---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think we have a free will, and at the…"
description: "\"I think we have a free will, and at the same moment we don't. We have to live with that. It doesn't make sense intellectually, but that's because our i..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b29/wayne-dyer-158_always-trying_i-think-we-have-a-free-will-and-at-the-s_1855957.jpg"
---

#  I think we have a free will, and at the same moment we…

![“I think we have a free will, and at the same moment we don't. We have to live with that. It doesn't make sense intellectually, but that's because our intellect is always trying to come up with a logical, rational explanation for things. To do that, it puts labels on things. But once you label…” quote by Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b29/wayne-dyer-158_always-trying_i-think-we-have-a-free-will-and-at-the-s_1855957.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b29/wayne-dyer-158_always-trying_i-think-we-have-a-free-will-and-at-the-s_1855957.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b29/wayne-dyer-158_always-trying_i-think-we-have-a-free-will-and-at-the-s_1855957.jpg)

> “I think we have a free will, and at the same moment we don't. We have to live with that. It doesn't make sense intellectually, but that's because our intellect is always trying to come up with a logical, rational explanation for things. To do that, it puts labels on things. But once you label something, you've got twoness. You've got the label, and you've got what you're labeling. And there is only oneness in the universe, even though we artificially believe in twoness.”

[Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

We experience a tension between feeling free and recognizing constraints, because our intellect creates dualistic labels that mask the underlying unity of reality.

**In simple terms:** Freedom feels limited by our habit of labeling things as separate.

Key Takeaway

Recognize unity beyond labels.

Themes

freedom duality mindset spirituality

Mood

contemplative reflective

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- personal decision
- conflict resolution
- creative problem solving
- mindfulness practice

Key Concepts

nondualism psychology philosophy

Questions to Reflect On

- How does labeling affect your sense of freedom?
- Can you experience unity without mental categories?

A Different Perspective

Labeling can oversimplify complex phenomena, leading to false dichotomies.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Always trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/always-trying/) [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Believe Twoness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe-twoness-2468041/) [Come up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/come-up/) [Explanation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/explanation/) [Free](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free/) [Free will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-will/) [Intellect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellect/) [Labeling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labeling/) [Labels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labels/) [Logical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/logical/) [Make sense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-sense/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Oneness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oneness/) [Oneness Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oneness-universe-256082/) [Rational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rational/) [Rational Explanation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rational-explanation-882237/) [Things to do](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-to-do/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) [Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe/) [Universe Artificially](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe-artificially-2468042/)

## Related quotes

> [“Dad reckoned there was a rational explanation for everything, even things that made no sense at all. UFOs, ghosts, God - they're just the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martyn-bedford/dad-reckoned-there-was-a-rational-explanation-for-everything-even/)

[Martyn Bedford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martyn-bedford/)

> [It is fatal to let people suppose that Christianity is only a mode of feeling; it is vitally necessary to insist that it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/it-is-fatal-to-let-people-suppose-that-christianity-is-only-a-mode-of/)

[Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/)

> [As a philosopher, I have a right to ask for a rational explanation of religious faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/as-a-philosopher-i-have-a-right-to-ask-for-a-rational-explanation-of/)

[Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/)

> [We send our kids off to school to major in labeling and think the ones who do it best deserve the highest grades.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/we-send-our-kids-off-to-school-to-major-in-labeling-and-think-the/)

[Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/)

> [“Magic?' Kate snorted. 'There's no such thing. Is there?' 'Magic?' Barnabas shrugged. 'Why not? Magic is cool.' 'But there has to be a rational…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amelia-williams/magic-kate-snorted-there-s-no-such-thing-is-there-magic-barnabas/)

[Amelia Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amelia-williams/)

> [Whichever theory we adopt to give a rational explanation of human existence, that theory must take into account and explain the mental nature we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-keith/whichever-theory-we-adopt-to-give-a-rational-explanation-of-human/)

[Arthur Keith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-keith/)

> [The existence of mysterious relations between all these different domains is the most striking and delightful feature of mathematics (having no rational explanation).](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-arnold/the-existence-of-mysterious-relations-between-all-these-different/)

[Vladimir Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-arnold/)

> [“There is a rational explanation for everything, regardless of whether that explanation is known.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/koda/there-is-a-rational-explanation-for-everything-regardless-of-whether/)

[Koda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/koda/)

> [The enormous usefulness of mathematics in the natural sciences is something bordering on the mysterious and there is no rational explanation of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-wigner/the-enormous-usefulness-of-mathematics-in-the-natural-sciences-is/)

