--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Its not stress that kills us, it is our…" description: "\"Its not stress that kills us, it is our reaction to it.\" — Hans Selye" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5be/hans-selye-17189_kills_its-not-stress-that-kills-us-it-is-our-r_3222171.png" --- # Its not stress that kills us, it is our reaction to it. ![“Its not stress that kills us, it is our reaction to it.” quote by Hans Selye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5be/hans-selye-17189_kills_its-not-stress-that-kills-us-it-is-our-r_3222171.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5be/hans-selye-17189_kills_its-not-stress-that-kills-us-it-is-our-r_3222171.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5be/hans-selye-17189_kills_its-not-stress-that-kills-us-it-is-our-r_3222171.png) > “Its not stress that kills us, it is our reaction to it.” [Hans Selye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-selye/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Stress itself is neutral; it is our mental and emotional reaction that determines harm. **In simple terms:** Stress is harmful only when we react poorly. Key Takeaway Manage reactions to stress. Themes stress psychology health coping reaction well‑being Mood concerned hopeful Type practical motivational When to use this quote - workplace deadlines - personal conflicts - health crises - financial pressures Key Concepts cognitive appraisal physiological response resilience Questions to Reflect On - What patterns in your reaction to stress can you change? - How can you reframe stress as a signal rather than a threat? A Different Perspective Sometimes the quote is unavoidable, making management difficult. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Kills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kills/) [Kills Reaction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kills-reaction-3635748/) [Reaction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reaction/) [Stress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stress/) [Stress Kills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stress-kills-1276046/) ## Related quotes > [“It is not stress that kills us ,It is our reaction to it”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-selye/it-is-not-stress-that-kills-us-it-is-our-reaction-to-it/) [Hans Selye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-selye/) > [It’s not stress that kills people, but how they react to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-ringer/it-s-not-stress-that-kills-people-but-how-they-react-to-it/) [Robert Ringer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-ringer/) > [Brain cells create ideas. Stress kills brain cells. Stress is not a good idea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/brain-cells-create-ideas-stress-kills-brain-cells-stress-is-not-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It is not stress that kills us. It is effective adaptation to stress that allows us to live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-vaillant/it-is-not-stress-that-kills-us-it-is-effective-adaptation-to-stress/) [George Vaillant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-vaillant/) > [If life doesnt kill you, emptiness will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sangfroid-stalker/if-life-doesnt-kill-you-emptiness-will/) [SangFroid Stalker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sangfroid-stalker/) > [“that's what kills a man: lack of change.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/that-s-what-kills-a-man-lack-of-change/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [Be happy In front of people who don't like you it kills them <3](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/be-happy-in-front-of-people-who-don-t-like-you-it-kills-them-3/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Every dead body that is not exterminated, gets up and kills. The people it kills, get up and kill!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-james-foster/every-dead-body-that-is-not-exterminated-gets-up-and-kills-the-people/) [Dr. James Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-james-foster/) > [Man is the poet who kills, Woman the angel who eats.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-bear/man-is-the-poet-who-kills-woman-the-angel-who-eats/) [Greg Bear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-bear/) > [It really hurts... my silence kills me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessey-kaur/it-really-hurts-my-silence-kills-me/) [Jessey Kaur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessey-kaur/) > [Why does man kill? He kills for food. And not only food: frequently there must be a beverage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/why-does-man-kill-he-kills-for-food-and-not-only-food-frequently/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [“everything kills everything else in some way. Fishing kills me exactly as it keeps me alive. The boy keeps me alive, he thought. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/everything-kills-everything-else-in-some-way-fishing-kills-me-exactly/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [Every shot that kills ricochets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-parker/every-shot-that-kills-ricochets/) [Gilbert Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-parker/) > [Making a definitive declaration of intent or meaning kills the photograph.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daido-moriyama/making-a-definitive-declaration-of-intent-or-meaning-kills-the/) [Daido Moriyama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daido-moriyama/) > [“He who kills from afar knows nothing at all about act of killing. He who kills from afar derives no lesson from life or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arturo-p-rez-reverte/he-who-kills-from-afar-knows-nothing-at-all-about-act-of-killing-he/) [Arturo Pérez-Reverte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arturo-p-rez-reverte/) ## More by Hans Selye > [The element of chance in basic research is overrated. Chance is a lady who smiles only upon those few who know how to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-selye/the-element-of-chance-in-basic-research-is-overrated-chance-is-a-lady/) [Hans Selye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-selye/) > [To remain healthy a man must have some goal, some purpose in life that he can respect and be proud to work for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-selye/to-remain-healthy-a-man-must-have-some-goal-some-purpose-in-life-that/) [Hans Selye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-selye/) > [Leaders are leaders only as long as they have the respect and loyalty of their followers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-selye/leaders-are-leaders-only-as-long-as-they-have-the-respect-and-loyalty/) [Hans Selye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-selye/) > [Stress is the spice of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-selye/stress-is-the-spice-of-life/) [Hans Selye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-selye/) > [Stress, in addition to being itself, was also the cause of itself, and the result of itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-selye/stress-in-addition-to-being-itself-was-also-the-cause-of-itself-and/) [Hans Selye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-selye/) > [Stress is not necessarily something bad it all depends on how you take it. The stress of exhilarating, creative successful work is beneficial, while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-selye/stress-is-not-necessarily-something-bad-it-all-depends-on-how-you/) [Hans Selye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-selye/) > [Every stress leaves an indelible scar, and the organism pays for its survival after a stressful situation by becoming a little older.