---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is one thing to know about your…"
description: "\"“It is one thing to know about your dysfunctional habits but quite another to change them.”\" — David W. Earle LPC- Love is Not Enough"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/511/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not_change_it-is-one-thing-to-know-about-your-dysfu_2067838.jpg"
---

#  It is one thing to know about your dysfunctional habits…

![“It is one thing to know about your dysfunctional habits but quite another to change them.” quote by David W. Earle LPC- Love is Not Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/511/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not_change_it-is-one-thing-to-know-about-your-dysfu_2067838.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/511/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not_change_it-is-one-thing-to-know-about-your-dysfu_2067838.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/511/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not_change_it-is-one-thing-to-know-about-your-dysfu_2067838.jpg)

> ““It is one thing to know about your dysfunctional habits but quite another to change them.””

[David W. Earle LPC- Love is Not Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Understanding habits is easy; changing them requires effort and new patterns.

**In simple terms:** Knowing isn’t enough; change needs action.

Key Takeaway

Act on insight to break bad habits.

Themes

self‑awareness behavior change psychology

Mood

reflective motivational

Type

advice self‑help

When to use this quote

- therapy sessions
- personal coaching
- self‑help books

Key Concepts

habits self‑control motivation

Questions to Reflect On

- What habit would you like to change?
- How can you create a supportive environment for change?

A Different Perspective

Change is often resisted by comfort and fear of the unknown.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Chaos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chaos/) [Codependency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/codependency/) [Dysfunctional family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dysfunctional-family/) [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Family drama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family-drama/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Recovery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/recovery/)

## Related quotes

> [“If we want to improve, first we have to recognize our own maladaptive coping skills, called codependency, then change.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/if-we-want-to-improve-first-we-have-to-recognize-our-own-maladaptive/)

[David W. Earle LPC- Love is Not Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/)

> [“You know it’s a dysfunctional family,” said Riker, “when the one you like the best is a mass murderer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-o-connell/you-know-it-s-a-dysfunctional-family-said-riker-when-the-one-you-like/)

[Carol O'Connell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-o-connell/)

> [“Codependency is a learned set of behaviors, thought processes, and habits. When combined together, they fit a very loose definition. All people exhibit these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/codependency-is-a-learned-set-of-behaviors-thought-processes-and/)

[David W. Earle LPC- Love is Not Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/)

> [“The truth is, we tend to train people how we want to be treated. If others know you have wishy-washy boundaries then they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/the-truth-is-we-tend-to-train-people-how-we-want-to-be-treated-if/)

[David W. Earle LPC- Love is Not Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/)

> [“This imbalance causes resentments within the over-responsible and dependency with the irresponsible person and this dynamic becomes the destructive life-pattern not conducive to happy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/this-imbalance-causes-resentments-within-the-over-responsible-and/)

[David W. Earle LPC- Love is Not Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/)

> [“I begin to learn there are certain things I shouldn't tell her. Like when we meet boys at Dorrian's and I give mine a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-cohen/i-begin-to-learn-there-are-certain-things-i-shouldn-t-tell-her-like/)

[Kerry Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-cohen/)

> [Empowerment is the ability to refine, improve, and enhance your life without co-dependency.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-maraboli/empowerment-is-the-ability-to-refine-improve-and-enhance-your-life/)

[Steve Maraboli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-maraboli/)

> [“You are lyricist, me a composer - you and I make a complete song.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-monir/you-are-lyricist-me-a-composer-you-and-i-make-a-complete-song/)

[Alexandra Monir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-monir/)

> [“Sharing your life with someone will have much more meaning coming from a place of independence rather than co-dependence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-hopkins/sharing-your-life-with-someone-will-have-much-more-meaning-coming/)

[Gary Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-hopkins/)

> [“It took so long to find you...and now I don't want it to change. I want it all set in amber. I want us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/armistead-maupin/it-took-so-long-to-find-you-and-now-i-don-t-want-it-to-change-i-want/)

[Armistead Maupin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/armistead-maupin/)

> [“The more dysfunctional, the more some family members seek to control the behavior of others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/the-more-dysfunctional-the-more-some-family-members-seek-to-control/)

[David W. Earle LPC- Love is Not Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/)

> [“It is very difficult to develop a proper sense of self-esteem in a dysfunctional family. Having very little self-worth, looking at one’s own character…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/it-is-very-difficult-to-develop-a-proper-sense-of-self-esteem-in-a/)

[David W. Earle LPC- Love is Not Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/)

> [“Families living in dysfunction seldom have healthy boundaries. Dysfunctional families have trouble knowing where they stop and others begin.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/families-living-in-dysfunction-seldom-have-healthy-boundaries/)

[David W. Earle LPC- Love is Not Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/)

> [“1. We fear people because they can expose and humiliate us. 2. We fear people because they can reject, ridicule, or despise us. 3.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-t-welch/1-we-fear-people-because-they-can-expose-and-humiliate-us-2-we-fear/)

[Edward T. Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-t-welch/)

> [“Once they have been affected---once "it" sets in---codependency takes on a life of its own. It is similar to catching pneumonia or picking up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melody-beattie/once-they-have-been-affected-once-it-sets-in-codependency-takes-on-a/)

[Melody Beattie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melody-beattie/)

## More by David W. Earle LPC- Love is Not Enough

> [“The more severe the dysfunction you experienced growing up, the more difficult boundaries are for you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/the-more-severe-the-dysfunction-you-experienced-growing-up-the-more/)

[David W. Earle LPC- Love is Not Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/)

> [“If no one has boundaries…how can there be any transgression?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/if-no-one-has-boundaries-how-can-there-be-any-transgression/)

[David W. Earle LPC- Love is Not Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/)

