--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This concept upends the way most people…" description: "\"“This concept upends the way most people think about their subjective experience of life. We tend to place a lot of emphasis on our circumstances, assu..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b19/cal-newport-1302_behavior_this-concept-upends-the-way-most-people_973705.jpg" --- # This concept upends the way most people think about their… ![“This concept upends the way most people think about their subjective experience of life. We tend to place a lot of emphasis on our circumstances, assuming that what happens to us (or fails to happen) determines how we feel. From this perspective, the small-scale details of how you spend your day…” quote by Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b19/cal-newport-1302_behavior_this-concept-upends-the-way-most-people_973705.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b19/cal-newport-1302_behavior_this-concept-upends-the-way-most-people_973705.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b19/cal-newport-1302_behavior_this-concept-upends-the-way-most-people_973705.jpg) > ““This concept upends the way most people think about their subjective experience of life. We tend to place a lot of emphasis on our circumstances, assuming that what happens to us (or fails to happen) determines how we feel. From this perspective, the small-scale details of how you spend your day aren’t that important, because what matters are the large-scale outcomes, such as whether or not you get a promotion or move to that nicer apartment. According to Gallagher, decades of research contradict this understanding. Our brains instead construct our worldview based on what we pay attention to. If you focus on a cancer diagnosis, you and your life become unhappy and dark, but if you focus instead on an evening martini, you and your life become more pleasant—even though the circumstances in both scenarios are the same. As Gallagher summarizes: “Who you are, what you think, feel, and do, what you love—is the sum of what you focus on.”” [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Our perception of life is shaped more by where we direct our attention than by external events. **In simple terms:** Focus determines feelings more than circumstances. Key Takeaway Shift attention to positive details. Themes attention perception mindset well‑being Mood reflective insightful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - daily routines - stress management - mental health - goal setting Key Concepts cognitive bias attention theory Questions to Reflect On - How can you redirect attention to improve mood? - What small moments can you notice today? A Different Perspective If you focus on problems, you may miss opportunities for joy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Behavior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behavior/) [Cancer diagnosis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cancer-diagnosis/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) ## Related quotes > [I think you're always subjective because you always have a point of view, but I'm always sort of curious about what is the point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-brown/i-think-you-re-always-subjective-because-you-always-have-a-point-of/) Margaret Brown > [I think the perspective that small-town directors bring to films is very different.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-kashyap/i-think-the-perspective-that-small-town-directors-bring-to-films-is/) [Anurag Kashyap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-kashyap/) > [“We are all the heroes of our own stories, and one of the arts of perspective is to see yourself small on the stage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/we-are-all-the-heroes-of-our-own-stories-and-one-of-the-arts-of/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [“Wilderness is good, it gives me perspective. I get small again, the ego deflates.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-karon/wilderness-is-good-it-gives-me-perspective-i-get-small-again-the-ego/) [Jan Karon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-karon/) > [Well you'd see a very dramatic change in the perspective of small businesses, entrepreneurs, middle-size businesses, and perhaps even some large multinationals. They'd say,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/well-you-d-see-a-very-dramatic-change-in-the-perspective-of-small/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [Obviously, it wasn't meant for me to die of cancer at 40. Every day my life surprises me, just like my cancer diagnosis surprised…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edie-falco/obviously-it-wasn-t-meant-for-me-to-die-of-cancer-at-40-every-day-my/) [Edie Falco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edie-falco/) > [When you receive a cancer diagnosis, you're more vulnerable than at any other time in your life. I've personally had the experience twice. My…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-somers/when-you-receive-a-cancer-diagnosis-you-re-more-vulnerable-than-at/) [Suzanne Somers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-somers/) > [A cancer diagnosis is a wakeup call that our time is limited.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leana-s-wen/a-cancer-diagnosis-is-a-wakeup-call-that-our-time-is-limited/) [Leana S. Wen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leana-s-wen/) > [I work very hard; I have every day since I started my business, even when I was on bed rest during pregnancies, even when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shoshanna-lonstein-gruss/i-work-very-hard-i-have-every-day-since-i-started-my-business-even/) [Shoshanna Lonstein Gruss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shoshanna-lonstein-gruss/) > [When people get cancer now, the first thing you do is you go to some doctors to get some advice, figure out what to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/exene-cervenka/when-people-get-cancer-now-the-first-thing-you-do-is-you-go-to-some/) [Exene Cervenka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/exene-cervenka/) > [“Not everyone has experienced divorce, the death of a child, or a cancer diagnosis, but everyone has experienced pain. Sometimes pain is worn on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramon-presson/not-everyone-has-experienced-divorce-the-death-of-a-child-or-a-cancer/) [Ramon Presson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramon-presson/) > [“The second mechanism is an across-the-board acceptance of the absurd all around us. Everything that exists, from consciousness to the digestive workings of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaroslav-kalfar/the-second-mechanism-is-an-across-the-board-acceptance-of-the-absurd/) Jaroslav Kalfar > [After my cancer diagnosis, I really took my swimming to a new level.