"Life opens up opportunities to you, and you either take them or you stay afraid of taking them"
About this Quote
The pivot - “you either take them or you stay afraid” - is where the subtext bites. Carrey doesn’t offer a middle category like “wait,” “prepare,” or “choose carefully.” He polarizes the options to expose a common self-deception: we like to label avoidance as prudence. By naming the alternative “stay afraid,” he reframes inaction as an active decision with an emotional cost. Fear isn’t treated as a feeling that visits you; it’s a place you can live in.
Coming from an actor who’s talked publicly about rejection, ambition, and the weird psychological toll of fame, the line carries a backstage plausibility. Comedy, especially Carrey’s brand, rewards the person willing to look ridiculous first. In that ecosystem, “taking it” isn’t just career advice; it’s a survival tactic. The quote works because it’s less a pep talk than a dare: if you don’t move, you’re not neutral, you’re choosing fear as your default identity.
Quote Details
| Topic | Motivational |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Carrey, Jim. (2026, January 18). Life opens up opportunities to you, and you either take them or you stay afraid of taking them. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/life-opens-up-opportunities-to-you-and-you-either-7766/
Chicago Style
Carrey, Jim. "Life opens up opportunities to you, and you either take them or you stay afraid of taking them." FixQuotes. January 18, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/life-opens-up-opportunities-to-you-and-you-either-7766/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Life opens up opportunities to you, and you either take them or you stay afraid of taking them." FixQuotes, 18 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/life-opens-up-opportunities-to-you-and-you-either-7766/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.












