Forrest delivers the movie’s most memorable line during the opening dialogue: “My momma always said, ‘Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.” This iconic phrase is repeated throughout the movie. But consider the second line could instead be, “You get to choose the one you want?”
It’s one of the greatest, frequently repeated lines from a movie.
It’s also great advice for an at-risk child struggling to make sense in a world where other children bully and shun him.
Life is like a box of chocolates. We don’t know what flavor is inside the chocolate until we choose and take a bite. And we don’t know beforehand the outcome of a decision. We first must make a choice. We next must act. Life offers no guarantees. Life is a large dose of uncertainty.
The problem with the phrase as-is occurs when we believe it literally and accept it as an ultimate truth.
Again, it’s a great way to help a 6-year old child understand and accept life’s cruelties or disappointments. But it’s not a good way for evolving thinkers to live an empowered life. It’s not how a person lives their life with Gumption.
When we accept you never know what you’re gonna get as truth, we give away our power to choose.
The role responsibility plays in your past, present, and future is diminished. You never know what you’re gonna get implies an omnipotent Presence. Controlling destiny. Regulating outcome.
- You never know what you’re gonna get invites the use of blame.
- You never know what you’re gonna get opens the door to victimhood.
- You never know what you’re gonna get discards the need for responsibility.
- You never know what you’re gonna get eliminates the potential of choice.
Momma Gump was right to tell the 6-year boy that many things are out of his control.
Life is uncertain. And we don’t always get what we want. Implied in her loving wisdom was ‘It’s OK’ and ‘It will all work out in the end.’ The phrase is soothing and offers hope to her fragile child.
On her deathbed, Forrest asked Momma, “What’s my destiny?”. Momma’s blunt directive, “You’re gonna have to figure it out for yourself.” She could just as easily have said to Forrest: