--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But feelings aren't like thoughts, they…" description: "\"But feelings aren't like thoughts, they can't be changed at will.\" — Dorothy Koomson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/294/dorothy-koomson-8017_changed_but-feelings-aren-t-like-thoughts-they-c_732053.png" --- # But feelings aren't like thoughts, they can't be changed… ![“But feelings aren't like thoughts, they can't be changed at will.” quote by Dorothy Koomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/294/dorothy-koomson-8017_changed_but-feelings-aren-t-like-thoughts-they-c_732053.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/294/dorothy-koomson-8017_changed_but-feelings-aren-t-like-thoughts-they-c_732053.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/294/dorothy-koomson-8017_changed_but-feelings-aren-t-like-thoughts-they-c_732053.png) > “But feelings aren't like thoughts, they can't be changed at will.” [Dorothy Koomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-koomson/) ## 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 not like thoughts; they cannot be simply switched off by willpower, highlighting the complexity of feeling. **In simple terms:** Feelings can't be changed just by will. Key Takeaway Accept feelings as they are, then work with them. Themes emotion psychology self-awareness Mood empathetic introspective Type psychological motivational When to use this quote - therapy - relationship counseling - personal growth - stress management Key Concepts affect regulation mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - How do you honor feelings without trying to change them? - What strategies help you coexist with unwanted emotions? A Different Perspective Changing feelings may require deeper work. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Philosophy of Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-of-mind/) [Thoughts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thoughts/) ## Related quotes > [In my early 30s, for a few months, I altered my body chemistry and hormones so that I was closer to a man in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lou-jepsen/in-my-early-30s-for-a-few-months-i-altered-my-body-chemistry-and/) [Mary Lou Jepsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lou-jepsen/) > [Like thoughts whose very sweetness yielded proof that they were born for immortality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wordsworth/like-thoughts-whose-very-sweetness-yielded-proof-that-they-were-born/) [William Wordsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wordsworth/) > [Coming off the last turn, my thoughts changed from 'One more try...one more try...one more try...' to 'I can win! I can win! I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-mills/coming-off-the-last-turn-my-thoughts-changed-from-one-more-try-one/) [Billy Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-mills/) > [Fear is just a thought and thoughts can be changed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/fear-is-just-a-thought-and-thoughts-can-be-changed/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [“your actions are all right so far; but I would have your thoughts changed; I would have you to fortify yourself against temptation, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/your-actions-are-all-right-so-far-but-i-would-have-your-thoughts/) [Anne Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [Sometimes we find that we like our thoughts so much that we don't want to let them go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/sometimes-we-find-that-we-like-our-thoughts-so-much-that-we-don-t/) [Pema Chodron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) > [MY stars are like thoughts I cant fathom into constellations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/my-stars-are-like-thoughts-i-cant-fathom-into-constellations/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I like to keep my thoughts private.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-mack/i-like-to-keep-my-thoughts-private/) [Khalil Mack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-mack/) > [I'll always write about what's going on in my life and the reason for that is it's not actually because I'm so fascinated with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/i-ll-always-write-about-what-s-going-on-in-my-life-and-the-reason-for/) [Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/) > [“Life is a series of moments and moments are always changing, just like thoughts, negative and positive. And though it may be human nature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecelia-ahern/life-is-a-series-of-moments-and-moments-are-always-changing-just-like/) [Cecelia Ahern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecelia-ahern/) > [When we have "second thoughts" about something, our first thoughts don't seem like thoughts at all - just feelings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-j-harris/when-we-have-second-thoughts-about-something-our-first-thoughts-don-t/) [Sydney J. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-j-harris/) > [I've never had one of those middle of the nights when I go, 'Why me?' or 'I don't know if I can keep fighting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-sager/i-ve-never-had-one-of-those-middle-of-the-nights-when-i-go-why-me-or/) [Craig Sager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-sager/) > [“Did you ever watch a smoke ring and how it appears? That’s like our thoughts. They disappear in the same way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-hochberg/did-you-ever-watch-a-smoke-ring-and-how-it-appears-that-s-like-our/) [Art Hochberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-hochberg/) > [“I don't like the thoughts running through your head. I plan on staying here until you look me in the eye and tell me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-mcgarry/i-don-t-like-the-thoughts-running-through-your-head-i-plan-on-staying/) [Katie McGarry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-mcgarry/) > [“If you ask why I’m not interested in someone, I might say their nose is too big, or they don’t know how to dress,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caren-lissner/if-you-ask-why-i-m-not-interested-in-someone-i-might-say-their-nose/) [Caren Lissner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caren-lissner/) ## More by Dorothy Koomson > [“I was consumed by a selfishness and arrogance that I didn't dare let go of until I found a new persona to hide behind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-koomson/i-was-consumed-by-a-selfishness-and-arrogance-that-i-didn-t-dare-let/) [Dorothy Koomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-koomson/) > [“I sometimes think people can see that I’m defective, that there’s nothing there. Behind the job and clothes and makeup there’s nothing to know.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-koomson/i-sometimes-think-people-can-see-that-i-m-defective-that-there-s/) [Dorothy Koomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-koomson/) > [I would rather have nothing than something that was only alright.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-koomson/i-would-rather-have-nothing-than-something-that-was-only-alright/) [Dorothy Koomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-koomson/) > [“It;s all gone. My life is all gone and I can't work out why. I keep looking back over my life...and I can't work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-koomson/it-s-all-gone-my-life-is-all-gone-and-i-can-t-work-out-why-i-keep/) [Dorothy Koomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-koomson/) > [If we're going to change the world for the better, kids need to know that they can by feeling good about who they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-koomson/if-we-re-going-to-change-the-world-for-the-better-kids-need-to-know/) [Dorothy Koomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-koomson/) > [Always regret the things you did do, never the things you didn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-koomson/always-regret-the-things-you-did-do-never-the-things-you-didn-t/) [Dorothy Koomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-koomson/) > [To know other people thought he'd made a mistake vindicated me. I wasn't a bad girlfriend, he was simply going through a period of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-koomson/to-know-other-people-thought-he-d-made-a-mistake-vindicated-me-i-wasn/) [Dorothy Koomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-koomson/) > [“Every second counts”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-koomson/every-second-counts/) [Dorothy Koomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-koomson/) > [“I could grow to like this man, I realized. I could grow to like him a lot.