--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The result of observing only the universe…" description: "\"The result of observing only the universe is anxiety. Only observing the Observer of the universe will put a stop to a man's worrying and fussing and s..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b2/douglas-harding-37614_anxiety_the-result-of-observing-only-the-univers_897746.jpg" --- # The result of observing only the universe is anxiety. Only… ![“The result of observing only the universe is anxiety. Only observing the Observer of the universe will put a stop to a man's worrying and fussing and scheming. When his interest is diverted inwards he naturally relaxes his hold - his stranglehold - on the outer world. Having withdrawn his capital…” quote by Douglas Harding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b2/douglas-harding-37614_anxiety_the-result-of-observing-only-the-univers_897746.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b2/douglas-harding-37614_anxiety_the-result-of-observing-only-the-univers_897746.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b2/douglas-harding-37614_anxiety_the-result-of-observing-only-the-univers_897746.jpg) > “The result of observing only the universe is anxiety. Only observing the Observer of the universe will put a stop to a man's worrying and fussing and scheming. When his interest is diverted inwards he naturally relaxes his hold - his stranglehold - on the outer world. Having withdrawn his capital and paid it into his own Central Bank (where it appreciates to infinity), he has nothing to lose out there and no reason for interfering. He knows how to let things be and work out in their own time. He's in no hurry. Knowing the Self, he can hardly fail to trust its products.” [Douglas Harding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-harding/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Focusing inward on one's own consciousness reduces external anxiety and the need to control the world. **In simple terms:** Look inside to calm worries. Key Takeaway Cultivate self‑observation. Themes mindfulness self‑knowledge anxiety control Mood calm thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - meditation - stress management - decision making Key Concepts consciousness inner bank detachment Questions to Reflect On - What does “inner bank” mean to you? - How can you balance inner calm with outer duties? A Different Perspective Inner focus may ignore external responsibilities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anxiety](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anxiety/) [Central bank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/central-bank/) [Central banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/central-banks/) [Fussing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fussing/) [Infinity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/infinity/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Nothing to lose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nothing-to-lose/) [Outer worlds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outer-worlds/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe/) [Work out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-out/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [Worry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worry/) ## Related quotes > [Unlike what you may be told in other sectors of life, when observing the universe, size does matter, which often leads to polite ‘telescope…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/unlike-what-you-may-be-told-in-other-sectors-of-life-when-observing/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [“So much depends on this observer of the universe.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/so-much-depends-on-this-observer-of-the-universe/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Doesn't the theory of relativity concern literature too? In our world there is no longer any room for the privileged observer, as there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-berberova/doesn-t-the-theory-of-relativity-concern-literature-too-in-our-world/) [Nina Berberova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-berberova/) > [The observer and the universe are part of the same universe. It's what science discovered at the beginning of this century, when they say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-luc-godard/the-observer-and-the-universe-are-part-of-the-same-universe-it-s-what/) [Jean-Luc Godard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-luc-godard/) > [I am constantly astonished by the people, otherwise intelligent, who think that anything so complex and delicate as a marriage can be left to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/i-am-constantly-astonished-by-the-people-otherwise-intelligent-who/) [Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/) > [Revision is not going back and fussing around, but going forward into the process of creation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/may-sarton/revision-is-not-going-back-and-fussing-around-but-going-forward-into/) [May Sarton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/may-sarton/) > [“Fussing over food was important. It gave a shape to the day: breakfast, lunch, dinner; beginning, middle, end.