--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Where people see themselves in a harsh…" description: "\"“Where people see themselves in a harsh yellow light of obectivity…about 20 percent of all people live in that spot and psychologists call the state of..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/84f/david-mcraney-10077_psychology_where-people-see-themselves-in-a-harsh-y_2838013.jpg" --- # Where people see themselves in a harsh yellow light of… ![“Where people see themselves in a harsh yellow light of obectivity…about 20 percent of all people live in that spot and psychologists call the state of mind generated by those people depressive realism. ...you are cursed to see the world as a place worthy neither of great dread nor of bounding…” quote by David McRaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/84f/david-mcraney-10077_psychology_where-people-see-themselves-in-a-harsh-y_2838013.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/84f/david-mcraney-10077_psychology_where-people-see-themselves-in-a-harsh-y_2838013.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/84f/david-mcraney-10077_psychology_where-people-see-themselves-in-a-harsh-y_2838013.jpg) > ““Where people see themselves in a harsh yellow light of obectivity…about 20 percent of all people live in that spot and psychologists call the state of mind generated by those people depressive realism. ...you are cursed to see the world as a place worthy neither of great dread nor of bounding delight, but just a place.”” [David McRaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mcraney/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He describes “depressive realism” where a minority see the world as neither terrible nor wonderful, but flat. **In simple terms:** Some view life as bland, lacking extremes. Key Takeaway Recognize biased perception. Themes psychology perception optimism pessimism Mood reflective introspective Type psychological philosophical When to use this quote - therapy - self-help - media analysis Key Concepts cognitive bias mental health worldview Questions to Reflect On - How does your worldview affect decisions? - Can you shift from flat to balanced view? A Different Perspective Optimism can be equally biased. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [State of mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/state-of-mind/) [Yellow light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/yellow-light/) ## Related quotes > [“You see, people in the depressive position are often stigmatised as ‘failures' or ‘losers'. Of course, nothing could be further from the truth. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neel-burton/you-see-people-in-the-depressive-position-are-often-stigmatised-as/) [Neel Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neel-burton/) > [Depression, when it's clinical, is not a metaphor. It runs in families, and it's known to respond to medication and to counseling. However truly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-franzen/depression-when-it-s-clinical-is-not-a-metaphor-it-runs-in-families/) [Jonathan Franzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-franzen/) > [ “…depressive realism. Depression is not the near death experience described by so many, \[Kayla Dunn\] suggests, but a rebirth in which the new psyche… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-wong/depressive-realism-depression-is-not-the-near-death-experience/) [Jan Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-wong/) > [“The Nausea has stayed down there, in the yellow light. I am happy: this cold is so pure, this night so pure: am I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/the-nausea-has-stayed-down-there-in-the-yellow-light-i-am-happy-this/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [“The sun was setting on Coruscant. Shadows ran like black water, filling up the the alleys first, then climbing steadily higher, a tide of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-stewart/the-sun-was-setting-on-coruscant-shadows-ran-like-black-water-filling/) [Sean Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-stewart/) > [“Summer has always been good to me, even the bittersweet end, with the slanted yellow light.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-monette/summer-has-always-been-good-to-me-even-the-bittersweet-end-with-the/) [Paul Monette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-monette/) > [“When Ben turned, his dark eyes danced with yellow light. Already handsome, flaring took his attractiveness to a whole new level. Ben’s coppery skin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-reichs/when-ben-turned-his-dark-eyes-danced-with-yellow-light-already/) [Kathy Reichs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-reichs/) > [“I run to the high mountains I pour my heart out to the skies I sing of the summer song While the sky above…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaishree-garg/i-run-to-the-high-mountains-i-pour-my-heart-out-to-the-skies-i-sing/) Jaishree Garg > [“Leaving Forever My son can look me level in the eyes now, and does, hard, when I tell him he cannot watch chainsaw murders…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-smith/leaving-forever-my-son-can-look-me-level-in-the-eyes-now-and-does/) Ron Smith > [“That night, I fell into a deep, travel-weary sleep, lulled by the familiar sound of the waterfall beyond the window. I dreamed of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hazel-gaynor/that-night-i-fell-into-a-deep-travel-weary-sleep-lulled-by-the/) [Hazel Gaynor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hazel-gaynor/) > [Now, Watson,” said Holmes, as a tall dog-cart dashed up through the gloom, throwing out two golden tunnels of yellow light from its side…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/now-watson-said-holmes-as-a-tall-dog-cart-dashed-up-through-the-gloom/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The shrub