--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Long ago, I made up my mind that when…" description: "\"Long ago, I made up my mind that when things were said involving only me, I would pay no attention to them, except when valid criticism was carried by ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e7d/eleanor-roosevelt-381_attention_long-ago-i-made-up-my-mind-that-when-thi_2696398.jpg" --- # Long ago, I made up my mind that when things were said… ![“Long ago, I made up my mind that when things were said involving only me, I would pay no attention to them, except when valid criticism was carried by which I could profit.” quote by Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e7d/eleanor-roosevelt-381_attention_long-ago-i-made-up-my-mind-that-when-thi_2696398.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e7d/eleanor-roosevelt-381_attention_long-ago-i-made-up-my-mind-that-when-thi_2696398.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e7d/eleanor-roosevelt-381_attention_long-ago-i-made-up-my-mind-that-when-thi_2696398.jpg) > “Long ago, I made up my mind that when things were said involving only me, I would pay no attention to them, except when valid criticism was carried by which I could profit.” [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Ignore personal gossip unless it offers constructive criticism you can use. **In simple terms:** Ignore gossip unless useful. Key Takeaway Focus on feedback that promotes growth. Themes communication self‑improvement boundaries Mood pragmatic assertive Type advisory practical When to use this quote - workplace - personal relationships - social media Key Concepts psychology leadership Questions to Reflect On - How do you differentiate useful critique? - What boundaries protect you? A Different Perspective Some criticism may be disguised as gossip. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) [Criticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticism/) [Long ago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-ago/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Profit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/profit/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) ## Related quotes > [“I didn't need his criticism. I carried enough guilt on my own. I had done everything wrong. I had the highest marks in school…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruta-sepetys/i-didn-t-need-his-criticism-i-carried-enough-guilt-on-my-own-i-had/) [Ruta Sepetys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruta-sepetys/) > [“But lost in that sea of (valid) criticism is the perhaps subtler critique that in an age of consumerism, economic imperialism and what Martin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-christopher-smith/but-lost-in-that-sea-of-valid-criticism-is-the-perhaps-subtler/) [C. Christopher Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-christopher-smith/) > [Valid criticism is something that we are open for, and we take it in the spirit in which it is given and try to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/urjit-patel/valid-criticism-is-something-that-we-are-open-for-and-we-take-it-in/) [Urjit Patel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/urjit-patel/) > [Valid criticism does you a favor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/valid-criticism-does-you-a-favor/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [ \[N\]o scientist likes to be criticized. ... But you don't reply to critics: "Wait a minute, wait a minute; this is a really good… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/n-o-scientist-likes-to-be-criticized-but-you-don-t-reply-to-critics/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [At any age it does us no harm to look over our past shortcomings and plan to improve our characters and actions in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/at-any-age-it-does-us-no-harm-to-look-over-our-past-shortcomings-and/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [One should always sleep in all of one's guest beds, to make sure that they are comfortable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/one-should-always-sleep-in-all-of-one-s-guest-beds-to-make-sure-that/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [I think we ought to impress on both our girls and boys that successful marriages require just as much work, just as much intelligence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/i-think-we-ought-to-impress-on-both-our-girls-and-boys-that/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [One of the blessings of age is to learn not to part on a note of sharpness, to treasure the moments spent with those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/one-of-the-blessings-of-age-is-to-learn-not-to-part-on-a-note-of/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [I would not be happy unless I had some regular work to do every day and I imagine that I will always feel that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/i-would-not-be-happy-unless-i-had-some-regular-work-to-do-every-day/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [An economic policy which does not consider the well-being of all will not serve the purposes of peace and the growth of well-being among…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/an-economic-policy-which-does-not-consider-the-well-being-of-all-will/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [My life can be so arranged that I can live on whatever I have. If I cannot live as I have lived in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/my-life-can-be-so-arranged-that-i-can-live-on-whatever-i-have-if-i/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [Whatever come we have to meet it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/whatever-come-we-have-to-meet-it/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [To some of us, hunger was more academic than real, but we must try to develop the ability to feel the urgency of such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/to-some-of-us-hunger-was-more-academic-than-real-but-we-must-try-to/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [This living in a democracy is a problem, isn't it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/this-living-in-a-democracy-is-a-problem-isn-t-it/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) ## More by Eleanor Roosevelt > [My experience has been that work is almost the best way to pull oneself out of the depths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/my-experience-has-been-that-work-is-almost-the-best-way-to-pull/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [experience should teach us that it is always the unexpected that does occur.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/experience-should-teach-us-that-it-is-always-the-unexpected-that-does/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [To be mature you have to realize what you value most... Not to arrive at a clear understanding of one's own values is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/to-be-mature-you-have-to-realize-what-you-value-most-not-to-arrive-at/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [I'm enormously interested in freedom and retaining the right to have whatever economy we want and to shape it as we want and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/i-m-enormously-interested-in-freedom-and-retaining-the-right-to-have/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [When you look fear in the face, you are able to say to yourself, 'I lived through this horror. I can take the next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/when-you-look-fear-in-the-face-you-are-able-to-say-to-yourself-i/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [The destiny of human rights is in the hands of all our citizens in all our communities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/the-destiny-of-human-rights-is-in-the-hands-of-all-our-citizens-in/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [You can never really live anyone else's life, not even your child's. The influence you exert is through your own life, and what