--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's not what you look at that matters…" description: "\"It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see - i.e. compare it to, something worse or better, that determines whether you are respectively..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/103/henry-david-thoreau-20_bitter_it-s-not-what-you-look-at-that-matters-i_619556.jpg" --- # It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see… ![“It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see - i.e. compare it to, something worse or better, that determines whether you are respectively grateful and happy or ungrateful and bitter.” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/103/henry-david-thoreau-20_bitter_it-s-not-what-you-look-at-that-matters-i_619556.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/103/henry-david-thoreau-20_bitter_it-s-not-what-you-look-at-that-matters-i_619556.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/103/henry-david-thoreau-20_bitter_it-s-not-what-you-look-at-that-matters-i_619556.jpg) > “It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see - i.e. compare it to, something worse or better, that determines whether you are respectively grateful and happy or ungrateful and bitter.” [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Gratitude depends on comparing current circumstances to better or worse alternatives, shaping happiness or bitterness. **In simple terms:** Comparison determines gratitude and mood. Key Takeaway Use perspective to foster gratitude. Themes gratitude perception comparison happiness bitterness Mood thoughtful hopeful Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - daily life - career setbacks - health challenges - financial stress Key Concepts philosophy psychology mindset Questions to Reflect On - What can you appreciate without comparison? - How does focusing on growth affect happiness? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on comparison can breed discontent. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bitter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bitter/) [Compare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compare/) [Compare Worse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compare-worse-5015278/) [Determine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/determine/) [Grateful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grateful/) [Gratitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gratitude/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Look Matters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/look-matters-245450/) [Looks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks/) [Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter/) [Matters Compare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matters-compare-5015275/) [Respectively Grateful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respectively-grateful-5015276/) [Ungrateful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ungrateful/) [Ungrateful Bitter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ungrateful-bitter-5015277/) ## Related quotes > [It's not what you look that matters, it's what you see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/it-s-not-what-you-look-that-matters-it-s-what-you-see/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [It seems totally unfair that the way we look matters so much. I mean, why can't we just get over this gotta-be-thin-and-beautiful thing? Why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melody-carlson/it-seems-totally-unfair-that-the-way-we-look-matters-so-much-i-mean/) [Melody Carlson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melody-carlson/) > [No matter what I face, I must have a mindset that 'it must go this way.' Although it gets to the point where I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yunho/no-matter-what-i-face-i-must-have-a-mindset-that-it-must-go-this-way/) [Yunho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yunho/) > [Its not what you look at that matters, its what you see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/its-not-what-you-look-at-that-matters-its-what-you-see/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If u don't like how I look then love me for my personality not looks. it doesn't matter how I look it matters how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/destiny-meador/if-u-don-t-like-how-i-look-then-love-me-for-my-personality-not-looks/) [Destiny Meador](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/destiny-meador/) > [I can get up in the morning and look myself in the mirror and my family can look at me too and that's all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-armstrong/i-can-get-up-in-the-morning-and-look-myself-in-the-mirror-and-my/) [Lance Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-armstrong/) > [“What makes me say these things is that I see how much you care about the way people look at you. It matters too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/what-makes-me-say-these-things-is-that-i-see-how-much-you-care-about/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [“it doesn't matter how you are looking.. but how you want to look …it matters.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco/it-doesn-t-matter-how-you-are-looking-but-how-you-want-to-look-it/) [Marco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco/) > [As long as you're feeling good with your weight and the way you look, that's what matters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alessandra-ambrosio/as-long-as-you-re-feeling-good-with-your-weight-and-the-way-you-look/) [Alessandra Ambrosio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alessandra-ambrosio/) > [Does not matter how you look it matters how you feel you look](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/does-not-matter-how-you-look-it-matters-how-you-feel-you-look/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-not-what-you-look-at-that-matters-it-s-what-you-see/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Every1 say in love look dsnt matters 4 him/her. thts a lie coz look matters 4 every1 diffrence is hw much it matters 4 u.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-bhardwaj/every1-say-in-love-look-dsnt-matters-4-him-her-thts-a-lie-coz-look/) [NICK BHARDWAJ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-bhardwaj/) > [Every wild apple shrub excites our expectation thus, somewhat as every wild child. It is, perhaps, a prince in disguise. What a lesson to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/every-wild-apple-shrub-excites-our-expectation-thus-somewhat-as-every/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [You're probably one of the most ungrateful people I've ever met. Your life isn't hard and no one feels bad for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-re-probably-one-of-the-most-ungrateful-people-i-ve-ever-met-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The masses are still ungrateful or ignorant. They prefer murder, poisonings, and crimes generally to a literature possessed of style and feeling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-sand/the-masses-are-still-ungrateful-or-ignorant-they-prefer-murder/) [George Sand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-sand/) ## More by Henry David Thoreau > [If ever I did a man any goodof course it was something exceptional and insignificant compared with the good or evil which I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it-was-something-exceptional/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“Men say they know many things; But lo! they have taken wings, — The arts and sciences, And a thousand appliances; The wind that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/men-say-they-know-many-things-but-lo-they-have-taken-wings-the-arts/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I am not afraid of praise, for I have practiced it on myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-am-not-afraid-of-praise-for-i-have-practiced-it-on-myself/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or back gammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/all-voting-is-a-sort-of-gaming-like-checkers-or-back-gammon-with-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“This spending of the best part of one's life earning money in order to enjoy a questionable liberty during the least valuable part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/this-spending-of-the-best-part-of-one-s-life-earning-money-in-order/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [As for doing