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-selye/every-stress-leaves-an-indelible-scar-and-the-organism-pays-for-its/) [Hans Selye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-selye/) > [My advice to any young person at the beginning of their career is to try to look for the mere outlines of big things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-selye/my-advice-to-any-young-person-at-the-beginning-of-their-career-is-to/) [Hans Selye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-selye/) > [Gratitude conserves the vital energies of a person more than any other attitude tested.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-selye/gratitude-conserves-the-vital-energies-of-a-person-more-than-any/) [Hans Selye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-selye/) > [As much as we thirst for approval we dread condemnation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-selye/as-much-as-we-thirst-for-approval-we-dread-condemnation/) [Hans Selye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-selye/) > [Even after the greatest defeats, the depressing thought of being a failure is best combated by taking stock of all your past achievements.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-selye/even-after-the-greatest-defeats-the-depressing-thought-of-being-a/) [Hans Selye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-selye/) > [Adopting the right attitude can convert a negative stress into a positive one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-selye/adopting-the-right-attitude-can-convert-a-negative-stress-into-a/) [Hans Selye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-selye/) > [The builder of the best racing car is not necessarily its best driver.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-selye/the-builder-of-the-best-racing-car-is-not-necessarily-its-best-driver/) [Hans Selye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-selye/) > [The fairest thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true science. He who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-selye/the-fairest-thing-we-can-experience-is-the-mysterious-it-is-the/) [Hans Selye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-selye/) > [To make a great dream come true, you must first have a great dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-selye/to-make-a-great-dream-come-true-you-must-first-have-a-great-dream/) [Hans Selye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-selye/) [Explore all 37 Hans Selye quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-selye/) ## More Kills quotes > [“He who kills from afar knows nothing at all about act of killing. He who kills from afar derives no lesson from life or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arturo-p-rez-reverte/he-who-kills-from-afar-knows-nothing-at-all-about-act-of-killing-he/) [Arturo Pérez-Reverte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arturo-p-rez-reverte/) > [Making a definitive declaration of intent or meaning kills the photograph.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daido-moriyama/making-a-definitive-declaration-of-intent-or-meaning-kills-the/) [Daido Moriyama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daido-moriyama/) > [Every shot that kills ricochets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-parker/every-shot-that-kills-ricochets/) [Gilbert Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-parker/) > [“everything kills everything else in some way. Fishing kills me exactly as it keeps me alive. The boy keeps me alive, he thought. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/everything-kills-everything-else-in-some-way-fishing-kills-me-exactly/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [Why does man kill? He kills for food. And not only food: frequently there must be a beverage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/why-does-man-kill-he-kills-for-food-and-not-only-food-frequently/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [It really hurts... my silence kills me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessey-kaur/it-really-hurts-my-silence-kills-me/) [Jessey Kaur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessey-kaur/) > [Man is the poet who kills, Woman the angel who eats.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-bear/man-is-the-poet-who-kills-woman-the-angel-who-eats/) [Greg Bear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-bear/) > [“Every dead body that is not exterminated, gets up and kills. The people it kills, get up and kill!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-james-foster/every-dead-body-that-is-not-exterminated-gets-up-and-kills-the-people/) [Dr. James Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-james-foster/) > [Be happy In front of people who don't like you it kills them <3](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/be-happy-in-front-of-people-who-don-t-like-you-it-kills-them-3/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“that's what kills a man: lack of change.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/that-s-what-kills-a-man-lack-of-change/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [If life doesnt kill you, emptiness will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sangfroid-stalker/if-life-doesnt-kill-you-emptiness-will/) [SangFroid Stalker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sangfroid-stalker/) > [“War is no joke, it seems. It destroys, kills, burns, separates, brings unhappiness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zlata-filipovi/war-is-no-joke-it-seems-it-destroys-kills-burns-separates-brings/) [Zlata Filipović](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zlata-filipovi/) > [“Yet each man kills the thing he loves, By each let this be heard, Some do it with a bitter look, Some with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/yet-each-man-kills-the-thing-he-loves-by-each-let-this-be-heard-some/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“Three-letter word that kills you for sure - Ego.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saru-singhal/three-letter-word-that-kills-you-for-sure-ego/) [Saru Singhal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saru-singhal/) > [“Fame kills brain cells”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/fame-kills-brain-cells/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 276 Kills quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kills/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Its not stress that kills us, it is our reaction to it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Hans Selye" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-selye/its-not-stress-that-kills-us-it-is-our-reaction-to-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Kills" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-selye/its-not-stress-that-kills-us-it-is-our-reaction-to-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5be/hans-selye-17189_kills_its-not-stress-that-kills-us-it-is-our-r_3222171.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5be/hans-selye-17189_kills_its-not-stress-that-kills-us-it-is-our-r_3222171.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5be/hans-selye-17189_kills_its-not-stress-that-kills-us-it-is-our-r_3222171.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Its not stress that kills us, it is our reaction to it.” — Hans Selye", "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": "Hans Selye", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-selye/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Its not stress that kills us,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-selye/its-not-stress-that-kills-us-it-is-our-reaction-to-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-selye/its-not-stress-that-kills-us-it-is-our-reaction-to-it/#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 } } ] } ```