that half concealed her was a malignant plant, a Madagascan tanghin tree with wide, box-like leaves with whitish stems, whose smallest veins…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mile-zola/the-shrub-that-half-concealed-her-was-a-malignant-plant-a-madagascan/) [Émile Zola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mile-zola/) > [I really just want to be warm yellow light that pours over everyone I love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/i-really-just-want-to-be-warm-yellow-light-that-pours-over-everyone-i/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) > [Drive through a yellow light, and you may be ticketed thanks to a camera tied onto a pole. Everybody's watching everything. And then sending…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-o-reilly/drive-through-a-yellow-light-and-you-may-be-ticketed-thanks-to-a/) [Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-o-reilly/) > [In setting goals and executing a strategy, Wanda is sophisticated. We have good systems and departments. If targets are not reached, a yellow light…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wang-jianlin/in-setting-goals-and-executing-a-strategy-wanda-is-sophisticated-we/) [Wang Jianlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wang-jianlin/) ## More by David McRaney > [“If you neglect your personal space and allow chaos and clutter to creep in, it will affect you, and perhaps encourage further neglect. Positive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mcraney/if-you-neglect-your-personal-space-and-allow-chaos-and-clutter-to/) [David McRaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mcraney/) > [“Do you vote? If not, is it because you think it doesn’t matter because things never change, or politicians are evil on both sides,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mcraney/do-you-vote-if-not-is-it-because-you-think-it-doesn-t-matter-because/) [David McRaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mcraney/) > [“finished to raise their hands,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mcraney/finished-to-raise-their-hands/) [David McRaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mcraney/) > [“We reach for the same brand not because we trust its quality but because we want to reassure ourselves that we made a smart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mcraney/we-reach-for-the-same-brand-not-because-we-trust-its-quality-but/) [David McRaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mcraney/) > [“Even as the brain is dying, it refuses to stop generating a narrative, the scaffolding upon which it weaves cause and effect, memory and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mcraney/even-as-the-brain-is-dying-it-refuses-to-stop-generating-a-narrative/) [David McRaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mcraney/) > [“Brand loyalty—that nebulous emotional connection people have with certain companies, which turns them into defenders and advocates for corporations who don’t give a shit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mcraney/brand-loyalty-that-nebulous-emotional-connection-people-have-with/) [David McRaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mcraney/) > [“Women will buy products in an attempt to become the impossible goal. Men will buy products in an attempt to mate with the impossible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mcraney/women-will-buy-products-in-an-attempt-to-become-the-impossible-goal/) [David McRaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mcraney/) > [“In 1965, a psychologist named Martin Seligman started shocking dogs. He was trying to expand on the research of Pavlov--the guy who could make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mcraney/in-1965-a-psychologist-named-martin-seligman-started-shocking-dogs-he/) [David McRaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mcraney/) > [“In experiments at Baylor University where people were given Coke and Pepsi in unmarked cups and then hooked up to a brain scanner, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mcraney/in-experiments-at-baylor-university-where-people-were-given-coke-and/) [David McRaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mcraney/) > [“Don’t put people, or anything else, on pedestals, not even your children. Avoid global labels such as genius or weirdo. Realize those closest get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mcraney/don-t-put-people-or-anything-else-on-pedestals-not-even-your-children/) [David McRaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mcraney/) > [“In science, you move closer to the truth by seeking evidence to the contrary. Perhaps the same method should inform your opinions as well.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mcraney/in-science-you-move-closer-to-the-truth-by-seeking-evidence-to-the/) [David McRaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mcraney/) > [“In the background, while you crochet and golf and browse cat videos, science is fighting against your stupidity. No other human enterprise is fighting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mcraney/in-the-background-while-you-crochet-and-golf-and-browse-cat-videos/) [David McRaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mcraney/) > [“You can't rage against the machine through rebellious consumption.