> [“Being judgmental is a form of attack keeping others off balance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/being-judgmental-is-a-form-of-attack-keeping-others-off-balance/)

[David W. Earle LPC- Love is Not Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/)

> [“Mature adults gravitate toward new values and understandings, not just rehashing and blind acceptance of past patterns and previous learning. This is an ongoing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/mature-adults-gravitate-toward-new-values-and-understandings-not-just/)

[David W. Earle LPC- Love is Not Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/)

> [“The greater the pain associated with love, the more likely a person is to be attracted to others who will inflict this pain…for isn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/the-greater-the-pain-associated-with-love-the-more-likely-a-person-is/)

[David W. Earle LPC- Love is Not Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/)

> [“...the state of perfection is an elusive goal; demanding something so obscure as almost unattainable and can become a compulsive, crazy making squirrel-on-a-wheel way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/the-state-of-perfection-is-an-elusive-goal-demanding-something-so/)

[David W. Earle LPC- Love is Not Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/)

> [“Change is hard, difficult, painful, and often messy”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/change-is-hard-difficult-painful-and-often-messy/)

[David W. Earle LPC- Love is Not Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/)

> [“People who are unwilling to talk about deep personal issues do not trust their own emotions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/people-who-are-unwilling-to-talk-about-deep-personal-issues-do-not/)

[David W. Earle LPC- Love is Not Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/)

> [“People pay a dear price when not dealing with the powerful emotions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/people-pay-a-dear-price-when-not-dealing-with-the-powerful-emotions/)

[David W. Earle LPC- Love is Not Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/)

> [“This is what we desire in intimate relationships but this deep connection is often so frightful that most do not take advantage of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/this-is-what-we-desire-in-intimate-relationships-but-this-deep/)

[David W. Earle LPC- Love is Not Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/)

> [“Honoring your word is the fiber from which trust is built.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/honoring-your-word-is-the-fiber-from-which-trust-is-built/)

[David W. Earle LPC- Love is Not Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/)

> [“Teenagers can spot hypocrisy a mile away and here I was telling them how to cope when they witnessed the shambles of my own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/teenagers-can-spot-hypocrisy-a-mile-away-and-here-i-was-telling-them/)

[David W. Earle LPC- Love is Not Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/)

> [“Our parents were our first gods. If parents are loving, nurturing, and kind, this becomes the child’s definition of the creator. If parents were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/our-parents-were-our-first-gods-if-parents-are-loving-nurturing-and/)

[David W. Earle LPC- Love is Not Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/)

> [“Putting labels on others creates a black hole of disregard where judgment thrives and schisms deepen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/putting-labels-on-others-creates-a-black-hole-of-disregard-where/)

[David W. Earle LPC- Love is Not Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/)

> [“Many people look at their past and bemoan their mistakes. Those errors in judgment, behavior, hurting others, and the wrong decisions may be what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/many-people-look-at-their-past-and-bemoan-their-mistakes-those-errors/)

[David W. Earle LPC- Love is Not Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/)

[Explore all 66 David W. Earle LPC- Love is Not Enough quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/)

## More Change quotes

> [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/)

[Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/)

> [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/)

[Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/)

> [“…progress isn't necessarily about change but about things turning out as we want them to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hogan/progress-isn-t-necessarily-about-change-but-about-things-turning-out/)

Phil Hogan

> [Nobody can tell me that no changes are necessary in Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/nobody-can-tell-me-that-no-changes-are-necessary-in-washington/)

[William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/)

> [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/)

[Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/)

> [When you walk down the street of Kabul your values for life changes, they do change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-pierre-white/when-you-walk-down-the-street-of-kabul-your-values-for-life-changes/)

[Marco Pierre White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-pierre-white/)

> [Your world will change whether or not you choose to change, but you have the power to choose it's direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/your-world-will-change-whether-or-not-you-choose-to-change-but-you/)

[Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/)

> [I hope I continue to evolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-flair/i-hope-i-continue-to-evolve/)

[Charlotte Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-flair/)

> [“Stay focused on bringing people together and more on positive messaging so that you can be the change you wish to see in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/stay-focused-on-bringing-people-together-and-more-on-positive/)

[Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/)

> [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/)

[Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/)

> [“After the funeral, my life changed. I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/)

[Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/)

> [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, as you practice mindfulness and live a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-practice-mindfulness-on-the-one-hand-to-be-calm-and-peaceful-on/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Irish research will contribute to global progress and have the potential to help all countries realise the potential of their land sectors in addressing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enda-kenny/irish-research-will-contribute-to-global-progress-and-have-the/)

[Enda Kenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enda-kenny/)

> [No man can change himself into anything from sheer reason; he can only change into what he potentially is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/no-man-can-change-himself-into-anything-from-sheer-reason-he-can-only/)

[Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/)

[Browse all 33,920 Change quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“It is one thing to know about your dysfunctional habits but quite another to change them.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "David W. Earle LPC- Love is Not Enough"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/it-is-one-thing-to-know-about-your-dysfunctional-habits-but-quite/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Change"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/it-is-one-thing-to-know-about-your-dysfunctional-habits-but-quite/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/511/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not_change_it-is-one-thing-to-know-about-your-dysfu_2067838.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/511/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not_change_it-is-one-thing-to-know-about-your-dysfu_2067838.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/511/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not_change_it-is-one-thing-to-know-about-your-dysfu_2067838.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“It is one thing to know about your dysfunctional habits but quite another to change them.” — David W. Earle LPC- Love is Not Enough",
                "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 W. Earle LPC- Love is Not Enough",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“It is one thing to know...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/it-is-one-thing-to-know-about-your-dysfunctional-habits-but-quite/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle-lpc-love-is-not-enough/it-is-one-thing-to-know-about-your-dysfunctional-habits-but-quite/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
