Buddhism Quote by Elizabeth Gilbert
““Like most humanoids, I am burdened with what the Buddhists call the "monkey mind"--the thoughts that swing from limb to limb, stopping only to scratch themselves, spit and howl. From the distant past to the unknowable future, my mind swings wildly through time, touching on dozens of ideas a minute, unharnessed and undisciplined. This in itself is not necessarily a problem; the problem is the emotional attachment that goes along with the thinking. Happy thoughts make me happy, but-whoop!-how quickly I swing again into obsessive worry, blowing the mood; and then it's all over again; and then my mind decides it might be a good time to start feeling sorry for itself, and loneliness follows promptly. You are, after all, what you think. Your emotions are the slaves to your thoughts, and you are the slave to your emotions.””
About This Quote
Source Interview: "The Signature of All Things" author, 2015
The mind constantly jumps between thoughts, creating emotional turbulence when we attach feelings to those thoughts.
In simple terms: Thoughts jump; emotions follow.
Key Takeaway
Observe thoughts without attachment.
Themes
mindfulness
emotional regulation
self-awareness
Mood
reflective
calm
inquisitive
Type
philosophical
self-help
psychology
When to use this quote
- meditation
- journaling
- therapy
- stressful work
- creative brainstorming
Key Concepts
cognitive looping
attachment
mental discipline
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you notice a thought without immediately feeling it?
- What practice helps you detach emotion from thought?
A Different Perspective
Attachment to thoughts amplifies negative emotions, making calm harder to achieve.
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