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mcraney/you-can-t-rage-against-the-machine-through-rebellious-consumption/) [David McRaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mcraney/) > [“Capable psychonauts who think about thinking, about states of mind, about set and setting, can get things done not because they have more willpower…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mcraney/capable-psychonauts-who-think-about-thinking-about-states-of-mind/) [David McRaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mcraney/) > [“If you look to the downtrodden and wonder why they can’t pull themselves out of poverty and get a nice job like you, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mcraney/if-you-look-to-the-downtrodden-and-wonder-why-they-can-t-pull/) [David McRaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mcraney/) [Explore all 67 David McRaney quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mcraney/) ## More Psychology quotes > [It appears to me that one great cause of our difference in opinion on subjects which we often discuss is that you have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ricardo/it-appears-to-me-that-one-great-cause-of-our-difference-in-opinion-on/) [David Ricardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ricardo/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Once ye made up yer mind to do somethin', 'tis better t'stumble o'er the small hillock of jump-ahead than t'bash yer head on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/once-ye-made-up-yer-mind-to-do-somethin-tis-better-t-stumble-o-er-the/) [Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/) > [“Not that it matters, when you dream, there's no outside or in. Your mind is an unimaginable bloom. A willow catkin as big as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-shapero/not-that-it-matters-when-you-dream-there-s-no-outside-or-in-your-mind/) [Rich Shapero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-shapero/) > [Because of the womb being a central phenomenon in the feminine body, the whole psychology of woman differs: she is non-aggressive, non-inquiring, non-questioning, non-doubting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/because-of-the-womb-being-a-central-phenomenon-in-the-feminine-body/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [I love playing for my country, getting the support. Especially for the kids and everybody, showing my example of what I can achieve so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-sharapova/i-love-playing-for-my-country-getting-the-support-especially-for-the/) [Maria Sharapova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sharapova/) > [Do you think that God would separate me from my husband if I killed myself? I feel as though I am going out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-you-think-that-god-would-separate-me-from-my-husband-if-i-killed/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) > [This is a proof of a well-trained mind, to rejoice in what is good and to grieve at the opposite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/this-is-a-proof-of-a-well-trained-mind-to-rejoice-in-what-is-good-and/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [“I had nowhere to go and did not wish to be seen by anyone for fear they would recognize my sadness and so for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/i-had-nowhere-to-go-and-did-not-wish-to-be-seen-by-anyone-for-fear/) [Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) > [“As dreams are the healing songs from the wilderness of our unconscious - So wild animals, wild plants, wild landscapes are the healing dreams…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-pendell/as-dreams-are-the-healing-songs-from-the-wilderness-of-our/) [Dale Pendell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-pendell/) > [Music is a job, but I figured out ways to get my mind into a place where I could be creative. I actually discovered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flume/music-is-a-job-but-i-figured-out-ways-to-get-my-mind-into-a-place/) [Flume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flume/) > [ “\[S\]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-the-possible-irrelevance-of/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [No!! Get out of my Head!...You may have invaded my mind and my body...But there's one thing a Saiyan always keeps...his PRIDE!!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragon-ball-z/no-get-out-of-my-head-you-may-have-invaded-my-mind-and-my-body-but/) [Dragon Ball Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragon-ball-z/) [Browse all 56,059 Psychology quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Where people see themselves in a harsh yellow light of obectivity…about 20 percent of all people live in that spot and psychologists call the state of mind generated by those people depressive realism. ...you are cursed to see the world as a place worthy neither of great dread nor of bounding delight, but just a place.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David McRaney" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mcraney/where-people-see-themselves-in-a-harsh-yellow-light-of-obectivity/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Psychology" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mcraney/where-people-see-themselves-in-a-harsh-yellow-light-of-obectivity/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/84f/david-mcraney-10077_psychology_where-people-see-themselves-in-a-harsh-y_2838013.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/84f/david-mcraney-10077_psychology_where-people-see-themselves-in-a-harsh-y_2838013.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/84f/david-mcraney-10077_psychology_where-people-see-themselves-in-a-harsh-y_2838013.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Where people see themselves in a harsh yellow light of obectivity…about 20 percent of all people live in…” — David McRaney", "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": "David McRaney", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mcraney/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Where people see themselves in a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mcraney/where-people-see-themselves-in-a-harsh-yellow-light-of-obectivity/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mcraney/where-people-see-themselves-in-a-harsh-yellow-light-of-obectivity/#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 } } ] } ```