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hellenga/fussing-over-food-was-important-it-gave-a-shape-to-the-day-breakfast/) [Robert Hellenga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hellenga/) > [At times failure is very necessary for the artist. It reminds him that failure is not the ultimate disaster. And this reminder liberates him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-berger/at-times-failure-is-very-necessary-for-the-artist-it-reminds-him-that/) [John Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-berger/) > [“Yesterday, his fussing may have escalated to the point where he needed your help, but today is a new day, and if you pause,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-turgeon/yesterday-his-fussing-may-have-escalated-to-the-point-where-he-needed/) Heather Turgeon > [There's no use fussing on a boy who doesn't have any ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-s-no-use-fussing-on-a-boy-who-doesn-t-have-any-ability/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's hard to look pleasant when anguish is present, and yet it is strictly worth while; Not all of your scowling and fussing and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-mason-camp/it-s-hard-to-look-pleasant-when-anguish-is-present-and-yet-it-is/) Walter Mason Camp > [I feel shy when people are fussing on me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-lively/i-feel-shy-when-people-are-fussing-on-me/) [Blake Lively](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-lively/) > [Fussing over children who cry only encourages them. That's positive reinforcement for negative behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/fussing-over-children-who-cry-only-encourages-them-that-s-positive/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [I was growing tired of all the fussing and prevaricating, of the stolen hours and the secret rendez-vous; of the small indignities and broad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vicki-baum/i-was-growing-tired-of-all-the-fussing-and-prevaricating-of-the/) [Vicki Baum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vicki-baum/) > [...We can work it out. Life is very short, and there's no time for fussing and fighting, my friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-mccartney/we-can-work-it-out-life-is-very-short-and-there-s-no-time-for-fussing/) [Paul McCartney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-mccartney/) ## More by Douglas Harding > [ “What actually happened was something absurdly simple and unspectacular: I stopped thinking. \[...\] Reason and imagination and all mental chatter died down. For once,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-harding/what-actually-happened-was-something-absurdly-simple-and/) [Douglas Harding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-harding/) > [Here is just emptiness. There is no getting my ego out of the way, and all that stuff. There is just the seeing, shining…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-harding/here-is-just-emptiness-there-is-no-getting-my-ego-out-of-the-way-and/) [Douglas Harding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-harding/) > [Profound things are simple. If it is not simple, it cannot be true. But simple things are difficult.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-harding/profound-things-are-simple-if-it-is-not-simple-it-cannot-be-true-but/) [Douglas Harding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-harding/) > [Inwardly you are God, outwardly you are a person. Instead of thinking you are just a person, that appearance, you can awake to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-harding/inwardly-you-are-god-outwardly-you-are-a-person-instead-of-thinking/) [Douglas Harding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-harding/) > [Whether looked at from outside or inside, bodies dissolve, matter vanishes, spirit remains - once we bother to go into the matter. "Spirit is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-harding/whether-looked-at-from-outside-or-inside-bodies-dissolve-matter/) [Douglas Harding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-harding/) > [We are all more or less ill till we find -Self-enquiry our Oneness with everyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-harding/we-are-all-more-or-less-ill-till-we-find-self-enquiry-our-oneness/) [Douglas Harding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-harding/) > [There is a Reality which is Indivisible, One, Alone, the Source and Being of all; not a thing, nor even a mind, but pure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-harding/there-is-a-reality-which-is-indivisible-one-alone-the-source-and/) [Douglas Harding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-harding/) > [When we dare to doubt what we are told and take a fresh look at what's going on, we are in for lots of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-harding/when-we-dare-to-doubt-what-we-are-told-and-take-a-fresh-look-at-what/) [Douglas Harding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-harding/) > [How much harder it is to bear one's splendor than one's miseries!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-harding/how-much-harder-it-is-to-bear-one-s-splendor-than-one-s-miseries/) [Douglas Harding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-harding/) > [Isnt it the very last thing we feel grateful for - having happened? You needn't have happened. But you did happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-harding/isnt-it-the-very-last-thing-we-feel-grateful-for-having-happened-you/) [Douglas Harding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-harding/) > [The human mind is not, as philosophers would have you think, a debating hall, but a picture gallery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-harding/the-human-mind-is-not-as-philosophers-would-have-you-think-a-debating/) [Douglas Harding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-harding/) [Explore all 12 Douglas Harding quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-harding/) ## More Anxiety quotes > [“Anything that you find yourself worrying about regularly may find you suddenly wanting unrealistic changes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nagisa-tatsumi/anything-that-you-find-yourself-worrying-about-regularly-may-find-you/) Nagisa Tatsumi > [Bein Crazy is the least of my worries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/bein-crazy-is-the-least-of-my-worries/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [The answer to deep