--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Like most humanoids, I am burdened with…" description: "\"“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..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/376/elizabeth-gilbert-131_buddhism_like-most-humanoids-i-am-burdened-with-w_869482.jpg" --- # Like most humanoids, I am burdened with what the Buddhists… ![“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…” quote by Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/376/elizabeth-gilbert-131_buddhism_like-most-humanoids-i-am-burdened-with-w_869482.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/376/elizabeth-gilbert-131_buddhism_like-most-humanoids-i-am-burdened-with-w_869482.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/376/elizabeth-gilbert-131_buddhism_like-most-humanoids-i-am-burdened-with-w_869482.jpg) > ““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.”” [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. 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. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Buddhism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buddhism/) [Emotions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotions/) [Feeling sorry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feeling-sorry/) [Happy Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happy-thought/) [Happy thoughts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happy-thoughts/) [Loneliness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loneliness/) [Monkey mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monkey-mind/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) ## Related quotes > [I am burdened with what the Buddhists call the monkey mind. 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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. 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