[Eugene Wigner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-wigner/)

> [“your unlikely pilgrimage and, indeed, the courage of the woman who sat in silence and waited for you. They have caused me to reflect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-joyce/your-unlikely-pilgrimage-and-indeed-the-courage-of-the-woman-who-sat/)

[Rachel Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-joyce/)

> [Not only are we going to shift in our own lives - away from always trying to identify ourselves on the basis of what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/not-only-are-we-going-to-shift-in-our-own-lives-away-from-always/)

[Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/)

> [“Why would our brains have this capacity to sense the oneness of the universe, a sense that can be induced in many ways, even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kara-dalkey/why-would-our-brains-have-this-capacity-to-sense-the-oneness-of-the/)

[Kara Dalkey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kara-dalkey/)

> [Zen goes directly to your own experience of the oneness of the universe, of your interconnectedness with all things. You learn to distrust whatever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-smith/zen-goes-directly-to-your-own-experience-of-the-oneness-of-the/)

[Jean Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-smith/)

> [“Because God is the source of life, He recovers the oneness of the universe by entering into man to be man’s life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/witness-lee/because-god-is-the-source-of-life-he-recovers-the-oneness-of-the/)

[Witness Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/witness-lee/)

> [If you're always in a hurry, always trying to get ahead of the other guy, or someone else's performance is what motivates you, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/if-you-re-always-in-a-hurry-always-trying-to-get-ahead-of-the-other/)

[Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/)

## More by Wayne Dyer

> [Remember that your natural state is joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/remember-that-your-natural-state-is-joy/)

[Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/)

> [Be in a state of gratitude for everything that shows up in your life. Be thankful for the storms as well as the smooth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/be-in-a-state-of-gratitude-for-everything-that-shows-up-in-your-life/)

[Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/)

> [While the world of reality has its limits, the world of your imagination is without boundaries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/while-the-world-of-reality-has-its-limits-the-world-of-your/)

[Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/)

> [Trusting yourself is trusting the wisdom that created you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/trusting-yourself-is-trusting-the-wisdom-that-created-you/)

[Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/)

> [It's only a thought and a thought can be changed. Choose good ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/it-s-only-a-thought-and-a-thought-can-be-changed-choose-good-ones/)

[Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/)

> [When I get on the dance floor, my purpose in being on the dance floor is not to end up at another spot when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/when-i-get-on-the-dance-floor-my-purpose-in-being-on-the-dance-floor/)

[Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/)

> [Everyone in Life does Exactly what they Know How to Do Given the Conditions of their Lives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/everyone-in-life-does-exactly-what-they-know-how-to-do-given-the/)

[Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/)

> [You can't go around being what everyone wants you to be, living your life through other people's rules, and expect to be happy and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/you-can-t-go-around-being-what-everyone-wants-you-to-be-living-your/)

[Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/)

> [When you have the choice between being right and being kind just choose kind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/when-you-have-the-choice-between-being-right-and-being-kind-just/)

[Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/)

> [If you want to be confident, but don't normally act that way, today, just this once, act in the physical world the way you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/if-you-want-to-be-confident-but-don-t-normally-act-that-way-today/)

[Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/)

> [We make weapons now that, if we ever used them, would kill ourselves. How do you explode a weapon with so much radiation in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/we-make-weapons-now-that-if-we-ever-used-them-would-kill-ourselves/)

[Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/)

> [What you feel is wrong or missing in your relationships is an indication that something is amiss within you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/what-you-feel-is-wrong-or-missing-in-your-relationships-is-an/)

[Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/)

> [The truth is that there is no actual stress or anxiety in the world; it's your thoughts that create these false beliefs. You can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/the-truth-is-that-there-is-no-actual-stress-or-anxiety-in-the-world/)

[Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/)

> [It is impossible to need excuses when the focus of your life shifts from 'What's in it for me?' to 'How can I serve?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/it-is-impossible-to-need-excuses-when-the-focus-of-your-life-shifts/)

[Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/)

> [The problem with using force in our lives is that we always create a counterforce. For example, If you're with a child and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/the-problem-with-using-force-in-our-lives-is-that-we-always-create-a/)

[Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/)

[Explore all 1,079 Wayne Dyer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/)

## More Always trying quotes

> [I'm always trying to have a good time on set because that's when things happen. That's when you're playful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sarandon/i-m-always-trying-to-have-a-good-time-on-set-because-that-s-when/)

[Susan Sarandon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sarandon/)