anxiety is the deep adoration of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/the-answer-to-deep-anxiety-is-the-deep-adoration-of-god/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [“Fear of seeing a police car pull into the drive. Fear of falling asleep at night. Fear of not falling asleep. Fear of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-carver/fear-of-seeing-a-police-car-pull-into-the-drive-fear-of-falling/) [Raymond Carver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-carver/) > [I get nervous when I don't get nervous. If I'm nervous I know I'm going to have a good show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beyonce-knowles/i-get-nervous-when-i-don-t-get-nervous-if-i-m-nervous-i-know-i-m/) [Beyonce Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beyonce-knowles/) > [“Every invention comes through anxiousness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rakesh-wadhwani/every-invention-comes-through-anxiousness/) [Rakesh Wadhwani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rakesh-wadhwani/) > [“Do Not Be Anxious 25 e “Therefore I tell you,  f do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-not-be-anxious-25-e-therefore-i-tell-you-f-do-not-be-anxious-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Nothing happens on its own, you have to make things happen. If you really want to come out of your stressful situation than you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subodh-gupta/nothing-happens-on-its-own-you-have-to-make-things-happen-if-you/) [Subodh Gupta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subodh-gupta/) > [“I guess if we're talking about my anxiety, the even truthier truth is it started way before that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-winfrey/i-guess-if-we-re-talking-about-my-anxiety-the-even-truthier-truth-is/) [Kerry Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-winfrey/) > [I was a very good student. Procrastinating gives me anxiety, and getting a B really ticked me off. Sure, I didn't always want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josie-loren/i-was-a-very-good-student-procrastinating-gives-me-anxiety-and/) [Josie Loren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josie-loren/) > [“The suspense: the fearful, acute suspense: of standing idly by while the life of one we dearly love, is trembling in the balance; the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/the-suspense-the-fearful-acute-suspense-of-standing-idly-by-while-the/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [The party in Alobar’s head, which agitation and anxiety were throwing, now was crashed by a notion: existence can be rearranged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/the-party-in-alobar-s-head-which-agitation-and-anxiety-were-throwing/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [As you know, I have been very open about my struggle with social anxiety.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/summer-walker/as-you-know-i-have-been-very-open-about-my-struggle-with-social/) [Summer Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/summer-walker/) > [Anxiety is not to be managed it is a sin that needs to be repented of](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-driscoll/anxiety-is-not-to-be-managed-it-is-a-sin-that-needs-to-be-repented-of/) [Mark Driscoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-driscoll/) > [“I’ve always seen this in you, ever since you were a little girl — this hunger to love other people into their highest selves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-elisabeth/i-ve-always-seen-this-in-you-ever-since-you-were-a-little-girl-this/) [Jennifer Elisabeth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-elisabeth/) [Browse all 4,944 Anxiety quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anxiety/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The result of observing only the universe is anxiety. Only observing the Observer of the universe will put a stop to a man's worrying and fussing and scheming. When his interest is diverted inwards he naturally relaxes his hold - his stranglehold - on the outer world. Having withdrawn his capital and paid it into his own Central Bank (where it appreciates to infinity), he has nothing to lose out there and no reason for interfering. He knows how to let things be and work out in their own time. He's in no hurry. Knowing the Self, he can hardly fail to trust its products.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Douglas Harding" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-harding/the-result-of-observing-only-the-universe-is-anxiety-only-observing/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Anxiety" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-harding/the-result-of-observing-only-the-universe-is-anxiety-only-observing/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b2/douglas-harding-37614_anxiety_the-result-of-observing-only-the-univers_897746.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b2/douglas-harding-37614_anxiety_the-result-of-observing-only-the-univers_897746.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b2/douglas-harding-37614_anxiety_the-result-of-observing-only-the-univers_897746.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The result of observing only the universe is anxiety. Only observing the Observer of the universe will put a…” — Douglas Harding", "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": "Douglas Harding", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-harding/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The result of observing only the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-harding/the-result-of-observing-only-the-universe-is-anxiety-only-observing/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-harding/the-result-of-observing-only-the-universe-is-anxiety-only-observing/#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 } } ] } ```