good; that is one of the professions which is full. Moreover I have tried it fairly and, strange as it may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-for-doing-good-that-is-one-of-the-professions-which-is-full/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [A traveler who looks at things with an impartial eye may see what the oldest inhabitant has not observed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-traveler-who-looks-at-things-with-an-impartial-eye-may-see-what-the/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [In proportion as our inward life fails, we go more constantly and desperately to the post office. You may depend on it, that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/in-proportion-as-our-inward-life-fails-we-go-more-constantly-and/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I had three chairs in my house; one for solitude, two for friendship, three for society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-had-three-chairs-in-my-house-one-for-solitude-two-for-friendship/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The still youthful energies of the globe have only to be directed in their proper channel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-still-youthful-energies-of-the-globe-have-only-to-be-directed-in/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Concord's little arch does not span all our fate, nor is what transpires under it law for the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/concord-s-little-arch-does-not-span-all-our-fate-nor-is-what/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The lumberers rarely trouble themselves to put out their fires, such is the dampness of the primitive forest; and this is one cause, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-lumberers-rarely-trouble-themselves-to-put-out-their-fires-such/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“When he has obtained those things which are necessary to life, there is another alternative than to obtain the superfluities; and that is, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/when-he-has-obtained-those-things-which-are-necessary-to-life-there/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Wealth is measured by the level of experience in all aspects of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/wealth-is-measured-by-the-level-of-experience-in-all-aspects-of-life/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Explore all 3,376 Henry David Thoreau quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## More Bitter quotes > [The cooler days have brought a wistful mood upon him. The smell of coalsmoke in the air at night. Old times, dead years. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/the-cooler-days-have-brought-a-wistful-mood-upon-him-the-smell-of/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [From the bitter cold winter at Valley Forge, to the mountains of Afghanistan and the deserts of Iraq, our soldiers have courageously answered when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solomon-ortiz/from-the-bitter-cold-winter-at-valley-forge-to-the-mountains-of/) [Solomon Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solomon-ortiz/) > [Don't be bitter. Everybody suffers. If you can accept your suffering then you will understand other people better. Be grateful for pain. Love life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/don-t-be-bitter-everybody-suffers-if-you-can-accept-your-suffering/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [Troy was a sweet, good man. We just were never destined to be married. We just didn't have the same values. But I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-pleshette/troy-was-a-sweet-good-man-we-just-were-never-destined-to-be-married/) [Suzanne Pleshette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-pleshette/) > [You should be angry. You must not be bitter. Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. It doesn't do anything to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/you-should-be-angry-you-must-not-be-bitter-bitterness-is-like-cancer/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [Holy shadows of the dead, I'm not to blame for your cruel and bitter fate, but the accursed rivalry which brought sister nations and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/holy-shadows-of-the-dead-i-m-not-to-blame-for-your-cruel-and-bitter/) [Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/) > [One may have been a fool, but there's no foolishness like being bitter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-norris/one-may-have-been-a-fool-but-there-s-no-foolishness-like-being-bitter/) [Kathleen Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-norris/) > [“I doubt taking in a sullen, bitter, teenage girl with more issues than National Geographic is at the center of the vision board for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katja-millay/i-doubt-taking-in-a-sullen-bitter-teenage-girl-with-more-issues-than/) [Katja Millay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katja-millay/) > [Tireless passion, fierce jealousy, longing to possess and crush-these alone were left of all his love for Rosalind; these remained to him as payment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/tireless-passion-fierce-jealousy-longing-to-possess-and-crush-these/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [Life is too bitter already, without territories and wars and noble feuds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-too-bitter-already-without-territories-and-wars-and-noble/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [With every interview you feel like you lose a piece of yourself, and with every bad review you become just that little bit more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-march/with-every-interview-you-feel-like-you-lose-a-piece-of-yourself-and/) [Jane March](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-march/) > [“Without the bitter, the sweet ain’t as sweet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/without-the-bitter-the-sweet-ain-t-as-sweet/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I refuse to be one of those artists who, 10 years from now, they're bitter about the rise and the fall of their career.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-bryan/i-refuse-to-be-one-of-those-artists-who-10-years-from-now-they-re/) [Luke Bryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-bryan/) > [“In these days in which we live, when existence has become a thing of infinite complexity and fate, if it slips us a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-g-wodehouse/in-these-days-in-which-we-live-when-existence-has-become-a-thing-of/) [P.G. 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For a cup brimful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-carmichael/if-a-sudden-jar-can-cause-me-to-speak-an-impatient-unloving-word-then/) [Amy Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-carmichael/) [Browse all 1,923 Bitter quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bitter/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see - i.e. compare it to, something worse or better, that determines whether you are respectively grateful and happy or ungrateful and bitter.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry David Thoreau" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/it-s-not-what-you-look-at-that-matters-it-s-what-you-see-i-e-compare/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bitter" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/it-s-not-what-you-look-at-that-matters-it-s-what-you-see-i-e-compare/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/103/henry-david-thoreau-20_bitter_it-s-not-what-you-look-at-that-matters-i_619556.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/103/henry-david-thoreau-20_bitter_it-s-not-what-you-look-at-that-matters-i_619556.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/103/henry-david-thoreau-20_bitter_it-s-not-what-you-look-at-that-matters-i_619556.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see - i.e. compare it to, something worse or better…” — Henry David Thoreau", "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": "Henry David Thoreau", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It's not what you look at...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/it-s-not-what-you-look-at-that-matters-it-s-what-you-see-i-e-compare/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/it-s-not-what-you-look-at-that-matters-it-s-what-you-see-i-e-compare/#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 } } ] } ```