--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We are not disturbed by what happens to…" description: "\"We are not disturbed by what happens to us, but by our thoughts about what happens to us.\" — Epictetus" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb9/epictetus-413_disturbed_we-are-not-disturbed-by-what-happens-to_33282.jpg" --- # We are not disturbed by what happens to us, but by our… ![“We are not disturbed by what happens to us, but by our thoughts about what happens to us.” quote by Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb9/epictetus-413_disturbed_we-are-not-disturbed-by-what-happens-to_33282.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb9/epictetus-413_disturbed_we-are-not-disturbed-by-what-happens-to_33282.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb9/epictetus-413_disturbed_we-are-not-disturbed-by-what-happens-to_33282.jpg) > “We are not disturbed by what happens to us, but by our thoughts about what happens to us.” [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. Distress arises from our interpretations, not external events. **In simple terms:** Thoughts shape reactions. Key Takeaway Control perception, not circumstances. Themes self-awareness cognitive control philosophy stoicism mindset Mood reflective calm detached Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - facing criticism - dealing with loss - managing anxiety - handling change Key Concepts perception interpretation emotional regulation Practical Applications - cognitive reframing - stress reduction techniques Questions to Reflect On - How can you change your narrative about a painful event? - What thoughts amplify your distress? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Disturbed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disturbed/) [Disturbed Happens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disturbed-happens-433262/) [Happens Thoughts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happens-thoughts-433261/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Philosophy of Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-of-mind/) [Thoughts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thoughts/) [Thoughts Happens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thoughts-happens-433260/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) ## Related quotes > [We are disturbed not by what happens to us, but by our thoughts about what happens to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/we-are-disturbed-not-by-what-happens-to-us-but-by-our-thoughts-about/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [“it gives me no rest, my wish to know the fate of all these scenes that entered my eyes and have remained in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrzej-stasiuk/it-gives-me-no-rest-my-wish-to-know-the-fate-of-all-these-scenes-that/) [Andrzej Stasiuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrzej-stasiuk/) > [“What happens to our thoughts as we clothe them in language, and how faithfully are they preserved when our listeners undress them?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-seymour/what-happens-to-our-thoughts-as-we-clothe-them-in-language-and-how/) [John Seymour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-seymour/) > [Men are disturbed not by things, but by the view which they take of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/men-are-disturbed-not-by-things-but-by-the-view-which-they-take-of/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [Any person capable of angering you becomes your master; he can anger you only when you permit yourself to be disturbed by him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/any-person-capable-of-angering-you-becomes-your-master-he-can-anger/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [Men are disturbed not by the things that happen, but by their opinion of the things that happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/men-are-disturbed-not-by-the-things-that-happen-but-by-their-opinion/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [People are not disturbed by things, but by the view they take of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/people-are-not-disturbed-by-things-but-by-the-view-they-take-of-them/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [If you think you control things that are in the control of others, you will lament. You will be disturbed and you will blame…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/if-you-think-you-control-things-that-are-in-the-control-of-others-you/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [When therefore we are hindered, or disturbed, or grieved, let us never attribute it to others, but to ourselves; that is, to our own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/when-therefore-we-are-hindered-or-disturbed-or-grieved-let-us-never/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [“Man is disturbed not by things, but by the views he takes of them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/man-is-disturbed-not-by-things-but-by-the-views-he-takes-of-them/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [Men are disturbed not by things, but by the views which they take of them](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/men-are-disturbed-not-by-things-but-by-the-views-which-they-take-of/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [People are disturbed not by things, but by the view they take of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/people-are-disturbed-not-by-things-but-by-the-view-they-take-of-them-2/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [All that we are is the result of what we have thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/all-that-we-are-is-the-result-of-what-we-have-thought/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If I held all the thoughts of the world in my hand, I would be careful not to open it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-le-bovier-de-fontenelle/if-i-held-all-the-thoughts-of-the-world-in-my-hand-i-would-be-careful/) [Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-le-bovier-de-fontenelle/) > [I can't say that there are 'things' that make me come alive. There are thoughts that make me come alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/i-can-t-say-that-there-are-things-that-make-me-come-alive-there-are/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) ## More by Epictetus > [“We are at the mercy of whoever wields authority over the things we either desire or detest. If you would be free, then, do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/we-are-at-the-mercy-of-whoever-wields-authority-over-the-things-we/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [Practice yourself, for heaven's sake in little things, and then proceed to greater.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/practice-yourself-for-heaven-s-sake-in-little-things-and-then-proceed/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [Do not laugh much or often or unrestrainedly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/do-not-laugh-much-or-often-or-unrestrainedly/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [When men are unhappy, they do not imagine they can ever cease to be so; and when some calamity has fallen on them, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/when-men-are-unhappy-they-do-not-imagine-they-can-ever-cease-to-be-so/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [Don't be prideful with any excellence that is not your own](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/don-t-be-prideful-with-any-excellence-that-is-not-your-own/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [You know yourself what you are worth in your own eyes; and at what price you will sell yourself. For men sell themselves at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/you-know-yourself-what-you-are-worth-in-your-own-eyes-and-at-what/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [Crows pick out the eyes of the dead, when the dead have no longer need of them; but flatterers mar the soul of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/crows-pick-out-the-eyes-of-the-dead-when-the-dead-have-no-longer-need/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [As a man, casting off worn out garments taketh new ones, so the dweller in the body, entereth into ones that are new.