--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We've painted ourselves into a corner…" description: "\"We've painted ourselves into a corner where the only choice is real nightmare - triage, epidemic disease, famine, fascism, the collapse of human rights..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b4/terence-mckenna-287_choices_we-ve-painted-ourselves-into-a-corner-wh_670738.jpg" --- # We've painted ourselves into a corner where the only… ![“We've painted ourselves into a corner where the only choice is real nightmare - triage, epidemic disease, famine, fascism, the collapse of human rights - or a leap to an entirely different level. We've taken business-as-usual off the menu. Now only the extreme possibilities loom.” quote by Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b4/terence-mckenna-287_choices_we-ve-painted-ourselves-into-a-corner-wh_670738.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b4/terence-mckenna-287_choices_we-ve-painted-ourselves-into-a-corner-wh_670738.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b4/terence-mckenna-287_choices_we-ve-painted-ourselves-into-a-corner-wh_670738.jpg) > “We've painted ourselves into a corner where the only choice is real nightmare - triage, epidemic disease, famine, fascism, the collapse of human rights - or a leap to an entirely different level. We've taken business-as-usual off the menu. Now only the extreme possibilities loom.” [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Humanity faces a stark choice between catastrophic collapse and a radical transformation, demanding abandonment of complacent habits. **In simple terms:** Choosing between disaster and radical change. Key Takeaway Embrace bold, systemic change now. Themes crisis choice transformation environmental collapse political decay Mood urgent alarming motivational Type speech philosophical When to use this quote - policy reform - activism - community building - education initiatives Key Concepts existential risk systemic shift collective action Questions to Reflect On - What concrete steps can we take today? - How do we balance urgency with practicality? A Different Perspective Extreme scenarios can cause paralysis instead of action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Collapse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/collapse/) [Corners](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corners/) [Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different/) [Different level](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-level/) [Different levels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-levels/) [Disease](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disease/) [Disease Famine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disease-famine-1261223/) [Epidemics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/epidemics/) [Extreme Possibilities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extreme-possibilities-3302639/) [Extremes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extremes/) [Famine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/famine/) [Fascism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fascism/) [Hippie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hippie/) [Human rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-rights/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Leap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leap/) [Levels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/levels/) [Menus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/menus/) [Nightmare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nightmare/) [Nightmare Triage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nightmare-triage-5325605/) [Possibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possibility/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights/) [Taken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taken/) [Triage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/triage/) [Triage Epidemic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/triage-epidemic-5325606/) [Usual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/usual/) ## Related quotes > [The extreme possibilities are the most illuminating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mumford/the-extreme-possibilities-are-the-most-illuminating/) [David Mumford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mumford/) > [Holman's world is a worst case scenario but it's healthy to examine extreme possibilities. If the technology that is used for genetic enrichment in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-trigell/holman-s-world-is-a-worst-case-scenario-but-it-s-healthy-to-examine/) [Jonathan Trigell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-trigell/) > [Either a species learns to control its own population, or something like disease, famine, war, will take care of the issue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/either-a-species-learns-to-control-its-own-population-or-something/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [These often unsung heroes understand...that poverty, disease and famine are just as deadly and destructive as earthquakes, hurricanes and tsunamis. Individuals ...are taking on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/these-often-unsung-heroes-understand-that-poverty-disease-and-famine/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [“Recession, terrorism, debts, political turmoil, disease, famine, mortality... screw it, I'm putting googly eyes on things.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-guthrie/recession-terrorism-debts-political-turmoil-disease-famine-mortality/) [Charles Guthrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-guthrie/) > [I have time to write 1-2 novels per year, and get roughly novel-sized ideas every month. I have to perform triage on my own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stross/i-have-time-to-write-1-2-novels-per-year-and-get-roughly-novel-sized/) [Charles Stross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stross/) > [“That would certainly be a better name for this planet than Earth, since it would give people who just got here a clearer idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/that-would-certainly-be-a-better-name-for-this-planet-than-earth/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [I think as we get older, as we get more mature and more experienced, we do realize it's like, 'blah, blah, blah,' oh there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justine-bateman/i-think-as-we-get-older-as-we-get-more-mature-and-more-experienced-we/) [Justine Bateman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justine-bateman/) > [“Concepts of triage and medical rationing are a barometer of how those in power in a society value human life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheri-fink/concepts-of-triage-and-medical-rationing-are-a-barometer-of-how-those/) [Sheri Fink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheri-fink/) > [The term 'triage' normally means deciding who gets attention first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-dedman/the-term-triage-normally-means-deciding-who-gets-attention-first/) [Bill Dedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-dedman/) > [“Novel writing is mostly triage (this now, that later) and obstinacy. Trying something, and when that doesn't work, trying something else. Welcoming clutter Surrendering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/novel-writing-is-mostly-triage-this-now-that-later-and-obstinacy/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [My life is triage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-vachss/my-life-is-triage/) [Andrew Vachss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-vachss/) > [Reporters are not merely recording devices that take down what people say and repeat it in print; we are expected to use our knowledge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/reporters-are-not-merely-recording-devices-that-take-down-what-people/) [Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/) > [“To my eyes, the presence of a few families like these only brought into sharper relief the ambiguous morality of the evacuation. The marines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-w-french/to-my-eyes-the-presence-of-a-few-families-like-these-only-brought/) [Howard