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-shanteau/after-my-cancer-diagnosis-i-really-took-my-swimming-to-a-new-level/) [Eric Shanteau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-shanteau/) > [We have equated a cancer diagnosis to 'death,' but we look at diabetes as 'something that you get when you get older.' But look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-adams/we-have-equated-a-cancer-diagnosis-to-death-but-we-look-at-diabetes/) [Eric Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-adams/) > [“Jobs's intensity was also evident in his ability to focus. He would set priorities, aim his laser attention on them, and filter out distractions.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/jobs-s-intensity-was-also-evident-in-his-ability-to-focus-he-would/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) ## More by Cal Newport > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“many software companies now deploy the Scrum project management methodology, which replaces a lot of this ad hoc messaging with regular, highly structured, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/many-software-companies-now-deploy-the-scrum-project-management/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“when paying more than $1,000 a day to write the chapter in a suite of an old hotel down the street from a Hogwarts-style…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/when-paying-more-than-1-000-a-day-to-write-the-chapter-in-a-suite-of/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“When deciding whether to follow an appealing pursuit that will introduce more control into your work life, seek evidence of whether people are willing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/when-deciding-whether-to-follow-an-appealing-pursuit-that-will/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“Let your mind become a lens, thanks to the converging rays of attention; let your soul be all intent on whatever it is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/let-your-mind-become-a-lens-thanks-to-the-converging-rays-of/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“study by Harvard Business School professor Leslie Perlow. In this study, a group of management consultants were asked to disconnect for a full day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/study-by-harvard-business-school-professor-leslie-perlow-in-this/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“if it’s rare and valuable, it’s not easy to get. This insight brought me into the world of performance science, where I encountered the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/if-it-s-rare-and-valuable-it-s-not-easy-to-get-this-insight-brought/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“Here’s the routine: Once a week I require myself to summarize in my “bible” a paper I think might be relevant to my research.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/here-s-the-routine-once-a-week-i-require-myself-to-summarize-in-my/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“craftsman mindset is the foundation for creating work you love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/craftsman-mindset-is-the-foundation-for-creating-work-you-love/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“the journalist philosophy. This name is a nod to the fact that journalists, like Walter Isaacson, are trained to shift into a writing mode…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-journalist-philosophy-this-name-is-a-nod-to-the-fact-that/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“Not long into his 2010 TED talk on creativity and leadership, Derek Sivers plays a video clip of a crowd at an outdoor concert.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/not-long-into-his-2010-ted-talk-on-creativity-and-leadership-derek/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“Kirk’s path to American Treasures was incremental. He didn’t decide out of nowhere that he wanted to host a television show and then work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/kirk-s-path-to-american-treasures-was-incremental-he-didn-t-decide/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“If you spend too much time focusing on whether or not you’ve found your true calling, the question will be rendered moot when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/if-you-spend-too-much-time-focusing-on-whether-or-not-you-ve-found/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“Their plans were circumspect and small-time. They weren’t dreaming of taking over the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/their-plans-were-circumspect-and-small-time-they-weren-t-dreaming-of/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“This chain method (as some now call it) soon became a hit among writers and fitness enthusiasts—communities that thrive on the ability to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/this-chain-method-as-some-now-call-it-soon-became-a-hit-among-writers/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) [Explore all 257 Cal Newport quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) ## More Behavior quotes > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [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/) > [As you begin changing your thinking, start immediately to change your behaviour. Begin to act the part of the person you would