---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: a person’s mind is controlled by his…"
description: "\"“a person’s mind is controlled by his body, right? Or is it the opposite—the way your mind works influences the structure of the body? Or do the body a..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c5/haruki-murakami-21_commands_a-person-s-mind-is-controlled-by-his-bod_2266180.jpg"
---

#  a person’s mind is controlled by his body, right? Or is it…

![“a person’s mind is controlled by his body, right? Or is it the opposite—the way your mind works influences the structure of the body? Or do the body and mind closely influence each other and act on each other? What I do know is that people have certain inborn tendencies, and whether a person likes…” quote by Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c5/haruki-murakami-21_commands_a-person-s-mind-is-controlled-by-his-bod_2266180.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c5/haruki-murakami-21_commands_a-person-s-mind-is-controlled-by-his-bod_2266180.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c5/haruki-murakami-21_commands_a-person-s-mind-is-controlled-by-his-bod_2266180.jpg)

> ““a person’s mind is controlled by his body, right? Or is it the opposite—the way your mind works influences the structure of the body? Or do the body and mind closely influence each other and act on each other? What I do know is that people have certain inborn tendencies, and whether a person likes them or not, they’re inescapable. Tendencies can be adjusted, to a degree, but their essence can never be changed.””

[Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Explores the reciprocal influence of mind and body and innate tendencies that shape behavior.

**In simple terms:** Mind and body affect each other; innate traits are hard to change.

Key Takeaway

Recognize limits, work within them.

Themes

mind‑body nature vs nurture human behavior

Mood

reflective thoughtful

Type

philosophical psychological

When to use this quote

- therapy
- personal development
- education

Key Concepts

psychology neuroscience habit formation

Questions to Reflect On

- How do your habits reflect your mindset?
- Can you reshape an innate tendency?

A Different Perspective

Innate traits may be overstated; change is possible with effort.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Body And Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body-and-mind/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/)

## Related quotes

> [If you think your body and mind are two, that is wrong; if you think that they are one, that is also wrong. Our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/if-you-think-your-body-and-mind-are-two-that-is-wrong-if-you-think/)

[Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/)

> [“Felt pressure, sensed texture and perceived space can work upon the body and so too upon the mind, altering the textures and inclinations of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-macfarlane/felt-pressure-sensed-texture-and-perceived-space-can-work-upon-the/)

[Robert Macfarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-macfarlane/)

> [Volumes are now written and spoken upon the effect of the mind upon the body. Much of it is true. But I wish a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florence-nightingale/volumes-are-now-written-and-spoken-upon-the-effect-of-the-mind-upon/)

[Florence Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florence-nightingale/)

> [As it is in the body, so it is in the mind; practice makes it what it is, and most even of those excellencies,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-locke/as-it-is-in-the-body-so-it-is-in-the-mind-practice-makes-it-what-it/)

[John Locke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-locke/)

> [“The mind commands the body, and obedience is instant; the mind commands itself and meets resistance. The mind tells the hand to move, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-mind-commands-the-body-and-obedience-is-instant-the-mind-commands/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“At the end of the mind, the body. But at the end of the body, the mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-valery/at-the-end-of-the-mind-the-body-but-at-the-end-of-the-body-the-mind/)

[Paul Valery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-valery/)

> [“The celebrated Parisian doctor Professor Xavier Bichat developed a fully materialist theory of the human body and mind in his lectures Physiological Researches on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-holmes/the-celebrated-parisian-doctor-professor-xavier-bichat-developed-a/)

[Richard Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-holmes/)

> [If there is no strength in body and mind, the Atman cannot be realized. First you have to build the body by good nutritious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/if-there-is-no-strength-in-body-and-mind-the-atman-cannot-be-realized/)

[Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/)

> [Whatever success I've had so far has been assimilated into my body and mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-diamond/whatever-success-i-ve-had-so-far-has-been-assimilated-into-my-body/)

[Neil Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-diamond/)

> [The body and mind are dependent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/the-body-and-mind-are-dependent/)

[Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/)

