has-only-the-alternative-of-being-right-or-wrong-a-model-has/) [Manfred Eigen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manfred-eigen/) > [If I'm fighting for the possibility of having a kind of desire and possibility, that right now is not too likely, it gives me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-hollibaugh/if-i-m-fighting-for-the-possibility-of-having-a-kind-of-desire-and/) [Amber Hollibaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-hollibaugh/) > [Right is right and wrong is wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrell-owens/right-is-right-and-wrong-is-wrong/) [Terrell Owens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrell-owens/) > [Right is right and wrong is wrong. And you can't wait until something nasty and horrible happens to then claim it's wrong, while you've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-beshear/right-is-right-and-wrong-is-wrong-and-you-can-t-wait-until-something/) [Andy Beshear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-beshear/) > [I've never made any choice or done anything that wasn't what I think it should be. I've never compromised, but I do listen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harald-zwart/i-ve-never-made-any-choice-or-done-anything-that-wasn-t-what-i-think/) [Harald Zwart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harald-zwart/) > [I thought I was going to die. I was a teenager. It was the hardest thing I’d ever gone through. It’d be contradictory if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicki-minaj/i-thought-i-was-going-to-die-i-was-a-teenager-it-was-the-hardest/) [Nicki Minaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicki-minaj/) > [You made your choice and it wasn't me, so if one day you try to come back and the choice is mine, baby it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-made-your-choice-and-it-wasn-t-me-so-if-one-day-you-try-to-come/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When you are the avatar for the writer/director, a lot of times, I just trusted him. If he had a choice, even if it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-bomer/when-you-are-the-avatar-for-the-writer-director-a-lot-of-times-i-just/) [Matt Bomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-bomer/) > [You made your choice, & it wasn't me. So one day if you try to come back & the choice is mine, it won't be you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-made-your-choice-it-wasn-t-me-so-one-day-if-you-try-to-come-back/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I didn't make it at Manchester United because I had no choice, I wasn't good enough, but I was lucky enough to go elsewhere…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robbie-savage/i-didn-t-make-it-at-manchester-united-because-i-had-no-choice-i-wasn/) [Robbie Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robbie-savage/) > [“At the end of the day, a choice was made and it wasn’t ours. So why get all bugabooed about it?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-r-smith/at-the-end-of-the-day-a-choice-was-made-and-it-wasn-t-ours-so-why-get/) [Benjamin R. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-r-smith/) > [People now tell me it's a good thing I stayed away from teen films. Well, it wasn't my choice. I wasn't hired.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-dern/people-now-tell-me-it-s-a-good-thing-i-stayed-away-from-teen-films/) [Laura Dern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-dern/) > [“She said, "Right now, while we have this time, I'm not going to do any of that other stuff. I'm going to seize this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-groeschel/she-said-right-now-while-we-have-this-time-i-m-not-going-to-do-any-of/) [Craig Groeschel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-groeschel/) ## More by Richard Russo > [“The problem with the contemplative life was that there was no end to contemplation, no fixed time limit after which thought had to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/the-problem-with-the-contemplative-life-was-that-there-was-no-end-to/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [“That, very simply, was what adulthood must be all about—acquiring the skill to bury things more deeply. Out of sight and, whenever possible, out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/that-very-simply-was-what-adulthood-must-be-all-about-acquiring-the/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [“Miles couldn't help admiring women for their ability to dismiss the evidence of their senses. If that's what explained it. If it wasn't simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/miles-couldn-t-help-admiring-women-for-their-ability-to-dismiss-the/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [That afternoon I came to understand that one of the deepest purposes of intellectual sophistication is to provide distance between us and our most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/that-afternoon-i-came-to-understand-that-one-of-the-deepest-purposes/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [“Lucy, who apparently had no idea his girlfriend's father held him in such low regard, agreed with Noonan that he was pushing the envelope,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/lucy-who-apparently-had-no-idea-his-girlfriend-s-father-held-him-in/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [Movies have to handle time very efficiently. They're about stringing scenes together in the present. Novels aren't necessarily about that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/movies-have-to-handle-time-very-efficiently-they-re-about-stringing/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [When authors who write literary fiction begin to write screenplays, everybody assumes that's the end. Here's another who's never going to write well again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/when-authors-who-write-literary-fiction-begin-to-write-screenplays/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [“There was something about spending money they didn't really have that made him optimistic about more coming in.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/there-was-something-about-spending-money-they-didn-t-really-have-that/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [Some authors have a very hard time understanding that in order to be faithful to the spirit of the book, it's almost always impossible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/some-authors-have-a-very-hard-time-understanding-that-in-order-to-be/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [HBO is really famous for hiring good people and staying out of their way until they ask for help, or need it. And that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/hbo-is-really-famous-for-hiring-good-people-and-staying-out-of-their/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [I don't think there's a shortage of material in the world. Or in my head. I just pray for continued good health, because I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-shortage-of-material-in-the-world-or-in-my/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [Where was the middle ground between a sense of adventure and just plain sense?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/where-was-the-middle-ground-between-a-sense-of-adventure-and-just/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [“Non basta una vita "One life isn't enough”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/non-basta-una-vita-one-life-isn-t-enough/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [“... Mr. Purty has cheered me up. The task he has chosen for himself, of wooing my mother with a bright red pickup truck,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/mr-purty-has-cheered-me-up-the-task-he-has-chosen-for-himself-of/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [“So what? Few men, Miles reflected, lived so comfortably within the confines of a two.word personal philosophy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/so-what-few-men-miles-reflected-lived-so-comfortably-within-the/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) [Explore all 214 Richard Russo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) ## 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": "The other possibility was that there was no right thing to say, that the choice wasn't between right and wrong but between wrong, more wrong, and as wrong as you can get.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Richard Russo" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/the-other-possibility-was-that-there-was-no-right-thing-to-say-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Choice" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/the-other-possibility-was-that-there-was-no-right-thing-to-say-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/561/richard-russo-1691_choice_the-other-possibility-was-that-there-was_1817454.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/561/richard-russo-1691_choice_the-other-possibility-was-that-there-was_1817454.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/561/richard-russo-1691_choice_the-other-possibility-was-that-there-was_1817454.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The other possibility was that there was no right thing to say, that the choice wasn't between right and…” — Richard Russo", "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": "Richard Russo", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The other possibility was that there...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/the-other-possibility-was-that-there-was-no-right-thing-to-say-that/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/the-other-possibility-was-that-there-was-no-right-thing-to-say-that/#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 } } ] } ```