W. French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-w-french/) > [I do triage on everything that comes through the door, and if it's not something we need (now, for real-not maybe someday) or something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-herman/i-do-triage-on-everything-that-comes-through-the-door-and-if-it-s-not/) [Michelle Herman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-herman/) ## More by Terence McKenna > [History was an incredibly damaging experience, and now it's over . . . in a sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/history-was-an-incredibly-damaging-experience-and-now-it-s-over-in-a/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [We are somehow the children of the planet, we are somehow its finest hour; we bind time, we bind the past, we anticipate the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/we-are-somehow-the-children-of-the-planet-we-are-somehow-its-finest/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [The history of man that you don't know is what your unconscious is made out of. Just as the history of yourself that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/the-history-of-man-that-you-don-t-know-is-what-your-unconscious-is/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [We are consciousness. We may not always be monkeys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/we-are-consciousness-we-may-not-always-be-monkeys/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [What is happening here is we are living past the age, by the millions, living past the age where cultural values make any sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/what-is-happening-here-is-we-are-living-past-the-age-by-the-millions/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [What history is, essentially, is a careening, out-of-control effort to find our way back to this state of primordial balance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/what-history-is-essentially-is-a-careening-out-of-control-effort-to/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [And what is the primary datum? It's the felt presence of immediate experience. In other words, being here now is the primary datum.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/and-what-is-the-primary-datum-it-s-the-felt-presence-of-immediate/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [Our culture difinitely takes an egocentric dominator view. The fear of the psychedelic experience is quite literally the fear of losing control. Dominator types…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/our-culture-difinitely-takes-an-egocentric-dominator-view-the-fear-of/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [Every step into freedom contains within it the potential for greater bondage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/every-step-into-freedom-contains-within-it-the-potential-for-greater/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [This is the message of your life and my life - it’s that nothing lasts. Heraclitus said it: Panta Rhei. All flows, nothing lasts.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/this-is-the-message-of-your-life-and-my-life-it-s-that-nothing-lasts/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [I often like to think that our map of the world is wrong, that where we have centered physics, we should actually place literature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/i-often-like-to-think-that-our-map-of-the-world-is-wrong-that-where/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [Knowledge, or verbal facility, is no proof that you know what you're talking about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/knowledge-or-verbal-facility-is-no-proof-that-you-know-what-you-re/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [No culture on earth is as heavily narcotized as the industrial West in terms of being inured to the consequences of maladaptive behavior. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/no-culture-on-earth-is-as-heavily-narcotized-as-the-industrial-west/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [Man was not put on this planet to toil in the mud. Or the god who put us on this planet to toil in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/man-was-not-put-on-this-planet-to-toil-in-the-mud-or-the-god-who-put/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [If you take psychedelics and the Internet and music and put all of that together you have the basis for a new community that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/if-you-take-psychedelics-and-the-internet-and-music-and-put-all-of/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) [Explore all 745 Terence McKenna quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) ## More Choices quotes > [Of all the people who have affected my life and influenced the choices I've made, none has been more important than my father. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-atlas/of-all-the-people-who-have-affected-my-life-and-influenced-the/) [Teddy Atlas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-atlas/) > [“Don’t allow anyone to pressure you into taking a job in a field that doesn’t feel right in your gut. You are the one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-james/don-t-allow-anyone-to-pressure-you-into-taking-a-job-in-a-field-that/) [Alison James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-james/) > [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/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Movies have power. Power to impact society and the choices we make. I want to entertain, but I also want to say something to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-prince-bythewood/movies-have-power-power-to-impact-society-and-the-choices-we-make-i/) [Gina Prince-Bythewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-prince-bythewood/) > [If you have a different mindset, you will have a different outcome: if you make different choices from your peers, your life will then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-you-have-a-different-mindset-you-will-have-a-different-outcome-if/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [Personally, I prefer contemporary films, but the market calls for more period choices, especially since China opened up a cinema market in Hong Kong.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donnie-yen/personally-i-prefer-contemporary-films-but-the-market-calls-for-more/) [Donnie Yen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnie-yen/) > [Clarissa," he said, "here with the vampire, I see. When things have settled a bit, we really must discuss you choice in pets..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/clarissa-he-said-here-with-the-vampire-i-see-when-things-have-settled/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [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/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [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/) > [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/) > [Give me a platter of choice finnan haddie, freshly cooked in its bath of water and milk, add melted butter, a slice or two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-claiborne/give-me-a-platter-of-choice-finnan-haddie-freshly-cooked-in-its-bath/) [Craig Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-claiborne/) > [I don't know that any woman could ever not think about that at some point - even making the choice not to do it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-watts/i-don-t-know-that-any-woman-could-ever-not-think-about-that-at-some/) [Naomi Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-watts/) > [In this choice of inheritance we have given to our frame of polity the image of a relation in blood; binding up the constitution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/in-this-choice-of-inheritance-we-have-given-to-our-frame-of-polity/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) [Browse all 11,466 Choices quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We've painted ourselves into a corner where the only choice is real nightmare - triage, epidemic disease, famine, fascism, the collapse of human rights - or a leap to an entirely different level. 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