> [Watch your own body and mind, and the people and things surrounding you, from the deep, calm place inside of you. When you do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-keyes-jr/watch-your-own-body-and-mind-and-the-people-and-things-surrounding/)

[Ken Keyes Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-keyes-jr/)

> [“If you are pure in intention and in alignment with beauty and love, in body and mind, the highest levels of your spiritual self…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/if-you-are-pure-in-intention-and-in-alignment-with-beauty-and-love-in/)

[Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/)

> [“It doesn't take much in the way of body and mind to be a lookout…It's mostly soul”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-connors-quoting-norman-maclean/it-doesn-t-take-much-in-the-way-of-body-and-mind-to-be-a-lookout-it-s/)

Philip Connors quoting Norman Maclean

> [I started practicing yoga when I was a teenager, studying classical dance. My body and mind were very open but not very strong. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-stiles/i-started-practicing-yoga-when-i-was-a-teenager-studying-classical/)

[Tara Stiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-stiles/)

> [The body and mind are continually changing, and are, in fact, only names of series of changeful phenomena, like rivers whose waters are in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/the-body-and-mind-are-continually-changing-and-are-in-fact-only-names/)

[Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/)

## More by Haruki Murakami

> [I always feel like I'm struggling to become someone else. Like I'm trying to find a new place, grab hold of a new life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/i-always-feel-like-i-m-struggling-to-become-someone-else-like-i-m/)

[Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

> [If writing novels is like planting a forest, then writing short stories is more like planting a garden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/if-writing-novels-is-like-planting-a-forest-then-writing-short/)

[Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

> [“The sad truth is that what I could recall in five seconds all too soon needed ten, then thirty, thena full minute...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/the-sad-truth-is-that-what-i-could-recall-in-five-seconds-all-too/)

[Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

> [“Intelligent teenage girls were often instinctively theatrical, purposely eccentric, mouthing highly suggestive words to confuse people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/intelligent-teenage-girls-were-often-instinctively-theatrical/)

[Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

> [Memory is like fiction; or else it's fiction that's like memory. This really came home to me once I started writing fiction, that memory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/memory-is-like-fiction-or-else-it-s-fiction-that-s-like-memory-this/)

[Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

> [The most dangerous creature here would have to be me. So maybe I'm just scared of my own shadow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/the-most-dangerous-creature-here-would-have-to-be-me-so-maybe-i-m/)

[Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

> [If you listen to the radio for a whole hour there's maybe one decent song. The rest is mass-produced garbage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/if-you-listen-to-the-radio-for-a-whole-hour-there-s-maybe-one-decent/)

[Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

> [“that one of our problems was our inability to recognize and accept our own deformities”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/that-one-of-our-problems-was-our-inability-to-recognize-and-accept/)

[Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

> [“When I look back at myself at age twenty, what I remember most is being alone and lonely. I had no girlfriend to warm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/when-i-look-back-at-myself-at-age-twenty-what-i-remember-most-is/)

[Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

> [“There's not a branch of publishing or broadcasting that doesn't depend in some way on advertising. It'd be like an aquarium without water. Why,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/there-s-not-a-branch-of-publishing-or-broadcasting-that-doesn-t/)

[Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

> [“One by one, I'll face the tasks before me and complete them as best I can. Focusing on each stride forward, but at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/one-by-one-i-ll-face-the-tasks-before-me-and-complete-them-as-best-i/)

[Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

> [“Eleven o'clock had come and gone. I had to find a way to bring this conversation to a successful conclusion and get out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/eleven-o-clock-had-come-and-gone-i-had-to-find-a-way-to-bring-this/)

[Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

> [“Some people get a kick out of reading railway timetables and that's all they do all day. Some people make huge model boats out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/some-people-get-a-kick-out-of-reading-railway-timetables-and-that-s/)

[Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

> [“When the time comes, everybody’s got to end up where they belong. Only me, I didn’t have a place to call my own. It’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/when-the-time-comes-everybody-s-got-to-end-up-where-they-belong-only/)

[Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

> [“You let something out of the bag before yourself knew what it was all about”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/you-let-something-out-of-the-bag-before-yourself-knew-what-it-was-all/)

[Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

[Explore all 2,928 Haruki Murakami quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