like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-you-begin-changing-your-thinking-start-immediately-to-change-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I now know that deep within the human concept is something dark, selfish, and completely willing to do whatever is necessary to support the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-west/i-now-know-that-deep-within-the-human-concept-is-something-dark/) [Melissa West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-west/) > [“We are endowed with genes which code out our reaction to beavers and otters, maybe our reaction to each other as well. We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-thomas/we-are-endowed-with-genes-which-code-out-our-reaction-to-beavers-and/) [Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/) > [The number of poor, and poorly prepared, students who succeed in college and beyond undercuts the simplistic notion that economic or educational disadvantage is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-merullo/the-number-of-poor-and-poorly-prepared-students-who-succeed-in/) [Roland Merullo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-merullo/) > [To behave creatively in art means behavior with skill; and skill comes from discipline, not derangement. The artist who knows the rules -and proportion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burne-hogarth/to-behave-creatively-in-art-means-behavior-with-skill-and-skill-comes/) Burne Hogarth > [You don't put milk in chamomile tea - that's disgusting behavior! That's not right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-fraser/you-don-t-put-milk-in-chamomile-tea-that-s-disgusting-behavior-that-s/) [Laura Fraser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-fraser/) > [The laws of thermodynamics, as empirically determined, express the approximate and probable behavior of systems of a great number of particles, or, more precisely,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-willard-gibbs/the-laws-of-thermodynamics-as-empirically-determined-express-the/) J. Willard Gibbs > [I started with the belief that every person who came to the laboratory was free to accept or to reject the dictates of authority.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-milgram/i-started-with-the-belief-that-every-person-who-came-to-the/) [Stanley Milgram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-milgram/) > [The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-tipping-point-is-that-magic-moment-when-an-idea-trend-or-social/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [I think we've told a lot of lies about human behavior through film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-arquette/i-think-we-ve-told-a-lot-of-lies-about-human-behavior-through-film/) [Patricia Arquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-arquette/) > [The strongest rebellion may be expressed in quiet, undramatic behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-spock/the-strongest-rebellion-may-be-expressed-in-quiet-undramatic-behavior/) [Benjamin Spock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-spock/) > [The behavior of any bureaucratic organization can best be understood by assuming that it is controlled by a secret cabal of its enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-conquest/the-behavior-of-any-bureaucratic-organization-can-best-be-understood/) [Robert Conquest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-conquest/) > [If you want good behavior, don't pay on a commission basis. Our judges aren't paid so much a case. We keep them pretty well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/if-you-want-good-behavior-don-t-pay-on-a-commission-basis-our-judges/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) [Browse all 4,218 Behavior quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behavior/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“This concept upends the way most people think about their subjective experience of life. We tend to place a lot of emphasis on our circumstances, assuming that what happens to us (or fails to happen) determines how we feel. From this perspective, the small-scale details of how you spend your day aren’t that important, because what matters are the large-scale outcomes, such as whether or not you get a promotion or move to that nicer apartment. According to Gallagher, decades of research contradict this understanding. Our brains instead construct our worldview based on what we pay attention to. If you focus on a cancer diagnosis, you and your life become unhappy and dark, but if you focus instead on an evening martini, you and your life become more pleasant—even though the circumstances in both scenarios are the same. As Gallagher summarizes: “Who you are, what you think, feel, and do, what you love—is the sum of what you focus on.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Cal Newport" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/this-concept-upends-the-way-most-people-think-about-their-subjective/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Behavior" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/this-concept-upends-the-way-most-people-think-about-their-subjective/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b19/cal-newport-1302_behavior_this-concept-upends-the-way-most-people_973705.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b19/cal-newport-1302_behavior_this-concept-upends-the-way-most-people_973705.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b19/cal-newport-1302_behavior_this-concept-upends-the-way-most-people_973705.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“This concept upends the way most people think about their subjective experience of life. We tend to place a…” — Cal Newport", "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": "Cal Newport", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“This concept upends the way most...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/this-concept-upends-the-way-most-people-think-about-their-subjective/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/this-concept-upends-the-way-most-people-think-about-their-subjective/#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 } } ] } ```