--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Emotion has the power to obscure and…" description: "\"“Emotion has the power to obscure and falsify knowledge: that the whole world assumes a smiling aspect when we have reason to rejoice, and a dark and g..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e9/irvin-d-yalom-1519_emotion_emotion-has-the-power-to-obscure-and-fal_366855.png" --- # Emotion has the power to obscure and falsify knowledge… ![“Emotion has the power to obscure and falsify knowledge: that the whole world assumes a smiling aspect when we have reason to rejoice, and a dark and gloomy one when sorrow weighs upon us.” quote by Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e9/irvin-d-yalom-1519_emotion_emotion-has-the-power-to-obscure-and-fal_366855.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e9/irvin-d-yalom-1519_emotion_emotion-has-the-power-to-obscure-and-fal_366855.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e9/irvin-d-yalom-1519_emotion_emotion-has-the-power-to-obscure-and-fal_366855.png) > ““Emotion has the power to obscure and falsify knowledge: that the whole world assumes a smiling aspect when we have reason to rejoice, and a dark and gloomy one when sorrow weighs upon us.”” [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Emotions can distort our perception, making us see the world as either overly bright or dark, regardless of reality. **In simple terms:** Emotions color our view of reality. Key Takeaway Pause to assess facts beyond feelings. Themes emotion perception truth psychology Mood thoughtful introspective Type psychological existential When to use this quote - therapy sessions - decision making - creative work Key Concepts cognitive bias existential anxiety emotional regulation Questions to Reflect On - How do your feelings influence your judgments? - What strategies help you see beyond emotional bias? A Different Perspective Emotions are useful signals, not absolute truth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Emotion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotion/) [Emotions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotions/) [Whole world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole-world/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) ## Related quotes > [Love is the most powerful emotion , its power doesn't effect your body only but it rules over your soul too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senora-roy/love-is-the-most-powerful-emotion-its-power-doesn-t-effect-your-body/) [Senora Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senora-roy/) > [When you have something that brings a real emotion, that's the power of cinema.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lynch/when-you-have-something-that-brings-a-real-emotion-that-s-the-power/) [David Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lynch/) > [“Your mind was seizing on something to try to make sense of the emotion. Can you see the power emotion has to distort our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-mull/your-mind-was-seizing-on-something-to-try-to-make-sense-of-the-2/) [Brandon Mull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-mull/) > [Writing from a personal experience can bring about this emotion and power of emotion that can be instantly connected to the instrument, my voice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-porter/writing-from-a-personal-experience-can-bring-about-this-emotion-and/) [Gregory Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-porter/) > [There are four different kinds of power in a communication: position power (the CEO talking to her direct reports), emotion power (passion sometimes rules…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-morgan/there-are-four-different-kinds-of-power-in-a-communication-position/) [Nick Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-morgan/) > [“...your mind was seizing on something to try to make sense of the emotion... Can you see the power emotion has to distort our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-mull/your-mind-was-seizing-on-something-to-try-to-make-sense-of-the/) [Brandon Mull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-mull/) > [You shall by faith sustain yourself and comfort yourself in your Lord, and be strong in His power; for you are in the beaten…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-rutherford/you-shall-by-faith-sustain-yourself-and-comfort-yourself-in-your-lord/) [Samuel Rutherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-rutherford/) > [“But if your neediness is simply because you are a human being (i.e., not omniscient, not omnipresent, not omnipotent, not God), then you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-furman/but-if-your-neediness-is-simply-because-you-are-a-human-being-i-e-not/) [Gloria Furman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-furman/) > [“We always have reason to rejoice and never have reason to complain.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-altrogge/we-always-have-reason-to-rejoice-and-never-have-reason-to-complain/) [Stephen Altrogge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-altrogge/) > [We have abundant reason to rejoice that in this Land the light of truth and reason has triumphed over the power of bigotry and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/we-have-abundant-reason-to-rejoice-that-in-this-land-the-light-of/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [Indeed we have great reason to rejoice. If life and its rushed pace and many stresses have made it difficult for you to feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dieter-f-uchtdorf/indeed-we-have-great-reason-to-rejoice-if-life-and-its-rushed-pace/) [Dieter F. Uchtdorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dieter-f-uchtdorf/) > [We have every reason to rejoice when there are so many gains and when favorable conditions abound on every hand. The end is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-stone/we-have-every-reason-to-rejoice-when-there-are-so-many-gains-and-when/) [Lucy Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-stone/) > [If you have overcome your inclination and not been overcome by it, you have reason to rejoice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plautus/if-you-have-overcome-your-inclination-and-not-been-overcome-by-it-you/) [Plautus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plautus/) > [At least I'm not a celebrity and if I was, the whole world would have known that I broke up with my girlfriend last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simphiwe-scientist-dumi/at-least-i-m-not-a-celebrity-and-if-i-was-the-whole-world-would-have/) [Simphiwe Scientist Dumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simphiwe-scientist-dumi/) > [“The world," said Pavone, "will swing to the left. The whole world except America. The world will swing, not because people read Karl Marx,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/the-world-said-pavone-will-swing-to-the-left-the-whole-world-except/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) ## More by Irvin D. Yalom > [“ALAS, IF ALL HUMANS WERE WISE AND HAD MORE GOOD WILL THE WORLD WOULD BE A PARADISE NOW IT IS MOSTLY A HELL”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/alas-if-all-humans-were-wise-and-had-more-good-will-the-world-would/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [I dream of a love that is more than two people craving to possess one another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/i-dream-of-a-love-that-is-more-than-two-people-craving-to-possess-one/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [“Ümitsizlik özfarkındalık uğruna ödenen bedeldir.