## More Commands quotes

> [It is the mind that shapes the body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-pilates/it-is-the-mind-that-shapes-the-body/)

[Joseph Pilates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-pilates/)

> [“The lion commands respect.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/the-lion-commands-respect/)

[Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/)

> [The mind, too, has its regimen. It needs gymnastics, just like the body does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/the-mind-too-has-its-regimen-it-needs-gymnastics-just-like-the-body/)

[Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/)

> [We plainly perceive that the mind strengthens and decays with the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucretius/we-plainly-perceive-that-the-mind-strengthens-and-decays-with-the-body/)

[Lucretius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucretius/)

> [“The body tells the mind what to think.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harold-fink/the-body-tells-the-mind-what-to-think/)

David Harold Fink

> [“You know what you get when the mind and body act as one?...You get harmony...remember that. There is no you. There is no it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-h-wilson/you-know-what-you-get-when-the-mind-and-body-act-as-one-you-get/)

[Daniel H. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-h-wilson/)

> [“The mind commands the body and is instantly obeyed. The mind commands itself and meets resistance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-augustine-of-hippo/the-mind-commands-the-body-and-is-instantly-obeyed-the-mind-commands/)

[St. Augustine of Hippo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-augustine-of-hippo/)

> [I think that there was a fad where everyone said, 'I want you to create a signature step for my artist.' The thing is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurieann-gibson/i-think-that-there-was-a-fad-where-everyone-said-i-want-you-to-create/)

[Laurieann Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurieann-gibson/)

> [He who commands the sea has command of everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/themistocles/he-who-commands-the-sea-has-command-of-everything/)

[Themistocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/themistocles/)

> [The great test of life is to see whether we will hearken to and obey God's commands in the midst of the storms of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/the-great-test-of-life-is-to-see-whether-we-will-hearken-to-and-obey/)

[Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/)

> [“There is, I came to realize, what the mind wants and what the body wants. The mind can excite the body, but its desires…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/there-is-i-came-to-realize-what-the-mind-wants-and-what-the-body/)

[Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/)

> [Because the body is the end product of intelligence and how that intelligence shapes your reality will shape the reality of the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/because-the-body-is-the-end-product-of-intelligence-and-how-that/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [“Please, God give us the grace to carefully obey all your commands,.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/please-god-give-us-the-grace-to-carefully-obey-all-your-commands/)

[Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/)

> [“At the end of the mind, the body. But at the end of the body, the mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-valery/at-the-end-of-the-mind-the-body-but-at-the-end-of-the-body-the-mind/)

[Paul Valery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-valery/)

> [“Commands- you're sure to hear from above if you're placed down below.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suman-pokhrel/commands-you-re-sure-to-hear-from-above-if-you-re-placed-down-below/)

[Suman Pokhrel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suman-pokhrel/)

Browse all 113 Commands quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“a person’s mind is controlled by his body, right? Or is it the opposite—the way your mind works influences the structure of the body? Or do the body and mind closely influence each other and act on each other? What I do know is that people have certain inborn tendencies, and whether a person likes them or not, they’re inescapable. Tendencies can be adjusted, to a degree, but their essence can never be changed.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Haruki Murakami"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/a-person-s-mind-is-controlled-by-his-body-right-or-is-it-the-opposite/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Commands"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/a-person-s-mind-is-controlled-by-his-body-right-or-is-it-the-opposite/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c5/haruki-murakami-21_commands_a-person-s-mind-is-controlled-by-his-bod_2266180.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c5/haruki-murakami-21_commands_a-person-s-mind-is-controlled-by-his-bod_2266180.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c5/haruki-murakami-21_commands_a-person-s-mind-is-controlled-by-his-bod_2266180.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“a person’s mind is controlled by his body, right? Or is it the opposite—the way your mind works influences…” — Haruki Murakami",
                "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": "Haruki Murakami",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“a person’s mind is controlled by...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/a-person-s-mind-is-controlled-by-his-body-right-or-is-it-the-opposite/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/a-person-s-mind-is-controlled-by-his-body-right-or-is-it-the-opposite/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
