--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When story and behavior are consistent…" description: "\"“When story and behavior are consistent, we relax; when story and behavior are inconsistent, we get tense. We have a deep psychological need for our st..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/588/christina-baldwin-12158_action_when-story-and-behavior-are-consistent-w_2010357.jpg" --- # When story and behavior are consistent, we relax; when… ![“When story and behavior are consistent, we relax; when story and behavior are inconsistent, we get tense. We have a deep psychological need for our stories and behaviors to be consistent. We need to be able to trust the story, because it's the lens through which we see reality. We will go to great…” quote by Christina Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/588/christina-baldwin-12158_action_when-story-and-behavior-are-consistent-w_2010357.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/588/christina-baldwin-12158_action_when-story-and-behavior-are-consistent-w_2010357.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/588/christina-baldwin-12158_action_when-story-and-behavior-are-consistent-w_2010357.jpg) > ““When story and behavior are consistent, we relax; when story and behavior are inconsistent, we get tense. We have a deep psychological need for our stories and behaviors to be consistent. We need to be able to trust the story, because it's the lens through which we see reality. We will go to great lengths in the attempt to make a story that explains an action and supports or restores consistency. If we cannot make story and action fit, we either have to make a new story or change the action. ... \[But\] The drive for consistency and the ability to redefine abhorrent action so it fits the story are very complex issues. We have a huge ability to continue believing stories we are told are true in order to stay comfortable with actions we don't want to change, or don't feel capable of changing.”” [Christina Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-baldwin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When our internal narrative matches our actions we feel calm; mismatch creates tension, prompting us to alter either the story or the behavior to restore harmony. **In simple terms:** Consistent stories and actions reduce stress. Key Takeaway Align actions with values or revise narratives. Themes psychology self‑concept cognitive dissonance behavior trust Mood reflective tense motivational Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal decision‑making - leadership - conflict resolution - therapy - marketing Key Concepts cognitive dissonance self‑justification identity narrative consistency Questions to Reflect On - What story are you telling to justify a difficult action? - How can you test the truth of your narrative? A Different Perspective People may cling to false narratives to avoid uncomfortable change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Action](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/action/) [Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) [Consistency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consistency/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [“Behavior is the end result of a prevailing story in one's mind: change the story and the behavior will change.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-jacinta-mpalyenkana/behavior-is-the-end-result-of-a-prevailing-story-in-one-s-mind-change/) [Dr. Jacinta Mpalyenkana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-jacinta-mpalyenkana/) > [I think we have to get back the value of behavior that is consistent with being taught: that's to say, respecting teachers, listening, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabelle-adjani/i-think-we-have-to-get-back-the-value-of-behavior-that-is-consistent/) [Isabelle Adjani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabelle-adjani/) > [I love stories and behaviors. And everyone has a story to tell, big or small, always fascinating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-love-stories-and-behaviors-and-everyone-has-a-story-to-tell-big-or/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To me, style is consistency.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-ant/to-me-style-is-consistency/) Adam Ant > [“So, whenever you find yourself putting forth great effort without success, you're trying to force something that won't fit under the circumstances. That's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-vigorito/so-whenever-you-find-yourself-putting-forth-great-effort-without/) [Tony Vigorito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-vigorito/) > [The superpowers often behave like two heavily armed blind men feeling their way around a room, each believing himself in mortal peril from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-superpowers-often-behave-like-two-heavily-armed-blind-men-feeling/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I like the consistency of a TV show, but I like it for three months out of my year, not nine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allison-mack/i-like-the-consistency-of-a-tv-show-but-i-like-it-for-three-months/) [Allison Mack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allison-mack/) > [“Strong trust is built brick by brick, through honesty, consistency, and showing up even when it’s hard to keep the promise.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayoub-imilouane/strong-trust-is-built-brick-by-brick-through-honesty-consistency-and/) [Ayoub Imilouane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayoub-imilouane/) > [But change must always be balanced with some degree of consistency.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-d-burton/but-change-must-always-be-balanced-with-some-degree-of-consistency/) [Ron D. Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-d-burton/) > [There's always, I guess, a philosophy that if you come in, you want to change all the parts, you want to change everything over.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-gillick/there-s-always-i-guess-a-philosophy-that-if-you-come-in-you-want-to/) [Pat Gillick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-gillick/) > [I have always wanted to learn the piano, but because I travel so much, I can never get any consistency of lessons. So everywhere…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-hamilton/i-have-always-wanted-to-learn-the-piano-but-because-i-travel-so-much/) [Lewis Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-hamilton/) > [I give you everything you want as an artist, for so long. Consistency. Wordplay. Wittiness. You can check the checklist. Only thing I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jadakiss/i-give-you-everything-you-want-as-an-artist-for-so-long-consistency/) [Jadakiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jadakiss/) > [One things guys have to remember is consistency... You can't make up for three years of eating poorly in just one workout.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apolo-ohno/one-things-guys-have-to-remember-is-consistency-you-can-t-make-up-for/) [Apolo Ohno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apolo-ohno/) > [The four Cs of making dreams come true: Curiosity, Courage, Consistency, Confidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/the-four-cs-of-making-dreams-come-true-curiosity-courage-consistency/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [Courage: the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/courage-the-most-important-of-all-the-virtues-because-without-courage/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) ## More by Christina Baldwin > [When you choose to write using yourself as the source of the story, you are choosing to confront all the silences in which your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-baldwin/when-you-choose-to-write-using-yourself-as-the-source-of-the-story/) [Christina Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-baldwin/) > [When you’re stuck in a spiral, to change all aspects of the spin you need only to change one thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-baldwin/when-you-re-stuck-in-a-spiral-to-change-all-aspects-of-the-spin-you/) [Christina Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-baldwin/) > [Forgiveness is the act of admitting we are like other people. 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I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [Every action that helps us manifest our divine nature more and more is good; every action that retards it is evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/every-action-that-helps-us-manifest-our-divine-nature-more-and-more/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [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/) > [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. 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