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-koomson/i-could-grow-to-like-this-man-i-realized-i-could-grow-to-like-him-a/) [Dorothy Koomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-koomson/) > [Evil grows when good people do and say nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-koomson/evil-grows-when-good-people-do-and-say-nothing/) [Dorothy Koomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-koomson/) > [“It's good to have things that you love. They keep you grounded, make you realise how much you've got to lose. It's good to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-koomson/it-s-good-to-have-things-that-you-love-they-keep-you-grounded-make/) [Dorothy Koomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-koomson/) > [Love is a two-way street.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-koomson/love-is-a-two-way-street/) [Dorothy Koomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-koomson/) > [“Are you always this honest?" "Almost never”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-koomson/are-you-always-this-honest-almost-never/) [Dorothy Koomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-koomson/) > [“If things go wrong, you don't have to accept you made a bum decision.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-koomson/if-things-go-wrong-you-don-t-have-to-accept-you-made-a-bum-decision/) [Dorothy Koomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-koomson/) > [My belief in God is personal, I do not need to browbeat anyone into agreeing with me, because I believe what I believe and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-koomson/my-belief-in-god-is-personal-i-do-not-need-to-browbeat-anyone-into/) [Dorothy Koomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-koomson/) [Explore all 80 Dorothy Koomson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-koomson/) ## More Changed quotes > [“You put together two things that have not been put together before. And the world is changed. People may not notice at the time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/you-put-together-two-things-that-have-not-been-put-together-before/) [Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/) > [You made me hate my own reflection Question every choice I make So I could try to be perfect But I will try to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn/you-made-me-hate-my-own-reflection-question-every-choice-i-make-so-i/) [Lynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn/) > [Everything has changed and nothing has changed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-lowery/everything-has-changed-and-nothing-has-changed/) [Joseph Lowery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-lowery/) > [“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/) > [ Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then \[these?\],… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in-england-in-1624-and-in-this/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Faith is the avenue to salvation. Not intellectual understanding. Not money. Not your works. Just simple faith. How much faith? The faith of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/faith-is-the-avenue-to-salvation-not-intellectual-understanding-not/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [When I became Miss World, I couldn't believe I had won it. I used to sleep with my crown because I was scared someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priyanka-chopra/when-i-became-miss-world-i-couldn-t-believe-i-had-won-it-i-used-to/) [Priyanka Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priyanka-chopra/) > [As the light changed from red to green to yellow and back to red again, I sat there thinking about life. Was it nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-the-light-changed-from-red-to-green-to-yellow-and-back-to-red/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Forgetting your Self is the greatest injury; all the calamities flow from it. Take care of the most important, the lesser will take care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/forgetting-your-self-is-the-greatest-injury-all-the-calamities-flow/) [Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/) > [It's only a thought and a thought can be changed. Choose good ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/it-s-only-a-thought-and-a-thought-can-be-changed-choose-good-ones/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [Working with Rihanna has changed my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bibi-bourelly/working-with-rihanna-has-changed-my-life/) [Bibi Bourelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bibi-bourelly/) > [The international game has changed for bidding cities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-ueberroth/the-international-game-has-changed-for-bidding-cities/) [Peter Ueberroth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-ueberroth/) > [You changed my life, don't know what you're doing to me with your love. You got me feeling super human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-changed-my-life-don-t-know-what-you-re-doing-to-me-with-your-love/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm not changing because I'm part of a hit. People around me have changed in their attitude toward me, but I haven't changed. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-penny/i-m-not-changing-because-i-m-part-of-a-hit-people-around-me-have/) [Joe Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-penny/) > [Good people are found not changed. Recently I read a headline that said, 'We don't teach people to be nice. We simply hire nice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/good-people-are-found-not-changed-recently-i-read-a-headline-that/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) Browse all 6,529 Changed quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "But feelings aren't like thoughts, they can't be changed at will.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dorothy Koomson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-koomson/but-feelings-aren-t-like-thoughts-they-can-t-be-changed-at-will/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Changed" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-koomson/but-feelings-aren-t-like-thoughts-they-can-t-be-changed-at-will/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/294/dorothy-koomson-8017_changed_but-feelings-aren-t-like-thoughts-they-c_732053.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/294/dorothy-koomson-8017_changed_but-feelings-aren-t-like-thoughts-they-c_732053.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/294/dorothy-koomson-8017_changed_but-feelings-aren-t-like-thoughts-they-c_732053.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“But feelings aren't like thoughts, they can't be changed at will.” — Dorothy Koomson", "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": "Dorothy Koomson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-koomson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "But feelings aren't like thoughts, they...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-koomson/but-feelings-aren-t-like-thoughts-they-can-t-be-changed-at-will/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-koomson/but-feelings-aren-t-like-thoughts-they-can-t-be-changed-at-will/#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 } } ] } ```