--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is not things in themselves which…" description: "\"It is not things in themselves which trouble us, but our opinions of things.\" — Epictetus" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc4/epictetus-413_opinion_it-is-not-things-in-themselves-which-tro_617208.jpg" --- # It is not things in themselves which trouble us, but our… ![“It is not things in themselves which trouble us, but our opinions of things.” quote by Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc4/epictetus-413_opinion_it-is-not-things-in-themselves-which-tro_617208.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc4/epictetus-413_opinion_it-is-not-things-in-themselves-which-tro_617208.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc4/epictetus-413_opinion_it-is-not-things-in-themselves-which-tro_617208.jpg) > “It is not things in themselves which trouble us, but our opinions of things.” [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Our distress comes from our judgments, not from external events themselves. **In simple terms:** Thoughts cause trouble, not things. Key Takeaway Examine and adjust your judgments. Themes philosophy control perception Mood calm inquisitive Type philosophical practical When to use this quote - stress management - conflict resolution - personal decision making - mental health Key Concepts stoicism cognitive psychology Questions to Reflect On - What judgments cause you unnecessary suffering? - How can you reframe your view of a problem? A Different Perspective Changing ingrained opinions can be difficult. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Opinion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opinion/) [Opinions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opinions/) ## Related quotes > [Not things, but opinions about things, trouble men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/not-things-but-opinions-about-things-trouble-men/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [Most of us now have opinions on such things as road tolling, the U.S. position on climate change, and the correct colour of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-armstrong/most-of-us-now-have-opinions-on-such-things-as-road-tolling-the-u-s/) [Jesse Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-armstrong/) > [Maturity: the confidence to have no opinions on many things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/maturity-the-confidence-to-have-no-opinions-on-many-things/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [I can't concern myself with what's going on with the club or what the media is writing. If you pay attention to those things,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-mattingly/i-can-t-concern-myself-with-what-s-going-on-with-the-club-or-what-the/) [Don Mattingly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-mattingly/) > [People rarely discuss the things that trouble them most.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/people-rarely-discuss-the-things-that-trouble-them-most/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [In a thousand years we shall all forget The things that trouble us now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-lindsay-gordon/in-a-thousand-years-we-shall-all-forget-the-things-that-trouble-us-now/) [Adam Lindsay Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-lindsay-gordon/) > [My mom always bails me out of things when I get in trouble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexa-vega/my-mom-always-bails-me-out-of-things-when-i-get-in-trouble/) [Alexa Vega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexa-vega/) > [We're supposed to do all these things which trouble us deeply because it's so against what we naturally would want to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-sendak/we-re-supposed-to-do-all-these-things-which-trouble-us-deeply-because/) [Maurice Sendak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-sendak/) > [I like to write about things about which I have no answers, questions that trouble me. These things trouble me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-haggis/i-like-to-write-about-things-about-which-i-have-no-answers-questions/) [Paul Haggis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-haggis/) > [When you react to things, that's when you get into trouble and it's tough to completely control a split-second reaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-marchand/when-you-react-to-things-that-s-when-you-get-into-trouble-and-it-s/) [Brad Marchand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-marchand/) > [It is sad that some people expect things from you when they are in trouble, but they don't even remember you when everything is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-sad-that-some-people-expect-things-from-you-when-they-are-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When there's not much to do, you find things to do that get you in trouble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margo-price/when-there-s-not-much-to-do-you-find-things-to-do-that-get-you-in/) [Margo Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margo-price/) > [It often happens that things are other than what they seem, and you can get yourself into trouble by jumping to conclusions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-auster/it-often-happens-that-things-are-other-than-what-they-seem-and-you/) [Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/) > [Pay as much attention to the things that are working positively in your life as you do to the things that give you trouble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-jackson-brown-jr/pay-as-much-attention-to-the-things-that-are-working-positively-in/) [H. Jackson Brown, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-jackson-brown-jr/) > [“I do my duty: other things trouble me not; for they are either things without life, or things without reason, or things that have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/i-do-my-duty-other-things-trouble-me-not-for-they-are-either-things/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) ## More by Epictetus > [“We are at the mercy of whoever wields authority over the things we either desire or detest. 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The wise see all blame as foolishness”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/small-minded-people-blame-others-average-people-blame-themselves-the/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [All philosophy lies in two words, sustain and abstain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/all-philosophy-lies-in-two-words-sustain-and-abstain/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) [Explore all 577 Epictetus quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) ## More Opinion 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/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [If you want to edit your photos and make yourself look different, go for it. 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Paul Getty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-paul-getty/) [Browse all 8,279 Opinion quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opinion/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is not things in themselves which trouble us, but our opinions of things.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Epictetus" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/it-is-not-things-in-themselves-which-trouble-us-but-our-opinions-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Opinion" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/it-is-not-things-in-themselves-which-trouble-us-but-our-opinions-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc4/epictetus-413_opinion_it-is-not-things-in-themselves-which-tro_617208.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc4/epictetus-413_opinion_it-is-not-things-in-themselves-which-tro_617208.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc4/epictetus-413_opinion_it-is-not-things-in-themselves-which-tro_617208.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is not things in themselves which trouble us, but our opinions of things.” — Epictetus", "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": "Epictetus", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It is not things in themselves...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/it-is-not-things-in-themselves-which-trouble-us-but-our-opinions-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/it-is-not-things-in-themselves-which-trouble-us-but-our-opinions-of/#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 } } ] } ```