--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Nothing in the outer world makes you feel…" description: "\"Nothing in the outer world makes you feel any way. You decide what you want to feel, and then use outer people and events as permission slips to execut..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc2/alan-cohen-1112_agendas_nothing-in-the-outer-world-makes-you-fee_1355615.png" --- # Nothing in the outer world makes you feel any way. You… ![“Nothing in the outer world makes you feel any way. You decide what you want to feel, and then use outer people and events as permission slips to execute your feeling agenda.” quote by Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc2/alan-cohen-1112_agendas_nothing-in-the-outer-world-makes-you-fee_1355615.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc2/alan-cohen-1112_agendas_nothing-in-the-outer-world-makes-you-fee_1355615.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc2/alan-cohen-1112_agendas_nothing-in-the-outer-world-makes-you-fee_1355615.png) > “Nothing in the outer world makes you feel any way. You decide what you want to feel, and then use outer people and events as permission slips to execute your feeling agenda.” [Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Emotions are self‑generated; external events are merely triggers you can choose to ignore or use. **In simple terms:** You control feelings, not events. Key Takeaway Choose feelings consciously. Themes self‑awareness personal responsibility emotion management Mood reflective empowering Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - stressful meetings - personal setbacks - creative blocks - relationship conflicts Key Concepts psychology mindfulness intentionality Questions to Reflect On - What feeling will you claim today? - How do you turn events into emotional fuel? A Different Perspective People may resist emotional autonomy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Agendas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agendas/) [Events](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/events/) [Execute Feeling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/execute-feeling-4623566/) [Feel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feel/) [Feeling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feeling/) [Feeling Agenda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feeling-agenda-4623567/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Feels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feels/) [Outer worlds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outer-worlds/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Permission](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/permission/) [Slips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slips/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Want Feel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want-feel/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [What you want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/what-you-want/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [Women should not need a permission slip from government to take care of their own reproductive health.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-turner/women-should-not-need-a-permission-slip-from-government-to-take-care/) [Nina Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-turner/) > [To sum up: numbers appear to represent both an attribute of matter and the unconscious foundation of our mental process. For this reason, number…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-louise-von-franz/to-sum-up-numbers-appear-to-represent-both-an-attribute-of-matter-and/) [Marie-Louise von Franz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-louise-von-franz/) > [When we Christians behave badly, or fail to behave well, we are making Christianity unbelievable to the outside world. The wartime posters told us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/when-we-christians-behave-badly-or-fail-to-behave-well-we-are-making/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [I define Inner Space as an imaginary realm in which on the one hand the outer world of reality, and on the other the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-ballard/i-define-inner-space-as-an-imaginary-realm-in-which-on-the-one-hand/) [J. G. 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Therefore Happiness has become His real name.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-chinmoy/enthusiasm-rules-his-inner-world-determination-rules-his-outer-world/) [Sri Chinmoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-chinmoy/) > [The inner world is the world of your requirements and your energies and your structure and your possibilities that meets the outer world. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/the-inner-world-is-the-world-of-your-requirements-and-your-energies/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) > [I simply don't become attached to the outer world or to anything. I work for God. I do the very best I can, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drunvalo-melchizedek/i-simply-don-t-become-attached-to-the-outer-world-or-to-anything-i/) [Drunvalo Melchizedek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drunvalo-melchizedek/) > [Conscious means "having an awareness of one's inner and outer worlds; mentally perceptive, awake, mindful." So "conscious business" might mean, engaging in an occupation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-wilber/conscious-means-having-an-awareness-of-one-s-inner-and-outer-worlds/) [Ken Wilber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-wilber/) > [We will see beauty in the outer world when we are able to see beauty within ourselves. And this is the best thing we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-moorjani/we-will-see-beauty-in-the-outer-world-when-we-are-able-to-see-beauty/) [Anita Moorjani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-moorjani/) > [Half of humanity has been accepting the inner world but denying the outer world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/half-of-humanity-has-been-accepting-the-inner-world-but-denying-the/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [And the Truth turns out to be nothing less than the amazing but undeniable fact that the whole outer world -whether it be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmet-fox/and-the-truth-turns-out-to-be-nothing-less-than-the-amazing-but/) [Emmet Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmet-fox/) > [The greatest secret to living a happy, fulfilled life is the realization that everything is created in our minds before it manifests itself in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ban-breathnach/the-greatest-secret-to-living-a-happy-fulfilled-life-is-the/) [Sarah Ban Breathnach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-ban-breathnach/) > [Establish an atmosphere that energizes you. Some creative people flourish in confusion; others need to be free from interruption. Many prepare themselves for work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-leland/establish-an-atmosphere-that-energizes-you-some-creative-people/) [Nita Leland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-leland/) ## More by Alan Cohen > [When you protect yourself from pain, be sure you do not protect yourself from love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/when-you-protect-yourself-from-pain-be-sure-you-do-not-protect/) [Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/) > [Anyone in a state of seeking can never be happy. Only those who are constantly finding are fulfilled. And finding is not something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/anyone-in-a-state-of-seeking-can-never-be-happy-only-those-who-are/) [Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/) > [“You cannot be other than you are. Thank God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/you-cannot-be-other-than-you-are-thank-god/) [Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/) > [Evaluate every act by whether it brings you greater life, or deadens you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/evaluate-every-act-by-whether-it-brings-you-greater-life-or-deadens/) [Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/) > [Put aside ambition for public recognition, and simply do what you do because it feels good inside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/put-aside-ambition-for-public-recognition-and-simply-do-what-you-do/) [Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/) > [“When you finally give up striving, you will be left with what you have been striving for.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/when-you-finally-give-up-striving-you-will-be-left-with-what-you-have/) [Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/) > [“newspaper ads for lost pets and earthquakes that soon follow. 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Every challenge, great or small, is moving you to look deeper and draw forth the highest in you.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/turmoil-is-a-call-for-awakening-every-challenge-great-or-small-is/) [Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/) > [The difficulties of life do not keep you from greatness. They show you to its door.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/the-difficulties-of-life-do-not-keep-you-from-greatness-they-show-you/) [Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/) > [What a doctor or healer tells you is a reflection of the beliefs and expectations you hold. 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So gradually the question faded away by itself and disappeared from the agenda. When I was nineteen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-prokofiev/at-home-we-didnt-talk-about-religion-so-gradually-the-question-faded/) [Sergei Prokofiev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-prokofiev/) > [We have Internet now and people are not stupid. But it seems that some people are trying to push the same agenda of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bassem-youssef/we-have-internet-now-and-people-are-not-stupid-but-it-seems-that-some/) [Bassem Youssef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bassem-youssef/) > [The next thing you do today will be the most important thing on your agenda, because, after all, you're doing it next. Well, perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/the-next-thing-you-do-today-will-be-the-most-important-thing-on-your/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [In our system of government, the judicial and legislative branches have different roles. Judges are not politicians. 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