you've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/you-can-never-really-live-anyone-else-s-life-not-even-your-child-s/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [“One of the things I believe most intensely is that every child’s why should be answered with care—and with respect. If you do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/one-of-the-things-i-believe-most-intensely-is-that-every-child-s-why/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [What we must learn to do is to create unbreakable bonds between the sciences and the humanities. We cannot procrastinate. The world of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/what-we-must-learn-to-do-is-to-create-unbreakable-bonds-between-the/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [Never allow a person to tell you no who doesn't have the power to say yes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/never-allow-a-person-to-tell-you-no-who-doesn-t-have-the-power-to-say/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [Do not stop thinking of life as an adventure. You have no security unless you can live bravely, excitingly, imaginatively; unless you can choose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/do-not-stop-thinking-of-life-as-an-adventure-you-have-no-security/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [We stand today at the threshold of a great event both in the life of the United Nations and in the life of mankind,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/we-stand-today-at-the-threshold-of-a-great-event-both-in-the-life-of/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [All of us ... should remember that no amount of flag-waving, pledging allegiance, or fervent singing of the national anthem is evidence that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/all-of-us-should-remember-that-no-amount-of-flag-waving-pledging/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [Some friends leave footprints in your heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/some-friends-leave-footprints-in-your-heart/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [If we want a free and peaceful world, if we want to make the deserts bloom and man grow to greater dignity as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/if-we-want-a-free-and-peaceful-world-if-we-want-to-make-the-deserts/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) [Explore all 612 Eleanor Roosevelt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) ## More Attention 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/) > [People pay far too much attention to the television and they're quite literal in some ways. At the beginning, when I was playing very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ardal-o-hanlon/people-pay-far-too-much-attention-to-the-television-and-they-re-quite/) [Ardal O'Hanlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ardal-o-hanlon/) > [Television, radio, social media. The 24/7 news cycle plows forward mercilessly on our desks, in our cars and in our pockets. Thousands and thousands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-prince/television-radio-social-media-the-24-7-news-cycle-plows-forward/) [Joseph Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-prince/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [What people don't normally know about us is the hustle is very real, and it's sorely driven a lot by how we consider ourselves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lzzy-hale/what-people-don-t-normally-know-about-us-is-the-hustle-is-very-real/) [Lzzy Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lzzy-hale/) > [For me, the term "psychotherapy" is limiting. It implies that we work with mind and emotions, but excludes the body and pays scant attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-diamond/for-me-the-term-psychotherapy-is-limiting-it-implies-that-we-work/) [Jed Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-diamond/) > [When you approach something to photograph it, first be still with yourself until the object of your attention affirms your presence. Then don't leave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minor-white/when-you-approach-something-to-photograph-it-first-be-still-with/) [Minor White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/minor-white/) > [I'm writing about real things. Real people. Real characters. You have to believe what I write about is true or you wouldn't pay any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/i-m-writing-about-real-things-real-people-real-characters-you-have-to/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [ I went to a mosque in Philadelphia with \[my wife\] in December 24, 1999. And we we went to this mosque in Philly, and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahershala-ali/i-went-to-a-mosque-in-philadelphia-with-my-wife-in-december-24-1999/) [Mahershala Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahershala-ali/) > [The Harvard Business Review recently had an article called 'The Human Moment,' about how to make real contact with a person at work: ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/the-harvard-business-review-recently-had-an-article-called-the-human/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [Let us thank God heartily as often as we pray that we have His Spirit in us to teach us to pray. Thanksgiving will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-murray/let-us-thank-god-heartily-as-often-as-we-pray-that-we-have-his-spirit/) [Andy Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-murray/) > [Enlightened people live in very charged states of attention, with a tremendous power circuiting through them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/enlightened-people-live-in-very-charged-states-of-attention-with-a/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [We must have a welfare system that we can afford, which will mean giving greater attention to directing the welfare program toward its primary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/we-must-have-a-welfare-system-that-we-can-afford-which-will-mean/) [Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) > [The director's job should give you a sense of music without drawing attention to itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-hackford/the-director-s-job-should-give-you-a-sense-of-music-without-drawing/) [Taylor Hackford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-hackford/) [Browse all 10,153 Attention quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Long ago, I made up my mind that when things were said involving only me, I would pay no attention to them, except when valid criticism was carried by which I could profit.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Eleanor Roosevelt" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/long-ago-i-made-up-my-mind-that-when-things-were-said-involving-only/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Attention" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/long-ago-i-made-up-my-mind-that-when-things-were-said-involving-only/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e7d/eleanor-roosevelt-381_attention_long-ago-i-made-up-my-mind-that-when-thi_2696398.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e7d/eleanor-roosevelt-381_attention_long-ago-i-made-up-my-mind-that-when-thi_2696398.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e7d/eleanor-roosevelt-381_attention_long-ago-i-made-up-my-mind-that-when-thi_2696398.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Long ago, I made up my mind that when things were said involving only me, I would pay no attention to them…” — Eleanor Roosevelt", "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": "Eleanor Roosevelt", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Long ago, I made up my...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/long-ago-i-made-up-my-mind-that-when-things-were-said-involving-only/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/long-ago-i-made-up-my-mind-that-when-things-were-said-involving-only/#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 } } ] } ```