> [I think we're always trying to push ourselves to do new things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaime-preciado/i-think-we-re-always-trying-to-push-ourselves-to-do-new-things/)

[Jaime Preciado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaime-preciado/)

> [I'm always trying to remember that kindness goes a long, long way. I think that's something that people will definitely take out of this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-stuhlbarg/i-m-always-trying-to-remember-that-kindness-goes-a-long-long-way-i/)

[Michael Stuhlbarg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-stuhlbarg/)

> [I like embracing kind of normal forms but am always trying to approach them as if no one's ever done that before. As if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-july/i-like-embracing-kind-of-normal-forms-but-am-always-trying-to/)

[Miranda July](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-july/)

> [I'm always trying to change things - change my character, change my look, change my hair, change my facial hair, change my costumes, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-jericho/i-m-always-trying-to-change-things-change-my-character-change-my-look/)

[Chris Jericho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-jericho/)

> [I believe in believing. My coach John Kavanagh is a big atheist, and he is always trying to persuade people to his way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-mcgregor/i-believe-in-believing-my-coach-john-kavanagh-is-a-big-atheist-and-he/)

[Conor McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-mcgregor/)

> [My body and its condition are a barometer that is always trying to tell me which direction to go for my maximum creativity, health…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christiane-northrup/my-body-and-its-condition-are-a-barometer-that-is-always-trying-to/)

[Christiane Northrup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christiane-northrup/)

> [I'm always trying to do something active because I love it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-agdal/i-m-always-trying-to-do-something-active-because-i-love-it/)

[Nina Agdal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-agdal/)

> [ Innovation is not a big breakthrough invention every time. Innovation is a constant thing. But if you don't have an innovative company \[team\], coming… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-welch/innovation-is-not-a-big-breakthrough-invention-every-time-innovation/)

[Jack Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-welch/)

> [I'm always trying to encourage people not to limit themselves in the same way that many of our parents stayed with one job forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/i-m-always-trying-to-encourage-people-not-to-limit-themselves-in-the/)

[Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/)

> [My thing was always trying to do as much as I possibly could do. I wanted to do all the things the other kids…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stevie-wonder/my-thing-was-always-trying-to-do-as-much-as-i-possibly-could-do-i/)

[Stevie Wonder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stevie-wonder/)

> [I think those of us who use language are always trying for this, trying to keep everything from floating away by trying to write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-ronk/i-think-those-of-us-who-use-language-are-always-trying-for-this/)

[Martha Ronk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-ronk/)

> [Your parents were always trying to get you to be careful when you were a kid, and that's all pervasive in this society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-weir/your-parents-were-always-trying-to-get-you-to-be-careful-when-you/)

[Bob Weir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-weir/)

> [I would not call myself an optimist, even though I would aspire to be. I am innately a skeptic. There's kind of an incessant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/i-would-not-call-myself-an-optimist-even-though-i-would-aspire-to-be/)

[Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/)

> [They say that to be a writer you must first have an unhappy childhood. I don't know if unhappiness is necessary, but I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-rylant/they-say-that-to-be-a-writer-you-must-first-have-an-unhappy-childhood/)

[Cynthia Rylant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-rylant/)

[Browse all 232 Always trying quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/always-trying/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I think we have a free will, and at the same moment we don't. We have to live with that. It doesn't make sense intellectually, but that's because our intellect is always trying to come up with a logical, rational explanation for things. To do that, it puts labels on things. But once you label something, you've got twoness. You've got the label, and you've got what you're labeling. And there is only oneness in the universe, even though we artificially believe in twoness.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Wayne Dyer"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/i-think-we-have-a-free-will-and-at-the-same-moment-we-don-t-we-have/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Always trying"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/i-think-we-have-a-free-will-and-at-the-same-moment-we-don-t-we-have/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b29/wayne-dyer-158_always-trying_i-think-we-have-a-free-will-and-at-the-s_1855957.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b29/wayne-dyer-158_always-trying_i-think-we-have-a-free-will-and-at-the-s_1855957.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b29/wayne-dyer-158_always-trying_i-think-we-have-a-free-will-and-at-the-s_1855957.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I think we have a free will, and at the same moment we don't. We have to live with that. It doesn't make…” — Wayne Dyer",
                "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": "Wayne Dyer",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I think we have a free...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/i-think-we-have-a-free-will-and-at-the-same-moment-we-don-t-we-have/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/i-think-we-have-a-free-will-and-at-the-same-moment-we-don-t-we-have/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