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/mitsizlik-zfark-ndal-k-u-runa-denen-bedeldir/) [Irvin D. 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Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [Specialness as a primary mode of death transcendence takes a number of other maladaptive forms. The drive for power is not uncommonly motivated by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/specialness-as-a-primary-mode-of-death-transcendence-takes-a-number/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [“Exactly. We know that the great Goethe carried a copy of Spinoza’s Ethics in his pocket for a year. Imagine that—an entire year! And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/exactly-we-know-that-the-great-goethe-carried-a-copy-of-spinoza-s/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [“Hope is the worst of evils because it protracts torment.” “Your”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/hope-is-the-worst-of-evils-because-it-protracts-torment-your/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [Mature love is loving, not being loved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/mature-love-is-loving-not-being-loved/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [Absolute power, as we have always known, corrupts absolutely; it corrupts because it does not do the trick for the individual. Reality always creeps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/absolute-power-as-we-have-always-known-corrupts-absolutely-it/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [“Indeed, the capacity to tolerate uncertainty is a prerequisite for the profession. Though the public may believe that therapists guide patients systematically and sure-handedly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/indeed-the-capacity-to-tolerate-uncertainty-is-a-prerequisite-for-the/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [“Rollo May quipped that anxiety about nothing tries to become anxiety about something. In other words, anxiety about nothingness quickly attaches itself to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/rollo-may-quipped-that-anxiety-about-nothing-tries-to-become-anxiety/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [“I often urge patients to project themselves into the future and to consider how they can live now so that five years hence they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/i-often-urge-patients-to-project-themselves-into-the-future-and-to/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [When people don't have any curiosity about themselves, that is always a bad sign.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/when-people-don-t-have-any-curiosity-about-themselves-that-is-always/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) [Explore all 184 Irvin D. Yalom quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) ## More Emotion quotes > [It can sometimes make people fold into themselves and kind of run away, but I think in this case these characters are being forced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/it-can-sometimes-make-people-fold-into-themselves-and-kind-of-run/) [Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/) > [Every action that helps us manifest our divine nature more and more is good; every action that retards it is evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/every-action-that-helps-us-manifest-our-divine-nature-more-and-more/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [Of course I like you. It's because I like you I don't wanna be with you. It's a complicated emotion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlin/of-course-i-like-you-it-s-because-i-like-you-i-don-t-wanna-be-with/) Marlin > [In discovering books, you became free to explore the full range of human motives, desires, secrets, and lies. All my life, people have scolded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/in-discovering-books-you-became-free-to-explore-the-full-range-of/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) > [“Emotion as well as reason belongs to the very stuff of history.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beryl-smalley/emotion-as-well-as-reason-belongs-to-the-very-stuff-of-history/) Beryl Smalley > [It definitely helps to have the acting experience going into singing, because when you're singing, you have to portray the emotion you were feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-newman/it-definitely-helps-to-have-the-acting-experience-going-into-singing/) Ryan Newman > [It is not my intention to explain Turkey, its culture and its problems. My literature has a universal concern: I want to bring people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orhan-pamuk/it-is-not-my-intention-to-explain-turkey-its-culture-and-its-problems/) [Orhan Pamuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orhan-pamuk/) > [For me, the term "psychotherapy" is limiting. It implies that we work with mind and emotions, but excludes the body and pays scant attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-diamond/for-me-the-term-psychotherapy-is-limiting-it-implies-that-we-work/) [Jed Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-diamond/) > [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/) > [There cannot be any communication except through form. If there is no form, you cannot create emotion in the spectator.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-resnais/there-cannot-be-any-communication-except-through-form-if-there-is-no/) [Alain Resnais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-resnais/) > [A knowledge of the existence of something we cannot penetrate, of the manifestations of the profoundest reason and the most radiant beauty - it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/a-knowledge-of-the-existence-of-something-we-cannot-penetrate-of-the/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [ Music \[is\] the third rail of life. You grabbed it to shock yourself out of the dull drag of hours. To feel something. To… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-hill/music-is-the-third-rail-of-life-you-grabbed-it-to-shock-yourself-out/) [Joe Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-hill/) > [“What if each time you experienced an emotion, you acknowledged it, accepted it, and became curious about its message for you (instead of trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vironika-tugaleva/what-if-each-time-you-experienced-an-emotion-you-acknowledged-it/) [Vironika Tugaleva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vironika-tugaleva/) > [For war to man, like childbirth to women, is simplifying in its emotions and activities. All the real problems of life can be put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/for-war-to-man-like-childbirth-to-women-is-simplifying-in-its/) [Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/) > [Many humanists have argued that happiness involves a combination of hedonism and creative moral development; that an exuberant life fuses excellence and enjoyment, meaning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kurtz/many-humanists-have-argued-that-happiness-involves-a-combination-of/) [Paul Kurtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kurtz/) [Browse all 7,204 Emotion quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotion/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Emotion has the power to obscure and falsify knowledge: that the whole world assumes a smiling aspect when we have reason to rejoice, and a dark and gloomy one when sorrow weighs upon us.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Irvin D. 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