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/as-a-man-casting-off-worn-out-garments-taketh-new-ones-so-the-dweller/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [If you would improve, submit to be considered wihout sense and foolish with respect to externals. Wish to be considered to know nothing; and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/if-you-would-improve-submit-to-be-considered-wihout-sense-and-foolish/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [“For it is not death or pain that is to be feared, but the fear of pain or death.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/for-it-is-not-death-or-pain-that-is-to-be-feared-but-the-fear-of-pain/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [What else can I do, a lame old man, but sing hymns to God? If I were a nightingale, I would do the nightingale's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/what-else-can-i-do-a-lame-old-man-but-sing-hymns-to-god-if-i-were-a/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [People are disturbed not by things, but by the view they take of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/people-are-disturbed-not-by-things-but-by-the-view-they-take-of-them-2/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [“Small-minded people blame others. Average people blame themselves. 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/) > [It was the first and most striking characteristic of Socrates never to become heated in discourse, never to utter an injurious or insulting word…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/it-was-the-first-and-most-striking-characteristic-of-socrates-never/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) [Explore all 577 Epictetus quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) ## More Disturbed quotes > [People are disturbed not by things but by the view they take of them. They may forget what you said, but they will never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/people-are-disturbed-not-by-things-but-by-the-view-they-take-of-them/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [Parents who are stressed or disturbed will have more difficulty in meeting their children's needs. Parents who have little support--from friends, relatives, neighbors, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-kamerman/parents-who-are-stressed-or-disturbed-will-have-more-difficulty-in/) [Sheila Kamerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-kamerman/) > [Things happen too quickly, crisis follows crisis, the soil of our minds is perpetually disturbed. Each of us, to relieve his feelings, broadcasts his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-struther/things-happen-too-quickly-crisis-follows-crisis-the-soil-of-our-minds/) [Jan Struther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-struther/) > [I'm very disturbed to find out that the leader of the Townies has a soul and I'm beginning to develop a bit of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/i-m-very-disturbed-to-find-out-that-the-leader-of-the-townies-has-a/) [Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/) > [Arise Evans had a fungous nose, and said, it was revealed to him, that the King's hand would cure him, and at the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-aubrey/arise-evans-had-a-fungous-nose-and-said-it-was-revealed-to-him-that/) [John Aubrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-aubrey/) > [I'm usually pretty happy. I don't ever really get disturbed in any way, or feel like I need to go back and change something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-tweedy/i-m-usually-pretty-happy-i-don-t-ever-really-get-disturbed-in-any-way/) [Jeff Tweedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-tweedy/) > [“It's amusing to me that we refer to people who live in their heads as detached, disturbed, or mad, when reality for anyone is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/it-s-amusing-to-me-that-we-refer-to-people-who-live-in-their-heads-as/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [Silence is something that comes from your heart, not from outside. Silence doesn't mean not talking and not doing things; it means that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/silence-is-something-that-comes-from-your-heart-not-from-outside/) [Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/) > [How could one comfort a disturbed person? He is already assailed with doubts about his faith. He would have to despair with such a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-f-w-walther/how-could-one-comfort-a-disturbed-person-he-is-already-assailed-with/) [C. F. W. Walther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-f-w-walther/) > [I am particularly disturbed that our country is the largest financial supporter of an organization that not only wastes a lot of our money…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mac-thornberry/i-am-particularly-disturbed-that-our-country-is-the-largest-financial/) [Mac Thornberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mac-thornberry/) > [Anyone who is disturbed by the idea of newts in a nightclub is potentially dangerous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/anyone-who-is-disturbed-by-the-idea-of-newts-in-a-nightclub-is/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [My family is disturbed by me. They think something is really wrong with me. It kinda sucks being told that everyday...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos/my-family-is-disturbed-by-me-they-think-something-is-really-wrong/) [Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos/) > [People are disturbed not by things, but by the view they take of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/people-are-disturbed-not-by-things-but-by-the-view-they-take-of-them-2/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [The habit of quietly absorbing the shocks will be quite a great help to stabilize pure awareness. The technique is: Just feel not disturbed.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maharishi-mahesh-yogi/the-habit-of-quietly-absorbing-the-shocks-will-be-quite-a-great-help/) [Maharishi Mahesh Yogi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maharishi-mahesh-yogi/) > [When we are not realized, we are moving on the periphery, like a wheel and we are disturbed. But a realized soul is on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nirmala-srivastava/when-we-are-not-realized-we-are-moving-on-the-periphery-like-a-wheel/) [Nirmala Srivastava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nirmala-srivastava/) [Browse all 476 Disturbed quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disturbed/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We are not disturbed by what happens to us, but by our thoughts about what happens to us.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Epictetus" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/we-are-not-disturbed-by-what-happens-to-us-but-by-our-thoughts-about/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Disturbed" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/we-are-not-disturbed-by-what-happens-to-us-but-by-our-thoughts-about/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb9/epictetus-413_disturbed_we-are-not-disturbed-by-what-happens-to_33282.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb9/epictetus-413_disturbed_we-are-not-disturbed-by-what-happens-to_33282.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb9/epictetus-413_disturbed_we-are-not-disturbed-by-what-happens-to_33282.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We are not disturbed by what happens to us, but by our thoughts about what happens to us.” — 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": "We are not disturbed by what...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/we-are-not-disturbed-by-what-happens-to-us-but-by-our-thoughts-about/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/we-are-not-disturbed-by-what-happens-to-us-but-by-our-thoughts-about/#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 } } ] } ```